morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-28
From: Cold Springs

To: Pawling B&B
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We were able to secure transportation to Pawling, NY and found our B&B. This was our final destination with our original itinerary and indeed it was a treat. It was a beautiful pre revolutionary home that had been restored and was fantastic. Barbara was a gracious host in every way including complimentary cheese and wine the afternoon of our arrival. The rooms was large and nicely decorated. Quite a change from our accommodations for the past few weeks. We went into town for dinner and came back to the house for our last night together. Tomorrow we have reservations for the commuter train to Grand Central Station in NYC.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Pawling B&B

To: Grand Central Station, NY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

After a wonderful stay with Barbara at the Pawling B&B, we boarded the Metro North train to Grand Central Station. Allison and Gerda have reservations at the International Hostel and my wife, daughter and two grand children will meet me in NYC.We will stay in a hotel close to Central Park. We plan to relax and enjoy the city for a week. Allison and Gerda will also sightsee before flying back to Melbourne and Munich. My family will meet them one day for lunch or dinner if I can get them out of the stores and shops.
Date: 2013-04-14
From: Grand Central Station, NY

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

A follow up. My family had a nice visit with Allison and Gerda at a restaurant on the first floor of the Empire State Building. It was their first meeting with Allison but they had met Gerda in 2011. It was a sad departure with a strong possibility that I would never see Allison or Gerda again.Allison went home to Australia and continued to travel which she dearly loves. Gerda met Allison while hiking The Way of St. James. It is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in NW Spain. Allison did not finish because of having to attend a funeral in Melbourne. She planned to go back to Spain this past September and complete the 100 miles that remained. Gerda graciously agreed to meet her and hike the remaining miles with her.Gerda went home to Munich and continued hiking, biking and skiing the nearby mountains with her husband, Hermann. They have a group of close friend and meet weekly at a local Beer Garden for food, beer and fun. I was concerned for Gerda after our trip. Soon after arriving home she became very sick with fever, aches and malaise. I finally convinced her to see a physician and she slowly recovered. It was an illness that lasted 6 to 8 weeks. I of course, was worried about Lyme's Disease and although rare, the Hantavirus. Gerda loved to sweep out all of the shelters. I know the Hantavirus is rare in the AT region but I was thinking of all the possibilities. She is well now whatever it was and fully recovered.I came home and was checked again by my Cardiologist and all was normal. I continued to have skips and short runs of tachycardia(fast heart rate) and the opposite with some slow rates. These were usually accompanied with the unusual feeling in my chest-not pain just a strange sensation similar to what I experienced on the trail. Two months ago I had a prolonged episode of tachycardia and had to go to the ER and was able to get an EKG done during the "spell" and it was a Supraventricular Tachycardia. They put me on a Beta Blocker and I have not had even a skip in my heart rhythm since starting on the new medication. I continue to hike and train with no adverse effectsNow for some Good News and Bad News. The Good News is that Gerda and I have decided to hike another section this year. We will start near Pawling, NY and hike to The Inn at Long Trail which is close to Rutland, VT. We have agreed to keep the daily mileage to 8 to 12 miles and not push our bodies with the 17 to 19 mile long days. It will be 300 miles over a 30 day span. The Bad News is that Allison will not be able to join us. She is hiking part of the John Muir Trail with friends this summer. That's all for now.
Date: 2013-06-10
To: Pawling, NY
Miles today: 0.0

Today Gerda and I started another section hike on the AT. Gerda flew from Munich, Germany to NYC several days ago to purchase her food and supplies for the hike. I flew to NYC on Monday 6/10 and met Gerda at Grand Central Station. We had agreed to meet at 11:30am under the clock in the main lobby. I was 20 minutes late but quickly found her. She looked the same but had let her hair grow a little longer. We had time to eat lunch, pizza and beer, before boarding the MTA train to Pawling, NY. We departed the station at 1:48pm and had a 2 hour ride. It gave us an opportunity to visit and catch up on various aspects of our lives. It rained the entire day, before, during and after the train ride. Little did we know that this was an omen of things to come in the next several weeks. We had reservations with Barbara at her beautiful B&B. On arrival to Pawling, we walked, in the rain, to the local bakery and bought tuna fish salad with the trimmings for our dinner. We asked them to call a taxi. A customer heard us and offered us a ride to the B&B. Trail Magic!Barbara greeted us and assigned us our rooms. I took a picture of Allison's bed from last year to remind her of the great stay at the end of our hike. Allison lives in Australia and was not able to accompany us this year.We ate our tuna fish salad for dinner and retired to our rooms early- we were both tired. I opened my mail drop, sorted the food and packed it along with my fuel canister and went to bed.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: RPH Shelter

