morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-06-24
From: Warwick Turnpike

To: The Outhouse (Unionville, NY)
Miles today: 17.3

Slack-packed today. Butch dropped us off at the Warwick Turnpike for us to hike south back to the Outhouse for our second night's stay.Had a couple of good climbs today and a bunch of boardwalking and road-walking. Had lots of sun and warmer weather. Had a full house tonight with over 20 hikers staying at the Outhouse. Kept the men on their toes but was fun to see so many friends and meet new hikers.While hiking, Mr. Right spotted a bear cub today! Even got a picture of it. That makes his bear sighting total 6 as of today. (His goal is 14; one for each state.) Somehow, I missed that one ...
Date: 2009-06-25
From: The Outhouse (Unionville, NY)

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

Summer is here and we're lovin' it. Saw Loon and Hot Sauce at the Outhouse last night and was invited by Loon to join her at her parents' lake house in Connecticut in a few days. Being now a day ahead (because of our slack-pack) we're going to slow down a bit for the next couple of days so that they can catch up and we can hike together to CT.Glad to slow down a bit. Saw a couple of spotted yearlings with their mama. Lots of fun rock scrambles and amazing views of NY. Saw the NYC skyline from Prospect Rock. My first view of the city in real life.Had some of the best ice cream I've ever had at the Bellvale Creamery, about two-tenths of a mile off the trail. Hung out for over 3 hours, eating 2 servings of ice cream each. In total, over 10 scoops of ice cream! And, before we left, we called Mama's Boy to have hot heroes delivered to us at the creamery. Of course, we weren't hungry for dinner yet, so Mr. Right hiked the last 2 miles carrying our take-out in his hand.Entered our 9th state today. One more down, 5 more to go!
Date: 2009-06-26
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

Morning and afternoon thunderstorms. Blue skies in between -- but got caught in a torrential downpour for the last 2 miles of our hike. New York is proving to be tough ... and I'm not talking about boys from South Bronx. Lots of ups and downs in quick succession.But, to make the day a little brighter, we met a couple of trail angels, Earthworm Jim (former thru-hiker) and Dennis who were putting out beer and brownies. Enjoyed a warm beer and many, many brownies. It was 3:30 and the skies were still blue but we were given warning that extreme thunderstorms were expected to roll in at 4pm. I didn't believe it but it was pretty spot on. At 4:15, we got dumped on and climbed through the Lemon Squeezer and even had to run across a bald to the shelter dodging lightning bolts!Before the storm rolled in, I got a couple of good shots of Mr. Right and Cricket mooning the Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic heading out of NYC over the New York State Thruway! We got a lot of honks and many waves from sun-roofs. I kind of felt like a superstar.And then we got drenched ....
Date: 2009-06-27
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: West Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Still going a little slower to let Loon and Hot Sauce catch up. Hoping to see them tomorrow night.Woke up to clear skies and spent the morning at Lake Tiorati with Cricket. Hung out on the sidewalk with all of our gear and shoes laid out in order to let them dry after last night's deluge. By noon, we went in the lake for a quick dip. Ate lots of ice cream and snacks out of the vending machines.Around 1pm, we headed back to the trail (about 3/4 mile from the lake). By the time our feet hit the trail, the rain began to fall again all over our newly dried shoes. At this point, you just got to let it go and accept wet feet. Met a couple from Brooklyn out for the weekend at William Brien Shelter who were kind enough to give us some water and save us from hiking the half-mile to and from the water source.Had some more great views of the NYC skyline and ended up at a shelter where we could see the city from inside. Even though it was six-tenths of a mile hike off of the trail, it was well worth it. Met a group of guys from Hoboken, NJ up for a friend's birthday. We got to partake in the festivities with them as they offered us drinks and hot dogs and smores and subs. Went to bed past midnight; by far the latest I've stayed up while on the trail.Saw some fireworks over the Hudson River and made enemies with the Whip-poor-will who started whippooring at 3am right outside the shelter. I actually got out of bed in order to find it and do whatever needed to be done to make it stop. Luckily, it must have seen me coming and flew away on its own accord.
Date: 2009-06-28
From: West Mountain Shelter

