morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-09-24
From: Ore Hill Campsite 

To: Trapper John Shelter 
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: broken clouds

(In which I pull an easy 20 mile day and pass a interesting milestone) -Currently sitting in the shelter after dark-I got to try the bivy out last night at the campsite. There was no rain and no wind, so they weren't exactly trying times. What I did get to experience was the condensation. I expected some - even without closing off the hatch - and there was some. Not so much that it caused a problem, but enough that I think it would be a bad idea to close off the hatch for a full night. If it's going to rain that long, I'll have to try for a shelter in the future. A full night of condensation in a bivy might mean a soaked sleeping bag by morning. With 1700 miles to go, I'm guessing that time will tell.The terrain today was relatively easy once again. I started hiking late, around 8 am, and made 19.5 miles by about 5:30. That's fast for me! The fella I met yesterday must have pushed on to the next shelter which makes it 25 miles - par for the course for him I think. Tomorrow I'm planning a really early start and hopefully a mid-afternoon arrival in Hanover. If I get my town chores finished up quick I might be able to knock off a few more miles late in the afternoon and pull another 20. The best part of all this is that my leg feels good right now. It complained throughout the day but I stretched it and rested it here and there. Along the way today I passed an interesting "mile stone". It was interesting in that was a true mile stone (see picture) which didn't really mark any significant milestone. I suppose they were marking roughly 450 miles to the northern terminus - very roughly. Whatever the intent, it's a hansome stone marker and it did remind me that somewhere along the line I passed 400 miles. I'm really excited for the 1/4 done mark that's quickly approaching.Today's post was brought to you by ultralight bivys, because the lightest, laziest way to set up camp just might be this high tech body bag.
Date: 2012-09-25
From: Trapper John Shelter 

To: Happy Hill Shelter 
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: clear sky

(In which I resupply in Hanover and decide to pull a long day too) -Currently lying in the shelter after dark-Last night I met a southbound section hiker whose name eludes me. We chatted about mundane trail things and then shared our individual plan for the next day or two. When I told her I was planning to get to Hanover by mid-afternoon today, she balked and said "but that's about 17 miles!" I nodded sagely, and smiled inside. I am a thru-hiker, hear me roar! I made it to Hanover today by 12:55 pm.Hanover is a really lovely town. College towns are always a special place for me, and Hanover, with Dartmouth snuggled up against it, is a particularly nice one. I was hoping to spend about 3-4 hours resupplying, picking up and sending out my bounce box, eating and doing online chores. It ended up taking closer to 5 hours (when every other shop or restraurant has food, it's really difficult to focus) and I left the Dartmouth Outing Club building with my pack on at 6:05. The plan was a short, easy stint to Happy Hill Shelter. I was excited by the prospect of pulling 20 miles with a resupply right in the middle. The plan was going great until 1.5 miles to the shelter. Once again the right IT band fired up. I've been able to go faster for longer each day, but the leg lets me know when enough is enough. I took two more Ibuprofin and limped, but by the time I made it to the shelter I could stride normally. At this point the pain in the leg is more soreness than sharpness. It's the difference between inflammation or cramping pain and the pain you get from serious structural damage. I'm going to put my pack under my legs tonight and hope they feel better, not worse tomorrow.Despite the leg set-back, today was a productive day with great weather and a fantastic town stop. I'm packing much more food than I need for the two day stretch into Killington, but I'm learning that when it comes to food out here, more is more right now.Today's post is brought to you by the Dartmouth Outing Club, because they deserve reconition for maintining a great trail as well as a great resource in Hanover for tired hikers.
Date: 2012-09-26
From: Happy Hill Shelter 

