morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-08
From: Kent

To: Kent
Miles today: 0.0

We refused to hike again in temperatures in the high 90s. It's unpleasant and not how I want to spend my time in the US. Instead, we arranged another night at the Fife Inn in Kent. The hotel is lovely with 2 beds, fridge, couch, big tv with cable and most importantly it has good air con. After watching another stage of the Tour de France and finally seeing Mark Cavendish win, we headed out to take care of town chores. This included arranging a shuttle back to the trail. We will be headed to Salisbury which is several miles ahead of our current location. Fat Finger only has a week left so needs to be located closer to Boston, the city from which she flies out. Once that was organised, I had a Belgium chocolate ice cream from a store owned by a Belgium who settled in Kent. Reminded me of Paris and made me miss the good food. Later for lunch I had a delicious corn chowder and Philly steak sandwich, which is a type of burger with chopped up steak bits and cheese. After lunch I was walking to the library when an old guy stopped me. He asked me what I'd had for lunch. I told him and when he asked how it was, I said "great"! Not sure why he was asking me - weird! Later, while resupplying at the local IGA, I saw him again chatting to the employees. Another local gave me a run-down on all the services for hikers in town including the location of laundry, resupply, cheapest eating spots, outfitter and even a secret spot to stealth camp in town. We kept bumping into during the day as well. It's a small town! Everything is very expensive here, from food in restaurants and at the supermart to laundry. I suppose that comes with being in the North and so close to NY. Apparently real estate is pricey too, a lot of city folk have holiday homes in the area.
Date: 2010-07-09
From: Kent

To: Glen Brook Lean
Miles today: 13.5

We got a shuttle to the AT in the Northern part of CT. Fat Finger's plane leaves from Boston so we wanted to get closer to make her trip there in a week easier. The trail was majestic today. I had a tough time in New York, it really was not pleasant. However CT is a different story. The trail is very well maintained meaning you have plenty of room to walk without being scratched by plants. Also in New York, we were crossing a road every couple of miles meaning that most of the time you could hear traffic. In CT, there are fewer roads to croas and not many seem to be busy. There are no pointless ups and downs and if you climb, it is to see a lovely view. The trees and plants even seem nicer! I suppose I made a mistake skipping a few miles of CT and I do regret that now, however at least now I am pleased and remotivated to be walking. Doing the whole of New York would have finished me off - I probably would have just returned home!The weather has also improved and it is much cooler which is good for hiking. You still get sweaty going up hills but it's not nearly as bad as 2 days ago. We climbed to the highest point in CT, Bear Mountain, and were rewarded with lovely views of the countryside and lakes. Then we crossed the state border into MA. Massachusetts, for the 10 miles I have seen of it so far, is lovely as well. The bugs are not too bad (touch wood). We had 2 avocado sandwichs for lunch but I felt a bit ill in the afternoon, perhaps due to a slight lack of sleep. Finally we reached our tenting location. There are soft pine needles on the ground so hopefully that will lead to a quality natural mattress. The water source is not impressive but it's due to lack of rain. The good news is that Fat Finger will probably get to hike one day in Vermont before leaving - it's meant to be lovely there so I'm pleased for her.
Date: 2010-07-10
From: Glen Brook Lean