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

We had a good night of sleep at the B&B. Barbara served us a wonderful breakfast and we were picked up by Stuart for our shuttle back to the trail. We elected to start at the RPH Shelter which was very close to the point where we got off last year. We began hiking at 10am. The first portion was a steady climb up Hosner Mtn, I noticed that Gerda was struggling and began to feel bad. She felt weak, nauseous and had abdominal cramping. I slowed down and waited for her but she insisted I go ahead so she could rest when she felt the need. It was an overcast day with no rain thus far but very humid. It was not a long day, only 9 miles. I reached the shelter and left my pack; another hiker was there. I went back and took Gerda's pack-she, of course, was reluctant to do that but I convinced her it was best. Soon we were at the shelter and she got into her sleeping bag to rest. She ate very little food. I was concerned for her. It rained during the night and we were glad to be in a shelter. I also went to sleep early. A good start but I was worried about Gerda.
Date: 2013-06-12
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneer Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: light rain

There were two hikers in the shelter last night, an uncle and his nephew from Chicago. Today will be another short hike of 7.8 miles. The trail was nice. Poor Allison, our friend from Australia, hiked with us through PA last year and thus saw rocky trails and nothing like the great trail we encountered today. Thank Goodness, Gerda was feeling much better today. We were on the trail at 7:15am and arrived at Telephone Pioneer Shelter at noon. No rain thus far but it is forecasted for tonight. They are predicting 5-6 inches of rain tomorrow with flash flooding. In view of this situation, I called the Duchess Motor Court and reserved two rooms for tomorrow night. He said that they would pick us up at the trail. Also contributing to my decision to stay at the motel was that the next shelter, Wiley, was built in 1940. It will be old, perhaps will leak and my be crowded, so I felt good about our decision. We gathered our water, ate dinner and prepared for the rain which was on our way.
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Telephone Pioneer Shelter

To: Duchess Motor Court
Miles today: 8.8

Gerda and I slept well in the shelter. On the trail by 7:15am. Rain was predicted for late afternoon but we encountered light showers 10 minutes after leaving the shelter. The rain became heavier as the day progressed. The Dover Oak was impressive and majestic. Shortly, we saw the Appalachian Train Railroad Station adjacent to the trail and a few hundred yards up the trail we came to Native Landscaping. I had a mail drop waiting for me. They were very nice. I simply packed my food, used their bath rooms and we were on our way in the rain. After crossing NY 22 we enter a field and soon were lost. One of the posts with a blaze had been knocked down. We retraced our path and soon realized our mistake. There was a small climb up Hammersly Ridge and 4 miles later came to Wiley Shelter. As previously discussed with the impending rain, 5 inches and floods, I had made reservations for us at the Dutches. Two miles past the shelter we came to CN 55 and called the motel. The cell signal was weak but I finally reached them. The "Boss" was not present and his helper stated that they were overwhelmed by hikers who came in because of the impending bad weather. I explained that I had called the day before and made reservations. They told me they could not assure me of a room and also could not provide a shuttle from the trail as promised and also listed in the trail guide. We briefly began to hitch hike and a man going the opposite direction did a U-turn and offered us a ride to the motel. We were soaked and hated to get into his car but he was gracious. I insisted on giving him $10 for his thoughtfulness. Meanwhile, at the motel, the "helper" continue to tell me of his situation-too many hikers. He called the "Boss" and he remembered taking to me the day before and offered us one of his "Special" rooms, not a hiker room, but only one room, but it had two beds. So we accepted. We asked about our laundry, which is listed in the guide, and was told they had too many hikers and probably could not get to it!Gerda went across the street to buy a snack and the owner knew someone who would shuttle us to Pawling so we could do our laundry at the Laundromat. We agreed and Anthony soon picked us up. We did our laundry, bought a pizza and went back to our "Special" room at the Dutches. It was anything but "Special" but ok for us.The following morning we had breakfast in our rooms and were picked up by Anthony for our shuttle back to the trail. I certainly was not going to depend on the Motel staff for a ride back to the trail. The only thing that turned out to be true for the day was the predicted storm and it did indeed rain heavy all night. It was at least satisfying to be in the motel for that reason.
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Duchess Motor Court

