morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-17
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

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

I was tenting, so of course it rained last night, but I did stay dry and slept very good. When the rain let up this morning I got packed up in the pavilion. It did rain quite a bit this morning, which caused everyone to linger until about 9:00 when the rain pretty much stopped. It seemed like hiking energy was low today after what was a surprisingly tough day yesterday. It seemed like nobody really wanted to hike, but everyone wanted to make it to the RPH shelter because again it is close to the road and you can order pizza. I think I really need the 2 zero days I¢m going to be taking next week when I go home for my son¢s middle school graduation. It wasn¢t until lunchtime with 10.4 miles to go that I really got motivated. I called my wife and talked to her for a while and afterward felt better. I then put my music on and hiked as hard as I could for the last 10.4 miles. I felt tired, but good for pushing myself for the last 3 12 hours. Once at the shelter we naturally ordered an obscene amount of pizza again. Tonight I decided to pitch my tent again to avoid the bugs and to hopefully dry it out a little. Today¢s terrain was a lot of short ups and downs over rocky, ledge areas that really take their toll. In the camp tonight are Silver Fox, Dream Walker, Beautiful Day, No Falls, Snifur, Legion, Enzed, The Colonel, and myself.
Date: 2011-06-18
From: RPH Shelter

To: Duell Hollow Road (Just Past Wiley Shelter)
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: light rain

I was awoken last night by a group of locals hooting & hollering and running down the path that leads to the shelter. I was a little worried that they may fool around with my tent as I was the only one tenting in the area, but luckily I was just woken up twice; once when they went through and about 20 minutes later when they returned. Most everyone ate cold pizza for breakfast and packed up the rest for snacking. We also had a deli at about 5 miles so everyone was excited about the prospect of more food. The hiking today was nice as was the trail, although there were quite a few ups and downs. There were a lot of road crossings today, with a small road walk. At the deli this morning most everyone got breakfast sandwiches and packed out a sub for later. I don¢t have much in my food bag and have been relying on the stores to keep fed. After we all met at the shelter for lunch, they lingered and I moved on to look for a sunny open spot to dry my tent. Enzed, Legion, Snifur, and No Falls all lingered because it was going to be a short day and nobody was in a rush. I got my tent pretty well dried out along the trail, and about 4 miles from the shelter I came to Nuclear Lake. As I rounded the corner I saw Snifur sitting by the water and I could see Enzed already in enjoying the lake. I quickly joined them and dropped my pack, took off my shoes and dove in. The water was great. It was just what we needed as it had been hot and humid, and I really needed a rinse. Enzed is like a fish and swam to the island and back. Snifur finally got in briefly, and Legion arrived and hopped in. I stayed in as long as possible as it felt so good. Eventually we all dried off and started the last 4 miles to the shelter. When we arrived we found a Boy Scout troop there along with some other weekenders. The shelter was half full with active kids, and any good tent sites were taken, and they weren¢t that good anyway. The idea of a night hike to the next shelter was tossed around, and everybody was up for it. We left around 7:00 full of excitement as Enzed lead us at a rapid pace down the hills. We stopped at the largest Oak for pictures and made it to the Appalachian Train Station while it was still light so we could get pictures there also. After several board walks and a couple of fields we finally got back to the woods and needed our head lamps. It was a lot of fun, especially with the group, but around 9:30 we were getting tired and ready for the shelter. Finally at 10:30 we arrived to find the shelter with only a couple of spots available, and the whole area had dozens of large tents and about 50 people roaming around. There was a large fire, and they were loud. Ultimately we got our water and pushed on until we found a semi-level spot beside the trail to pitch our tents and crash for the night around 11:15. It was fun and made for a big day, a 1% day, but not quite a marathon.AlanJune 30, 2011 - Earl Grey is in Vermont, and nearing his home state of NH! - Mary
Date: 2011-06-20
From: Mt Algo Shelter

To: River Road (then home for a couple days)
Miles today: 9.7

I was up and about from my tent early as I was excited about going home for a couple days. The others were still in their bags in the shelter because they were only going .4 to town for re-supply, laundry, and to eat. I said a quick goodbye with a promise to catch up again and was off for the 8 miles to the pickup point. There was one good climb up over Caleb¢s Peak then down next to the river for about 5 miles. It felt funny knowing I was going home, and felt even funnier when my brother picked me up and we got on the turnpike and did 80 mph. It was nice to see my family, but the house seemed very strange. When I arrived I didn¢t know what to do with such a large area of space, but I¢m quickly getting comfortable again. Tomorrow is my son¢s middle school graduation, and I¢ll see some more family and friends, then I will head back to the trail on Wednesday.AlanJuly 2, 2011 ¢ Thank you for following along. I¢m waiting for more journal pages from Alan. As soon as I get them I will update. ¢ Mary
Date: 2011-06-21
From: River Road (then home for a couple days)