To: Mt Wilcox South Leant to
Miles today: 19.6

About 1.5 hours into our hiking today, on a cliff top, we took a break and realised it was about to pour. You could see the dark clouds covering the entire sky and in the distance it looked like it was already pouring. It was a foreboding sight to know that soon we'd be drenched. Luckily we had finished the steep downhill across rocks because that would have been treacherous in the rain. The rocks become very slippery when covered in moss and wet and it doesn't take much to fall.Sure enough within another few minutes the raindrops started to fall. It was still warm enough that it was not strictly necessary to wear rain equipment. I actually threw out my crummy poncho while I was at Ernman's because it was so heavy. Fat Finger has my better poncho but didn't don it either. We took another break after about an hour of rain under a massive oak tree. I asked Fat Finger whether she preferred the searing heat or the rain and she replied "the rain". I told her that we'd see in another few hours what she thought. My shoes quickly filled with water and I felt as if I was walking with little swimming pools on my feet. Squelching along felt quite pleasant but I knew it would be a short lived pleasure. After another hour, Fat Finger had changed her mind and decided that hiking in the rain is horrible. We thought about the thru hikers in years past who went through day after day of rain without cease. I don't think I'd have the mental guts to continue if the rain was like that. They have far more fortitude than me. I just would not find it pleasant to be continually wet! The trail was hard today too, especially for Fat Finger. She's short and we had many big bolders to haul ourselves over. I can use my reasonably long legs to cover the gaps without too much effort by Fat Finger needs to exert herself to get up. She also took a number of falls today. We only had first lunch at 230pm instead of 1130am due to the rain so we were also faint with lack of food. Finally we made it to the shelter - in the end it only rained 4 hours but it felt like a lot more! The shelter was a new one in beautiful wood which seemed to keep the plentiful mosquitos at bay. It had two bunks and a loft to fit about 4 people. As we were the only people around, and we didn't feel like setting up our tents on the wet ground, we chose the bottom bunks and settled in, very happily out of any rain, for Fat Finger's first night in a shelter.
Date: 2010-07-11
From: Mt Wilcox South Leant to

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: few clouds

Yesterday was a hard day. The trail and climbs were tough and the rainy weather didn't improve things. I set my alarm for 600am but struggled to open my eyes. I feel so tired at the moment. If my joints and muscles hurt (more than usual), I'd think I'd contracted Lyme's disease. I just feel like I could sleep for days! We "only" had a 16 mile day to get to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. I'd read about thru hikers staying there and although I don't really remember what they said, I thought it would be nice to stay on a pond. The ponds here are not what we'd call a pond in Australia or the UK, they are more like small. Along the way, we saw tiny bright red salamanders or newts (not sure of the species). I hadn't seen any of them since the Smokies, many miles away. MA is still a beautiful state with green ferns, fragant pine trees which leave their needles on the trail making for cushioned walking and picturesque rock formations. The only bane is deer flies and mosquitos but I bought some 98% Deet to deal with them. Now if they dare to land on me, they drown in poison. Fat Finger had a tendon near her ankle which started to hurt yesterday. Today it got worse and she limped and struggled to get to our destination. I kept asking if she wanted to change the plan and do less miles but she kept saying she was ok. When we got to Upper Goose Pond Cabin, we had planned to camp but the cabin with its clean and practically empty bunk beds looked so tempting that we discarded the tenting idea. Immediately we went down to the pond which has a jetty for a swim and wash. The water was so fresh but not too cold. It felt amazing to swim around and allow different muscles to work. After the swim, I felt like I'd had a first class shower! There are pancakes tomorrow made by the caretaker, Grampie.
Date: 2010-07-12
From: Dalton