To: 0.5 mi past VT rt 12 
Miles today: 17.5

(In which the 20 mile days catch up with me and I walk past sap harvesters) -Currently lying in the bivy (not easy to type in here)-The leg was sore last night, but by morning it felt great. I took a brief hacky sack break after a few minutes of walking (Greg graciously let me borrow his hack for the next few months) and it seemed to loosen up the legs. Consider it a dynamic IT band stretch - and a fun one at that.Sore leg or not, I could feel the last two days taking their toll on me. I dragged through more of the morning, and by the time I made it to the next shelter, only 8.7 miles, I was beat. The leg was a irritated too, so for a brief time I thought about pulling another real short day. This would have the added benefit of staying dry since it was supposed to rain this afternoon. After a while I decided that'll I'll never make it to Georgia if I stop when I'm a little tired and avoid hiking in the rain - so off I went. At that point my original plan of making 20 miles to the next shelter was shot unless I wanted to night hike, so I made my final destination somewhere around rt 12.Along the way I passed what looked like long cables in the woods, and it took me a while to figure out that what I was looking at are tubes running from maple tree to maple tree all the way down hillsides. I've never seen sap harvesting (I'm assuming that's what it was) so I stopped and tried to get a good picture. I'd like to know what the first person was thinking when they pulled sap from a few maples and started boiling it. Who would have thought that would taste good?The day passed slow and mercifully it never really rained. Tomorrow I'm shooting for another long day so I can resupply in Killington. I brought more food this time than I thought I needed... and of course I'm eating it faster than I thought I would.Today's post is brought to you by back-to-back 20 mile days, because I'm not quite ready for that kinda humph.
Date: 2012-09-28
From: Mountain Meadows Lodge 

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: moderate rain

(In which I hike through the rain over Killington) -Currently lying in the shelter in my sleeping bag about an hour before dark-I woke up at 5:30 again this morning even though I knew breakfast wasn't supposed to be served until 8. I figure it's good to keep the internal clock on a wake-up-early schedule. I microwaved myself some hot water in the lodge and had some tea while I waited for the breakfast cook to arrive. To pass time I planned the next two weeks for resupply and checked the long term forecast as far as meeting up with friends and family is concerned (all is well there). I was able to start eating around 7 and I rolled out of the lodge around 8:30. These times are important because precisely at 8:35 it started to rain... and it never stopped.Well I said it before that I don't mind rain - and I don't - but by the time I got to the top of Killington it was windy. Bah humbug. I put on all my layers and moved as quickly I could to stay warm. The trouble with being in trail shape (I officially have my trail legs) is that it's difficult for me to get warm via hiking unless I'm on a serious uphill climb. Even on a mild downhill stretch I can't move fast enough to work up warmth.I made it to the shelter by 4 pm and there was a fella lying in his sleeping bag here when I arrived. His name is Joe... good name. He's in his early or mid 60s and he was so cold he had to stop early in the day and warm up in his bag. He seemed a little ashamed of it and assured me he hadn't done a mid-day sleeping bag rest in a looong time. I told him it seemed perfectly reasonable - I'm 28 years old and couldn't wait to get in my sleeping bag.Other than that the day has been relatively uneventful. I did forget to mention yesterday that I bought a new pair socks - Darn Tough socks. I wasn't planning on buying socks, but I've got holes in both pair of Smartwools that I have, and the Darn Toughs looked so warm and new that I couldn't resist. What really sold me was the lifetime warrantly. You heard that right. Lifetime! It says it on the package to call them if they ever wear out. That's a pretty incredible warranty for socks and it explains why they're almost universally on thru-hiker feet. We'll see how they hold up, but I'm already glad I have them. They're soaked, but now I have two dry pair of Smartwools to wear to bed...One more thing - my favorite band is playing in Madison, Wisconsin tonight. I'll be listenting to Greensky Bluegrass on my mp3 player and dreaming about watching them play at the Majestic - a warm, dry place with hoppy beer and a rolling banjo.Today's post was brought to you by the microwave, because heating water to a boil in 3 minutes without a flame is amazing - and so easy!
Date: 2012-09-30
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter 

