morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Arden Valley Road
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

It just seemed like it took me a long time to get going today. I have a small blister on my left heel and it is amazing how much a little thing like that can slow you down. I tried to take frequent breaks to rest my feet but today¢s terrain was even tougher that yesterdays. Everyone on the trail was expressing how drained they felt with the 90 degree heat. We were very happy to come upon some trail magic which was gallons of fresh water. The water in New York is not very good. It seems to be just ponds and lakes and the streams are a dark orange in color. We think the orange color is iron in the soil. So when we saw all this fresh water it was a real treat. We also saw a business card with a number to call for a place to sleep, take a shower, eat, and do laundry. The other hikers were a little skeptical thinking it was an ad for an expensive hostel or something like that. But it was legit, John and his wife Susan, just like to help hikers. John even came to slack pack us on our last five miles of the day. We had a spaghetti dinner and ice cream and even a few beers. There are ten of us here. This is another example of how the trail really brings out the best in people. We are always amazed by the generosity we find on this trail.
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Arden Valley Road

To: Bear Mountain Bridge
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

Because of the generosity of John and Susan we were able to slack pack and spend another night in their home. We had chicken curry and rice for dinner with Ben & Jerry ice cream for dessert. This was a great way to end a pretty tough hike. We were all glad that we did not have full packs on today as the terrain was very steep both ways. An interesting start of the trail today was a walk through a small zoo park. This park was part zoo and part museum.   The park is built on the site of a revolutionary battle of Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery. We saw a beautiful cinnamon bear and a huge bald eagle. They unfortunately were not wild but part of the zoo but very nice to see anyway. The rest of the day was a push to John's house as it was hot and the bugs have been getting worse each day. "B-Rocket" and I hiked with "Finder" and "Fatty". This has been a first time in a while that I have seen so many ladies on the trail. We also ran into "Hufflepuff" but she was headed north. For today¢s hike we decided to hike south which allows you to see a lot of hikers throughout the day. At John's house I had an interesting encounter with his rooster named Steve. When I went outside to get some fresh eggs from their chicken coup, Steve decided he was going to protect his chickens from me and actually did a karate kick on me; it scared me to death. I was able to retrieve the eggs so we would have fresh eggs for breakfast.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Bear Mountain Bridge

To: Dennytown Road
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: moderate rain

John treated us to a pancake breakfast with fresh eggs this morning. These were the same eggs I risked my life for yesterday. After breakfast we went to Wal-Mart for resupply and then to the Post Office to pick up "B-Rockets" new shoes. Her Trail Runners have seen their better days. She had over a thousand miles on those shoes. The hike today started with a walk across the Hudson River then up a steep incline called Anthony's Nose. I'm not sure what it represents but it was so hot and humid and it really took a lot out of me. Soon after the climb we found ourselves at a really cool deli called the Appalachian Deli. I had a sandwich called "The Spicy Hiker". We enjoyed the rest and talked to a local couple under an umbrella table. After lunch we decided that it was too hot to hike and it would be nice to go to the Graymoor Spiritual Center for a rest. We found some nice park benches and before we knew it we all fell asleep. We must have slept for over an hour. When we woke up it was after three o'clock. The temperature was cooler so we tried to hike the rest of the day but came up short at this road crossing that had potable water. We had just enough time to get our tents up before a heavy thunderstorm started to roll in. It is raining pretty hard now as I write this entry. I sure hope my tent does not leak!
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Dennytown Road

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: broken clouds

In order to keep with our mileage goals we had to add the miles we came up short on yesterday hike to today¢s hike. It was not a bad day to add miles because the terrain was relatively mild. Since crossing Bear Mountain the trail has mellowed out to continuous rolling hills and a few steep climbs tossed in to remind us that this is the AT. We did have another reward for our efforts today in the form of another side trip to a New York deli. I'm telling you I will remember New York for the best deli wedges, which is what they call subs here. We actually walked four tenths of a mile today for a treat at the end of a long day. The wedges were that good. One interesting aspect of the New York shelters is that some have these water pumps with a big arm that you have to pump up and down to get water. It is very interesting how things are very different in each of the states on the AT.
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

