morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-07-10
From: Fitzgerald Falls

To: Fingerboard shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

Last night I was so tired that I got in my tent at 7:30, just intending to change clothes, but instead I laid down and basically didn't move until I woke up at 7:30 the next morning. I didn't even eat dinner! I think I was exhausted from all the excitement in NYC.I've been struggling mentally on and off ever since PA. The weather hs been so hot and Maine just seems so far away, it feels like we'll never got there. After a few hours of grumpiness this morning, my mood improved drastically due to 2 things:1. asking God to help me have a better attitude2. pretending that I'm a dayhiker, taking the day off work to enjoy the outdoors. It sounds strange, but for some reason this works for me. It enables me to just take things one day at a time and reminds me to enjoy every minute I get to be out here. I had lost that feeling for quite a while, but now it's back and I feel a huge weight off my shoulders.In the afternoon we went through a fun rock formation called the Lemon Squeezer. There were 2 huge boulders which got closer and closer together as you walked through them, until I was sure I would get stuck. but I squeezed through until I got to a ledge I could pull myself up on and get out. Then just after that was a tall ledge about 12' tall that you had to pull yourself up on with not much of a foothold. I wasn't able to do it with my pack on, so OD climbed up there first and I lifted my pack up to him,then climbed up.For some reason, the 12 we did today felt like 20. OD and I were both exhausted when we got to the shelter, which was partially due to all the extra water we'd been carrying. We camped near the Twisted Sisters, 2 older ladies who are section hikers, and Boots & Melody. Melody almost got bit by a copperhead on the way to the shelter - luckily it just bit her hiking pole.
Date: 2012-07-11
From: Fingerboard shelter

To: campsite
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: light intensity drizzle

I got to start my morning with a breakfast Coke, and it was glorious. At Lake Tiorati, about a mile past the shelter, there were several vending machines - every hiker's dream. There was even an ice cream vending machine! But I decided a Coke was enough sugar for 9 AM, so I happily enjoyed that by the lake.We ate lunch on Black Mtn,where we had a view of the NYC skyline way off in the distance. We got an even better view later in the day from the top of Bear Mtn. Bear Mtn turned out to have some of the nicest trails I have walked on thus far - nice stone steps up the side of the mtn, gravel paths lined with rocks on the side. There were vending machines at the top and benches where you could sit and admire the view. OD and i camped about 0.1 north of the summit, then came back up after dark to see the NYC skyline all lit up in the distance. It was incredible; you could pick out the Freedom Tower and the Empire State Building. Crazy to think that we were just there.
Date: 2012-07-12
From: campsite

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

Made the long walk down Bear Mtn this morning, past Hessian Lake, where we talked to 2 guys on bikes who were completely incredulous that e had walked all the way from GA. Waited outside the Trailside Museum and Zoo until 10 AM when it opened. It was quite the experience - they had foxes, coyotes, porcupines, a bear, owls and a bald eagle. There was a huge group of preschoolers going through at the time, who were hilarious. One of the little girls was terrified of OD and I; I guess it was our packs that scared her or maybe OD's beard. The adult who was with her was trying to reassure her, saying, "Look - they're people just like us. They just have big backpacks on!" When we got to the bear enclosure, the bear was laying down on a ledge with his paws over his face and all the kids started yelling, "Wake up, bear! Wake up!" He did not listen to them. There was one building at the zoo that was filled with bird and animal specimens; it was horrifying. I could not be in there with hundreds of dead animals. The rest of the zoo was cook, though. Most of the animals there had been injured and were there b/c they couldn't survive in the wild.In the afternoon, we crossed the road leading to Peekskill, NY and right there was a deli/convenience store called the Appalachian Market. The resupply options there turned out to be expensive and very limited (I'll be eating Ramen for dinner for the next 4 nights), but we had no other choice. Their deli food, however, was excellent. I got a sandwich and chips to go, but OD got a slice of pizza and garlic knots for his pre-dinner right then, and a sub for later.We did one more easy mile to the Graymoor Spiritual Life Ctr, which is a Franciscan monastery/convent that allows hikers to camp on their ballfield. (Apparently friars and nuns play baseball?) There was a pavilion with lights and an electrical outlet, a (cold) shower and a privy. What more could a hiker want? We ate our sandwiches at the pavilion and talked to the other hikers who were there. Later, I walked up the hill and sat in the prayer garden for a while, which was really nice and peaceful.
Date: 2012-07-13
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