To: Cheshire
Miles today: 10.0

Fat Finger's tendon is not going well. I didn't force her to walk and tried to get her to tell me about all her injuries but she kept going and it looks like it's here for a while. So instead of hiking, she would catch the bus from the town of Cheshire. The trail goes through both towns with 10 miles in between, so I had a short day ahead of me! We went to Java and Juice, a little cafe next to the Shamrock Inn (where we are staying) for breakfast. I had a real NY bagel, toasted with butter, which was one of the best breakfasts yet. I also had some fruit and a huge (which apparently was medium) hot chocolate. No idea what the large would have looked like! Probably a litre of hot chocolate. I started on the trail with only 2 litres of water, one of Powerade and a couple of snacks in my bag. So light! I had a stitch in my side however from the large breakfast. I danced up the hills and felt amazing.I wish I could slackpack more often. I stopped to update my online journal as I have been extremely slack. I have been reading Little Women (again - as it is set in MA) so that has been taking up my spare time (of which I don't have much!). Then I went up to "The Cobbles" a scenic lookout. The gnats were out in force trying to get in my eyes, nose and ears and I swallowed a couple. On the way into Cheshire I ran the last few miles. Fat Finger doesn't like me running on the trail as she says I'll get hurt. But running is what I miss most out here. I like being light and quick on my feet and the trail is a good place for a spot of running. I only took 3.5 hours to hike the 10 miles and at least 30 mins of that was updating my journal. In Cheshire, we headed to the Harbour House Inn and B&B. It is in a very old (1700s) manor house, quite huge, with 8 guest rooms. Eva, the host, is delightful and likes reading like me. I couldn't find much to read in her bookshelf however as I've got most of the same books. Tomorrow we've decided to take a bike ride for the day around the area. Then I'll slackpack the massive Mt Greylock, the highest peak in MA the next day while Fat Finger takes the bus.
Date: 2010-07-14
From: Cheshire

To: Cheshire
Miles today: 0.0

Happy Bastille Day! I miss France so much at the moment. I suppose it's partly because I've been watching the Tour de France on TV, partly because I read one of Eva's books, Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris, set in France and partly because I miss home. The bed was so comfortable last night and I felt fully refreshed when I woke. I think I sleep quite badly in my tent although I don't realise it at the time. The breakfast at the B&B was amazing. Banana muffins, bread, jams (jellies) - raspberry and peach, muesli, strawberries, yogurt and finally, blueberry pancakes. Not only was it all home made, but it was also healthy and fat free.I had planned to have a light breakfast as I'm not hiking today but the good food was too hard to miss! Eva kindly drove us to hthe outfitter so we could hire bikes. Fat Finger managed to fall off her bike while testing the brakes in the car park. It was an impressively bad fall but luckily she didn't hurt herself. Another lady had just fallen in the same way so Fat Finger's bike was switched by the outfitter. The brakes were too sensitive. The reason we decided to bike is because this area in the Berkshires has an 11 mile bike track which meanders near rivers, lakes and towns. The track is used by cyclists and walkers and we saw many people during the afternoon. When we passed Cheshire, I stopped by the post office as I've ordered a new pair of shoes and an umbrella. I'm rather annoyed because I paid extra to have quick delivery. The post mistress informed me that as I'd ordered a UPS shipment to be sent to post office, my delivery would not arrive.I didn't know this. So my package was now at the UPS office in the industrial area od Pittsfield, a nearby town. Fat Finger and I decided to ride there. It was a harrowing journey because we needed to take some busy highways and cross them at intersections. We were pleasantly surprised that no one honked us and the drivers in their massive American trucks gave us plenty room. When we got UPS, only the package with my umbrella was there. However the lady on duty was very kind and she said she would forward the package to my next destination for me. The weather was fairly rotten today with clouds, fog and drizzle. It didn't spoil our fun but I'm glad I'll be climbing Greylock tomorrow when it's supposed to be sunnier. It was a rest day today but we cycled 30 miles. No rest for the weary!
Date: 2010-07-15
From: Cheshire

To: Williamstown
Miles today: 0.0

At breakfast this morning I met a French lady who had moved to Germany years ago to marry her German husband. It was nice to speak to a Frenchie after so long away from Paris. Fat Finger caught the bus from Cheshire to Williamstown. She's quite the expert in relation to the local bus system. Yesterday when she was on the bus, the driver stopped, hopped out and smoked a cigarette. Then he saw some nice flowers near where he'd stopped so he took out his camera and took some photos before hopping back on to continue the trip. It wasn't even at an official stop. I guess there's no timetable here! I hiked out of Cheshire and up towards Mt Greylock. Mt Greylock is the highest point in MA and has inspired many American authors. The hike up was like usual until I arrived near the top where the vegetation is subalpine. This means pine trees which smell lovely and makes a great change from the usual trees. Once on top, I went to Bascom Lodge which is an old style lodge offering rooms and food. I had a delicious spinach and hard boiled egg salad and a less good French onion soup.The view was amazing over a huge area and it showed more of the countryside because the top was fairly bare. The climb took me longer than I expected but without a full pack, it was not too hard. The descent to Williamstown was steep but went by quickly. Once in town, Fat Finger and I went to an organic supermarket to buy my resupply and dinner for the night. Last night together, we celebrated with a couple of bottles of BBC beer.
Date: 2010-07-16
From: Williamstown

