morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Greenwood Lake, NY

To: Lakes Rd
Miles today: 3.6

6/29I woke up thinking the ankle was not close to being ready for the trail today. Going down stairs was killer. As sprains go this one didn't seem too bad at this point. The swelling was minimal. I was hoping for a quick recovery. Maybe a couple days? My stay at Anton's on the Lake (Greenwood, NY) was a good one. The owners were so nice and supportive. When I sprained the ankle they made sure I had ice packs. In the morning they were concerned with my health. When they made a trip into town they asked me if I wanted to pick up some food. They are just good people. Sa arrived by car from Illinois around 3pm. She will be supporting my hike for the next week plus. By 3pm I was walking around much better. The stairs still bothered me a bit but nothing like it was in the morning. I looked at the guidebook and saw a road crossing just 3.6 miles from my ending point. Hmmmm. I decided to use that short distance as a test. I thought those miles were a cruise but was surprised by a few rock scrambles. Had I known those were in there I probably wouldn't have done it. My dog Mugsy was with me and actually refused to do one climb. He had never done that before in over 1000 trail miles. Tomorrow I will make sure to put on his booties. There was a moderate downhill to end the short day. That was the roughest part for the ankle. I took it slow and all was well. The 3.6 miles was the shortest day of my trip. It was worth it to give me confidence for tomorrow. I'm told the trail has lots of rock scrambles waiting for me. So far I love these NY scrambles. It would be nice to be 100% though. I met up with John to return his trekking poles. Thanks John. I couldn't have done those miles this week without your help. The replacement parts from Leki fit perfectly. I treated all my new hiking clothing with permethrin and tested out my new sleeping pad. I'll be sporting new shoes in the morning too. It was like hiker Christmas. 1:51 duration 377 ascent 869 descent
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Lakes Rd

To: Arden Valley Rd
Miles today: 8.8

6/30I had hoped to hike 14 miles today but trail conditions, weather, ankle, and Mugsy dropped that to about 9. Today had to be the worst-blazed section of the trail so far. It was so frustrating. You could stand next to a tree with a blaze with no discernible trail in front of you, and no blazes. There would be multiple mini trails where hikers before me had gone in an attempt to find the next blaze. This happened over and over and was very time consuming. I once had to turn on my iPhone Topo Maps to figure out where the trail was. There were two types of blowdowns on the trail today. The minor ones that weren't worthy of cutting and the major ones that were too much work. In other words all blowdowns have seemingly been left as is for years. I have been very complimentary of trail maintenance in the past so I have no qualms describing today's conditions. I loved the climbs today but Mugsy didn't. I thought the booties would give him more confidence but it might have worked in reverse. Multiple times he refused to climb. I would have to climb back down and carry him up. Maybe he's getting too old for this. I will not be taking him with me tomorrow as the terrain is said to be worse. It started to rain with a couple hours to go. There were several very steep sections left and the rocks became unforgivably slippery. The very steep descent to NY 17 was all my ankle could take. I only fell twice and was very happy to reach the bottom unscathed. Mugsy had no issues at all with the descent. More rain looked to be coming so I decided to end my day early. I've been told this next section is not one you want to do in the rain. 6:06 duration 2303 ascent 2388 descent
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Arden Valley Rd

To: Arden Valley Rd
Miles today: 0.0

7/1"A week went by, and now it's July..." I know the early part of the trail in front of me is challenging under good conditions. With the steady rain we are having, I decided to zero. We even have flash flood warnings in effect but I doubt this means much to the AT. I'm just concerned with slippery rocks. My ankle appreciates the day off since I never did give it time to heal. I talked to B-Rocket this morning. It turns out that Java Man took some time off and they are currently at the same place. They will enter Massachusetts tomorrow and be well over 100 miles ahead of me. The rain finally stopped at 6pm. I set up my tent in the hotel yard and treated it with permethrin. Permethrin works well with clothing but it may not be very effective with silnylon and cuben fiber. Permethrin is a pesticide that kills ticks. Ticks are my biggest fear out here. Just today one of my friends came down with symptoms consistent with Lyme.
Date: 2013-07-02
From: Arden Valley Rd

