morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-29
From: Pochuck Mountain Shelter

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The Adams family ended up camping overnight at the same area as me. In the morning I walked to the bear box near the shelter to retrieve my food bag and passed by their tents on my return. As I passed I smelled coffee brewing. Not but a few seconds later I hear Mrs. Adams say, "Jawz, would you care for a cup of coffee or some oatmeal?" Without hesitation I chose the coffee. She put in some almond milk and let me tell you the coffee was awesome! It was a great way to start the day. I also had the opportunity to speak in length with Mr. Adams about plastics and their affects on the environment. Before I left they gave me oatmeal packets for another day. Thank you Adams family for adding to my adventure with your trail magic. I hope your camping trip was great!Today's hike was very challenging. It had a little bit of everything. There were easy parts, stretches of elevated boardwalk, a large tough climb up Stairway to Heaven (fantastic view), many small talks with area hikers, and walks along mountain ridges. It was along one of these ridges I came across familiar faces. It was Rachel and her two sons, ages 14 and now 10 (not 9, I was corrected since he's had a birthday since I last saw them just before entering the Smoky Mountains). They were having some food right at the NJ/NY line. They jumped ahead of me on the trail to ensure they had enough time to reach Maine before bad weather sets in. Then they will return and pick up where they left off. I think it was somewhere in Virginia. It was nice to see this family again. I wish them the best on their adventure. Rachel took a photo of me at the state line and sent it to me, thanks. Also here while chatting, a father and daughter came to the state line then went back. I'd met them at the campsite. He gave me a cliff bar before heading home. They were hiking just the state of New Jersey. Thanks for your trail magic.Earlier in the day I came across a cooler at a road crossing. It was filled with cold beverages. I chose an iced tea and left a thank you note in their log book. So today I had three trail magics and I'm grateful to be meeting such wonderful people on my adventure. For book followers, mile 1,375.1 page 137.
Date: 2018-07-30
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Shelter
Miles today: 19.6

Last night was the second night in a row that I tented to avoid the bugs. It worked well as I slept well and had no rain to deal with in tent setup or take down. With the good night's rest I was ready for today's hike. Before I left camp a section hiker gave me a prepared meal kit, three protein bars and some trail mix. It was his last day on trail and I'm thankful for his kindness.I call today the rollercoaster because it was a long series of uphill climbs followed by nearly immediate downhills. We hikers don't mind the climbs so much if when we're done we get to coast for awhile. But to immediately head back down increases the chances of another uphill coming that much sooner. And so it was. It wasn't the famous Coney Island rollercoaster but the hiking version instead. All challenging and rewarding at the same time.I've been coming across south-bounders now, or SOBOs. These are hikers that have chosen to start at Mount Katahdin and hike south. In talking with them, they've been on the trail for about two months. That means I'm about two months from reaching Mount Katahdin. It is good to see light at the end of the tunnel. SOBOs start later in the year due to the weather being colder up north verses Georgia. One of the SOBOs I came across was named 'Hustle'. We chatted for a few minutes and I paid-foward the trail magic I received in the morning by giving Hustle a king size Payday. He was very grateful and thanked me kindly.Today I came across a rattlesnake. I didn't expect to see any this far north. It was about 10 feet of the trail and moving slow, probably looking for the next meal. Another hiker had just passed it and gave me the heads-up. My phone was packed away so sorry no photo or video.When I arrived at the shelter I once again chose to setup my tent. No need to battle with the bugs. I also had some pain develop in my right foot about 30 minutes before hiking ended. I'll see how that feels in the morning. For book followers, mile 1,394.7 page 142.
Date: 2018-07-31
From: William Brien Shelter