Last night before I went to sleep I realized I was almost out of bug spray. This was not good news for me. I am like a sweet treat for mosquitoes. They just love me. I do not love them. So I had to make a quick change of plans to get to a store that sold Deet. Luckily there was a pharmacy 1.2 miles off the trail early in the day. I stashed my pack in the woods and walked into town. There was a hair salon right next door and a deli of course. So I made good use of my town trip and had breakfast and got a haircut along with my bug spray purchase. My hair had really grown out and I started to look like a Chia Pet. Back on the trail I got quickly into the hike enjoying the trail. The trail in New York is pretty mild compared to the other states. There really is not much to do as the scenery is basically the same every day. But this is what makes a thru hike different than a section or weekend trip. For me the everyday experience allows me to appreciate the forest even on a not so spectacular day. I can enjoy the sounds of the leaves as the wind shuffles through them. And just as when you least expect it something interesting will happen. Today I say a tortoise; at least I think it was one. The tortoise was right in the middle of the trail. I also saw two more bears; they were much farther away this time as they ran through the forest. Many people are very worried about bears but they seem more afraid of us than we are of them. The trail went past by a train station that comes from New York City. If a hiker wanted to go to Grand Central Station they can get on the train at this stop. I met some day hikers from the city who rode this train to the trail for a weekend hike. How cool is that!
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Another state crossing today; my tenth state only four more to go. The miles are starting to go much faster now. It really seems like we are zipping through these state borders. It may be my imagination but the trees seem taller here in Connecticut. The other day I witnessed a huge tree just fall over. I was about fifty feet away and I heard this huge crack. I've heard this noise many times before but this time I can see the top of tree just shake and fall, crashing all the way to the ground. You know the saying, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it does the tree make any noise", well I can attest that when you are there it makes a lot of noise. We past two pretty large rivers today; the Ten Mile River and Housatonic River. The terrain in Connecticut seems to be pretty level although todays climbs were a definite work out especially with the heat and humidity. I'm so grossed out by my shirt and shorts; they are just soaked in sweat all day. I can't remember a time in my life when I have sweated so much. It is hard to believe that just a few months ago I was hiking in snow and ice.
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter

To: Falls Village
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: light rain

I'm really not sure what is worse; hiking in the rain or hiking in humidity. Both of these situations end with everything being soaking wet. The rain is slightly better because the bugs are not as bad but basically hiking in these conditions is done only to get the miles done. I was surprised that we made the miles we did. We camped at this guy¢s business in Falls Village. He lets you setup your tent but his coffee shop was closed so no java for me. "Wonderless" and "Java Man" joined us for dinner at the Falls Village Inn. It was a very good burger and I was very happy to sit inside and eat a good meal.
Date: 2013-07-02
From: Falls Village

To: Bearded Woods Bunk and Dine
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Happy fourth month anniversary to me! I can't believe how long I've been doing this crazy adventure. I am still feeling good and seem to be staying amazingly healthy, knock on wood. The trail today started off with a view of a very high flowing waterfall because of all of the rain we have been having. As we were looking at the water gushing with all its power, "B-Rocket" noticed a very delicate spider web. As we looked closer we could see that the spider was still building the web. Such an interesting contrast between power and finesse in this one scene. But this was not the memory that will stick with me today. The mosquitoes will win that prize. OMG! There were swarms of mosquitoes following us as we practically ran through the forest. When we finally came to a place where they were not so bad we sat down for a short break. We meet "Blue Eyes", a section hiker from Chicago, she told us about the Bearded Woods and we were sold. We called and set up a pick arrangement and we were so glad we did. This is one of the nicest places I have been to yet; great accommodation and awesome food. "Hudson" is a former thru hiker and his wife "Big Lew", she is actually a tiny little thing, are such great hosts. We will be slack packing tomorrow for another night. What a relief to know that we will be warm and dry for two nights.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: Bearded Woods Bunk and Dine

To: Bordman Street
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: light rain

Today was a much better day than yesterday; we were able to get 20.5 miles done without our packs in ten hours. The trail went up and over two of the largest mountains in Connecticut; Bear Mountain and Race Mountain. This is also supposed to be the toughest climbs we will see until we get to New Hampshire. I sure hope so because the talk on the trail is how hard it is going to be when we get to the White Mountains. Not only are the White Mountains tall but the weather changes back to cold and that means carrying more weight in our pack. Today "Hudson¢, the owner of the hostel, helped "B-Rocket" and me get rid of some extra pack weight. We cut of all the extra straps and zipper pulls off my pack and really looked through all my gear to see if I could lose a few ounces here or there. My base weight is now twenty three pounds, which is all my gear without food and water; not too bad. I had a bad experience with Deet yesterday and today I discovered a terrible blister on my right shoulder. I just hope tomorrow it does not hurt when put on my full weighted pack. I also had a pretty hard fall today coming down a decline called "Jugs End". I got a pretty good bruise forming on my rear and my forearm. I slipped on some pretty steep rocks right after there was a little drizzle of rain. I'm just glad it did not hurt worse.
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Bordman Street