To: Graymoor Center
Miles today: 14.2

Tons of people out today as we climbed Bear Mountain. A pretty good climb and a good chunk of it up a road. Lots of people looked at us like we were zoo animals ... which we got to see later as the trail winded its way through Bear Mountain Zoo. Saw some cute, local animals but seeing the coyotes pacing around their tiny cage made me quite sad.My Bear Count as of today, 7. Mr. Right's, 12 -- only 2 more to go! (And, yes, we counted the three we saw in the zoo.) Lots of families out enjoying picnics at the park today. Many yogi-ing opportunities, if I actually was any good at it. (To "yogi" is to get free things from other people while hiking the trail.) Had some pizza at the concession stand to tide us over until we got to Fort Montgomery for lunch and a resupply.Walked the mile into Fort Montgomery, getting a beautiful view of the Bear Mountain Bridge, which runs across the Hudson River. Had lunch with Cricket at the Country Deli and had a tasty New York sandwich. Moonwalker, No Nails and Skittles showed up while we were finishing. Had a heck of a time trying to resupply as we learned that the grocery store was about 2 miles away. Went to a corner store and attempted to assemble a couple of days worth of food out of what little there was left. It had been pretty picked over already.Walked the mile back to the trail and crossed the Hudson on foot. It was beautiful! Apparently, it used to cost ten cents to cross the Hudson by foot. Crossing this bridge was quite a landmark for me as I've seen pictures of it since Damascus and thought, "Wow, that's so far from here!"Tented in the baseball field of a friary with Cricket, Paul-Man, Cuppa Joe, Dioco, Wags and Gangsta. Hot day with tons of mosquitoes ... at least is didn't rain.
Date: 2009-06-29
From: Graymoor Center

To: Fahnestock State Park Campground
Miles today: 12.8

Woke up to find Loon and Hot Sauce camping in the field. They showed up in the middle of night at 2am! They pushed 25 miles after some great trail magic just to catch up to us. (At least, that's what I tell myself.) As you can imagine, we didn't get a very early start.Mr. Right and I killed some time by walking back about half a mile or so to a convenience store located on the trail. We got some coffee and morning treats for everyone. Left camp just after 11am; knowing we didn't have far to go, we were happy to head out leisurely.Seeing lots of deer in New York, who are even less skiddish than those in the Shenandoahs. Hiked an extra mile to the campsite at the State Park. I'm glad that California has some nice State Parks because this one sure wasn't one to write home about. However, it was free to thru-hikers for one night. We set up our Henry Shires tent world with Cricket and Hot Sauce. Loon completed the circle with her tent and Rusticus hung his hammock in a nearby tree.Went to bed early mainly to escape the bugs. Lied in bed reading for awhile before sleep came over me.
Date: 2009-06-30
From: Fahnestock State Park Campground

To: NY Route 52 (Brookfield, CT)
Miles today: 12.1

Hiked with Loon, Hot Sauce and Cricket all day. Had a few good climbs that really made me sweat. Met Highlander and The Kid on top of a viewpoint. Had lunch at RPH Shelter where Hot Sauce gave me her Lipton Sides Broccoli and Cheese Rice. (We were short a lunch given some poor resupply choices ....)Met Loon's mom, Meredith, at Rte. 52 around 2:30 and were greeted with pizza and beverages. Such a treat! We were driven back to Brookfield, CT (about 40 minutes away) to a lovely lakehouse that has been in the family since the 1960's. A gorgeous home overlooking Candlewood Lake. Meredith cooked up some taco salad and we finished the dinner with a Friendly's Watermelon Cake.Headed to a mall for a few pieces of gear and, boy, was that an experience. So many people all consuming more than they need and me, walking around in my camp clothes buying only that which will help me on the trail.While in the mall, it poured outside and sure was glad not to be hiking in it. Got to see the most idyllic rainbow on our way home -- touched horizon to horizon.
Date: 2009-07-01
From: NY Route 52 (Brookfield, CT)

