morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-14
From: NJ 23 (Port Jervis)

To: NJ 94 (Vernon)
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

So luxurious to sleep in a bed. This morning, we saw Yardsale and Mudmouth and Maineac at the continental breakfast and met for the first time Tommyhawk and Goat. We chatted for a while, then went to pack up our stuff. Maineac and his mom gave us a ride back to the trailhead--thanks!It was a cool, pleasant morning. Sunshine for view from High Point observation deck. New Jersey is so flat compared to what we've gone through in the south and what's ahead. We stopped in to see the picturesque secret shelter around noon and witnessed a slight shower; once we'd donned our packs and headed to Unionville, it downpoured on us. We dried out a bit as we got into town, but the skies still looked dark and we suspected more rain. We picked up a package from Spider's dad and got a bite to eat at Wit's Tavern (great ribs).We checked the weather and saw more rain coming... but we went for it anyway. On the roadwalk, we got drenched. We met and hiked with Hiccup and her partner whose name we forgot, talking all the way to the next shelter. The rain had stopped and Spider and I were feeling good, so we kept going the 6mi to Vernon.It was a pretty walk, an easy few miles, but our shoes, already drenched from the rain and bogs, became completely submerged in a few deep puddles in the swamp. There were boardwalks covering sections of wet trail, but all the rain made it impossible to avoid wet boots. We got to the road around 8:30pm and tried unsuccessfully to hitch a ride to town for over an hour. The road had no shoulder, and walking to town was impossible. We finally found a number for a taxi service and got dropped off at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Their hostel is fantastic--showers, laundry, kitchen use, all a hiker could want. We are grateful to dry out and clean up.
Date: 2013-06-15
From: NJ 94 (Vernon)

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: broken clouds

Trail Angel Butch Cassidy brought us coffee and donuts this morning. We sat around at the hostel chatting and slowly packing up, leaving around 9am. Another beautiful morning. Spider and I took our time hiking up the first climb. We haven't seen a 1000ft climb in a while, it seems, and we're re-developing that leg strength. Spider's been taking a break from using his poles, too.The trail up to the state park was OK but with lots of PUDs. None were too significant, though some were steep. We took a long lunch at the state park, sitting in the sun and relaxing. We were both tired, not having gone to bed early enough the past few nights.We hiked another 4mi and crossed into New York, leaving New Jersey behind. That's eight states down. Almost immediately, the trail became more challenging, poorly marked, and unmaintained. There were some nice stretches along rock ridges that we enjoyed, but Spider in the lead kept getting lost. At least we had nice weather.Tenting tonight because the mosquitos are ravenous. Also feels like we haven't tented at a shelter in a while. Hillbilly and Smooth talked with us from their tents when we came in, and a few folks came in a little later. There's a whole village of tents here tonight.
Date: 2013-06-16
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Arden Valley Rd
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

We had a hard day of hiking and an amazing evening of trail magic. It's amazing how a day can morph from polar opposites.The hiking was tough, rollarcoaster-like climbs with little in terms of views. The trail is not marked well, and we both got lost. I pulled a deer tick off me, too. There were some pretty fern-covered areas, but by the late afternoon when we came upon it, we were too exhausted to feel much gratitude.Well, that changed. Earlier in the day we found a card that seemed to offer thru hikers food, shower and laundry, and a bed. We called to inquire and arranged to call later in the day further down the trail. We didn't know what to expect. John and Susan picked us up, drove us to their house with a stop at a convenience store en route, set us up on a futon in the computer room, lent us clothing as we did a load if laundry, let us shower, cooked us a delicious dinner, and even brought out the ice cream for dessert. We were totally floored by their generosity and good will. They are great, fun, friendly people, and we were exploding with gratitude. Susan even let us use the computer for blogging. Thank you, John and Susan, for everything! Definitely a highlight of the trail.
Date: 2013-06-17
From: Arden Valley Rd

