morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-12
From: Culver's Gap / Holiday Inn Express

To: High Point State Park
Miles today: 14.3

We had a good breakfast at the hotel and On The Loose and her dad (Robert) took us back to the trail at 8:15 PM. The first part of the trail was not too bad at one point we hiked up on top of the ridge and there was a large pavillion with a great vista. Water is still an issue. We stopped at Mashipocong Shelter and met Machette, Compass (we meet him every few weeks) and On The Loose. We found someone had left 2 five gallon jugs of water for hikers. We filled up and move on in the heat of the day. The trees have begun to lose their leaves due to lack of water. The blueberries have also dried. Rain is really needed badly.As we neared the High Point State Park a young couple were coming the other way. The woman was in a dress with a baby in a carrier on her back. The man had a stick and a big dog. We suggested to them that the trail was too difficult for them to negotiate with a baby in a carrier. They failed to get the message and hiked on. We hope they turned back when they saw the steep down hill and up hill facing them.We finally made it to High Point State Park and met up with On the Loose, Compass, and Machette. We filled our water bottles and were sitting on a bench when a woman named Alice drove up and spoke to us. She metioned a lot of hikers we knew were in front of us. She had a book with photos in it and then told us that if we wanted she would drive us to her home, feed us dinner and breakfast, we could shower and she would wash our clothes. All she asked was for 10 dollars to help buy the pizzas.We looked at each other and almost in unison said YES! She bought 4 large pizzas, a case of beer fruit and ice cream. It was great. What a trail angel. Thank you so much Alice. We have decided to only walk 10 or so miles for the next two days to try to let our bruised feet heal. Carol fashioned a bad for me using some thick moleskin. It seems to help a little. The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-13
From: High Point State Park

To: Unionville NY / The Outhouse
Miles today: 8.8

After a great breakfast, thanks to trail angel Alice, we started hiking at 10 AM.We decided to stay at the Outhouse to night. This is a home owned by the former mayor of Unionville. The rocks primarily disappeared right were we were told they would. The trail was very nice, but the feet still were bruised. The shorter day helped somewhat and we arrived in Unionville at 2 PM. We went to the general store and had a great subway sandwich and large drink. The clerk called the Outhouse and Butch came down and drove us up to the home. The house is occupied by three guys one is about 50 and one about 40. The last fellow is 80 years old and was very funny. You got fined 25 cents if you used a 3 syllable words and he quizzed you trying to get you to say words like "university". For ten dollars they let you shower, do laundry and sleep in a bunk. They also fed you dinner and breakfast and drove you back to the trail in the morning. The house was absolutely full of hikers. Some were thru hikers and some were section hikers. We met Shagman who is thru hiking and is 69 years old. He was worried about the White Mountains; and we talked about how our balance was not as good as it use to be when we were youger. He is determined to finish the trail also.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-14
From: Unionville NY / The Outhouse

To: Vernon NJ / St.Thomas Episcopal Chruch
Miles today: 11.8

We left for the trail at 8 AM and after 30 minutes we realized we had misplaced the trail. We hiked to a road and an 80 year old man was able to set us straight. On The Loose caught up to us and we kept meeting her off and on all day. There were a series of short steep up hills followed by steep down hills. This was repeated 5 or 6 times. We also walked along and through a Nature Preserve, and miles of swampy areas that were built up with boardwalks; and in some cases thick boards resting on railway ties.Carol got a yellow jacket sting on her ankle yesterday and it was still a little swollen and sore today. She is a trooper and never complains.We finally got to the road and called the hostel. They come and get you because it is illegal to hitchike in NJ. The Episcopal priest answered and said he could not come because he was ill. A friend of On the Loose met her and drove us to the hostel. We began our hike in the rain today and it rained the entire day making the trail very slipperyTonight we are in the hostel with Freeman and Snoopy and another hiker. We will resupply and hike out tomorrow. The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-15
From: Vernon NJ / St.Thomas Episcopal Chruch

To: Vernon NJ / St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Miles today: 0.0

My feet are too sore to hike today. We have decided to stay another day and hike out on the 16th of July. We plan on being in Kent Ct. on the 6th day of hiking after leaving here. If all goes well we should be up to Hanover NH in 3.5 to 4 weeks. This will give us 7 weeks to hike the remaining tough miles (440) through NH and Maine.Today we will look for some additional insoles for my boots, and tend to the open spots on my feet. The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-16
From: Vernon NJ / St. Thomas Episcopal Church