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was my last day with Fat Finger. She had a bus to catch in town to take her to Boston. I didn't want to walk today, I had no motivation. Finally I got myself organised and ready to leave. The manager of our hotel dropped Fat Finger at the bus stop. We said farewell and I had a lump in my throat. I don't know when I'll see Fat Finger again as we don't live in the same country. I've had an amazing time hiking and camping with her. I think I might have given up if she had not come to keep me company through the less exciting sections. Once on the trail, it was hard to get going again because my pack was full of food and it's been a few days since I've carried a full pack. My motivation has gone down a bit. I know there are plenty of great sights to come but it's hard both mentally and physically I feel exhausted. I thought about perhaps going into Bennington, a town off the trail, to either take a zero or just a night. However Mother Nature decided otherwise for me. It started raining very heavily about 1.5 miles before a shelter. So I decided to stay there. The next terrain was a steep downhill so it would be rather dangerous to attempt to get down in the rain with my heavy pack. I did more miles than I thought and I felt better once I was in the shelter. Perhaps I was just overwhelmed by trying to do too many miles. Fat Finger says: I am leaving Alpine today after hiking for 315 miles over a period of 25 days (including 4 zeros) and through 7 states. It was bad luck that tendonitis forced me to stop hiking 3 days early, because I was really enjoying it, although it was tough. I learnt a few lessons. On this trip, 1. I am more uncoordinated and clumsy than I had thought, 2. The best way to deal with blisters is to put a cheap dressing on each day and walk through the pain. Moleskins don't work. 3. Drink litres of water all through the day. Makes you feel better and helps injuries. Load up at good water sources, I can now drink a litre in 5 minutes. 4. Carry a light load - every ounce counts. 5. The highlights for me were the help and interest from most Americans who we met outside the trail, the 4th July weekend with Ernman and his wife, the tubing and Harper's Ferry, cycling the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail and of course the hiking and camping.
Date: 2010-07-18
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Manchester Centre
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

So much for not wanting to try out my tent in the rain! At around 9pm, thunder and lightining started, and an hour later, heavy rain followed. The storm was fierce. I was scared my tent would leak or fall down as it is reasonably flimsy and I'm not very good at rigging it. I also have a secret fear that I'll be struck by lightining (as a metal hiking pole holds it up) and no one will discover my body for days.Luckily the waterproofing I had done with my ex-boyfriend in a Parisian park, much to the amusement of the passers by, worked. No leaks occured. I kept putting my torch on to check I was dry and the lightining also illuminated my tent periodically. At about 1 am, after a few hours of intense storm, I noticed that water was pooling on the top of my tent at my feet and that my sleeping bag was damp. I put up my umbrella and ventured out. Wow! What a storm! I was able to fix my rigging with a handy tree stump and I was snug as a bug for the remainder of the night. Needless to say, with my worrying (I'm a worry wart sometimes) I didn't get much sleep, so I allowed myself a sleep in until 645am. In the morning, my tent was still very wet but I'd survived and I was very pleased. That's another accomplishment (and it might seem small to some) - I can survive a massive storm in a flimsy tent. I had a good hike in the morning and visited Stratton Pond, one of the most frequently visited places on the trail in Vermont. By the way, I know why it's so green here - it rains ALL the time! There was only supposed to be a 10% chance of rain yesterday....ummmm sure!At lunch I decided to pop into the town of Manchester Centre to see a Vermont town. I had a second lunch at a grill place near the trail, about 5 miles out of town. I yogied (looking so pitiful but not asking, that someone helps you...I'm pretty good at it without trying, although today I did) a ride into town from the chef. I didn't want to hitch although apparently a lot of people do in town. I am staying at a little guest house owned by a former French teacher. Reminders of Paris are everywhere - makes me miss home, but in a good way! We had a good chat about France. Tomorrow I'm going to slack pack as my body is wearing down. Then I'm going to catch the bus to Rutland, the next town, and slackpack again. Hope to be in Hanover, New Hampshire on Friday.
Date: 2010-07-20
From: Manchester Centre