To: Clarence Fahnestock State Park campground
Miles today: 13.8

Had a rough start in the morning, but the day ended up being pretty great. It was really hot and humid right from the start, and I felt pretty sluggish. I decided I wanted to hike by myself for a while, so OD and I agreed on a place to meet for lunch. After we had lunch, I continued hiking by myself and really enjoyed the rest of the day. It felt like the beginning, back in GA, when I felt so excited and blessed every day to be out here. I'm still glad to be out here - it's much better than the "real world", for sure, but I don't always feel that excitement I did at the beginning. That's natural, of course; you can't sustain that same level of enthusiasm forever.Around 4:30, I got to the blue-blazed trail to Canopus Lake. There was a sign on a tree that said "Peach", with an arrow pointing to the lake. I took this ridiculous, rocky, sloping trail to the beach, where I spotted OD. He had already been swimming and been to the concession stand once, but was happy to accompany me there for round 2. I got some snacks and went for a swim - it felt wonderful! We sat at a picnic table watching all the Latino families with their massive quantities of food, hoping someone would offer us some, but no luck. Ramen for dinner again.We decided to go to the campground just down the road, where we could stay for free. We set up our tents next to the office. OD noticed a sign by the bathhouse saying that the water there had high sodium levels and was not drinkable. It was the same as the water from the bathhouse at the beach, which I had already drank half a liter of. (It tasted gross, so I had added Gatorade powder to it.) So now we had no water, and didn't know where to get any that was drinkable. OD started chatting with a guy camping for the weekend with his family. He had several gallons of water in his car and offered us some, thankfully. All is well. It seems that whenever we need something, God sends someone to provide it.
Date: 2012-07-14
From: Clarence Fahnestock State Park campground

To: Morgan Stewart shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

We had one thing on our minds when we set out this morning; hiker feed! We had seen several signs on trees along the trail saying there would be a BBQ at RPH shelter the 13th-15th. The reason for all the food was actually for a trail maintenance weekend, but they were happy to feed any thru-hikers that came through also. We arrived about 10:30 and met some of the trail maintainers, who were working hard, and Redbeard, a former thru-hiker who was in charge of cooking. We ate well, starting with a pork bean and vegetable stew. Then for lunch we had pork chops, salad and fruit. We didn't leave until 2:30, and I was basically eating the whole time! We did talk to a couple ALDHA (Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association) members who convinced us to come to the Gathering in West Virginia in October. They hand out your 2000 miler certificates in front of a big audience, which would be cool.
Date: 2012-07-15
From: Morgan Stewart shelter

To: Native Landscapes and Garden Center
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: light rain

We had intended to do a lot more than 10 mi today but Mother Nature foiled our plans. We had a pretty easy morning, and walked past the AT train station around 2:45. It was starting to sprinkle at this point. We put our pack covers on and left our packs in some tall grass while we walked down the road to the deli. By the time we got our food, it was pouring. We were actually pretty happy about the rain b/c it has been so dry lately. We got back to our packs and started north. After about 0.2, we got to a tall grassy hill with no trees on it. By this time, there was lightning and thunder, and we decided it would probably not be a good idea to walk up that hill in the lightning. I remembered from the AT guide that the garden center by the road allows hikers to camp there. So we walked back that direction, and it turned out to be a good decision. The staff there was really friendly and let us use their restroom and loiter on the front porch until the rain stopped long enough for us to set up our tents.It rained hard for quite a while, and more and more hikers showed up. There ended up being about 12 dirty, wet hikers, with their packs and clothes strewn all over the front porch, by the end of the evening. Some people slept on the porch, but OD and I, along with a few others, set up our tents in the side yard. Unfortunately, this was right between a busy highway (about 20 feet away) and train tracks (about 15 feet away), so it was not the most peaceful location. The first time the train came through, it was so loud it sounded like we were camped on the tracks!
Date: 2012-07-16
From: Native Landscapes and Garden Center