To: NY Route 22
Miles today: 14.3

First day of slack-packing with Hot Sauce, Loon and boyfriend, Dom. Moved pretty quickly in order to get back to the house for dinner with friends and family.Saw another bear today who wasn't very frightened of us and kind of hung out while we snapped a bunch of pictures. Bear count = 8 (me), 13 (Mr. Right). Never rained on us but looked and sounded a bit threatening. Once we got to the car, it started to pour, and boy, wasn't I glad to be out of it!! (Sorry other hikers ...)Stopped off for some ice cream on the way back to the house and it sure was good. Had a wonderful dinner of lasagna and salad and yummy desserts while having great conversations with Loon's family and friends.Truly enjoying being taken care of by Loon's extremely generous family. These moments make great memories.
Date: 2009-07-02
From: NY Route 22

To: Kent, CT (Brookfield, CT to stay)
Miles today: 18.2

Second day of slack-packing. Boy, are we getting lazy. I don't know if I'll remember what a pack feels like!Once again, the rain stayed off although we were certain we'd get rained on. Guess we got lucky. Dropped off some trail magic for other hikers at the Kent, CT intersection (compliments of Loon's mom, Meredith). It was nice to be on that side of things for once. I hope hikers found a little bit of joy from the cold beverage and little snacks.A few more ups and downs today and a pretty mucky trail due to the rain last night.Got back to the house in time for another tasty dinner of pasta and vegetables and left-over lasagna. Meredith and Jim are treating us like royalty. Got caught up on journals and photos and watched some "Flight of the Concordes."Looking forward to a true zero day tomorrow to rest the feet (even though I can't complain having gotten over 30 miles of slack the last two days!).
Date: 2009-07-03
From: Brookfield, CT

To: Brookfield, CT
Miles today: 0.0

Slept in for a change. Didn't wake up until 9:30! (That's quite late for me.) Got a lazy start to running some errands. Went to Stew Leonard's -- the largest dairy store and other fresh products. Mind you, it is Friday before 4th of July and it is CRAZY!! I feared for my life while winding my way through the maze of shoppers and carts that filled the aisles. One benefit to going on such a busy day -- samples, and tons of them!Took advantage of the nice weather to go out on the boat and go tubing. I'd almost forgotten how fun (and terrifying) that can be. My arms sure are going to hurt tomorrow. Watched the others jump off of a large rock cliff into the water (not up my alley). As we were heading back to the dock, the thunderstorm rolled in and we were caught racing it back. Got to the dock just in time for the rain to come down and to attempt to tie the boat up without it blowing away. I did what I know best, which was to grab items that were in the boat and head to the house while watching the others struggle against the waves.Had another lovely dinner with more friends of Loon: Kelly and Sara. Played some Catch Phrase and enjoyed another night in a warm bed.
Date: 2009-07-04
From: Brookfield, CT

To: Brookfield, CT
Miles today: 0.0

Another zero day!! Only our second double-zero this entire trip, and I'm totally okay with it. We said goodbye to Dom and Hot Sauce today (who needed to get back to the trail to meet up with more friends in a couple of days).Went to see a movie today with Mr. Right. Saw "Public Enemies" and drank a huge coke. The simple things of life are so remarkable when you've been on the trail for almost 4 months.Played Whorehouse Bridge with Loon and her parents while watching "Mrs. Doubtfire." A great way to spend the 4th of July.
Date: 2009-07-05
From: Kent, CT

To: Silver Hill Campsite
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: clear sky

Back on the trail for a short day. The plan was for a much longer trek, but, upon arriving at the campsite, it was too nice to pass up. Jumped into the tent earlier than planned in order to avoid mosquitoes, though.The water from the pump was the color of tea. It was that rusty. We keep thinking we'll send the pump home, but it's times like this that keep it in the pack.
Date: 2009-07-08
From: Laurel Ridge Campsite

