morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-07-25
From: Long House Creek

To: Mambasha Mountain
Miles today: 13.1

I crossed to NJ/NY state line today, so another state down. The theme of the trail today was rocky pinnacles. These are rocky cliffs that provide views of the valleys below. They provide rock climbing experience for the hiker. At many points, hiking poles must be stored so that hands are free to provide the necessary lift up the rocky cliffs. These rock climbs come one after another. After each, the trail goes away from the cliff, giving the impression that it is finally descending, only to curve back to another pinnacle to climb. Another feature of the trail for the past several days has been the crossing of rock walls. These walls, which are linear piles of rocks 2¢-3¢ high, are indicators, I believe, that the land was once cultivated, requiring that the rocks be removed from the fields and used as dividing walls. Long since, the land has reverted to its natural state, but the rock walls remain as monuments to a by-gone era of local agriculture.
Date: 2008-07-26
From: Mambasha Mountain

To: Fingerboard
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Many rocky climbs today. All relatively short but requiring hands and feet. Some almost vertical. The Human Squeeze required removing the pack and holding it over my head to squeeze through the narrow opening. Then a vertical rock climb requiring swinging out beyond a ledge while holding a tree trunk. The tree was big enough that this was a problem and had to be executed quickly to avoid losing hold with one hand before the other hand could get a hold. A little hairy. There was an easy way around the vertical climb it one were inclined to take the easy way. A much unexpected event occurred today while I was eating lunch near the entrance to Harriman Park. A truck pulled up and the driver asked if I wanted a cold drink. The driver looked familiar, so I asked his name. This was Paddy-O, my son¢s trail friend from ¢04. He has been providing trail magic around this area for the past 8 years. The coincidence is phenomenal! He met Justus (the Skinny) at Harriman after Justus returned from a short visit to New York City. He was looking for the AT and asked Paddy-O for directions. They became fast friends and Paddy-O took off work for awhile and hiked with Justus and the Caboose Gang. This was mid-August, so the Gang was certainly one of the last groups through. After talking with Paddy-O for about an hour, I resumed my hike. But my mind was not there and I missed a turn and ended up hiking a couple of hours off trail before I got back to my lunch site. I had to back-track two or three more times because of lack of concentration on blazes. Today was a difficult and strange day.
Date: 2008-07-27
From: Fingerboard

To: Bear Mountain
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: moderate rain

My mind must still be focused on Paddy-O and Justus. I got turned around on Goshen Mountain and I lost about two hours hiking time. The trail repeated the up and down pattern established a few days ago. The variation in elevation is between 600¢ and 1,200¢. About 3 a thunder storm struck, which lasted a couple of hours. The first 45 minutes were punctuated by thunder and lightning. The worst occurred just as I was approaching a set of rock croppings on West Mountain. I was totally exposed, so I tried to hurry through those areas. The rocks were slick from rain, which came in torrents. The trail became a river. The rain finally stopped and my clothes and shoes got a chance to dry a little. I camped at a view point on Bear Mountain. I hope no more rain for awhile
Date: 2008-07-28
From: Bear Mountain

To: NY9D
Miles today: 4.2

I came down Bear Mountain to the park where I spread my gear out to dry in the sun. While my things dried, I lay out on a picnic table bench and relaxed. After re-packing, I headed out of the park, but noticed a concessions stand that sold hamburgers and drinks. I couldn¢t pass that by so I had lunch there. I had to resupply, so I walked the 0.8 on up the road to Ft. Montgomery to a Mini-Mart and bought what I could there. I walked back and across the Bear Mountain Bridge across the Hudson River and started the climb up a mountain on the other side. As I was climbing, I met a lady coming down, we got to talking and I apologized for my odor, not having shaved and showered for a week. To my surprise, she offered to take me to her house for a shower and stay in her guest room. She has a habit of this wonderful trail magic ¢ it¢s not my overpowering personality). I immediately accepted and spent the evening there alone, as she went to an event with a friend.
Date: 2008-07-30
From: Campus Lake

To: County Road 20
Miles today: 23.0

Today I decided to try to make Kent, CT by Tuesday pm to meet my friends Rue and Cool Breeze. Since Kent is about 44 miles away, I had my hiking cut out for me. The hiking today was relatively easy, but by 8 pm I only had 18 miles. I decided to night hike to Telephone Pioneers Shelter. This was a new experience for me. Hiking by the light of a head-lamp is an eerie experience ¢ especially with no visible moon to help light the way. Fortunately, the path was relatively flat, but making out blazes isn¢t all that easy. I had to back-track multiple times when I thought I was off the trail. The going slows greatly over day-time hiking. I got to the shelter at about 11 pm only to find it full. I hiked on further down the hill until I found a flat space to pitch my tent. I was very near the road where the largest tree on the AT stands.
Date: 2008-07-31
From: County Road 20

