morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-27
From: 16.2

To: Schaghticoke Mtn 1448.9
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was another day with an afternoon heat advisory in the forecast. The drinking water was iffy and we inched along hoping to make it to the hot dog stand outside Pawling, Ny. The weather called for thunderstorm activity in our vacinity so we thought about going into town and getting a room at a B&B. When we arrived at the road crossing where the hot dog guy was supposed to have his stand we were disappointed to find him gone. A nice woman at a nursery let us sit on her porch and gave us water. We sat and relaxed for about an hour in the shade and decided we could make it to the next shelter. The heat seemed to be easing and we only had six miles to go. A couple of hours later the light was fading and we were in a rich dark part of the forest, Ingrid's boot caught on an exposed root and she fell down hard onto her left arm. We sat in the middle of the Appalachian Trail trying to decide how badly she was hurt. We took off her pack and cleaned her wounds. The shelter was only 2 miles away. We decided to keep going and to see how it felt when we got to the shelter in an hour's time. When we arrived at a small road .4 miles from the shelter we sat for a few minutes as we wondered if we should get to a hospital. I came close to flagging down a car but Ingrid suddenly decided she wanted to go on. I helped her get the pack on and she walked North. She hadn't gone twenty feet when she called with an excited voice for me to come.Trail Magic!johnnymud
Date: 2007-06-28
From: Leather Hill Road 1439

To: Schaghticoke Mtn 1448.9
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: broken clouds

Ingrid's arm started feeling better and we decided to hike to Kent, Ct. 13 miles away. Unfortunately, we didn't decide the arm was ok until 9:30 and at 5 it started to rain. We had labored for several hours climbing Schaghticoke Mountain, as the people who laid out the AT seemed to be sure that thru hikers would want to see every side of the mountain, as well as every portion of its broad top. We might have had some nice vistas except that it was hazy. Earlier in the day I stopped to visit a privy. I was just finishing my business when a large wasp stung me on the back. I looked around to see what had stung me and was horrified to see several of the angry wasp's family members also angry and getting ready to sting me as well. I instinctively tried to run out the door but with my shorts down around my knees I fell out the door instead. I laid in a disheveled testament to unwarranted pain and injustice, hoping the wasps that had followed me out the door understood how sorry I was for invading there domain. Luckily, I was not stung again. Unluckily, I had a major cleaning job to do for the wasps had stung me before I could clean myself and now I was in the dirt and a total mess. Later in the day when it started to rain we were lucky to be at a campsite. We put up the tent and got inside just as the first drops began to fall. Talk about luck... Ingrid was unlucky, and fell, but made it to a place where there was ice, food and chairs. I was unlucky and was stung but then made it to a campsite before getting wet. We were both continually sought after by roving bands of ticks, but so far as we know, we have found them all by being lucky enough to enjoy scanning each other's naked body.Johnnymud
Date: 2007-06-29
From: Schaghticoke Mtn 1448.9

To: Kent CT 1452.1
Miles today: 3.2

We woke up after a long restful night. Being in a tent beside a babbling brook is surely one of those "best" sort of things. The rain that forced us into the tent at 5PM kept up, on and off, all night and yet in the morning we were still dry and comfortable within the confines of our nylon abode. I always think back to my boy scout days. I seem to recall always sleeping in a puddle whenever it rained. There were always mosquitos buzzing in my ears as well. I never had a good night's sleep in the boy scouts. Ingrid brought a coffee dripper and some paper filters. I like to make a big production out of dripping a hearty brew that makes us clatter our tongues and whoop out loud a time or two. The coffee this morning was especially strong and wonderful. I think we out clattered the squirrrels. Now we are going to hike a short distance into town for a real breakfast. Ingrid goes home tomorrow.johnnymud
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Kent CT 1452.1