To: Franciscan Way
Miles today: 16.6

What a day today was! There was a little bit of everything. For starters, the next shelter is known for having a view of the Hudson River and New York City. The shelter was six-tenths of a mile off trail though. I had only one choice, I needed to see the city. My mother, now passed, was born in New York City. I eagerly hiked the extra mileage in anticipation of the view. It was a clear sky but a bit hazy. The city was about 75 miles away but I was able to make out a few tall buildings on the skyline. I said a prayer to my mom while in view of her birth city.The trail after that was through forest and mountain areas. I was able to stop atop a mountain and have lunch sitting upon a memorial bench with a fantastic view. From there I came across two hikers that looked out of place. I said there must be a parking lot nearby, there was. At the state park I came across vending machines and treated myself to two vitamin waters and a can of Pringles. Oh did those treats hit the spot on a hot day!From there I hiked downhill to a small lake. On the descent I saw many locals who had no idea what a through-hiker was or that they were actually on the AT. I cleared it up for many of them as they climbed to a local landmark tower. At the bottom I had to walk through the picnic area around the lake. This was pure torture as I walked through the smell of grills and food. I was too proud to ask for a handout. Then I saw a gentleman carrying food on a platter. Surely there must be a food stand in the area. My eyes panned quickly and shazzam! I went to the stand and ordered two New York famous Nathan's hot dogs and a Gatorade. That was a New York miracle!As I continued with hiking I next had to hike through a small zoo. This was a bit odd as I wasn't interested in the animals as much as following the signs to pass through. It was easy miles though. Upon exiting I then had to cross the Hudson River by walking across a toll bridge, although free to foot traffic. Sister Barb would have liked the views (see photo section). Upon the other side I was back to climbing a mountain. All the open area walking made me continuously thirsty.Eventually I reached a small gas station with a grill and stopped here for dinner and to resupply some trail foods. For dinner I had two stuffed peppers, red potatoes, and a bag of corn chips. All washed down with an ice cold flavored seltzer water.After dinner it was a short one mile hike to a ball field that the owners let hikers stay at for free. I was able to take a cold outdoor shower, get into my tent early, and post a couple online journal entries. Today was a great day with all the non-traditional things you'd expect hiking. And the foot pain I had the evening before was a distant memory. For book followers, mile 1,411.3 page 142.
Date: 2018-08-01
From: Franciscan Way

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

When I went to bed the night before another hiker mentioned rain was due to start at 5:00 AM. Unfortunately, he was correct. I was not looking forward to a day of hiking in the rain. But, sitting around doing nothing all day is not going to add to completing the adventure.The rain let up enough to motivate me to get moving. I had the luxury of a nearby pavilion to move my stuff into so that I could at least be dry while eating breakfast and packing up. I was the last to hit the trail, leaving about 9:30 AM. At this point it was just a mist and how I prayed it would remain so. No such luck. The rain came soon and I was totally drenched. As mentioned before, once you're wet the hiking gets easier since you no longer have to avoid water.Around noon I came to a road crossing and caught up to two hikers that beat me out of camp. One was drinking from a soda can while talking to a gentleman standing with the hatchback of his vehicle open. My couriousity peaked. Could it be trail magic? The gentleman called me over to his vehicle and opened a cooler of drinks. He offered and I chose a Gatorade and also snatched four cookies. He's a local hiker and goes by the trail name of 'Briface', given to him by his daughter. From this point forward the day became much more enjoyable. Even when it poured again later I couldn't care less. I was getting in miles in tough conditions and one day closer to the ultimate goal. Thanks Briface for the pick my up!When I arrived at the shelter, which was unique in that there were bunks and was located near a road for food delivery, I found all the bunks were taken. Initially disappointed, I looked around and noticed I could fit my air mattress under a table and that is where I setup. I was out of people's way and would avoid any future rain. For dinner, I ate soy flavored ramen with chicken added. Then when another hiker ordered Chinese takeout, I joined in with a small vegetable fried rice. I went to sleep with a full belly and feeling really good getting in miles when the day started out so bleak. For book followers, mile 1,430.1 page 143.
Date: 2018-08-02
From: RPH Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

Here we go again with more rain in the forecast. When I left the shelter just after 8:00 AM it was not raining. In fact the sun was out in a partially blue sky. I had hopes the forecast was changing for the better.There was a New York deli located about a half mile from the trail. I'd be there around lunch time and real food this close is too good to pass up. When I arrived at the deli there were three hikers I'd recently met already there. They were sitting outside. I ordered a sub with buffalo chicken breast, pepperoni and some vegetable toppings. I also got a deli pickle, two bags of chips and Hostess cupcakes and a seltzer water. And yes, I ate it all as my lunch. The pickle was especially good. They cut it into four spears for me.After the nice lunch I had to head back to hiking. Soon afterward rains did arrive and drenched me again. It rained for only half an hour then the sun tried to come out. Lately, my hiking clothes are not getting a chance to dry out from one day to the next. Putting on wet clothes to go hiking is no picnic. But there's really no alternative when you're deep in the woods. At least at the shelter I was able to put on dry clothes for the night. And another hiker had some inscents and used those to keep the mosquitos in check during our sleeping hours. There is rain in the forecast for tomorrow too. I may not get to wear dry shoes until I get my new ones in Dalton, Massachusetts. Ugh! For book followers, mile 1,446.9 page 146.
Date: 2018-08-03
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Mt Algo Shelter
Miles today: 21.2