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 20.7

I woke up early to get a jump start on the day. By 6 am I was on the trail. There were several challenges today including Ten Mile Hill and Schayhticoke Mountain. The first was just a warm up to the other. The climb up Ten Mile Hill starts at about 300¢ and climbs to about 1,300¢. Once on the ridge, the trail is a series of ups and downs, increasing in altitude, culminating in Scheyticoke Mountain. Many steep pitches compromise this part of the trail. The beauty of Ten Mile River was awesome. This is a large river with peaceful sections and many rapids. I stopped, had lunch and soaked my feet in the river water. The afternoon was spent climbing up and down in the heat. The total distance on the ridge was 5 miles. The problem of the day occurred when at 8:30 pm, darkness overtook me. At this point, I was about 3 miles from the road to Kent I put on my head lamp again, but this time the trail was not smooth. It was a rocky descent, and very slow. What I had thought I could complete by 8:30 was done by 10. It was gruesomely slow and treacherous. I would not recommend this sort of hiking, nor will I do it again without a very strong reason. I got to town, checked into the Inn and called Rue to verify that I had arrived. I was glad to be out of the dark woods.
Date: 2008-08-01
From: Kent, CT

To: River Road
Miles today: 9.8

Getting out of Kent was a slow process. I left the Inn at check-out time, 11, did a run to the market, went to the bookstore to buy CT/MA maps, and went to the Outfitter to have the tips on my hiking poles replaced. After a late lunch I got back to the trail at 5 pm. The weather was cooler and the trail after an initial climb, descended to run parallel to the Housatonic River. This section of the trail was flat and fast. As a result, by 8:30 pm, I had gone about 9.5 miles. I set up camp by the river and listened to the water flow in the evening.
Date: 2008-08-02
From: River Road

To: Belter's Campsite
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The morning started with a stop at Cornwall Bridge to visit a deli for breakfast. The terrain was a series of ups and downs. Nothing very big but a tiring hike. The rain came in the afternoon and soaked everything. Fortunately, it stopped before time to set up camp. The rain certainly helped to cool things off.
Date: 2008-08-03
From: Belter's Campsite

To: Plateau Campsite
Miles today: 11.4

The trial today had a large segment along the Housatonic River again. The trail here is beautiful and flat. Then it ascended up Prospect Mountain. The most spectacular view was at Rand¢s View, an open picture with a view of the north, revealing the mountain ridge soon to be hiked. The weather threatened rain all day, but there was only a brief shower at a grocery stop at Salisbury. There is a beautiful waterfall nearby which supplies power via a hydroelectric dam.
Date: 2008-08-04
From: Plateau Campsite

To: Hemlocks
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: scattered clouds

The trail today was marked by four major climbs and three major descents. The first and easiest climb as Lions Head which took the trail up on a ridge. Off the mountain, the trail dipped into Sages Ravine, crossing over from CT to MA in the process. This descent was one of the steepest I¢ve experienced. The ravine was beautiful, with tall conifers and needle covered paths paralleling a swift flowing brook. The sun penetrates only enough for the ravine to be in twilight. Climbing out of the ravine, the trail goes up Race Mountain for some amazing views of the valley below. The trail along the cliffs is rocky but without the boulders of the PA cliffs. A descent off Race Mountain is followed immediately by a steep climb up Mt. Everett. The trail is very rocky, but with large smooth rocks requiring great effort to mount. The view at the top showed several weather systems moving through. The clouds looked ominous, but passed by the mountain. There were a few short showers, but then clear skies. The day ended with a descent off the mountain down to Guilder Pond, a beautiful lake, where several hikers gathered for dinner. After dinner, it was nearly dark and we quickly set up tents at the nearby campground.
Date: 2008-08-05
From: Hemlocks

To: Tom Leonard
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Today the trail was a mixture of ridge walking, river walking, climbs and descents. It started with a descending ridge walk off Mt. Everett, through Jug End ¢ a sudden climb and descent, and down to the river. The rocks were slippery from rain and dew. At low elevation, the trail ran across bogs with board walks, which were also slippery. I had my share of falls on both rocks and boards. The big climb was in the afternoon, after going into Great Barrington for groceries. The climb was up East Mountain, which was about 1,200¢ increase in elevation. Then a ridge walk to the shelter. No startling views today, just a walk in the woods.
Date: 2008-08-06
From: Tom Leonard