To: Palisades Parkway
Miles today: 11.4

7/2It rained pretty heavy early in the morning. I chose to get a bit of a late start in hopes the rocks would dry out a bit. They didn't. It rained again in the afternoon just to make sure the rocks remained slippery. Went through the Lemon Squeezer with Gypsy and Hancock. There was a short, steep climb after the Squeezer that I just couldn't climb on my own. Hancock gave be a foothold with his hands and I was able to get up there. The youngsters managed to make the climb unaided, but it was tough. I found out that one of my buddies has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. That is a fear that many of us have. The deer ticks can be so small that they are hard to find. He will be going home for awhile. I had planned for Sa to meet me at a road crossing. It turns out that the AT crosses this road twice, seven trail-miles apart. I had sent Sa to the wrong crossing. While at the crossing a car spots me and turns around. The driver was JB (not the Tennessee JB) who just happens to be a Triple Crowner (AT, PCT, and CDT). JB was so helpful. He drove me up and down the road in an attempt to find Sa, finally leaving me at a location Sa could find, where I also had a cell signal. After leaving me he continued to look for our car and was successful. He then led Sa to my location. The list of folks willing to help folks they don't know just keeps growing. My ankle felt like 90% today. I'm still being very careful. There was a lot of climbing and descending over rocks today. The descents just slow me to a crawl. Even with two good ankles those descents are going to continue to be slow for me. I think I now actually climb faster than descending. The trail in this section was very well maintained and blazed. The skeeters stayed away for the most part. Mugsy joined me for the last four miles. He was patient while I ate wild blueberries and gazed at the NY skyline 30+ miles away. He did great with all the climbs. He is content and sleeping at my feet as I type. He digs the AT. 6:45 duration 3101 ascent 3023 descent
Date: 2013-07-03
From: Palisades Parkway

To: Old Albany Post Rd
Miles today: 17.1

7/3Had Mugsy with me at the beginning of the day. I had to have Sa take him before we went through the zoo. Yep, a zoo. The AT actually goes through the Bear Mountain Zoo. Why? I have no idea other than it conveniently dumps out near the bridge going over the Hudson River. At the bear cage (my third bear sighting) the AT reaches its lowest point of 163'. I'm told that it hasn't always been free for foot traffic. The first person to ever thru-hike the AT, Earl Shaffer, had to pay a nickel to make the crossing. I walked across freely. I've been told that the AT gets easier in NY once you cross the Hudson. Really? I haven't noticed that yet. I'm looking forward to it. I did notice that the skeeters were waiting for me. I hadn't been bothered by skeeters in several days. I met up with Sa at 1405.2 at the Appalachian Market. This is a must-stop for any thru-hiker, great food, reasonably priced. Doc, Boon, and BP were there. 9:52 duration 4282 ascent 4678 descent
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Old Albany Post Rd

To: Hortontown Rd
Miles today: 16.1

7/4This marks the start on my 4th month on the trail. I really wasn't expecting all the fireworks but I appreciate the acknowledgement. I planned for an "easy" 16 miles today based on lots of reports of the trail getting easier after the Hudson. I found it to be one of the most physically-challenging days that I have had on the trail. There were no major climbs but there were uncountable minor climbs/descents over the exact kind of rocks that give me trouble. That flat profile map hid the numbers below. Add in the heat and humidity and it was a personal hell. I saw the largest poison ivy vine I have ever seen. After about 20 miles beyond the Hudson I finally saw what folks were talking about. The trail did get tamer. I all but accepted the notion of what I find difficult to be totally different from the experience of others. My hiking day ended near the RPH Shelter. I was spent and just happy to be done. As Sa and I were about to drive off a car pulls up asking if we wanted to come to a 4th July hiker party. I am not a party person but needed something to better end this miserable day. I followed Bill to his house. Bill and Amy had burgers, dogs, and all the other foods that go with a great picnic. There were about 25 hikers there. I knew about half of them, but since my I injury many new folks have caught up. All the thrus except me were in the younger age group. Oddly enough all my buddies my age are way ahead of me. I left at 9pm but am told the party went on "much longer". 10:05 duration 4045 ascent 4173 descent
Date: 2013-07-05
From: Hortontown Rd