To: Schaghticoke Mtn campsite
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: scattered clouds

We re-walked the 0.2 mi section that we had done yesterday, through some beautiful open fields and then into the Pawling Nature Reserve. The trees were very dense, and all the fog and moisture were the perfect conditions for actually being able to see rays of light coming through the trees. I got some great photos.OD and I went swimming in Ten Mile River in the afternoon. We filled up our water bottles there, too, then saw a sign which said (in tiny letters at the bottom) that the water in the river contains heavy metals and is not safe to drink. So we had to dump it out.The next stop for the day was at Bulls Bridge, a wooden covered bridge that was built in 1842. It's been reinforced with steel beams since the, but the wooden trusswork is all still there and cars can drive through it.We stopped at Schaghticoke Mtn campsite for the evening, and thought we would be the only ones here. But more and more people started showing up. most of the people from the Garden Ctr last night came through. We finally saw Sprinkles and Nokey; I hadn't seen Sprinkles since the Smokies (when her name was Trophy Wife) and I had seen Nokey's entries in the registers forever but had never met him. The two of them set up their tent next to ours, and an Israeli section hiker named Dror was just a few feet away. It was only his 2nd day out and he got leg cramps from dehydration so someone gave him their Gatorade. He was fine after he drank it, but I bet he learned his lesson about carrying plenty of water.
Date: 2012-07-17
From: Schaghticoke Mtn campsite

To: Stewart Hollow Brook shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: broken clouds

I forgot to say that yesterday we crossed the CT border! Yay! And that meant that today I got to see my family! My Uncle John and Aunts Karen and Diane live in CT, a couple hours from Kent, so we had arranged to meet there. OD and I got into town pretty early, so he did laundry while I went to the library. We met my relatives at 12 and it was so good to see them after far too many years. All of my mom's sisters are crazy picture-takers, so they captured every moment of our day together. OD was a very good spot about the whole thing. Of course, he loves meeting new people and answering their questions about the trail, so he fielded questions all through lunch. Diane and Karen got to experience (and photographically document) the Thru-Hiker Resupply and the Packing of the Food Bags (during which we were sitting on some benches behind a church and were asked to move by the pastor b/c we were sitting in a cemetery that looking nothing like a cemetery). Then Diane and Karen wanted to experience the AT itself, so they followed OD and I down the trail for about a tenth of a mile in their (non-hiking) sandals. They bade us farewell, and we went on our way after a fun afternoon with the Veselits family.We hiked the rest of the evening with Voice of Reason and Babe (who is now going by Man-Boy) to Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter.
Date: 2012-07-18
From: Stewart Hollow Brook shelter

To: Toymakers Cafe (Falls Village, CT)
Miles today: 18.1

We had heard last night that there would be a severe thunderstorm this afternoon, and that's all people were talking about as we left the shelter this morning. OD and I hiked together until lunch, when I decided to take a nap and he wanted to keep going. I woke up from my nap to the sound of thunder, but wasn't too alarmed b/c the sun was shining and the sky (what I could see of it through the trees) was blue. I laid there for a little while longer, then when the wind picked up I decided it was time to move. Just as I was heading up a big hill, it started to rain, and then pour. The sky got dark, the wind was howling, and it even hailed a little. But I was 3 mi from the next shelter and had no choice but to keep going. It rained hard for about an hour, then stopped by the time I got to the shelter, where OD, Voice, Man-Boy, Nokey, Sprinkles and a couple other people had been waiting out the storm.We had been planning on staying at Belters Campsite that night, but the place was overrun by mosquitoes. Nokey, Sprinkles, Voice, MB and Testament had gone a few more miles into Falls Village so we decided to follow them into town.Falls Village was almost like a ghost town when we rolled in around 7. We were walking down the middle of the main street b/c there were no cars in sight. Out behind the Toymakers Cafe, the owner lets hikers set up their tents. By this time, I was so hungry I was ready to chew my arm off. The cafe was closed, so we went to the super-fancy B&B, the only place in town that served dinner. They brought us water in fancy glass carafes, and luckily we were seated outside on the porch b/c I would have felt like hiker trash inside with all the nicely-dressed people. Most of the hikers ordered the $11 burger (the cheapest thing on the menu), but I got the $14 mac 'n cheese, which was delicious but so rich that I had to have OD finish it.I fell into bed, exhausted, around 9:30, after setting up my tent in the dark and almost having a meltdown b/c the inside was set from the rain earlier. (My pack cover is completely useless at this point.)
Date: 2012-07-19
From: Toymakers Cafe (Falls Village, CT)