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

We spent a couple of hours in the laundramat in Kent, CT. then a couple more driving with the Enterprise Rental woman to New Milford, renting the car and looking around for food. By the time we had found the library, booked a room on priceline and driven a little while, it was after five. We were heading to a Holiday Inn in Albany, we were suddenly sight seers but reluctantly tired and spent. We drove thru some of the very same quaint New England towns I will be walking through next week. We stopped in a nice grocery store and mused how I might be able to hike into it next Thursday or so. We talked about mail drops and resupply. I marveled at how the distances we were driving from town to town failed to compute within my backpacking frame of mind. I will be right out of Connecticut and into Massachussets in a week. I couldn't fathom how I could walk that far (60 miles) even though I have walked 1300 miles since I started.I am back in Kent, or at least in the shelter .3 miles South of Kent. I got here just as night fell and I am writing this using my headlamp. There are two tents outside the shelter containing who knows who and there are two section hikers with me in the shelter. An older guy is already asleep. A younger guy is reading a magazine. I'm just a little too wired to turn in just yet. I tried to find a meeting of some friends in town but got there too late to find them. It was just as well, if I would have found them I would have had to hike up here in the dark. I'm glad for the week I enjoyed hiking with my wife. I don't know why God has blessed me so richly. I just try to remember to keep on saying thanks!johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-01
From: Zero Day

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

I'm sitting in the rental car outside the IGA in Kent because this is the only place in town where a Verizon phone has service. My wife, Ingrid, is back home in Asheville looking for some things on the internet for me. I'm waiting for her to call me back. I'm planning on going to church this morning. Not because I'm a particularly good person but because I believe I might need to hear the New England point of view on God and their take on the meaning of life. I like to sing too.I am going to take another zero today and try to do some trail magic while I have the rental car.Now I'm outside the Methodist Church. I'm over an hour too early but maybe I can plug in my phone. A woman was giving me the eye so I told her why I was here. She just left. My plan to do trail magic fell flat when no one passed this way. I have my powdered milk and everything else I was supposed to get. I drove in to Pawling after giving up on the trail magic. I found the city lake but did not go in. It was a small town about the size of Kent. They used to have an IGA but it was closed. There was a large Hannafords on the new outer belt. I would drive to New Milford but I would just be burning gas and finding new things to eat. I hope I can get back into the hiking tomorrow. I sure lost momentum today. Once I'm back on the trail it will all be as usual. One foot in front of the other and all that. johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-02
From: Kent CT 1452.1

To: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to 1469.1 
Miles today: 16.6

I returned the rental car and was on the trail hiking by 9AM. I was happy to see the hiking was going to be easier than last week's. The weather was cooler and the terrain more gradual,then challenging and then flat for several miles as the trail followed the Housatonic River.There were several good climbs after that but without high heat and high humidity I moved right along. By 6 PM I had hiked 17 miles and was at a shelter with nothing else ahead but campsites. Since I wanted to sleep at a shelter I made myself dinner and rolled out my sleeping bag. It was a bit ironic that I had just been thinking about hiking high miles (25 to 30), in order to finish my thru hike earlier and then found myself very ready to make camp after only 17 miles. My math wizardry tells me I only have to hike 30 more days if I can hike 25 miles per day. I guess it sounds too easy to be doable for an old man like me. Most likely my legs would give out long before I got to the 700 mile mark I need to reach. I'd better listen to my body.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-03
From: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to 1469.1 

To: Salisury 1484.7
Miles today: 15.6

I would like to do a 30 mile day today but my body is telling me to be content with 15. I still hope to turn up the mileage later. I made coffee from the water here at the pine swamp, I boiled it but didn't treat it. It was the worst tasting and smellimg coffee I have ever had. Live and learn. I slept well last night, under the mosquito netting my wife helped me rig. I tied it to a log, over-head,in the shelter and draped it over me and my sleeping bag. I will be able to use it the same way under my tarp. It is a beautiful morning here in Connecticut. I feel like hiking while it is still cool. There is spring water just ahead.I've hiked into Salisbury, CT. and I'm sitting outside the pricy grocery store eating my fill. I ended up buying food I don't want to carry. So, I took it back and bought ice cream instead. It all revovles around the question: "would I rather carry four pounds of food all day or hike an extra few miles?"johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-04
From: Plateau campsite 1485.7