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

(July 6, 2011 - I'm adding 3 journal entries today, June 21, 22, 23) - MaryToday was spent relaxing, seeing family and friends, getting a haircut, and my son¢s middle school graduation at night. It is nice seeing family and friends, but it scares me how comfortable I can become so quickly. I don¢t think I would want to get off trail for a full week. We had a nice dinner at Johnson¢s with my parents before graduation and cake after the ceremony. It was hot in the school gymnasium, so it was nice that the ceremony was not too long. Once I get organized tomorrow I will probably head back to the trail.
Date: 2011-06-22
From: Home

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: light rain

(July 6, 2011 - I'm adding 3 journal entries today, June 21, 22, 23) - MaryWe got a late start heading back to Connecticut and the trail because I stopped at EMS to get some new superfeet as mine are all cracked and worn out. I also bought some new trail runners as I don¢t think the ones I have will make it much longer. I¢ll put the new superfeet in my current trail runners and try to make it to Hanover. I also purchased some new socks and tried to find a new pack cover as mine isn¢t very waterproof. I also procrastinated a little longer by stopping to get something to eat at Olive Garden, then of course I needed to re-supply. By the time I was back at the trailhead ready to go it was 6:30 and raining. This made it even tougher to say goodbye, but I headed out into the rain and Mary started the 4/12 to 5 hour drive home in the rain. I must thank both my brother and my wife for making the long drive which saved me from having to get some sort of shuttle, or use buses or trains. My plan had been to do at least 9 to the next shelter, but I also planned to leave a lot earlier. Rough math said I wouldn¢t make it until after 10:00, which meant night hiking in the rain and fog. I just started out and decided to see how far I could make it. I also decided to play the ¢don¢t step on the wet root game¢. At first I didn¢t want to play, I just wanted to hike fast and try to get there. After 4 or 5 times of auditioning for funniest home videos, and realizing no one was behind me, and no one was expecting me at the shelter, so if I fell and got hurt I would have to lay there until morning, this made me realize you always have to play the game and avoid the slippery roots. I was able to hike until 9:00 without the headlamp, but after that I needed it on. It was so foggy that it was still tough to pick out the blazes on the rocky sections. I managed to make it to the shelter at about 10:15 and was glad; night hiking is not near as much fun without company. Somewhere toward the end some animal was making a noise that sounded like it was blowing in a tube. I had no idea what it was, at first I thought it was a deer blowing but it sounded different and happened about every 10 to 15 seconds for 3 or 4 minutes. I was unable to see what it was. When I made it to the shelter, rather than bother the hikers already there, I set up my tent and climbed in. I was happy to have made the 9 miles with such a late start, but I don¢t think huge mileage is in order tomorrow because the weather looks horrible.
Date: 2011-06-23
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Brassie Brook Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: moderate rain

(July 6, 2011 - I'm adding 3 journal entries today, June 21, 22, 23) - MaryToday was a miserable hiking day. It wasn¢t raining when I woke and picked up, but started shortly after. Today there was thunder and lightning, it rained hard, sprinkled, misted, and just dripped off the trees. One thing is for sure, and that is all day I¢ve gotten wet. Again I played the ¢don¢t step on the wet roots game¢ of course, but today I added ¢keep moving so you don¢t get cold to it¢. It¢s too warm for rain gear, but if you stop too long you get chilled, so you just keep moving. At one point I hiked the 12 mile to Salisbury to get a cup of tea at the coffee shop. Unfortunately the service was poor and it was overpriced, so I wish I had just skipped it and saved the extra mile in the rain that didn¢t count. When I arrived at the shelter I checked the register to see where everyone is. It looks like Snifur and Enzed did a big day on Tuesday, but only made it to this shelter yesterday. So they are only a day ahead. I saw Legion at the previous shelter about a mile back as he is hiking slowly to meet up with some family shortly. I expected Shoofly and Nero to be at this shelter, but when I arrived it was empty and no one has showed up as of yet (8:00 pm). I¢m only 2 miles from the Massachusetts border and am now under 700 miles to go. Hopefully the rain will only be intermittent tomorrow so I won¢t be wet all day again. Right now my toes and feet are so pruny that they hurt. It¢s hard to dry them out in the fog. If Mother Nature cooperates tomorrow I¢ll try for 23 miles. If it holds this will be the first shelter all to myself. I almost had Byrd¢s Nest #3 in Shenandoah all to myself, but at the last minute Crazy Goose and Ducky showed up. Time to finish camp chores then off to bed.
Date: 2011-06-24
From: Brassie Brook Shelter