To: Depot Hill Rd
Miles today: 10.1

7/5After the experience of yesterday I was in no mood for big miles. I slept in late and planned for only 10 miles. It was even hotter than yesterday but there was a bit of a breeze. I also made plans to meet up with Sa midday so I could cool off and buy a Slurpee. I can't tell you how good a Slurpee is after hiking in this heat. The trail was a breeze today. That "NY gets easier after the Hudson" finally applied to me. I could actually walk much of the day instead of picking my way through rocks that want to destroy my ankles. Yes, it was hot. Yes, the mosquitoes were there. But I could walk. I was happy again. I did mention the Slurpees, right? We are staying in Wingdale, NY even though I'm half a day short of here. After checking in to the motel they told me about this BBQ place up the street. Oh My Goodness, was that recommendation dead-on. Thrus behind me, do what you can to hit Big W's Roadside BBQ. It is heaven on earth. Just be aware that it is closed on Monday and Tuesday. 5:03 duration 2247 ascent 1467 descent
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Depot Hill Rd

To: Leather Hill Rd
Miles today: 15.1

7/6Finished the day less than two miles from Connecticut. New York came in like a lion and is finishing like a lamb. The last two days have been pretty easy hiking. With cooler weather 25+ would have been doable. But with this continued heat/humidity Mugsy and I are taking it easy. The 15 miles today went quickly. B-Rocket update, since she hasn't updated her page in over a month. Yeah, I'm calling you out. She is 2-3 days away from Vermont and the mud. Hiked by a nice lake that just begged for a quick dip. For some reason I didn't pull the trigger. The fact that it was named Nuclear Lake had nothing to do with it, but I was on the lookout for fish with three eyes. 6:31 duration 2268 ascent 2848 descent
Date: 2013-07-07
From: CT 341

To: Leather Hill Rd
Miles today: 13.1

7/7Decided to hike SOBO today to make it easier for Sa to find the pick-up point. It was again stiflingly hot and humid. We have had dew points above 70 for well over a week. It's just draining physically and mentally. I am keeping my mileage down a bit just so I can cope. At some point I crossed what would be the 2/3 point of the trail. I now have less than 1/3 to go. With Sa still supporting me the ideal day is to hike 5 miles, get a Slurpee, repeat. Road crossings don't always cooperate with this outline. Did a short section NOBO early in the day and crossed into Connecticut. Took a pic with Mugsy to mark the event. I guess it is true that dogs and owners look alike. We have the same "fur". The longer SOBO section starting in Kent, CT started with a steep/rocky section. CT near NY has very few rocks but near Kent the rocks returned. There was a lot of elevation change hidden in those flat areas on the profile map too. There were some nice views from the ridge. And a view of the Ten Mile River. 7:17 duration 3763 ascent 3418 descent
Date: 2013-07-08
From: Leather Hill Rd

To: Leather Hill Rd
Miles today: 0.0

7/8Short write up today. The heat/humidity really got to me. I wasn't at all hungry last night but knew I had to eat. After eating I couldn't keep it down. I had no hunger this morning either. With that, I decided to take a zero to get out of the heat and get some food on board. The humidity is suppose to drop as the week goes on. I so look forward to that.
Date: 2013-07-09
From: CT 341

To: West Cornwall Rd
Miles today: 15.9

7/9I felt much stronger today. The decision to zero yesterday appears to be a good one. Sa dropped Mugsy and I off just outside of Kent and we headed north. The descent at mile 1467 was a doozy. I'm glad it wasn't raining but the trail was still damp from yesterday's rain. I took it slow and managed not to fall. This might have been the steepest descent so far. The hike along the Housatonic River was a gem. It's so nice to have a smooth/flat section as a respite from the usual. For about four miles the trail gently follows the river upstream. I even liked the smell of the river. I look forward to any similar future sections. Here is Mugsy showing his approval of the smooth trail. The flat/smooth trail had to end and soon the AT was back to normal. So far I'm really liking Connecticut. I should say my feet/ankles are liking Connecticut. There is more climbing but the rocks I hate are few. At mile 1474 the trail crosses the Guinea Brook. There is a warning sign pointing to a blue-blaze trail during times of high water. The sign also warns about rock-hopping. I agree with that. I played with the notion of rock-hopping but determined quickly that it was way too slippery. I chose to go to the left and walk the logs. Using my trekking poles for support, I had no issues. The crossing is bigger than the picture makes it look. Near the end of the day there was a cooler of sodas from Mudflap 2011. My timing was perfect as there was still ice in the cooler. I've said it before, a cold soda after a long day on the trail, especially on a hot/humid day, is beyond words. 8:44 duration 3927 ascent 3412 descent
Date: 2013-07-10
From: West Cornwall Rd