To: Mt Algo Shelter
Miles today: 12.4

It did indeed rain all night. Anthony picked us up at the motel and we were back on the trail by 9am. Our destination today was Mt Algo Shelter and will be about a 12 mile hike. The trail was a mess with mud and standing water. The small creeks were raging with swift currents. We had to take our boots off twice and ford across swollen creeks wearing our camp shoes. Several stream we crossed on rocks but our boots were getting soaked. It was a clear day and we had good views from several spots, Indian Rocks had a nice view to the east. After six miles of hiking we arrived at the shelter at 4:30pm. Immediately we decided to tent , the shelter not appealing to us. A number of hikers were there and most of them were tenting. We met a delightful young lady from Canada-"Gummy Bear". She was hanging a hammock close to the shelter. She and Gerda immediately made friends-Gummy Bear was fluid in German. There was also a young man from Wales. Today we realized that Gerda had left her rain jacket at the pizzeria in Pawling; yesterday was a bad day in many respects. We collected our water, ate dinner and were in our tents early. We plan to stop in Kent and purchase Gerda a rain jacket at the outfitters tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-15
From: Mt Algo Shelter

To: Stewart Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 7.3

No rain last night in our tents but still everything was damp. We were a few minutes later than usual getting on the trail because of packing our tents. But we were on our way at 7:20am. The creeks and streams were still a challenge to cross but we did not have to ford any today. It was only 0.3 miles to CT 341 and we walked the 0.8 mile to Kent. The outfitter was closed and scheduled to open at 9am. We arrived at 8am, so we took advantage of the opportunity and found a small restaurant on Main Street and ate an egg and bacon sandwich with coffee. We went to the market, Gerda wanted to buy a few packets of hot chocolate. The outfitter opened the shop at 9:30 and Gerda was able to purchase her rain jacket. I tighten my belt outside the store and the buckle broke; therefore, I purchased a new belt- perfect timing. Gummy Bear arrived and I helped her select a can of insect repellent spray. The staff gave us a shuttle back to the trail, all three of us, for $2. We crossed a field and I heard the ladies squeal, soon I found out why! Without any warning we stepped into a deep portion of the field and quickly sank knee deep in water for about 30 yards and then another stretch for 15 yards. The climb out of CT 341 to Numeral Rock Trail was gradual. We all stopped to empty the water out of our boots and to wring out our socks. Later there was a short but steep climb up Caleb Peak. The trail was uneventful to St. Johns Ledges but after that it was a challenging steep decent down the trail to River Road. Gerda had to slide on her bottom for several of the rocks. I was able to remain on my feet but it was difficult- We were glad that it was not raining. At the bottom we turned right onto River Road but realized our mistake after 100 yards. River Road was a flat walk for 4 to 5 miles adjacent to the Housatonic River. With all the rain and swollen creeks the river was flowing with a vengeance. We saw one kayak that was upset down, I hope the occupant was not injured. Nevertheless, it was a picturesque walk by the river. A peculiar problem was that there were no white blazes on this stretch of the trail. We asked two people if we were on the AT and they assured us that we were. I think they would not allow the blazes in the Housatonic Recreation Area. The first blaze we saw was marking the side trail to Stewart Hollow Shelter. Gerda and I decided to tent again. We needed to let our tents air, the shelter was not great and we were expecting a lot of thru hikers late tonight coming out of Kent. It was also buggy. Ten percent chance of rain tonight and 30 percent tomorrow. We ate dinner and were in our tents early again tonight. Gummy Bear was ahead of us and was hiking with a local hiker, Matt and his dog. Matt came into the shelter after us and we saw Gummy Bear pass by on the trail. Matt told us that they were taking and turned right on River Road like we did but walked almost 3 miles before they realized their mistake. So it was a 6 mile error. I hated that for Gummy Bear, she kept going to try and reach the next shelter before dark.
Date: 2013-06-16
From: Stewart Hollow Shelter