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

The heat and humidity was very oppressive even as we left to start our hike. The water sources seem to be drying up but there was trail magic in the form of water at some road crossings. After about 5 miles the trail turned to high bare ridges exposed to the sun. It was very debilitating.Soon the walking along the ridges changed to walking over the ridges and down the other side. This meant a 300 to 500 foot climb down loose rocks and up the other side which was also very steep. At NY 17A we took a diversion to got to Bellvale farms to get some home made ice cream and root beer. After our short diversion we hiked another 2 miles to the shelter. I am never sure the walks off the trail for a treat are worth the extra walk but we do it to maintain our weight and it offers a goal to help motivate us. Just inside the NY border we saw a mother bear and two cubs. The cubs scurried down a tree to be with mom. It was very cute. In this area the trail drops down and there are planks to walk on due to mud. I can only imagine what it is like during a rainy year. At the shelter was Little Aspen, Toothpick, Boomer and On the Loose. Friends we had hiked with several times before. We enjoyed their company.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-17
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: scattered clouds

It was extremely hot and humid again today and this was one of the most difficult hiking days yet. It took 12 hours to hike 14.2 miles. We hiked up and down the ridges repeatedly. It was like hiking across canyons. In additon to that the trail was nonexistent in many places. We could see the white blazes and had to make our way through the rocks to each blaze.During the hike up to this point I have had to take my pack off to get up or down an area only once. Today I had to take my pack off 3 times to climb up or down a rocky area. We went through a particularly dangerous climb called the lemon squeezer that took us extra time to navigate.Just as we were within 1.5 miles from the shelter there was trail magic in the form of snacks and cold drinks. How wonderful. We saw a few deer and their fawns today. They did not seem to have fear of people at all. We finally made it to the shelter. The hikers that were hiking with us stopped 3 miles back at a lake, and camped there. I have been reading trail journals for 11 years and I don't recall anyone saying NY was a difficult area to hike in. I can tell you at leas the first 2 days are definitely difficult.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-18
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: Fort Montgomery/ Bear Mt. Bridge Motel
Miles today: 14.3

Another blisteringly hot and humid day. We started out as early as possible and saw lots of deer and chipmunks. I call the chipmunks "snake snacks". The trail was hard today also but in retrospect it did seem a little easier than the first two days in NY. We hiked up a mountain called Bear Mountain that is a tourist attraction. It is such a difficult climb that the trail is diverted to a road for some of the climb. We finally got to the top and were exhausted. One of the tourists at the top told us about some vending machines. We made our way to the machines and had a couple of powerades. This seemed to revive my energy of the remainder of the hike.The trail goes through a small private zoo but we heard it closed at 5PM. It was already 4PM and we quickly started down the mountain. We got to the zoo as it was closing and the employees let us go through the zoo because we were thru hikers. We took a picture of the bear cage which is the lowest point on the A.T. at 124 feet above sea level.As we exited the zoo we saw Boomer, Toothpick, Little Aspen, Currio, Knees,   Scat Tracker and Unicrock. We decided to call a motel and they came and picked us up. The gentleman said they had been doing this for 40 years. The motel is one mile from West Point. The owner of the motel did our laundry for which we were very grateful. The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-19
From: Fort Montgomery/ Bear Mt. Bridge Motel

To: Fort Montgomery/ Bear Mt. Bridge Motel
Miles today: 0.0

Boomer and my knees were hurting thanks to the NY hiking and the race down the mountain to get thru the zoo. As we got up and went outside a strange cloud formation was coming at us. The weather prediction was for tornados and flash flooding. We opted for a zero day. The morning was a series of hard rain and lightning. No tornados.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-20
From: Fort Montgomery/ Bear Mt. Bridge Motel

To: Dennytown Group Campground
Miles today: 14.5

We got an early start and hiked across the Hudson River bridge and up a very steep incline. The hiking was a little easier today. We had been told that NY becomes easier as you go north.We came to a convenience/deli called the Appalachian Market that is right on the trail and we drank a lot of fluids due to the heat and we also ate a second breakfast. We also filled our water bottles from an outside spigot.Later on in the day we hiked .3 of a mile off the trail to the Graymor Spiritual Life Center. It is the home of the Franciscan Friarsof the Atonement, and birthplace of the Christian Unity Movement in America. They have a large complex of buildings and have erected a shelter for hikers with a shower and tables under a roof. It was very nice but we did not stay here today.The book of lies (trail guide) had the camping area we were looking for in the wrong location but luckily Boomer showed up and his book had the correct location and we camped togeter. We were able to fill our water bottles at a spigot across the road from the camping area,and this made things much easier.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-21
From: Dennytown Group Campground

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: few clouds

The trail has been inproving each day but the weather has not. Hot and 100% humidity. It is unbearable at times. We can't do anything but proceed.We stopped at the RPH Shelter and had lunch with Boomer and later went .4 of a mile off the trail to Mountain Top Market and Pizzeria. (off NY 52) After about 2 hours of relaxing and staying out of the heat dark clouds rolled in. We decided to head up the mountain the 4 miles to the Morgan Stewart Shelter. (Carol had to talk me into it as I was completely beaten into the ground by the heat). Boomer decided to camp in the backyard of the Market where the owner had told him he could.We got to the Shelter in a record one hour and twenty five minutes just as the rain started. I was glad Carol had insisted we head the extra 4 miles up the trail. It puts us 4 miles closer to my daughter in Hanover NH.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-22
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Ten Mile River Lean To
Miles today: 20.1