To: Sages Ravine campsite
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a delicious breakfast at Toymakers Cafe this morning - chai tea and a sweet potato waffle with lots of syrup. But even the chai tea could not wake me up - I felt exhausted, Like I hadn't slept at all. We didn't get far down the trail before I told OD to go ahead b/c I needed a nap. I slept for about an hour and felt a little better. The next few hours, until about 3 PM, I didn't feel so great, but then started to feel better.Went up Lions Head, which had a beautiful view, and met an older section hiker named Tumbleweed. I also saw SOS, who was going south and said he saw OD on the top of Bear Mtn. Then I met a guy running south, who asked me if I knew where CT 41 was. I looked at the guide and told him it was 1.5 mi north of here, down a side trail. He got really upset, and said he was worried about running out of daylight, then turned around and started running back in the direction he had come from!Started climbing Bear Mtn, and it felt like it would go on forever. There were tall, dense bushes on either side of the trail, so I couldn't see anything except what was right in front of me. Finally, I made it to the top and climbed up a big pile of rocks that someone had stacked there as an "observation tower" and got a great view. Then came the climb down. It was at least as hard as Dragon's Tooth (back in VA). Several times I had to throw my poles to the bottom and scoot down on my butt, and once I grabbed onto a small tree that was growin on the rock face and swung myself down to the next foothold. All this would be so much easier if I didn't have a 30+ lb weight on my back!Finally, I got to Sages Ravine, which OD was waiting and happy to see me.
Date: 2012-07-20
From: Sages Ravine campsite

To: Days Inn (Great Barrington, MA)
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was our first full day of hiking in Massachusetts - state #11! MA tried to welcome us by nearly killing us, but it did not succeed. It had rained most of the night, stopped for a while by the time I got up, and then continued just after we finished packing up. The sky was overcast, and the temperature was actually a little chilly. We climbed Mt. Race, and once we got to the top, walked on the ridgeline for 0.6, leaving no barrier between us and the gusting wind and rain. We were freezing! We went downhill, the started to climb Mt. Everett. At this point it had been several hours since I had eaten anything, and I knew I needed fuel to make it up the steep climb. I told OD I was going to take a snack break, and he said he was freezing and needed to keep moving b/c he wasn't even getting warm going up the mtn. He had almost a panicked look in his eyes, and I started to gt worried. He took off, and I quickly ate my snack and followed after him. Once I got to the top of Mt. Everett, I was warm, but cold again on the downhill climb. Walked another mile to The Hemlocks shelter where, thankfully, I found OD. He had made the good decision to put on dry clothes and get in his sleeping bag to warm up. He said he had been so cold that he got disoriented and though he had walked past the shelter, when in fact he hadn't. Some other hikers pointed him in the right direction. Which just goes to show, you can get hypothermia in July! I quickly joined OD in putting on dry clothes and getting in my sleeping bag. We stayed for a couple hours, intending to stay the rest of the day, rather than risk getting cold again. But then we started thinking about all the great things awaiting us in Great Barrington, and OD talked me into moving on. It had stopped raining, warmed up, and then sun even came out.It wasn't an easy 8 mi; there were definitely some rocky descents, but we made it to the road crossing in pretty good time. We got a hitch, in no time at all from a girl who said she lived right near the trail and was used to seeing hikers a lot. She took us to the Days Inn, which was expensive but worth it. The beds are super comfy - looking forward to a great zero tomorrow.We had dinner at a Mexican place downtown where there was a guy playing guitar. The downtown here is super cool - reminds me a lot of Lawrence, KS.
Date: 2012-07-21
From: Days Inn (Great Barrington, MA)