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

Passed the 1400 mile mark today, and the lowest elevation on the whole trail. Our 101th day on the trail was long, hot, and buggy.Another round of thanks to trail angels John and Susan for a delicious and filling breakfast, and a ride back to the trail. We are so grateful; you inspire us towards kindness and generosity of spirit.We hiked to William Bryan Memorial Shelter, a dirty shelter in a pretty location, and were lucky enough to wait out a short storm there. The rest of the day went well. Neither of us drank enough water, given the heat and humidity, so we were grouchy toward the end of the day. I listened to NPR and the miles flew by. Bear Mountain was a nice climb. Pretty views all day. We descended to the park but the zoo was closed. Crossed over the brown Hudson River and up a steep hill. The mosquitos were out in full force.Stopped to resupply at the well-positioned Appalachian Deli and Market and packed out a cheeseburger and a cheese steak sub for dinner and a pint of Ben and Jerry's for dessert. Another 0.6 on the AT and 0.4 down a road and we were done for the day. It's dark and we're up late, but full and happy and very satisfied with the day.
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: moderate rain

Hot and humid day, impossibly buggy. The mosquitos are out full-force. We left Graymoor around 7:30am and hiked determinedly until we found a little ridge with a breeze. The trail was uninteresting this morning, climbing and descending for no discernible reason.In the afternoon, we walked around a nice lake. Spider and I took a side trail to the beach with the intention of swimming. However, the beach area was totally deserted and unappealing. We ate a snack and watched dark clouds creep closer. At the sound of thunder, we hiked back to the trail and continued on toward RPH Shelter.We had five miles to the shelter and did the first four very quickly, hoping to beat the rain. It started drizzling and we maintained our pace, Spider out in front with his long-legged strides and me behind, nearly running the downhills to keep up.About a mile from the shelter, I twisted my ankle sharply on a rock in the trail. I heard a "pop" as it turned and couldn't keep my balance. I made it to the shelter leaning heavily on Spider's hiking poles. It is swollen and painful. I tried not to stand much once we got to the shelter. We ordered pizza, which was OK. Mr. Frodo, Beacon, Ebo, Flip, and a few section hikers are ere tonight.
Date: 2013-06-19
From: RPH Shelter

To: Stormville, NY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Spider and I sat around this morning, after everyone left, trying to figure out what to do. My ankle felt bad, I felt pain when I walked on it, and we decided we wouldn't hike today. As we were deliberating, a local trail maintainer came by and, hearing the situation, invited us to stay at his house today. We headed there, seeing Mr. Frodo, Beacon, and Flip en route. They were invited back for breakfast, showers, and laundry, too. A tremendous thank you to Bill and Amy for their incredible hospitality toward hikers. Amy made us waffles for breakfast and her folks set me up on the couch with an ice pack. Later, Amy and Bill extended an invitation for us to stay in their garage as I healed up. Amy even took us to Urgent Care, where I was set up with an aircast and a pair of crutches. It's just a sprain, and the doctor said I could start hiking as I felt up to it after some rest. We think we will visit my sister this weekend in NYC and reevaluate on Sunday.
Date: 2013-06-23
From: New York City

To: Stormville, NY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

After a good weekend in NYC, we returned to Stormville. We did a lot more walking in the city than we had anticipated, so we decided to rest this afternoon and try a 3.5 or 5 mile slackpack tomorrow to suss out how my ankle will hold up on the trail. We are eager to continue hiking.
Date: 2013-06-24
From: RPH Shelter

To: US 52
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: light rain

We slackpacked the five miles north of RPH Shelter. I used Spider's trekking poles for the hike, leaning on them heavily to make my way down the trail. It was slow progress, but progress nonetheless. My ankle was sore but possibly manageable. We think we will continue on tomorrow with our packs. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude toward Bill and Amy for taking us in as my ankle healed. We were so fortunate to meet them. I hope we have the opportunity to practice the same generosity one day.
Date: 2013-06-25
From: US 52