To: US Rte 7 (Hillsdale, NY)
Miles today: 12.3

Once again, Loon's family opens the doors for us. Her dad's cousin, Joanne, & husband, Charlie, & their daughter, Amy, & husband, Carl, & their 2 kids. And, what a small world -- Carl lived in the exact same apartment building as I did in Oakland, CA, only a few short years before me!After we traversed Race Mountain (complete with cloud covered valley below), we attacked Mt. Everett, the highest point we've encountered since Virginia. We also passed the site of Shay's Rebellion via a very mosquito-y swamp. Now, we are treated to burgers, pasta salad and wine. I'm getting used to this sleeping inside thing.
Date: 2009-07-09
From: US Rte 7 (Hillsdale, NY)

To: Mt. Wilcox North Lean-to
Miles today: 13.5

After a great breakfast served up by Charlie and Joanne, we headed back to the trail at a leisure pace.I have to admit, sleeping in beds and getting showers and clean clothes is starting to soften me a bit. The climb up East Mountain was pretty good but the rest of the day wasn't so bad. And to top it off, the rain is staying away ... but those mosquitoes are doing nothing of the sort!! It's either dozens of mosquito bites or carcinogenic deet. I've selected the chance of cancer at this point just to maintain my sanity.Met Model T (multiple thru-hiker and author) at Mt. Wilcox South Lean-to who is doing a section with a couple of hiking buddies, Lost & Found and Dragonfly, and his grandson, T-Bird. Great folks but made for a full shelter so Loon, Cricket, Mr. Right and I decided to push on to the Northern option and get another couple of miles under our belt.Slept in a shelter for the first time in awhile, or so it seems. The bugs weren't too bad but, nonetheless, Loon set up her tent in the shelter to protect herself from the midnight bite. A luxury for those with self-standing tents, unlike ours, which is a tarptent and unable to stand without stakes. Oh well, c'est la vie.
Date: 2009-07-10
From: Mt. Wilcox North Lean-to

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: few clouds

Excited to get to Upper Goose Pond on a day with perfect weather. Arrived at the ATC-operated cabin in the afternoon, in time to soak our feet in the pond and relax a bit before the crowd arrived.There were about 20 of us hikers there that night. Apparently, we've moved into another bubble of hikers. Luckily, there was plenty of room in the bunkhouse upstairs for those who wanted a break from the tent. And, being the softie I've become, of course I chose the bunk with a mattress (and was the only female in the bunkhouse). The others tented and we all enjoyed a hotdog dinner provided by the ingenuity of Freeze and David who canoed to the care-taker's car and drove into town with her.Not only did we all get treated to a dinner that night, but Debra (the caretaker) cooked us all blueberry pancakes the next morning.
Date: 2009-07-11
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton, MA (Tom Levardi's)
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: few clouds

The day was filled with treats and trail magic.After breakfast (and after Mr. Right and Rolling Stone mooned I-90), we quickly found a cooler loaded with sodas and Little Debbie snacks. An early morning treat. Then, in time for lunch, we arrived at The Cookie Lady's and was greeted by her husband, Roy, who brought us cookies and let us use the picnic table to enjoy our lunch in the sun. To end the day, we found another cooler of Mountain Dew located right before we reached the town of Dalton.In Dalton, a whole other kind of trail magic awaited us at Tom Levardi's, one of the kindest trail angels we've met. He welcomed us into his home and served us an Italian home-made dinner. As one of 13 kids from an Italian-Catholic family, you can imagine the pasta was delicious, and it was. We did our laundry, took showers (yes, another one -- you would start to think we weren't even thru-hiking anymore), and enjoyed the company of Wags, Gangsta, Snake-eyes, Ryan "Workstay," and 357 Magnum. Another night in a bed ... as Racheopod says, "Life is hard."
Date: 2009-07-12
From: MA Rte 2 (North Adams, MA)

To: Dalton, MA (Tom Levardi's)
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: clear sky