To: Great Barrington MA 1506.9
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I hiked out of Salisbury at 8:00 p.m. and put up my tarp at a place called Plateau Campsite. There were several other groups camped at the same spot but it didn't matter since there was a lot of room. The mosquitoe netting went up perfectly, or so I thought, and I settled in for a good nights sleep. I continued to hear buzzing in my ears and after an hour or so decided to shine the flashlight so I could rid myself of the few stragglers. Evidently there is something very flawed in my design because when I looked overhead the netting was crawling with mosquitoes. I tried to kill as many as I could but it was hopeless. I finaly threw off the mosquito netting and got out the DEET. I was hoping I could go all the way to Maine without using chemicals but I'm glad I had it. I sprayed myself liberally and had a fairly good nights sleep. Today I will hike about 21 miles to Great Barrington. I'm not sure what stores will be open so I'm going to camp at the free camping area where the AT first comes into town and then maybe walk in the 1.5 miles on the morning of the 5th for my resupply. I will hike to Dalton, Mass, 50 miles further for the maildrop Ingrid and I posted from Albany. I hope to get to Dalton on Saturday morning so I will need to carry 2 to 3 days of food from Great Barrington. It is about 6:30 and I'm done with my coffee. The trail awaits. I will be climbing almost 1000 feet in elevation in the first 2.3 miles. My knee feels much better.I reached Riga Lean-to at 8:30. There is a group of YMCA campers and they give me three ham and cheese sandwhiches and an orange. YUM!!! 18 miles to go.It started raining at about one and I hiked to the next shelter in the rain. It was rough crossing the rocky ridge tops. I warmed up at the shelter and then decided to I could make it to Great Barrington before dark. I fell again coming down the ridge. I scraped my elbow but I'm ok. I should have stopped hiking when I started to look at the view.I made it to the Corn Crib in Great Barrington just before dark. I was glad to get out of my wet clothes.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-05
From: Great Barrington MA 1506.9

To: Mt. Wilcox Lean-to 1250.4
Miles today: 13.5

I started to hitchhike back to the corn crib from Great Barrington and sure enough a car pulled over. Inside was Gaiter Girl coming off a zero. She looked mighty clean. The guy driving said Gaiter Girl had vouched for me or he wouldn't have pulled over. There is something up when a hiker only puts in 13.5 miles and quits for the day. I had several things that came up: a morning resupply that prevented me from starting until 9:30, an afternoon rain storm that forced me into the nearest shelter at 6PM, and kept me there, falling twice on slippery boulders and having a pack full of enticing food that required me to stop at every opportunity to eat. Oh, and then there was that delightful little pond where I stopped for a swim.Looking at the bright side, I was very near the shelter when it started to rain. I hadn't passed it as I would have if I had started earlier. The next shelter was 14 miles away and it would have been well after dark if I had tried to go on to that one. Besides, I would have gotten very wet for the second day in a row. Maybe tomorrow is the day I get my 30 mile day. I have food, the terrain is supposed to be optimal and I feel healthy. A good night's sleep will surely add to the possiblity.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-06
From: Mount Wilcox Lean To 

To: Camp Site at 1550.4 
Miles today: 30.0

I'm up very early and so are the mosquitoes. I had my granola and I'm drinking my coffee. I should be able to get out of here by 6. It is slightly overcast and wet, with the trees still dripping from last night's rain. If the trail doesn't present too many rocky faces I should be able to make good time. As you can see by my mileage for the day, I have finaly achieved my goal of hiking 30 miles in one day. The terrain was tougher than I expexted but there was a lot of level trail (even if it was root infested and rock strewn.) The one problem I had beside my speed versus the sun's speed was the wetness. If it wasn't raining it was threatening to rain and the trail itself was wet. When I changed into my driest pair of socks they quickly became very wet, too, from the wet overgrowth on each side of the trail. Consequently, my feet suffered. They are rubbed red ontop of the toes and blistered on the soles. I'm thinking I may need to take a day off as a result of my need to do a thirty.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-07
From: Camp Site at 1550.4 