To: Bearded Woods Hostel
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Another good night in our tents, no rain. As I had predicted a number of hikers came in late last night from Kent, most of them tented but I did not go to the shelter to actually verify the numbers.Again on the trail by 7:20am walking north on River Road, still no White Blazes! We walked for a couple of miles till the end of the road, parts of the trail were flooded by the overflowing banks of the Housatonic River. Most of the walk was easy without obstacles. After the level walking on River Road there was a small climb up Silver Mtn just past Silver Mtn Campsite. We decided to stay in a hostel, which Gerda found listed in our guide, at West Cornwall. Rain was coming back in for late afternoon, Matt, the local hiker, advised us to skip Pine Swamp Shelter if possible and we were ready for a hot shower and to laundry our clothes. On arrival at Ct 4, I called Hudson at the hostel and he had room for us and told us to call him for a pick up at West Cornwall Road. We took the detour on East CT 4 across the bridge to Old Sharon Road then back up to the trail. We crossed a swollen Hatch Brook and later Caesar Brook on a footbridge. Upon arrival at West Cornwall Road, I called Hudson and he arrived 15 minutes later. He was a nice young man and had completed the trail a few years earlier. He took us to his home which he acquired two years earlier. He worked for his father in the cabinet business; therefore, he finished the basement himself. The hostel area in the basement was beautiful, spacious, clean, nice big bath room with two showers and a separate water closet. He called the hostel "Bearded Woods". We were the only hikers present, he assigned us to a room, I took the bottom bunk, the beds all had a good mattress and linen, and Gerda took the other bottom bunk. We stayed for three nights and had the room to ourselves the entire time which was a treat. We enjoyed a good hot shower, Hudson did our laundry and we relaxed until dinner. The charge was $50 per night but includes the shuttles, laundry, dinner and breakfast. Hudson was most accommodating to our wishes. Hudson's wife, "Big Lu" (she certainly was not big in size) cooked a great dinner, salad, penne pasta and a chicken dish followed by cookies and ice cream. Gerda and I were not missing Pine Swamp Shelter at all!
Date: 2013-06-17
From: Bearded Woods Hostel

To: Bearded Woods Hostel
Miles today: 17.0

Clean, dry and sleeping on a mattress with linen; life is good. Big Lu had prepared a delicious breakfast for us-sausage, & egg casserole with juice ,toast and coffee. Last night we discussed a slackpacking opportunity with Hudson and he was happy to assist. He recommended that he drop us off at West Cornwall Road, where we got off yesterday, and hike to a pick up point, CT 41 in Salisbury.There was a small climb up to Pine Swamp Shelter and ridge walking across Mt Easter. We descended down to US 7 and the Housatonic River. We crossed the Housatonic Bridge at Falls Village and saw beautiful Housatonic Falls. It was level hiking in this area, much of it on roads. We had a 1000 foot climb up Prospect Mtn which was not easy. As we were going down the Mtn to Salisbury the wind picked up and a huge storm blew in. A number of limbs fell but two trees fell one only 50 yards away. I am sure that a combination of a soaked root system and the high winds were too much. We were only 30 minutes from Salisbury, so we quicken our pace and hoped for the best. We were soaked upon arrival in Salisbury but very thankful.Hudson picked us up and we enjoyed our hot showers and knowing that our clothes would be clean and dry for tomorrow's hike. Hudson had driven to the airport to pick up "Raisin Bran" a hiker from Ohio. He had an infected toe that had to be drained, so he went home for a few days to recover.Big Lu had another big dinner for us with plenty to eat and we retired early. We will do another slack pack tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Bearded Woods Hostel