To: Bromley Shelter 
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

(In which I trudge through the rain yet again) -Currently sitting in the shelter after dark-I left Killington 3 days ago and I haven't seen the sun since. I also haven't hiked in dry socks or shoes since. Rain is okay, but it's getting a little old. I'm told the next few days won't bring much relief either. Sigh. This weather has been a test for the new socks and I think they passed with flying colors. My feet are blistering less in the Darn Tough than they did when wet in the Smartwool. You might chalk some of that up to feet which have toughened up, but new blisters almost always show up when hiking all day in wet socks. +1 for the Darn Tough.Tomorrow I resupply in Manchester for another 3 days stretch. Three days seems to be the perfect resupply time - I can carry about 10 lbs of food comfortably and that's about what I need. After Manchester it's Williamstown, MA and a brief stop in Cheshire, MA. Cheshire is important because that's where I had my new shoes sent. In Hanover I purchased a pair of La Sportiva Wildcats a size larger than the C-lite 2.0s that I've been using. The C-lites haven't been all that durable and the uppers by the toes have blown out on both feet. Combine that with a shoe that's a little to tight, and it's time for something new. I'm excited for the left big toe - only a few more days.Today's post was brought to you by the sunshine - the sunshine in my dreams.
Date: 2012-10-04
From: Just shy of VT-MA border 

To: Cheshire, MA 
Miles today: 18.6

(In which I make it to Cheshire in rain day number 7) -Currently sitting in a very fancy bed at a bed and breafast-Matt wanted to try my early wake-up deal so we both got hiking by 6:30. It was raining of course, so we started off nice and soaked rather than slowly work into it throughout the day. Mt. Greylock flew by and we made it to Cheshire by 2:45 enticed by food, new shoes and somewhere to be dry. I picked up my LaSportiva Wildcat shoes which look like they'll protect my toes better. We put down as much pizza as possible at the local pizza joint (Matt is still feeling the effects) and we managed to arrange a room at this bed and breakfast (Harbour House Inn) where we're splitting the cost. Matt gave me the bed and he's taking the roll away. I'll probably take more of the bill - especially when the bed looks like it's meant for a heck of a special occasion. I feel special.Happy to be dry, clean and well fed. Tomorrow we'll get a late start and we still have to resupply in Dalton, but they say the sun might actually come out (I'll believe it when I see it) and the trail is board flat. Time to move quickly.Today's post is brought to you by fancy beds, because lacy pillows and four posts are a must when I stay in town.
Date: 2012-10-05
From: Cheshire, MA 

To: October Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: clear sky

(In which the sun comes out)-Currently sitting at the picnic table at the shelter after dark-To start this sunny day's post off: thank you all for the encouraging posts on the guest book - it seems at least a few of you are entertained. I appreciate the kind words too. To Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf - your advice was good and I was happy to take the reroute. I was led astray by bad directions at the road crossing. From what I could tell, the directions for anyone going north were very clear. The sign for anyone going south was not so clear... you win some, you lose some.And on the 8th day, there was sun! I even took a picture of it. Warm and bright, it dried everything it shined on. The timing of the stop in Cheshire was great and the stay at Harbour House was fantastic. Eva is the owner and operator of the bed and breakfast that seems too classy a place to be taking in thru-hikers. She gave us a great rate, let us split it, and got us to and from the trailhead. If you're ever planning a stop in Cheshire for foliage season, consider staying there. This morning we had pumpkin pancakes with real maple syrup, oats and yogurt, sausage, bagles and cream cheese and juice and coffee. The other guests were there on vacation and we spent most of the morning answering their questions about long distance hiking. It was fun to have a captive audience and tell harrowing stories of going over Mt. Washington and waking up at 4:30 in the morning in 2 inches of water. The only part about our stay that we wish we could have changed was our departure time... by the time breakfast was finished and the car was ready it was 10 am.Matt and I tried to move quickly but ended up losing about 45 minutes after missing a turn in the trail and strutting down some random, unmarked trail for 25 minutes. We still made it to Dalton in good time and resupplied primarily at the Cumberland Farms (I haven't seen one of these convenience stores in years). By the time we got out of Dalton it was 4 pm and we still had 11 miles to the shelter. We booked it, but at some point along the way I let him go ahead so I could dutifully do my French lessons. I didn't roll into the shelter until close to 8 pm. Once again, night hiking in the afternoon was not very enjoyable and if I can help it, I'll stick to my early to rise, early to bed routine in the future. Twenty one miles by 8 pm after a super late start and a resupply... I'll take it!Today's post was brought to you by the sun - because I'm happy that it's still there (although the forecast for tomorrow is rain...)
Date: 2012-10-06
From: October Mountain Shelter 