To: East Mountain Retreat
Miles today: 25.2

Nobody else showed up last night so I had the shelter to myself and I slept well. It rained hard last night but had stopped by morning. I was packed and going by 6:45. They didn¢t look like much on the map, but I had 3 tough climbs this morning. Bear Mountain, Race Mountain & Mount Everett, and all were made tougher by the fact that the steep, ledgey areas were wet and slippery. I hate to keep griping, but the rain made today¢s hike miserable. In most places water was cascading down the trail, so it was slippery and my feet got soaked. Many areas of the trail had ankle deep mud or standing water that you couldn¢t get around. Much of the trail on the summits wasn¢t pruned back so all the wet branches constantly scraped against me soaking me further. Of course no views were available due to the rain and/or fog. The mosquitos were out in full force and several of the boardwalks were about 6 inches under water forcing you to just slog through. The ones that weren¢t covered in water were covered with black snakes instead. As bad as conditions were I did push hard for 25 miles so I could make the East Mountain Retreat where I could get out of the mosquitos, have a shower, and dry out for just $10. I figured it would be packed, but I am the only one here. I¢m not sure where everyone went. I think they must be in town. I know Snifur pushed on past Enzed. Judging from her entries she has had a rough couple of days in the rain with all the rocks as well. I figured she might end up here, but she must of toughed it out and made it to the next shelter. I did finally make it to Massachusetts, and I broke the 1,500 mile barrier. So far Mass seems like Connecticut and New York, a lot tougher and rockier than I imagined. It¢s not that the mountains are so high, it's just that when you get on a ridge you constantly go up and down 50 feet over rocks and roots. Down south once you got on a ridge it seemed like it was fairly level and you could get a good stride going. Also, up in New England they don't bother with switch backs; they just seem to more or less head straight up. No big deal really, I managed over 20 miles on each of the last two days, and that is my plan for the next week, try to push out 20¢s. If the weather clears up that will help everyone¢s morale. Guess what I hear outside along with some thunder¢¦I¢m glad I¢m indoors where it is dry.
Date: 2011-06-25
From: East Mountain Retreat

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: light rain

As I packed up this morning it started misting. I had hoped to get a hitch back to the trailhead, but that didn¢t pan out and I ended up walking the mile and a half back. My intention was to make it to Upper Goose Pond Cabin as it is a must see, right on the pond, and an enclosed cabin with bunks to sleep in. After starting out all gung-ho I started losing steam. I think the long day yesterday kind of sapped my energy. I stopped at the first shelter for a break and to check the register, figuring Enzed must have stayed there. Unfortunately the register was missing. I moved on wondering where the big bubble of thru-hikers is, because for the last 2 days I haven¢t seen any. The weather did clear up as the day went on which always boosts ones spirits. Not to pick on Mass, but in this section the trail goes through swampy areas and wet lands. With the recent rain the trail is literally a mud pit dotted with rocks. Most sections you hop from rock to rock and try not to sink in the mud up to your ankles. As I approached the trail to the cabin, I¢m not sure if it is the terrain or the miles, but I was dragging. Just as I arrived at the 12 mile blue blaze trail to the cabin the skies opened up one last time, and sent me scurrying for my pack cover, and soaked me again. Upon reaching the cabin I can see why everyone raves about it. It¢s an old cabin with bunks up stairs, and a great porch to sit on and look out over the water. I met several new hikers, Surprise, Copernicus,?, and a section hiker named Beth. I talked to the caretaker and she said there were about 15 thru-hikers here last night including Dreamwalker, Silver Fox, Snifur and Enzed. When I questioned her about Enzed she said she had hiked from Hemlocks Shelter, doing 35 miles and arriving after dark. I was floored; I thought for sure she would be here tonight. Apparently they have all moved on to Dalton this morning. Later on Legion and the Colonel came in. I talked to the Colonel about his plans for tomorrow and he was thinking of doing 20 miles into Dalton, or possibly a 30 mile into Cheshire. I mentioned to him that I may try for 30 miles tomorrow as I don¢t know if I¢ll have any more chances with the tougher terrain that is coming up. The problem is, I would need to start early, but they cook pancakes at 7:00 in the morning. I¢m also so run down I¢m not sure I can make the 30. I guess we will have to wait and see. I was so tired tonight that I had to force down my rice dinner because I really need to eat something. Off to bed, it¢s 9:00.AlanI've added a couple new videos, so please feel free to check them out. I am still new to uploading videos, so they are un-edited. Enjoy. - Mary
Date: 2011-06-27
From: Cheshire MA (St Mary's Church)