I awoke to a cloudy sky and clothes still wet from the day before. Although this day would be a bit different. I decided to have a positive attitude and get my miles in regardless of the weather and wet clothes. I figured these wet days would eventually end and until then I'd just keep getting one day closer to Mount Katahdin in Maine.For most of the day the hiking conditions were good and I moved from New York to Connecticut. Another state in the books. This day had a bit of everything; slippery planks, elevated boardwalk, cow pastures, woods, and a big mountain climb. I was moving steadily along until about 3:00 PM in the afternoon when thunder began in the distance behind me. I knew there was no chance to outrun the rain. It was just a matter of how long I could postpone the inevitable. When I passed a hiker from Germany named 'Kermit', she was stopped putting on her pack's rain cover. I've encountered her many times going back to Pearisburg, Virginia. It wasn't long before I came up to her friend named 'Compass'. I told Compass we were about to get hit hard. She said she didn't like storms.When the storm hit it was the worst one I've encountered on my adventure. The rain came down heavy. And to make matters worse I was near the top of a mountain, hiking just below the ridge line. On an incline I came across a woman hiding under a poncho. She peaked out and said she didn't want to cross the ridge until the rain stopped. I told her I was pressing on. Whether or not that was smart on my part could be questioned. The thunder and lightning were just above me. It was scary and awesome at the same time. In spots I could see off the side of the mountain it was just a wall of water. I made it over the mountain and began descending to my destination shelter.It was a small shelter with four hikers and one very large dog. There was no more room. I asked if I could sit on the edge until the rain passed. Before coming off the mountain I could see clear skies behind the storm. Once it stopped raining I setup my tent and changed into dry clothes. I did not come out of the tent the rest of the evening or night. Kermit and Compass had made it to camp and so did the woman hiding under the poncho. She was with them and goes by 'Moon Pie'. When I was waiting for the rain to pass while sitting in the shelter, I was told it was going to return around 5:00 AM in the morning. The fun never stops! For book followers, mile 1,468.1 page 147.
Date: 2018-08-05
From: Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter

To: Limestone Spring Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: clear sky

Hip hip hoorah! I awoke to a day of no rain and the forecast looked great for the next few days. During my morning I talked briefly with Compass about my night hiking experience the night before. We also discussed a steep downward climb from the day before. It was scary as it had to be at about a 65 degree angle looking up from the bottom. She was pleased to hear a guy say how tough it was rather than being macho and saying it was no big deal. She appreciated the honesty. This descent was so tough, very rocky, that I fear any fall would end any hiker's adventure.The day's hike began by again following the Housatonic River. It was nice scenery as I was within 10 yards of the river most of this time. One thing I learned about hiking the Appalachian Trail is that easy hiking doesn't last forever nor for very long. I think it's designed specifically to be this way. The trail undergoes minor rerouting each year and I've heard other hikers say it's to make it harder and harder.After the riverside hiking which was a nice warm-up, the trail turned to a series of climbs and decends. Not a real surprise either as I'm moving farther north where the frequency of mountains are on the rise. The days of easy trail in New Jersey and New York are behind me. Time to get my legs back in shape for the mountains to come in the final three states.Today I met a hiker named 'Trash Panda'. She's a younger southbound hiker and was refilling her water bottles at a small stream. We had a pleasant conversation which included the town of Great Barrington, my next planned town to visit on my adventure. I also played leap frog with Boogerbear. Seemed I'd pass him then take a break only to have him pass me, then I'd return the favor. Eventually the two of us reached one of the final climbs in Connecticut. The climb was about 1,000 feet over 2.5 miles. My destination shelter was just over the mountain's peak. Boogerbear was going to night hike past the shelter to reach Great Barrington a day earlier than I. He was trying to catch his former hiking group. I was just trying to wrap up my day and pushed best I could all the way up to beat the setting sun.This was the beginning of a bad decision which you'll read about in the next couple of entries. When I arrived at the side trail to the shelter, Boogerbear was there taking a break and said the shelter was a half mile off the main trail. He couldn't afford the extra distance given his schedule. I said farewell and headed down the side trail and it was no piece of cake. Once I arrived I had just enough time to setup my tent, quickly eat dinner, and get into the tent to avoid the wrath of mosquitos. They were terrible in this area of the woods.Another day of adventure was in the books and tomorrow I'd be hiking into my 11th state of the trail, Massachusetts. For book followers, mile 1,496.7 page 149.
Date: 2018-08-06
From: Limestone Spring Shelter