To: Mt. Wilcox Shelter
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I pull my longest day yet and talk shoes) -Currently lying in the loft of the shelter-Today wasn't all that eventful but there were a few milestones. I believe 24.6 is the longest day I've done yet, and passing the 650 mile mark today means I've hiked 30% of the trail. I've read a few trail journals in the past and there is almost always a point where the hiker makes a comment about not being able to remember the last time they weren't hiking. I'm not there yet. I've been out here a while, but the time has gone by quickly. We'll see how I feel in another month, but I'm in a rhythm now and feeling good.Matt and I got started hiking at different times this morning, with me taking off earlier. I like hiking with company, but I think I need to go at my own pace for portions of the day. Besides, I don't think Matt wants me mumbling in bad French behind him all day long. We met up for lunch mid-day and finished the last 13 miles by 5:30. We're both beat and looking forward to the shorter day tomorrow. There's a crew of overnighters here tonight, so sleep might be troublesome. If they make a lot of noise I guess I just wont feel all that bad about packing my gear up at 5:30 in the morning.I forgot to talk about shoes yesterday. This is boring, but if anyone is planning a hike and looking at shoes, this could be helpful. I picked up new kicks in Cheshire and they're great - big toe box, thick sole, light weight. I'm hoping they hold up a little better than the last pair. I started with LaSportiva C-lite 2.0 and just picked up the LaSportiva Wildcats. The major differences for me are the tread and the toe protection. The C-lites had superior tread by far. I slip much more now. The Wildcats have a stronger toe covering. I still stub my toe a few times a day, but with the Wildcats I haven't felt it. Granted, the Wildcats are a size 12 while the C-lites were a size 11, but it's obvious that there's more rigid plastic over the toe in the Wildcats. I should have started the trail with a size 11.5 (my normal shoe size is 10.5) but I was worried about stubbing my toe more often with a bigger shoe. I shouldn't have worried - the bigger shoe is more help than hinder. Your feet don't grow or lengthen like some people claim they do on the trail, they just swell. Some say that their arches collapse and the foot lengthens, but that's not a problem for me - arches are just fine. The swelling seems to require a shoe that's at least a size bigger than your normal shoe size. The C-lites are lighter, but this is almost unnoticable, and the lace covering on the C-lites could be a major problem in warm weather - causing warm, sweaty, blistering feet. I think I'll stick with the Wildcats for hiking in the future, but if I was actually trail running, the C-lites would be my choice.Today's post was brought to you by footbridges amongst rolling fields in Massachusetts - I just thought it made for a great picture...
Date: 2012-10-07
From: Mt. Wilcox Shelter

To: The Hemlocks Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I see hills near Albany, NY and meet a fellow chemical engineer)This morning I got a late start (around 7:30), but I was planning a 20 mile day over easy terrain so I took my time. I took breaks when I wanted, did some pushups and sit ups on a whim, and even hacky sacked a little in mid day. The most challenging part of the day was the 4 miles uphill just before the shelter. Even after all the breaks and slow walking, Matt and I walked up to the shelter at 4:30. Along those last few miles there were some great views - including one of the western sky with hills from New York visible. A day hiker who knew the area said the hills to the west in the background (very far right in the picture above) are in the direction of Albany, NY. I'm from just north of Albany, and it finally hit me how far I've come after he point that out. I started walking in northern Maine. Northern Maine! Still a ways to go though...At the shelter this afternoon I met a section hiker who got his degree in chemical engineering in the early 70s. He spent most of his career working in plastics processing, research and development in eastern Tennessee. I got all excited because my masters work is almost identical to research he was doing for Eastman Chemical around the same time. He said he hated that particular project... but then I suppose the conclusion of my work was that it might not work...so he has good reason. We chatted dorky chemical engineering things for a while but stopped when we both got the sense that Matt felt left out. It was good to talk engineering for a little while though. I miss the company of my fellow chemical engineers.Tomorrow it's up early again and Matt wants to be dragged along. It's a good partnership since he moves quick and I get started early. We'll try to make the 13 miles to Salisbury by noon so we can have ample time to resupply and get to the next shelter. Matt has been dreaming about cookie cake for almost two weeks now and the thought has rubbed off on me. There's a bakery in town, so we're hoping to get lucky...Today's post is brought to you by walking 675 miles and realizing you're looking into the distance at mountains right next door to your home town. Priceless.
Date: 2012-10-08
From: The Hemlocks Shelter