To: US 7, CT 112
Miles today: 6.7

7/10 Had plans for a bigger day but the mosquitoes were more than I could deal with. I had run out of bug goop too before Sa could pick me up. We went out for lunch and then went shopping for DEET. To my surprise the stores were sold out of the good stuff. I guess that speaks volumes of the mosquito problem. Thunderstorms started rolling in and the radar indicated more were to come. With that, I called it a day at 6.7. We drove all the way to Pittsfield, MA to find a Walmart. I now am loaded with enough mosquito ammo to last me at least a couple weeks. 3:55 duration 1711 ascent 2065 descent
Date: 2013-07-11
From: US 7, CT 112

To: Kellogg Rd Bridge (1518.6)
Miles today: 15.4

7/11Armed with more bug goop I hit the trail. There were clouds of skeeters out again today but I was ready. The weather was cooler for the first time in weeks. It was still a bit humid but nothing like what it had been. The weather was actually nice. I wasn't walking in drenched clothing all day. I had almost forgotten what that was like. I didn't even think of a Slurpee all day. Mugsy at Rand's View. Mugsy and I at Giant's Thumb. I thought it looked more like a morel mushroom. The trail was mostly smooth tread today. The miles seemed to go quickly. Once I got to Salisbury it was in the afternoon. I still wanted to hike on for a bit more. The problem was that the next road crossing was like 17 miles away. That was way too far. I decided to skip that section, leaving it for tomorrow, and resume hiking further north were there were more road crossings. I knocked out an area (~5 miles) near Great Barrington, MA where Sa picked me up. During that short section I hiked by the site of the final battle of the Shays' Rebellion. While happening in Massachusetts this post-Revolutionary War uprising led to the creation of the next state on my quest, Vermont. New York had had enough of these rabble-rousers. We then went out for dinner in Great Barrington to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary. 6:15 duration 2099 ascent 2136 descent
Date: 2013-07-12
From: US 44 (1495.6)

To: Jug End Rd (1513.3)
Miles today: 17.7

7/12I got up earlier than normal for what looked to be a tough day. Mugsy and I had Bear, Race, and Everett mountains in front of us. The trail early in the day and the climbs up those mountains were a lot of fun. It was hard work but there were rewards for our efforts. The views today were greater than all the views of the last few weeks combined. View from Lions Head. I entered my eleventh state today, ten down, four to go. The climb up Everett Mt was especially steep. This would have caused me to take numerous breaks back in March. After four months of this, I just walked right up. The hardest part of the day turned out to be what looked like a simple descent on the profile map. The descent after Mt Bushnell might have been the hardest two miles of the whole trip so far. It took me over two hours just to do this descent. I don't think it would have been possible for me if it were raining. I fear that these types of descents will be common in the Whites. Wild blueberries were out in full force. I bet I ate a pound of em in the course of the day. 11:23 duration 4121 ascent 3986 descent
Date: 2013-07-13
From: Kellogg Rd Bridge

To: Mt Wilcox South Shelters
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

7/13Said goodbye to Sa and Mugsy this morning. It was great having them along for the past two weeks. Mugsy was bouncing around in the car expecting to be hiking again today. He finally resigned himself to the fact the he wasn't going. It does make me feel good that he wants to go with me. I've put him through more miles this time when compared to May, in Virginia. I underestimated the pooch. He did 16-18 easily and was ready to go again the next day. My ankle is nearly 100%. I'm sure having Sa support my hike over the past two weeks helped with its recovery. Thanks Sa. With a 0% chance of rain, it rained again this morning. Not much, just enough to get the rocks wet, increase the humidity, and make the mosquitoes happy. And oh were the skeeters happy. Clouds of adoring skeeters followed my every move. They have been around for so long now that I almost can't remember hiking without them. There weren't as many views today as yesterday but the view from The Ledges was notable. I stopped at an area with two shelters and tenting options. It's a Saturday in July and I'm the only one here. Kinda odd considering the bubble I was in before. There would be upwards of twenty folks at a place like this a month ago. I find myself 16 miles from a storied stopping point on the AT. I could easily get there tomorrow but wouldn't have time to take in its beauty and amenities. My plan for tomorrow is to get close to this place and nero there the next morning. I'm hoping the folks on WhiteBlaze know of a tenting option just prior to mile 1545. 6:51 duration 3186 ascent 2073 descent
Date: 2013-07-14
From: Mt Wilcox South Shelters