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: clear sky

It was tough getting going this morning. My feet were so sore that I couldn¢t walk on the tile floor without my Crocs. I left about 7:30 heading for Greylock, after a few rolling hills the trail started up steeply. The terrain started to remind me of home and the White Mountains. We even started to get into Spruce forest at the higher elevation. When I finally made the top, there were a lot of people because there is also a road that goes up the mountain. I went up the tower and could look up into the Green Mountains and even over to Mt Monadnock in NH. I had lunch at the lodge with Inchworm & Sprocket, and it was so nice to sit in a chair that we stayed quite a while. I hiked down the mountain with them, and we went into Williamstown to re-supply. After re-supply I had eaten so much that I really didn¢t feel like hiking, but I couldn¢t stay in town so we headed out and got back on the trail. I was moving slow because I was so full, but did push on out of Mass and into Vermont tonight. Inchworm & Sprocket stayed at a campsite about 2 miles out of town. I was intent on getting to Vermont tonight, so even though I needed to use my headlamp the last half hour, I made it. I did see another bear right near the border. I tried to get some video, but he was moving away quickly. I also almost missed the shelter in the dark, it was just luck that I stopped to check the map due to confusion in the guide book, when I looked up I saw the sign off to the side that pointed to the shelter. I was already past and if I hadn¢t stopped I would have hiked right by. My legs are really dead from all the miles, and I think hopping from rock to rock to avoid all the mud really takes its toll. Tomorrow looks like more mud and a lot of elevation changes. Also, I now have less than 600 miles to go.Alan July 11, 2011 - On July 9th Kyle, Ric (Earl Grey's brother-in-law), and I joined Earl Grey for a hike. It was nice to experience a day and night on the trail, and meet some of the other thru-hikers; Peabody, Speedo, Teen Bean, Green Mile, as well as south bounders Nate & Woody, as well as some others, but I did not catch their names. We even left some trail magic near where we started and ended our hike. There will be more on our hike when we get to the journal for those days. Ear Grey is now hiking in the White Mountains, and will soon be making the final push to Mt Katahdin. - Mary
Date: 2011-06-28
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: overcast clouds

My feet and legs are still sore and I don¢t have much energy. The trail at times seemed really nice today, hardly any rocks, dry, well-trimmed, and then the next second I was sloshing through the mud again. At least there are little reprieves. I¢m kind of torn between slowing down and taking it easier, or continuing to push and try to catch up with Mammoth. I¢m only about 2 days behind him, but I¢m also worried as I¢ve heard of a couple people with stress fractures from over use. At times today I had to will myself to keep going because all I could think about was taking a zero day to rest. There was a steep drop into Route 9 by Bennington, then a steep climb out. I wanted to make it to the Goddard Shelter because it is close to 4,000 feet and I like the higher, cooler shelters. I¢m glad I made it too, because it¢s a newer, large, Post and Beam Shelter. It also looks like it is going to rain so it¢s a good place to be. Up and over Stratton Mountain tomorrow, so off to bed.
Date: 2011-06-29
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: broken clouds

I¢m glad I stayed in the shelter last night as we had a vicious thunder & lightning storm with high winds. Now I know why they have a nice timber-frame shelter up here, to withstand the winds. Originally I was going to tent due to the bugs, but then it got cold enough and seemed like it might rain so I changed my mind. This morning about 6:56 I saw Jenn Pharr run by southbound on her record attempt. About 12 hour later a woman on her support crew came to the shelter asking if we had seen her and what time. She also mentioned she might have dropped her filter bottle. If you don¢t know Jenn, she already holds the woman¢s record for a supported thru-hike, and this year she is trying to break the overall record of somewhere around 45 days. Again today was like yesterday; I started feeling pretty good, but after 5 or 6 miles I was already feeling tired. Lots of little ups and downs before we got to Stratton Mountain. For lunch today I ate 3 sandwiches, and lots of gorp hoping to get my energy back. It seemed to help as I made the 3 miles up Stratton Mountain without a break. Of course it was fogged in so no views, although I did take some pictures. The 3 mile hike down to Stratton Pond Shelter went fairly quickly. Stratton Pond Shelter is another beautiful timber-frame shelter that sleeps 16. The trail in Vermont is like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. One minute it¢s great, a nice path through the woods that you can really get moving on. The next, it¢s a continuous mud pit that makes you wish you were somewhere else. I just realized that in the last 7 days I¢ve done 157 miles or 22 mile per day average. At that rate I would be done in a little over 3 weeks. What it really means is I have to slow down a little because I can¢t keep up the pace. My plan is to go into Manchester Center Vermont on a short 11 mile day for a re-supply, shower, and laundry and if I feel really good head back out. If I¢m still drained I may take a zero day. I¢ve come to realize that there is a big difference between averaging 15 miles a day and averaging 20. The extra 5 miles really take a toll. No moose yet, but plenty of sign and many have already seen one, so I keep my camera handy. It¢s 8:30 and all 12 other people here tonight are in bed. I guess I should get to bed also. 11 quick miles tomorrow and then there¢s a pint of Ben & Jerry¢s Brownie Cheesecake with my name on it.