To: Belter Campsite 
Miles today: 24.5
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I get fleeced - I mean resupply - in Salisbury) -Currently sitting on a stump in the dark at the campsite-Up and out early this morning. Matt seems to be liking the idea more and more - especially when we can pull 24 mile days with a resupply and still roll into camp before dark. We were in Salisbury by noon and we headed straight for the bakery with visions of cookie cake dancing in our heads. We stood outside the bakery with shoulders slumped when we found out the bakery is closed on Mondays...It was fortunate that we didn't need much because today is Columbus Day. We figured there was something special about the day considering the volume of day hikers, but we weren't sure until we found half the businesses in town closed. After the unfortunate, dream-crushing, closed-bakery incident, the only sensible thing to do was eat. We picked the grocery store with a hot food bar over the nice looking Bistro to get more bang for the buck. The food was amazing, but at $7 a pound, it was rough. Eating 2.5 pounds of food in a sitting turns out to be too easy... either that or they just rang each of us up wrong. I should have weighed the plate in the produce section to double check. By the time I ate, got one day's worth of food, got some ibuprofin and some squishy heel cups (my heels have been irritated), I spent $60. It's an expensive town! I'm glad we decided to get one day's worth of food and wait to reload in Kent tomorrow.Short side note - today we passed mile 700. Just passed 30% done!Today's post was brought to you by Columbus Day, because if it wasn't for Columbus Day, I would have spent so much at the bakery that funding for this blog would dry up...
Date: 2012-10-09
From: Belter Campsite 

To: Mt. Algo Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I resupply in Kent, CT and make arrangements for my trip to NYC) -Currently sitting in the shelter after dark-Today's plan was to resupply in Kent after a 22 mile hike and take advantage of the close proximity of this shelter to Kent (only a 1.1 mile walk) by taking our sweet time in town and marching into the shelter after dark. Everything went well. I was a little concerned about staying in a shelter so close to the road (not all roads are trouble, but all trouble comes from roads) but it's a week night and there was no one here when we rolled in at 8 pm.This morning I checked with the embassy in New York about their hours of operation and it looks like I'll have to get to the city a day earlier than I originally planned in order to get my business done. I spent the time at the pizza place in Kent flipping through the AT Guide and picked a good location where friend or family could snag me at a road crossing. After a few phone calls I settled on a concrete plan - either today or tomorrow I need to pull a 28 mile day. On the day I don't go 28 miles, I have to go 20. It's gonna be a little rough. Tomorrow's terrain looks a little more rough than the next day's, so I suspect that tomorrow will end up the short day. Friday will be a zero to visit the consulate and play in the city. I'll be back to the trail with the help of my little sister on Saturday. We'll see when he decides, but I think I convinced Matt to come along. He's a little nervous about taking a zero day and spending too much in the city, but with a free ride and a free place to crash, he's starting to come around.Today was relatively easy hiking and the most significant part of the day came unexpectedly. On an extremely flat section along the Housatonic River was a long, straight section of trail covered in leaves and bordered by tall, elegant trees. I think it's one of the best views on the trail (picture above). There were incredible views from peaks along the White Mountains, but even those I spent only a few minutes admiring. I sat quietly for half an hour in the middle of this short section of trail just to soak it up.Today's post is brought to you by a lazy walk along a river, because beautiful views worth writing about can be found well below tree line.