To: Bearded Woods Hostel
Miles today: 7.0

Another restful night at Bearded Woods Hostel. Big Lu had a hearty breakfast. ham, pancakes, juice and coffee. Hudson slack packed us to the far side of Bear Mtn and we hiked back to Salisbury. The climb up Bear Mtn was challenging but not technically difficult. Once on the summit the hike down was easy. There was one small climb at Lion's Head. We entered Salisbury in time for lunch and had a good meal with beer outside enjoying the weather for a change. However, thunder storms have been predicted for tonight. After lunch I called Hudson and he was only a few hundred yards away also having lunch. We went back to the hostel for R&R. Tomorrow we will be back on the trail.
Date: 2013-06-19
From: Bearded Woods Hostel

To: Great Barrington, MA
Miles today: 10.0

Today will be a combination of slack packing and backpacking. Hudson will drop us off on the north side of Bear Mtn and instead of going south,like yesterday, we will again hike north. At Guilder Pond , he will meet us and we will swap our day packs for backpacks and hike into Great Barrington. Hudson has been a great host and has been creative with the slack packing opportunities. We hiked the approach trail from Mt Washington Rd past an AMC Cabin to the AT. This portion was about 3/4 of a mile. We crossed the CT/MA line, passed Laurel Ridge Campsite and climb to the Mt Race Ridgeline and had beautiful views for 360 degrees. A short decent and then a climb up Mt Everett with more good views. We descended down to Guilder Pond Picnic Area and waited for Hudson. We swapped our packs and said good by to Hudson. The hike was relatively flat into town. We passed the monument for Shay's Rebellion. At US 7 I called a taxi and they promptly came and took us to Days Inn. No problems with our check in.We showered and walked into town to the Laundromat to do our laundry. We went back to the Inn, rested for a short time and went back to town and ate a good meal at 20 Railroad Street Restaurant. Afterward we went back to the Inn and retired early to bed. A good day.
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Great Barrington, MA

To: Great Barrington, MA
Miles today: 0.0

I really felt refreshed this morning. Today is a zero day. We ate the continental breakfast at Days Inn and plan a day of leisure in Great Barrington. We went to the Library at 9am only to find out summer hours were 10am. Gerda wandered about the town, I went to the outfitter to see about a better pack cover but they only carried clothes. I crossed the street to a coffee shop and had a cup of decaf coffee with a donut, something I would not do at home. I met Gerda when the Library opened and we spent an hour on the internet checking emails etc. I noticed a sign that stated Jennifer Pharr Davis would speak at the Library on July 2nd. She holds the fastest time for a supported hike of the AT, 46 days. She is from NC but attended Sanford University in Birmingham, my daughter's alma mater. Jennifer wrote a great book. BECOMING ODESSA re her first thru hike of the AT. It is a wonderful book and well written. She has a major in classic literature and also is a gifted writer. Her husband recently published a book"46 DAYS" and it is good also. I had a subway for lunch and rested in the motel the remainder of the afternoon. We planned to eat at a well known Pizzeria, BaBa Louie's but it was full, we next went to Madison's but it was closed so we went back to 20 Railroad Street Restaurant and had another good meal. We went back to the Inn to rest and sleep. Back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-21
From: Great Barrington, MA

To: Mt Wilcox Shelter, South
Miles today: 11.7

Another good night of sleep at Days Inn. We had arranged a taxi to pick us up at 8am. A brige was out so there was a warning to take a detour. The taxi took us to Kellogg Road. We crossed the Housatonic River via the Kellogg Bridge. The weather is good and we have a 11 mile hike today. There was a gradual ascent up East Mtn where we had a good view. We stopped for a short break at Tom Leonard Shelter followed by a ridge walk to Mt Wilcox Shelter. The Blue Blaze Trail was 0.3 and past the old shelter and then we came to the new South shelter. There were only three people present and we arrived at the same time, the Ridge Runner for that area and us. It was a nice shelter but I did not particularly care for the design, to be honest. There were two bunk beds on the main level with upper double bunk beds and a loft. It slept 12 but my concern was that only 2 out of the 12 could sleep without climbing to their spots. Initially, I was going to sleep on one of the double bunks but did not feel comfortable with no protection on the edge to prevent a fall. I tend to move a lot during my sleep. Thus, I moved to the loft. I set up my mosquito net due to the numerous bugs. It was hot in the loft but I slept reasonably well.