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

7/14I ended up hiking the 16 miles to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. I learned early in day that UGPC doesn't have a one-day rule. If I choose to zero, no problem. So there was no need to stop early. I've had buddies from previous years, and buddies on the trail in front of me this year, saying that UGPC is a must-stop. From what I've seen so far they are right. No one showed up late last night so I remained the only hiker at the two shelters. I did have a visitor at about 1am though. I have a practice of "marking my territory" when I tent. It turns out porcupines love salt, apparently any salt, and one found one of my "markings" near the tent. It was making one heck of a noise digging and didn't leave when I yelled at it. Once I hit it with the beam of my headlamp it took off. The hiking today was pretty uneventful. There were no views to speak of. The weather was humid and the skeeters many. It felt like more than 16 miles for some reason. I was getting pretty tired near the end of the day. Then it happened. With less than two miles to go I had my worst fall of the trip. It was on a descent of course. A rock was more slippery than I had guessed and down I went. My only injury was to the side of my left quad but quads are pretty dang important to walking. I limped to the hostel with the muscle doing some weird, disconcerting twitching. It tightened up once I stopped but actually started to feel better as the evening went on. Fingers crossed. UGPC is on the picturesque pond. The water is clear and inviting. I went for my first swim of the trip. It was awesome. They have canoes available but I really didn't have the time. In the morning there will be pancakes served. I will go to bed dreaming of those pancakes. 8:36 duration 2717 ascent 2923 descent
Date: 2013-07-15
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

7/15The pancakes were as advertised, plentiful and tasty. My leg was really sore this morning. I had a hard time getting down the stairs from the bunk room. It loosened up a bit as I moved around but was still painful. I decided to zero here. This is a great place to zero without an injury so I didn't have to think real hard about it. I went for that canoe ride that I missed out on yesterday. This is just an amazingly beautiful pond and so tranquil. Another swim was on the agenda.
Date: 2013-07-16
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton , MA
Miles today: 20.6

7/16It was tough leaving Upper Goose Pond Cabin. I could see coming back here at some point as a caretaker. If I do I'll make sure my pancake-making skills are up to par. I saw my first SOBOs today, ones that hadn't skipped ahead. I'm sure it will be an everyday thing going forward. I have to resist the urge to chat too much with them on the trail. If these SOBOs chatted 5 minutes with every NOBO the pass they would lose an hour of hiking a day. I did chat for a bit with Denko. Meeting him brought the following image of Promontory, Utah in 1869 into my mind. Since I took the zero at UGPC I was getting low on food. Dalton was the next resupply point and 20+ miles away. The profile map looked pretty flat, but profile maps are known to "lie". I thought that I had done my last 20 day, especially without B-Rocket here to twist my arm and bring out the whip. I planned an out just in case the leg bothered me too much. Once I got the quad warmed up it was pretty much good-to-go. I did manage to fall again when a plank (a board installed over severely muddy areas to help with erosion) flipped over. This time I fell face first. Luckily I landed on my beard for a cushioned contact with the ground. At mid day I had a stop at the Cookie Lady (and Man). This couple has been serving free cookies to hikers for decades. They have sodas, Klondike Bars, and fresh boiled eggs for a reasonable fee. This was a great mid-day stop. I arrived in Dalton just before dark. The motel was full. Luckily Thomas Levardi allows hikers to tent in his backyard. It's times like this that the saying "There's sometimes a fine line between a thru-hiker and the homeless" becomes apropos. 10:54 duration 3202 ascent 3647 descent