We are in New England (Conneticut)and the shelters are called Lean to's. Today was an incredibly diverse day. We went through about every type of terraing imaginable. We came to a lake called Nuclear Lake and there were some breathern there (a flock of Canadian Geese). We walked through swampy areas on boards and eventually came to a huge Oak Tree Called the Dover Oak that is suppose to be 350 to 400 years old. This is what the forest use to look like. It was very impressive.Again we walked .5 of a mile off the trail to a deli to get food and fluids. All this to help stabilize our weight. Carol thinks she has gained some weight back but she is still razor thin to me. The sandwiches we got were huge, even of our appetites. We saved the second half of the sandwich for dinner.After we hiked about 15 miles today there was some fantastic trail magic. There was ice cold water and cookies. The water was a real treat. We constantly have to drink water that is the temperature of bath water.We were very glad to see the end of NY. and go into Conn. Both knees are stiff and sore but we trek on.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-23
From: Ten Mile River Lean To

To: Kent Ct./ Fife and Drum Inn
Miles today: 8.7

We started out late today and arrived at 1PM. The hike was much harder than we thought. We had a 1000 foot climb up a bolder field (Schagniticoke Mt.) We then hiked up and down inclines that were very steep and 2 to 3 hundred feet in elevation change.The weather was cooler but the humidity was absolutely terrible. Finally as we approached the top of the mountain it started to rain which turned into a heavy deluge. It was cooling but made the rocks very slippery for the hike down the mountain that was very steep.We finally made it down the mountain without incident and we hitched a ride to town in the pouring rain. What great people to pickup two stinky hikers in a rainstorm.We decided to get our chores done and hike out tomorrow late in the day. We got our boxes from the post office, shopped and did laundry. We then called the kids and touched base with them. Carol discovered a rip in her pack and Granite Gear who guarantee there packs could not be reached as they have an answering machine and will call you back. What good is this when hiking the trail? Future thru hikers do not buy Granite Gear Packs you can't get them replaced.Carol went to the local outfitter and got a 3000 cu inch Osprey pack which is guaranteed for life. It fits her well and she is happy with it. We will ship the ripped pack to Andrea and fight with Granite Gear when we return.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-24
From: Kent Ct./ Fife and Drum Inn

To: Silver Hill Camp site
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: light rain

We left Kent late 130 PM. We were trying to hike to the next shelter which was about 6 miles away. Some how we missed it and hiked to a tent site 4 miles further. The day like the last few weeks was hot and humid. We stood across the street from the outfitter and put our thumbs out and immediately got a ride to the trail head. We hiked across an insect infected marsh area and then by a river. The river section was about 5 miles long and very interesting. We kept looking for a shelter but could not find it. Conn. has signs that are a nice green and they blend into the landscape. Somehow you expect that about Conneticut. Once we were sure we had passed the shelter we looked for the next area to camp in and found it at 10.2 miles. (Conn. only alows camping at the shelters or designated camp areas). We got to the camping area at 6.45PM. It was amazing. There was a front yard double swing, a water pump, picnic tables and tenting areas all set out. We were the only ones their and we were all set to enjoy it when the mosquitos attacked. We quickly decided bed was the safest place.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-25
From: Silver Hill Camp site

To: Falls Village Conn.
Miles today: 15.0

Today was a bad day. There were lots of steep ups and downs and the weather as usual was steemy. Our energy was very low and because it rained last night we were very cautious and slow with the down hills over many boulder fields. At one point we were only going 1.2 miles per hour. As we poked along we misplaced the trail and needed to backtrack to find it. We had climbed up too far and when we backtracked we saw the trail went up through a crevice in a house size boulder. The trail was not marked well. I hope your are reading this trail marker.As we trudged along we came to a road and there was a sign reading that the bridge was under construction and hikers could not cross it. A road detour of over 3 miles was necessary (these miles do not count on our trek). We hardly spoke as we walked along a busy highway with no shoulder. We finally turned on to a side road and walked for what seemed miles.We were trying to get to a restaurant in Falls Village called the Toy Maker. They sell sandwiches ect. and let you camp in the backyard. Do to our road walk the restaurant was closed when we got there. Carol knocked at the door and was waved in. She explained our situation and they opened the restaurant and we at some great food.We set up our tents in the backyard and 4 young men showed up. They were thru hikers going south. They were the first we met on our trip. As we were talking it started to rain so we scrambled inside the tent for the night.I haven't said much about insects on the hike - there here in great quantities. The horse flies and deer flies constantly buzz you and they can bite through your shirt drawing blood. There has not been much rain but there are mosquitos that seem to really hone in on you from 4PM to bed time.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-26
From: Falls Village Conn.