To: North Mnt. Wilcox Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

After our long 20.5 mile day yesterday even though we were slack packing we decided to take an easy day with a 12.1 mile hike today. The terrain was not difficult although there were many ups and downs. It was the bugs once again causing all of us to complain. It seems like we are just walking through swarms of mosquitoes. My three levels of bug "replellation" appear to be working some but I'm still getting bit. I have dropped down to a 25% Deep formula with an added protection of an Off Clip-On and my bug net. The greatest relief is getting in my tent at night and washing the repellent all off and knowing I am safe for a few hours. When we arrive at the shelter around eight o'clock there were some boys, ages around fourteen and fifteen, from a local summer camp there. They were with two young counselors, one who was from Liverpool, England. The boys asked us tons of questions. The comments we heard most was, "That's crazy". There were out for three days and had hike about 18 miles total in that time. Before everyone went to bed they had a time called "Chat". The counselor posed the question what is your favorite sense. I was amazed that the boys were able to express themselves well and were not goofing off or making a joke out of it. I was very impressed! Before closing my eyes I did get to hear some fireworks go off in the distance. I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July.
Date: 2013-07-05
From: North Mnt. Wilcox Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Our destination today was a cabin called Upper Goose Pond Cabin. We were told that there were pancakes served in the morning. We started off early than usual for us, around 7:30AM. This is to avoid hiking in the heat of the day. We planned on stopping for lunch and taking an hour or so break. On the way we met a group of day hikers; they were very impressed with our progress. And commented on how hot it has been and how the bugs have been so bad this year. I swear this year definitely has been a year of worst for the thru hiking class of 2013. I always try to keep a positive outlook so I just keep my chin up and try my best to keep cool and stay bug free. We made it to the cabin by four o'clock, enough time to take a swim in the pond. I only got in for a quick dip because the water is pretty cold and the wind was blowing but it was refreshing to get wet. After dinner I went to bed pretty early and slept like a rock. I planned on getting up to see the sun rise over the pond but I didn't hear my alarm and slept in.
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton, Massachusetts
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I keep saying that I'm done with the big mile days but "B-Rocket" keeps convincing me that the trail is easy and that a few more miles will be worth it to stay in such places as this. Today¢s goal was Tom Laverty¢s house. He is a trail angle that lets hikers sleep in his backyard. He is pretty serious about the rules because if the neighbors start to complain then he will not be able to continue to let hikers stay in his yard. The hike today was fun because it was pretty easy terrain like "B-Rocket" said and we did make good time but the miles did take a toll on my poor feet. We hiked with "ET"(English Tony) and "Java Man" for part of the day. We all were able to visit the cookie ladies house. This lady has been baking cookies for years to give to hikers. Today was an old guy name Roy who brought out the cookies for us. He also sells Klondike bars and sodas. It is fun to get to see all the traditional people on the trail that I have read about in most of the books about the AT trail. One aspect of the trail that really makes this experience so special is all the people on the trail. I cannot express it enough that there are people from all walks of life, old to young - rich to poor. We are all walking for a purpose which is to get to Katahdin or Springer (for SOBOS). So we are connected in one way or another and the bond between hikers is fast and strong.
Date: 2013-07-07
From: Dalton, Massachusetts

To: Bascom Lodge
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: light rain

We woke up to more trail magic today; Tom brought us donuts and coffee for breakfast under his tree in his front yard. We all sat around the picnic table chatting about the trail. "B-Rocket" and I left around nine o'clock to get to Cumberland Farm convenience store to get a Slurpee. Yes it was hot already! We lucked out by hearing from "Shepherd", a flip flopper, that he could slack pack us for the day. He took all of our gear up Greylock Mountain and dropped it off at the lodge for us. What a relief after yesterday¢s twenty miles. We still had to pick up a mail drop at Cheshire so we carried our packs empty for about nine miles. Yesterday I ran into "Easy", an older guy I meet in Erwin, Tennessee. I was so glad to see that he was still on the trail and doing well. I saw him again today as he sat at a stream taking a break. I sure hope he makes it because he is such a nice man. He works very hard to keep up and takes an easy attitude about everything. I really like him and was glad to see him again. After our stop in Cheshire we start up the mountain around four o'clock. There were some pretty ominous clouds in the sky but we knew we had to make it up the mountain because all of our gear was already up there. The first part of the climb was pretty steep but the middle had a nice steady grade. We made great time and were up on top of the mountain by seven thirty which surprised us both. I guess we are getting stronger although we were with lighter packs. The lodge manager was very welcoming and got us settled in pretty quickly. This lodge is over seventy five years old but is newly renovated within the last five years. I saw a sign that said Henry David Thoreau once visited this site when he was staying nearby in Concord. "B-Rocket" and I took some nice pictures of a War Memorial Tower. It is kind of neat that the trail goes right up to this nice lodge and we can actually stay right on top of the highest peak in Massachusetts which has pretty nice accommodation. The bunk rooms are empty so "B-Rocket" and I have a room all to ourselves.
Date: 2013-07-08
From: Bascom Lodge