To: Rutland
Miles today: 0.0

I had wanted to slackpack Killington which is a well known mountain in Vermont however I need to be in Hanover on Friday to catch the post office and change my summer for winter gear in preparation for the White Mountains where it gets rather cold. The post office is open on Saturday morning but the switch may take some time to properly organise so I want the whole day available. I actually made a mistake with the days and thought I had an extra one before Friday. Oh well. Rutland has a hostel owned by the Twelve Tribes. There is a Twelve Tribes cafe in Katoomba in Australia (which is a hiking area) but I'd read on the net that they were a sect and not only do they try to convert you (nothing wrong with that, all religions want to do that) but that they use child labour and other dodgy practices. The hikers I met who stayed there had not heard that.I caught the local bus, called "The Bus" (a lot of thought went into that name!) to Rutland. Another hiker had referred to it as Rutvegas. I wasn't sure why by the chef who gave me a ride into Manchester Centre siad that there is not much to do in this area of Vermont but that in Rutland there is more. When I got there I realised (although I was already aware) that the town is very spread out. So I checked out the downtown area knowing that I probably wouldn't be back. It was nice but a little run down compared to Manchester Centre (which is a fairly wealthy town). Then I hiked up to the Rodeway Inn which was a fairly dodgy hotel but for 40 dollars a night, you can't really complain. It just smelt a bit funny and didn't seem like the cleanest place I've been to. Most of the hotels along the way are like that though! You don't care when you've been on the trail though because it's a roof, a shower and a place to rest.I did laundry, resupplied and watched some of the Tour de France. A relaxing day.
Date: 2010-07-21
From: Rutland

To: Winturri Shelter
Miles today: 20.0

I had breakfast in my room then caught The Bus back to the trail. Handily, the driver dropped me at the trail head. I felt good today and glad to be on the trail. It's nice to be back into things. My feet are still fairly sore but I think that's because of the need for new shoes. They should be waiting for me in Hanover. I'm counting on it! I met a hiker called Drew who seemed to be leading a group of hikers in some prehike stretches. He gave me an apple. Lovely.The hiking was quite hard today. I don't want to complain because New Hampshire and the White Mountains are coming soon and these are little hills compared to the huge mountains I'll be climbing. However I am finding it very hard to cover the miles I covered in the beginning and before Fat Finger came. I really don't know why. I'm fairly sure it's not Lyme's disease (Fat Finger's a doctor and didn't think so either) because I don't feel REALLY bad. I just feel a bit tired and my legs don't seem to work like before. Perhaps it's just the time on the trail? I had too many bars left over from my last food resupply so now I am forced to eat Clif Bars, muesli bars and protein bars for almost every meal! Yikes! Means I'm not so hungry, so that's a good thing. I hurried to the shelter today because the rain and thunder were threatening. I didn't want to get caught in it because I was up on a lot of ridges (bad in lighining) and there were lots of rocks to get across (bad when slippery). I was ok and now I am sitting in my sleeping bag in the shelter listening to the storm. Unfortunately I caught the zip of my sleeping bag against the material covering it. I think feathers will start to come out soon.