I am a slack-packer and proud of it! I know, for the purists out there, that's not acceptable but I enjoy leaping at any slack-packing opportunity I am given and Tom was kind enough to offer to take us to a destination 23 miles from town to slack back into.And this was the part to not have any weight. We went over Mount Greylock today, at an elevation of 3500 feet (one of the biggest we've crossed in awhile). We got the steeper of the climbs heading south but I was glad to get it out of the way early in the morning and save my knees from having to hike down that side had we headed north.About 3 miles from the summit, we met Bluejay (thru-hiked in '98) who had beer and drinks for us in addition to some tips and advice. We met him again at the top of the mountain and he was kind enough to buy us some goodies from the Lodge's cafe. Took a nice long break at the top with Wags and Gangsta and took lots of pictures of the beautiful views we had today. Once again, we had great weather (something else I'm starting to get used to ... ).For a 23 mile day, it was a wonderful hike. We arrived back at Tom's in time for another amazing home-cooked meal. This time, with a new crew of hikers in for the night.The amount of magic we've received recently will definitely be given back whenever I get the chance to give a hand.
Date: 2009-07-13
From: MA Rte 2 (North Adams, MA)

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

We left Tom Levardi's in a quiet storm. Packs rushing to be filled, grabbing last minute goods ... the usual hiker rush to order ourselves as we shoot out of town.Back on the trail, the day began slowly. I was disappointed that it was not a zero day (which Tom so kindly offered and which would have included a day at the mall and most likely a movie ...) and the day's first climb got the best of me. However, I perked up a bit once we crossed the Massachusettes/Vermont border. Another state down! In addition, now we are walking concurrently with the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance trail in America and the predecessor of the AT. Not only will I need to be open to meeting SoBo's now (since this is about the time they start showing up) but I will also be meeting LT hikers. It will be interesting to meet new people who are almost as crazy as we are!Once again Mr. Right and I are with Wags and Gangsta, and they are truly lovely people. I'm looking forward to some entertaining times with them coming up, as I am sure there will be at least a few....
Date: 2009-07-14
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: light rain

Though we say we're slowing down, the miles are staying the same. (I guess we're just so accustomed to them by now, we just can't slow down .... hmmmmm, I guess we'll see what happens when we hit the Whites.)Today we awoke to clear skies and hit the trail with a good vibe. After a small tift over whether or not to go into Bennington, we tromped up the hill with Wags and Gangsta in tow. The main reason for wanting to head into town was to replenish some calories that I am definitely lacking. Our food bag certainly didn't have enough food in it from this last resupply. We stocked up as usual but, apparently, the climbs are getting the better of us and we are burning more calories than we have been over the past few weeks. I am constantly starving and just can't get enough food. I suppose this is what many thru-hikers have complained of but this is the worst I've had it since we started. I will most certainly stock up more on our next resupply ... I just hope I can make it!It's cold today ... unseasonably so. Also, Wags, G, Mr. Right and myself have decided it would be fun to visit the Ben & Jerry plant perhaps this Friday, which promises to be fun. Met Baltimore Jack at Goddard Shelter where we parted with Wags and G who were through for the day. We decided to push on to get a few more miles under our belt today while we have momentum. Made it to Kid Gore which had spectacular views of surrounding mountains and ponds. Met a couple of Long Trail thru-hikers, Juice Box and Sippy Cup. Nice guys who shared with us their Curiously Sharp Vermont Cheddar Cheese.Cloudy all day but no rain.
Date: 2009-07-15
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: few clouds

One of the clearest, bluest skies I've ever seen met us today. After a night with our Long Trail friends, we set off early, determined to make it to Stratton Pond early in order to relax or consider pushing further if the mood strikes us, leaving us with fewer miles heading into town tomorrow.We summitted Stratton Mountain, which is the place where the LT and AT were conceived ... our Graceland, if you will. Saw some beautiful views from the firetower atop the summit of all the mountains around us, including Bromley, which we will be summitting in a few days.We arrived at Stratton Pond by 3:30 and decided to call it a day, even though the idea of getting closer to town sounded appetizing. (I even considered hiking the full 25 miles just to get to a McDonalds and gorge myself.) Plus, we wanted to see Wags and Gangsta again before heading to Manchester Center.Paid $5 per person for this site. of course, that allows us free stays at the other "for fee" sites coming up. Only memory will show if it was worth it.Met another LT thru-hiker, Knee-High, and fellow AT thru-hiker, T-Suds.