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 3.9
Weather: broken clouds

After a final breakfast at Bill and Amy's, Spider and I donned our full packs and set out from US 52. It was a hot, humid day. The mosquitos were everywhere and I couldn't outpace them. My ankle felt bad. Spider was suffering from a splitting headache. Our short hike was felt awful.For a variety of reasons, we decided to take a few days off the trail and do some serious resting. Doing these short days isn't very fun right now. My ankle isn't holding up well with a full pack on my back and I want it to heal. Spider also wants time to rest his bum knee, etc. He arranged a pick up by his dad tomorrow morning.The idea is that we can get strong again so we can hike like we mean it. We want this adventure to be fun and enriching--we don't want to run our bodies and our spirits down until it feels like a joyless obligation.
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: US 55
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a hard time sleeping last night, plagued by boredom from low mileage days and guilt for planning to get off trail for a long break. I read for hours while Spider slept, finishing my book and only then attempting sleep.We woke at 5:30am to get to the road 3mi down the trail before Spider's dad would arrive. We budgeted 3 hours for the hike. That's about how long it took, maybe a little less because at times I was launching myself down trail in vain attempts to escape mosquitos. My ankle was still sore. Spider said the morning's hike only reinforced his desire to take a break from the trail.We were whisked away to Greenfield, where we'll likely be for the next week. Our goal is to rest and heal. I think we can do that.This evening we counted over 100 mosquito bites on my legs and butt.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Greenfield, MA

To: Greenfield, MA
Miles today: 0.0

Another restful day. We are enjoying eating fresh food and watching movies, but we miss the trail. So, this afternoon, we drove out to North Adams to do some trail magic. It took longer than we thought to get out there, so we just dropped off some goodies. We didn't see anyone. The mosquitos and flies, however, recognized us instantly. I got a bug in the eye and three mosquito bites.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Greenfield, MA

To: Greenfield, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

My ankle is healing, albeit very slowly. Recently, I've been walking with a cane. It typically feels sore at the end of the day. Anyway, we are practicing being patient and trying to enjoy this mandatory period of rest.We drove out to North Adams again today to do trail magic. We picked up Beacon, Mr. Frodo, Lost n Found aka Galinda, and Bean, shuttled them around town, and had dinner together. It was great to see them and hear how the trail has been treating them. Spider and I miss hiking terribly. We can't wait to get back on the trail.
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Newmarket, NH

To: Newmarket, NH
Miles today: 0.0

Spider and I went with some friends to Red Hook Brewery for their excellent tour. We had the pleasure of meeting Bear, '06 and '08 thru-hiker, who was our tour guide. It was great to talk trail for a minute, and he even sent us on our way with a little trail magic.My ankle feels a lot better, and I am much closer to walking normally. We hope to be back on the trail in a few days after some test runs.
Date: 2013-07-08
From: Kingston, NH

To: Greenfield, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I tested my ankle with a boots-on two mile walk on flat ground, no pack. It did well, and I only felt pain when I tweaked it not stepping mindfully. I feel ready to hit the trail. Now I just need to convince Spider that I'm OK to go. He is worried about us being caught in mosquito-land going too slowly and also about me not healing enough or re-injuring myself. That's partly because I sort of twisted my ankle again later tonight.
Date: 2013-07-09
From: Greenfield, MA

To: Greenfield, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Spider and I decided last night that we will go back to the trail the day after tomorrow, after we complete a few neglected errands. We are SO EXCITED to hike again. It has been too long...So, tomorrow: resupply, pick up bug repellent and fuel, eat delicious fresh food, charge all our devices and pack all our gear!!more at: adventureclaudia.wordpress.com
Date: 2013-07-12
From: NY 55

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Our triumphant return to the trail...We were dropped off at the same place Spider's dad picked us up from two weeks ago. We are so grateful for everyone's hospitality and kindness while I healed up, and now we are happy to be back hiking. Almost immediately, we stopped to pick wild blueberries, such a delicious treat. As we walked deeper into the woods, the mosquitos came to greet us. Try aren't as voracious as before, but we still layered on bug repellent.The first section was very mild, and I was grateful. My ankle held up pretty well, and I certainly took my time. I barely cracked a 2mph pace for the first 10mi. In fact, I was a little discouraged when we stopped to eat at West Moutain and I saw we had only covered just over 4mi. Oh well--day 1 of being back. I navigated the downhill from there to the AT Railroad Station pretty well. We filled up with water at Native Landscapes and set out for the last leg of the day. We had a short climb that felt great--I have missed hiking so badly. The trail was pretty well maintained all the way to Wiley Shelter. No one else here tonight, though we did get passed by a bunch of slackpacking thru-hikers this afternoon.Nuclear Lake, which we passed early in the day, was awfully pretty. We also saw the Dover Oak, the largest oak on the AT. It looked like its cousin, the Keffer Oak, which we saw in Virginia.Overall, a good day. My ankle is sore, but I think it's fine. We are excited to get to Connecticut tomorrow. New England!
Date: 2013-07-13
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Schaghticoke Mountain Campsite
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