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We had a great stay at Bascom Lodge so much that we didn't leave until eleven o'clock. Unfortunately our procrastination ended our day with a night hike into the shelter with our headlamps on. The day was kind of a strange day because we kept procrastinating getting to the trail. When we got to North Adams, "Blazer" needed to go to the grocery store to resupply and there was a McDonalds near the grocery store so we all decided that would be a good idea. It turned out to be good because a really cool guy who was eating at McDonalds treated all of us to lunch. We also rode the bus back to the trail. We were lucky to get a ride from a local bus as he had to stop for us and saved us from a long walk.   When we were crossing the street we ran into "Dutch" and "ET". This is one of the odd things about the trail community. Some days you don't see anyone and then all of a sudden there will be a huge group of hikers walking down the street. Well my feet are starting to feel the effect of too many miles. So once again I have to say goodbye to good friends and continue on my own if I'm going to be able to finish in one piece. It would have been great to make it to Hanover with "B-Rocket", but the reality is I can't continue with so many miles each day.
Date: 2013-07-09
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Bennington Vermont
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I said goodbye to "B-Rocket" and "Blazer" this morning. I'm always sad to admit that I can't keep up because I enjoy hiking with my friends. However I feel less stress and relieved that my day won't be so long and I will be able rest my feet tonight. I decided to go into Bennington, Vermont for a few reasons. The main one was that last night I discovered that I lost my long spoon at Bascom Lodge. This is a very bad thing to have happen because now I have nothing to eat my food with. So I saw in the AT guide that there is a Wal-Mart in Bennington and they have a bus that picks you up at the trail road crossing. Bennington is the site of a revolutionary war battle which has a huge monument on top of the hill. I have been amazed of all of historical places that I have discovered on this hike. I am staying at the Catamount Hotel which is also on the bus line so I will be able to get back to the trail tomorrow pretty easily.
Date: 2013-07-10
From: Bennington Vermont

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I thought about sleeping in since I was in a nice dry hotel room. The Catamount Motel was very nice but I had a feeling that I needed to be on the trail early. Well my intuition was right. I hiked at a moderate pace and took my breaks every hour like I wanted to help my feet heal. Even so my timing was perfect. I arrived at the Goddard shelter for lunch minutes before a huge thunderstorm hit. It was thunder and lightning and a huge downpour. I stayed at the shelter for about two hours waiting out the storm with a few other hikers that were not so lucking. They were soaked to the bone when they arrived at the shelter. After the rain stopped I continued on to the Kid Gore shelter as planned and end up taking off my rain gear as it got warm quickly. I've noticed the distant change in the forest as I have travelled into the North East. The forest seems denser and the varying colors of green are amazing. There is a lot of mud, many of the hikers are commenting about the mud, but so far it has not slowed me down too much. I'm also hearing new bird calls. The birds are very elusive as I rarely see one, but they sing to me every day and I enjoy their company during my hike.
Date: 2013-07-11
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

****************Hello Everyone,Thanks for all your concern but I am fine and still on the trail. I first fell behind a few days with my journal, then took a quick trip back to California for my husbands family reunion, and then I lost/forgot my journal when I returned to the trail. I am back and continuing on to Katahdin!****************I'm very happy that my feet are feeling so much better. Just three days with lower mileage and I can really feel the difference. I had a great hike today up Stratton Mountain. This is a significant place in AT history because this was the spot that Benton MacKaye envisioned the Appalachian Trail. A man named James Taylor, not the singer, created the long trail that spans the length of Vermont which in the early 1920's was the longest trail. I had a great 360 degree view from the fire tower of the Green Mountain Forest. The tops of the pine trees were an incredible sight from above. While I was hiking up the mountain again coming down I ran into some young people working on the trail. I ask them what group they were and they said the Vermont Youth Conservation Corp. They were building some stone steps. It was a great connection to the vision of Benton MacKaye continuing all these years.   This is so important that we work together to keep the lands like these wild. I'm staying at a pretty big shelter tonight. The shelter sleeps sixteen people. Most shelter are for six to ten people. There are about ten people here tonight. I meet two young girls who are from Manhattan, New York. This is another part of the AT mission is to give people from the city a place to go and enjoy nature.