To: Sages Ravine Brook Campsite Mass.
Miles today: 15.6

The rain last night took the humidity away. Praise the Lord! It was a glorious hiking day with a nice wind blowing. The trail also behaved. It was mostly flat with just enough ups and downs to keep it interesting.We had another short road walk today, and prior to going back into the woods we noted a retirement community. We sat at a bench in the community and ate our lunch. As we were packing up a man drove up in a van and said to us "you look like a couple of thru hikers". I wondered if he could smell us as he drove by. It turns out he had hiked 1700 miles of the trail previously and wanted to complete it. After a short conversation we departed.Today we hiked up Bear Mountain. (There are alot of Bear Mountains on the trail). It was very rocky climbing up. Once we reached the top there was a rock observation tower. We climbed it and took a photo.Coming down from Bear Mountain was very difficult. The climbs down at the end of the day are difficult for me as my knees swell and don't bend well. This makes me even more awkward than normal. As I took a step from one large rock to another my foot caught on the rock and I lurched forward almost off a ledge. At the last moment I wrapped my arm around a tree and saved myself from a 12 to 15 foot fall to the rock ledge below. As I was falling asleep the thought of that fall haunted me.The campsite had wooden platforms and the wind was blowing through the trees. It reminded Carol and I of camping with the kids when they were younger.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-27
From: Sages Ravine Brook Campsite Mass.

To: Great Barrington Mass. / Days Inn
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

The day started out cool today but soon heated up. There also was no breeze like yesterday. We had two big climbs today, Race Mountain and Mt. Everett at 2602 feet. These climbs were followed by a long down hill and finally through fields, forests and bogs. We don't often run out of water but this was one of those times. We were starting to get anxious about it when -- trail magic.We drank our fill (leaving some for other hikers) and walked on to the road to Great Barrington. We stuck out our thumb and two minutes later a tree service man picked us up and took us to the Days Inn. We showered and took a cab to the grocery store to resupply. We ordered in from Manhattan Pizza and they delivered the greatest pasta ever. That and the few beers we had went well.The highlight of this day was the large rattlesnake on the edge of the trail. It was already angry when I went by - unaware. Carol alerted me to the snake and I photographed it. It continued to remain coiled and rattleing. Carol did not want to walk by so I took my hiking stick and poked near the snake. He immediately took off. Unfortunately it took off right toward Carol who let out a controlled shriek. The snake veered off and into the woods. Carol was not happy with me.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-28
From: Great Barrington Mass. / Days Inn

To: Shaker Campsite Mass.
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We got a late start today and did not know if we could make it to the campsite. At the trailhead we met trinket and he and his brother Q-tip were going to spend the night in Great Barrington.We started the day by hiking through fields for a couple of miles. The smell of Bergemont was wonderful. We have started to see ponds frequenly and photographed Benedict pond. These would be major lakes in North Carolina.We met On The Loose, Storm and Trooper. They told us there was Trail magic a couple of miles up the trail at a road crossing. We bolted up the trail and got there for sodas, peanuts and other snacks. We love trail magic.The woods in Mass. are dark, and the trees are large firs. These desend frequently into bogs with planks to walk on. We try to move quickly through these areas so as not to awaken the mosquitos. We desended down to the Shaker Campsite where we met Trooper. After setting our tent up on the platform he told us about the great trail magic he and others received in Salisbury. A man walked across the street and invited the hikers back to his house where he cooked them a huge meal involving steak and chicken. He told us that Boomer was present and it had been his 58th birthday. We have hiked with Boomer and he was great to talk with. He was having foot problems and motivation problems. We had thought that he may have dropped out of the hike. It turns out that he is worried about his visa expiration (he is Australian). He skipped up to Vermont to hike north from that point. We are going to make it a point to contact Boomer when we are going to return to Australia. We would love to see him again.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)
Date: 2010-07-29
From: Shaker Campsite Mass.

To: October Mountain Lean To
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: few clouds

We started hiking this morning in the rain. It lasted about an hour. The terrain was like yesterday (roots, rocks and a couple of big climbs). We have been seeing white birch trees in Mass. They don't live in the South so we know we are moving in the right direction. We passed three or four large ponds today. One had a beaver hut in the middle. These ponds are huge.We are seeing more south bound thru hikers every day. On top of one our climbs there were stinging nettles and other thorn bushes as tall as we are. They were over growing the trail and we had to move through them regardless. We go scratched galore. Come on trail maintainer, cut the weeds.As we cleared the thorns we stopped on a rock and had lunch. Carol picked a whole lot of wild blueberries and we added them to our lunch. What a bonus! Antioxidants plus.The Canadian Geese(Never quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)