To: Crystal Mtn. campl site 1559.7
Miles today: 9.3

I'm in Dalton doing laundry and tending to my feet. I'm going to hike North and see how they do. They are sure complaining.My feet, my belly and horrific body odor forced me into town and to cut back on my miles. It is hard to cut back from the exhiliration of a thirty mile day to the ho-hum rate of a ten mile day. Considering that I and my clothes smell a whole lot better, is almost as exciting. Both of my feet were in serious need of some tender loving care due to hiking with wet shoes. I bought some zinc-oxide and applied it liberaly. It works on babies bums and on hikers raw feet.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-08
From: Crystal Mtn. campl site 1559.7

To: Wilbur Clearing 1575.3
Miles today: 15.6

There are 599.3 miles to go.I made it over Mount Greylock with the weather cooler than predicted. That was a good thing. There were plenty of signs to keep me informed on my progress and spectacular views from the top. It was like flying in over your home town and getting the airplane to stop so you could take a good long look. Probably what people in hot air ballons are attracted by. There were plenty of day hikers and section hikers enjoying the view and the trails. This was crtainly partly due to the fact that it was Sunday. Still, I was surprised to see so many others since the park people have closed all the roads leading to the top for repairs. Both the tower and the lodge at the summit are closed. My feet started to hurt coming down the three miles from the top in combination with the almost 1900 foot drop in elevation. I decided to wait until tomorrow to go into North Adams.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-09
From: Wilbur Clearing 1575.3

To: Seth Warner Shelter 1585.2
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

I spent the night alone in a great shelter three miles from the top of Mount Greylock. I must have been tired because I went to sleep around seven. It started to rain very hard at midnight and I was very glad to be in the shelter and not sleeping under the tarp. I would have slept, but it would have been messy. I'm drinking the last of my coffee and waiting for it to quit raining so I can go into town for my resupply. Coffee is at the top of the list.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Seth Warner Shelter 1585.2

To: Melville Newheim Shelter 1598.3
Miles today: 13.1

I ended up taking a few hours to enjoy Williamstown/North Adams. They have a city bus that takes you anywhere you might want to go. I spent a couple hours at the Wiliams Inn: showering, soaking in their hot tub and cooling in their pool. All for just six dollars. I resupplied and ate as much as I could while at the Stop and Shop. I also reglued my shoes since the soles were threatening to come off. But by then, I left town a little too late. I was expecting to get rained on but didn't. I wasn't expecting to run out of daylight but did. When I came to a road that was in my guide as being past the shelter I assumed I had passed the shelter. I backtracked looking for it and then decided I should have looked for a sign on the other side of the road. Sure enough, after an extra hour of slogging around in the mud looking for the phantom shelter, in the dark, I made it back to the road and saw the sign. I still had .2 miles to go. I would have been at the shelter by nine if I wouldn't have relied on the guide book or thought to look for the sign before turning around. I ended up getting to the shelter after ten. The three people sleeping inside didn't seem too happy. To cap it all off, one fella woke me up from a sound sleep to tell me I was snoring. I have decided to take a slow pace as to not get to Manchester Center before my birthday packages. I may go in to Bennington VT. today if there is a timely shuttle. It is supposed to be another hot one.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-11
From: Melville Newheim Shelter 1598.3

To: Story Spring Shelter 1615.7
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: light rain