To: Days Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Today did not turn out to be quite the relaxing zero I thought it would! After continental breakfast, we hurried to do our town chores so we could go to the movies and have the rest f the day to relax. We made it to the theater with 5 min to spare, to watch The Dark Knight Rises. We had heard about the shooting in Aurora the night before, and were a little creeped out. But the movie was great and really intense. Went back to the hotel to chill for a while before dinner, and I started feeling bad. Achy and tired, then I got a fever and felt horrible the rest of the night. OD took good care of me, though.
Date: 2012-07-22
From: Days Inn

To: Days Inn
Miles today: 0.0

I tried to get moving this morning but couldn't make it happen. Fell asleep on the bed while packing my food bag, and OD realized I wasn't hiking anywhere. Laid around watching TV most of the day, and finally felt OK enough around dinnertime to venture out. We went to an awesome place called the Gypsy Joynt, where I had homemade chicken noodle soup and a salad. OD had a meatball sandwich with the best tomato sauce I've ever tasted. I was tired after walking to the restaurant, so that was our only excursion for the day.
Date: 2012-07-23
From: Days Inn

To: Mt Wilcox North Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I didn't think we would ever get a ride back to the trail this morning, but finally a guy in a big van from the garden center pulled over. I sat on a bag of mulch in the back as OD happily chatted away with the driver in the front.Once we got on the trail, it was a little rough. I felt tired and unmotivated, so OD suggested that we go back to hiking by ourselves so that I don't feel too rushed by his pace. I agreed, and he set off ahead. It's always hard to see him go, but it does work out much better for me to hike my own hike. Stopped for lunch at Tom Leonard shelter, made the mistake of hiking all the way down the mtn. to the water source. My legs are feeling pretty weak going uphill, and I have to stop a lot, which is frustrating. I feel like I'm back in GA at the beginning again.There is only one other person at the shelter tonight besides OD and I - a sectin hiker named Tom, who had set up his tent in the shelter.
Date: 2012-07-24
From: Mt Wilcox North Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

The terrain wasn't very difficult today, but for some reason the last few miles felt like they took forever. I was so looking forward to seeing oD and staying at the cabin that I got frustrated with how long it was taking and arrived in a bad mood! But my bad mood was soon dispelled by the awesomeness of the place I get to stay at tonight! It's this cozy, two-story cabin with a big front porch, and bunks with mattresses upstairs. It's right next to a pond, and there are canoes you can use. We went swimming soon after I arrived, and it was glorious. The water was really clean and refreshing. I finished the book I was reading and picked up a new one. Made dinner but was too tired for an evening canoe ride, so I got in bed around 8:15.
Date: 2012-07-25
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Cookie Lady's house
Miles today: 11.1

We woke up to awesome chocolate chip pancakes this morning, made by the cabin caretaker, Alan. So delicious! However, my legs still did not want to cooperate with me as I went up Becket Mountain and Walling Mountain. The profile today looked pretty flat, but there were some small hills and rocky sections, just to keep us on our toes.We ended the day at the home of the Cookie Lady, so named because she makes cookies for all the hikers! She also sells hardboiled eggs from her chickens, sodas and Klondike bars. The Cookie Lady and her husband (the Cookie Man) have a huge blueberry patch, too, and in exchange for staying in their yard they asked us to help by mowing around the bushes. OD and I mowed for about an hour; mostly he mowed and I ate blueberries. Then we set up our tents and hung out with Rocket, who also stayed the night. She is doing a documentary about her personal journey on the trail for her graduate thesis.