We woke up late this morning, but we didn't feel bad about it. We anticipated a low mileage day. We filled up on water and walked 1.2 miles to the NY-CT border. Another state down!The terrain was sort of rocky and the bugs were awful, especially later in the day. We took a long break at Ten Mile River shelter and another at a vista with abundant blueberries. We had planned to push on to Mt Algo Shelter, but my ankle and knee were done at the campsite just before it. We tented with two ladies from Brooklyn and a man scouting for the Boy Scouts. We got to bed early.
Date: 2013-07-14
From: Schaghticoke Mountain Campsite

To: Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

Strange day today. We slept in late again, hitting the trail sometime around 9am. The bugs swarmed immediately. It was a hot and nasty three miles to Kent. As we walked to Kent, I was feeling so miserable. I was hot, drenched in sweat, relentlessly pursued by mosquitos and biting flies, with sore feet and ankles, and there was no relief in sight. Ugh. Once in town, we had lunch at a cafe and I splashed some water on my face and neck and some of the sweat dried in the cool AC. My pack dried outside. We had delicious sandwiches and salads and ice cream, and then we moseyed over to another cafe for iced coffees. My mood really improved in that short town stop.As we approached the trailhead, some volunteer firefighters asked if we had seen a man in tan shorts with no pack. We hadn't. At each road crossing for the rest of the day, we saw firefighters or cops asking about the same man. When we took a break at Caleb's Peak, a big group of volunteer firefighters came up to investigate some trash. We saw dirtbikes parked and abandoned on the trail, and later we were accosted y a slobbery bloodhound. It was a mystery to us.We got to the shelter and, although we were game to hike on, decided to make camp and go swimming in the river. It was a good decision. We feel so clean! And it started raining shortly after we got back to our campsite. We had just enough time to keep everything dry.Met Bomber, an ATC ecologist, at the shelter--he came in just after the downpour. He told us the official activity was to find a suicidal man they had gotten reports of yesterday or this morning. Hope everything was OK.
Date: 2013-07-15
From: Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter

To: Falls Village, CT
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Another hot and nasty hike. We left covered in bug goop, and the mosquitos still attacked us. The trail followed the Housatonic River for the first two miles of the day, and at that low elevation, there was no stopping the blood suckers. There was a climb just after, and we booked it up there as quickly as we could. Only at the top did we get any relief, so we sat a while and let the sweat dry and decided what to do the rest of the day.We climbed down the mountain and took the road to Cornwall Bridge. We stopped in the package store, signed their register, and received a cold beer each in return. We sat in the shade, drinking our beers, then resupplied at the gas station and sat outside by the ice machine eating ice cream and charging my phone. Real classy.Eventually we got back to the trail. The 4.8mi to the road to West Cornwall were nice, only minimally buggy. When we got to that road, we celebrated a little--I had now hiked the whole AT, having hiked from Katahdin to there in 2010.We took a short break at Pine Swamp Brook Shelter, but the bugs drove us on. The next 2-3 miles were awful, absolutely miserable, because of the mosquitos. It just drives ya mad. We took a break on a windy rock, made dinner, and then booked it to the campsite a few miles away. We nearly ran. One thing about the mosquitos is they sure get us hiking fast.At the campsite, the mosquitos swarmed. We decided to push on to town, hoping the mosquitos would be less aggressive. We got there just before dark with sore feet and tons of bites. We set up our tent at Toymaker's Cafe and walked to the hydro plant to take a nice cold shower before bed.
Date: 2013-07-16
From: Falls Village, CT