He awoke before the birds, brimming with a brash and bold bravado! Pleased with his overmuscled illiteration he swatted at a mosquito and wondered when it would rain again.Last night's attempt at building a fire sat inside the fire-ring charred but mostly unburned. He thought about his thru hike hanging in the balance. Could it be that a little moisture could dampen his resolve enough to cause him to fail?FAIL! It sounded so harsh, so final. Maybe "held back" a year might be less severe, allowed to complete this years efforts in the following spring like some kid sitting in the back row not paying attention. But, he was paying attention. He must burn and burn bright. He must not fail. He didn't want to be held back.He laced up his boots, drank the rest of his coffee and stuffed the carefully selected contents of his backpack into the bag where they would be carried until he needed them again. Now he needed his feet and his legs to carry him North. Now he had to succeed. One more day. One more mile toward Katahdin....I hiked the day's last hour in a driving rain, but what does it matter. I am in the shelter now. I am dry now, my belly full and tomorrow I will arive in another town. The hot and rainy weather has slowed me down, but tomorrow is supposed to be nice.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-12
From: Story Spring Shelter 1615.7

To: VT 11&30 Manchester Center 1636.8
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: broken clouds

I have 537.8 miles to go!The rain continued into the night. Sometime after dark, three hearty and hale young men appeared at the Shelter, their headlamps making them look like coal miners coming back home after a long, hard day in the mines only to be drenched by a summer rain on the way home . They moved about like well-trained soldiers as they got out of their wet gear and went about the motions of making up their beds and cooking their dinners. I heard no complaining. I was asleep by the time they ate and climbed into their sleeping bags. These three guys call themselves "Riders on the Storm". Small wonder. The morning brought cool temperatures and an Earth saturated by a week of rain. I had planned to hike 20 miles into Manchester Center but my feet were already in poor shape and the trail would be puddle filled and ready to drench any dry socks I tried to throw at it.I put on my wet shoes on top of a pair of damp socks hoping the socks would wick out some of the water. It wasn't raining and the sun was promising to burn through the bank of low clouds. I drank my coffee and waited. Today would not be a twenty mile day.The three young men got up promptly at seven and prepared to hike on. They were definate about getting into Manchester today. They ate donuts for breakfast and left.Up ahead, in ten miles, lay Stratton Pond and a pay as you stay shelter. There is a caretaker there and a possible ride in a gondola down the mountain to Stratton Village. I made a second cup of coffee and weighed my options. One thing for sure, I couldn't sit still for long. I started getting my gear together hoping the sun would dry me out along with the whole of Vermont.My goal for the remainder of my thru hike is to hike one hundred miles per week. I have only hiked forty miles in the last three days. obviously something has to change. If I can hike one hundred miles per week for the rest of this week and the next five weeks then I can finish on August Eighteenth....I climbed Stratton Mountain and sat at the top enjoying wonderful views and wonderful sunshine. My socks had been hanging off the back of my pack all day and now I took off my shoes and enjoyed having dry feet for the first time in days. Stratton Pond was plagued by an abundance of mosquitos and there was no caretaker in attendance to discus a gondola ride. I called the man who runs a boarding house in Manchester and he assured me it was an easy hitch into town and that he had a bed for me. I ate the rest of my food, each crumb of bread and each dab of peanut butter, and headed into town. If the trail had been challenging I would have had a difficult time getting there before dark but it proved to be easy going with plenty of water so I found myself by the road hitching a ride at about eight o'clock. The fourth or fifth car passed me and then turned around and came back. He knew where the rooming house was and drove me the five and a half miles into town.johnnymud
Date: 2007-07-13
From: VT 11&30 Manchester Center 1636.8

To: Peru Peak Shelter 1646.9
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

I think I am up to 70 miles for the week. I hitch-hiked out of town at three o'clock and then hiked the ten miles to the shelter, arriving just before dark at 8:30.I bought new shoes just as I was leaving town. My New Balance All Terrain shoes fit great but fell apart after only one month on the AT. The shoes I bought are Nikes and although they are totally gray and stand out as being the wrong color they seem to fit well and have given me no troubles in ten miles.My wife sent me a great MP3 player for my birthday that she preloaded with books on tape. I listened to five hours of "The Kite Runner" and it was wonderful. What a beautifully written book. I am in awe.johnnymud