To: Glen Brook Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

One of the dangers of hiking is proper water consumption. To date, I've done a great job in this area. Even in areas where water was scarce I'd planned accordingly. However, yesterday evening was the beginning of a mistake on my part.I was in such a hurry to climb the mountain that I skipped opportunities to drink water. When I arrived at the shelter and used water to cook dinner and brush my teeth I was left with less than a liter on hand. There was not a good source of water at the shelter either. Therefore, when I began today's hiking, and with the large climb to end yesterday, my system was already in trouble. I had an upset stomach in the early hours of hiking. I feared that I'd caught some stomach bug from another hiker or worse, an ailment from improperly filtered water. I was in the process of another climb now and with the heat I was heavily sweating. There was even a constant drip of sweat from my elbows. I came across a shelter at about 11:30 AM and took an hour break here. There was a good source of water so I drank often during the hour.Just before leaving to resume hiking I had to pee. And there it was, two symptoms of severe dehydration. My urine output was low and a dark amber color. Sorry if mentioning this grosses you out, but it is reality. For the rest of the day I tried to drink as often and as much as possible. The fact there were three tough climbs today of about 2,700 feet didn't help either. I had to take more frequent breaks than I normally have in the past. You heard me mention before that the trail has a way of providing what's needed and it happened again today. About one mile from my destination shelter, I came across a small parking lot with two picnic tables each with a cooler of very cold water and gallon jugs of air temperature water. They were labeled with signs saying for through-hikers only. I took an extended break here and drank about 1.5 liters of water and topped off my supply. I hoped this would remedy the dehydration. Thanks to the anonymous trail angel for the water.There were good aspects of today's hiking to mention. I've crossed Connecticut off the list and moved into Massachusetts. And the adventure has surpassed 1,500 adventure miles. Wow! Seriously, who'd of thought a 50-year old with no hiking experience to speak of would make it this far on the trail? Of course I'd hoped I would, but had my doubts. Now I'm about six to seven weeks away from Mount Katahdin in Maine. Just a little more luck, hard work, and you're support and we'll make it there. I also setup my tent next to a hiker from Massachusetts. He's in his 60's and been hiking since he was 8 years old and we had a long, great conversation about hiking and life in general. As the day ended I put myself only eight miles from the town of Great Barrington. For book followers, mile 1,513.8 page 156.
Date: 2018-08-07
From: Glen Brook Shelter

To: Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Miles today: 7.9

Oh yes! Today I'm hiking into town. Only eight miles to highway US 7 but from there three miles west to the edge of town. I'd worry about the three after I did the eight of hiking.There were a couple hours of moderate hiking then the terrain became mostly flat. It was especially hot today, even in the morning hours as I was off to an early start. The last hour or so of hiking was characterized by my legs begging for a break. Today was the thirteenth day in a row of hiking without a rest, totaling 227 adventure miles. And there were more miles of town time and side trails to shelters and water sources, all while wearing a backpack. I'm sure the total mileage on my feet wearing a backpack over this stretch was closer to 250.I didn't find any shuttle service listed in the book so I just started walking to town upon reaching highway US 7. It was about 11:00 AM and hotter now that I was out of the woods and on blacktop. I'm guessing I walked about three-fourths of a mile when a car stopped and offered a ride as far as the supermarket. That was perfect! I needed to stop at the supermarket anyhow and from there I could walk to the Days Inn. The gentleman that gave me the ride was named Joelle. He was 78 years old and had a bicycle mounted to the back of his car. He's cycling now for therapy after knee surgery. He lives in the town of Sheffield, Massachusetts. How ironic! In Ohio, I live in the city of Sheffield Lake and my sister Rose lives in Sheffield. We only talked briefly as the ride was short for a car.At the supermarket I bought a fruit salad, a hot foods pack of 25 chicken nuggets and two bottles of cold seltzer water. I ate my lunch siting at a bench outside the store. Afterwards, I walked to the Days Inn, about a mile, and was checked-in and in my room in about ten minutes. I was happy to not have to wait for a later check-in time. I'd only had one cold shower (without soap) in 13 days and occasionally rinsed down in streams. Therefore, I went straight into the tub to take a hot bath. Later I had dinner at GB Eats consisting of Italian wedding soup, a cheeseburger and fries. Then I bought some snacks for the rest of the day and had ice cream at the SoCo Creamery before returning to my room.I decided to take the following day for a full day of rest given the heat and my symptoms of dehydration. On my day off I ate the hotel's free breakfast, had pizza for lunch, and bought fresh fruit and sushi rolls from the supermarket for dinner. I stayed off my feet most of the day, leaving the room only in the early evening to visit the SoCo Creamery for another waffle cone.I'll be back on the trail August 9th to begin hiking to the small town of Dalton. It is 48 trail miles away and I'll be there Saturday morning. Once there, I have two packages to pick-up and I'll be meeting my friend Joe Durivage. He's making the short trip from nearby Albany, New York. See you soon Joe! For book followers, mile 1,521.7 page 156.