To: Laurel Campground
Miles today: 16.8

We woke around 6:30 and took our time packing up, not leaving until around 8. Another hot, sunny day, rife with mosquitos. Just a few tenths of a mile into the day, I was already panicking at the prospect of going back into the woods. It is so buggy and miserable. On the upside, we hiked really fast up and over Mt Prospect, passing folks all morning. We covered the 8mi to Salisbury in 2-3hrs.We spent four hours in Salisbury eating and relaxing with the dozen hikers in town. It was great. I felt like a human being again.As hot as it was, we decided to hit the trail around 3 or 4. We dreaded it, but off we went! Got a ride to the trailhead from Maria McCabe, a very sweet woman. Surprisingly, the conditions on trail were great. It was slightly breezy and shaded, and the bugs were much less of a bother. We hiked up a beautiful mountain and enjoyed the view from its peak. Although it was a steep climb, I've been enjoying that level of exertion recently. It was nice being able to stop periodically to catch my breath, drink water, and enjoy my surroundings, too.This evening we crossed the 1500 mile market and left Connecticut behind. Hello, Massachusetts!
Date: 2013-07-17
From: Laurel Campground

To: East Mountain Retreat Center (Great Barrington)
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: broken clouds

Today was one of the hardest days I've had on the trail. It was a combination of heat, mosquitos, injury, exhaustion, &c.It was already hot when we woke up at 6:30. Packing up and eating breakfast were challenging; we were dodging mosquitos and getting agitated. The morning's hike was, however, pretty nice. We climbed over Mt Race and ate tons of wild blueberries, as many as we could before the unrelenting sun drove us down the trail in search of shade and breeze. The climb up Mt Everett was much steeper, as was the descent, but we were still in good spirits. We enjoyed cold water at the base of the mountain, leftover from trail magic that we'd missed yesterday. From there, we covered Mt Bushnell and Jug Ed. The heat was becoming oppressive, as we were descending to mosquito elevation. The 5mi from there to US 7 were horrible. The mosquitos were everywhere. Though I was already limping (the result of two steep descents), I nearly ran to the road. It was a grueling, panic-ridden stretch.We got a bit of luck at US 7. We hitched a ride with a guy who offered to drive us to East Mountain Retreat Center to drop off our bags and then take us back to US 7 to slackpack back to the hostel. We were thrilled and hoped it would make the afternoon less difficult.That left us with eight miles to go for the day, no packs weighing us down. Should have been a breeze. It felt like a nightmare. Bugs everywhere, no opportunity to drink water, both of us exhausted and suffering from the heat. I had heat rash and both our arms were sunburned. We climbed up to East Mountain, taking a much appreciated break with Duffel Miner and Hermes at a rare bug-free site, then descended back down to mosquito hell. I actually did run down parts of the trail, so desperate was I to leave the dozens of mosquitos in a cloud around me. The hike seemed to last forever. My ankle was so painful, and soon my knee became sore and stiff. No chance to stop and rest. No respite. Even when we got to the road, we had 1.5mi of road waking ahead before getting to the hostel. It was hard. I'm so glad it is over.
Date: 2013-07-18
From: East Mountain Retreat Center (Great Barrington)

To: Greenfield, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Barking Spider chiming in for a change:I felt distraught after our especially buggy hot day. I was desperate to not have to do that again. I was even getting defensive to the point of blaming Stretch. Stretch eventually forgave the egregious accusations and suggested we borrow my dad's car to slack pack until Vermont. I had wanted to do shorter days in the bugs and heat, and Stretch wanted to get through them as fast as possible. This turned out to be the perfect solution. I can handle big days with minimal weight to carry.To make this work, we will drive to the northern end of the section we planned to hike that day and drop me off. I will then hike south to where Stretch would park the car, and she'll head north to where she left me. We will high five each other midday when we cross paths, and I will reach the car and go pick her up. It's a strange way to thru hike, but it will help us. Slackqpacking feels great on our bodies, and it looks like we will be able to do this until Hanover.