To: Near Goose Pond Road
Miles today: 17.1

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain on my tent. Luckily, again, it stopped before I had to get packed up. The trail today was another series of climbs and descents. Very few views were offered, although one high pasture did. The final climb up to Goose Pond Road was 900¢ in much less than a mile ¢ a real workout. A lot of the trail today went through low ¢lying bogs, similar to NJ. The board walks here are not nearly so well maintained, and some walking though muddy, stretches without boards is required. The weather cleared and cooled off, so hiking was not impeded by heat.
Date: 2008-08-07
From: Near Goose Pond Road

To: Washington Mountain Road
Miles today: 15.0

The trail was up, down, and muddy today. The highlight was Upper Goose Pond, a beautiful lake in the middle of the woods. The AMC has a cabin there with a caretaker. Hikers staying overnight there get a pancake breakfast. Unfortunately, I went by about 10:30 am, so no pancakes for me. I was planning to try to get as close to the Kaywood Shelter, but stopped when a thunder storm hit suddenly. I pulled off the trail and quickly set up my tent. The storm was fierce, with lightening strikes nearby.
Date: 2008-08-08
From: Washington Mountain Road

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

I woke up this morning looking at a swarm of mosquitoes flying around the bug netting of my tent and a half dozen slugs crawling over the rain fly. Not an encouraging start for the day. The walk into Dalton was muddy and slick. I got into town about 1:30 and got a room at a motel. I spread all my gear out today. An afternoon rain shower prevented me from going to the Laundromat, so I washed my clothes out in the sink.
Date: 2008-08-09
From: Dalton, MA

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

My shoes were falling apart, so my primary reason for the layover was to get new ones. The local sporting goods store didn¢t carry shoes, so I had to catch a bus to Pittsfield. I went to Dick¢s and found some shoes I hope will be better on the slippery rocks while not causing blisters. Since my food bag was empty, I also resupplied at the local market. Not much selection, but I got enough to last for four days. I don¢t look forward to the heavy pack climbing out of town tomorrow.
Date: 2009-07-10
From: Home

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I am preparing to begin the last leg of my AT adventure. I started last year with the intention of doing a thru-hike. I got as far as Bennington when things started to unravel. The trail in Vermont was alternately a river and a mud slide. Hiking in those conditions was a threat to my mental and physical health, so I decided to jump ahead to Hanover in the hope of better trails there. So I got a ride back to Bennington and started a bus odyssey. I caught a bus to Manchester Center, transferred to a bus to Rutland, got the final bus to White River Junction (the route was cancelled). From there, I got a local bus to Lebanon and transferred to a bus to Hanover. I got a motel in Hanover and waited on a hiking friend, who had been ahead of me, to catch up. When my freind and I hiked out of Hanover, it became clear to me that I couldn't keep up and was struggling to make the camp site each evening. One afternoon as I was descending a hill, I felt a sharp pain in my ankle. I thought something had snapped. I pulled into a trail head parking area to sit for a while. The pain persisted, so I prevailed on a day-hiker to give me a ride into Lyme Center, with thoughts of getting a medical opinion. I had lunch at a restaraunt and rested my ankle. To my surprise, i discovered that when I removed my shoe, the pain stopped. I knew then that my recent shoe purchase had been a big mistake. I concluded that I would just have to tough it out until my feet conformed to the shoes or I got to a shoe store. I ended up hiking back to the trail head in a good deal of pain. On my way there, I had climb a long grade, which took an extraordinary effort. I knew, in addtion to my shoe problems, I had exhaustion problems as well. When I arrived at the trail head, I sat down to ponder my fate. I knew I couldn't make it to the intended campsite before dark. I just wanted to curl up into a fetal position there and sleep for a week. As I sat there, a runner came cruising in off the road, finishing his daily run. Being a former road runner myself, I engaged him in conversation about his training. Turned out, he was an internal medicine physican in Hanover. I told him of my sad physical state. He was sympathetic and encouraged me to not continue in that condition. He told me of the non-stop bus that went from Hanover to Boston airport and offered me a ride back to Hanover. I took that as a sign from heaven and took him up on his offer. I got on the bus the next day and the day after I was on an airplane back home.
Date: 2009-07-11
From: Bennington, VT

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The depths of my mental and physical exhaustion when I terminated my hike last year were not fully apparent until I arrived home. Mentally, I was filled with regret in abandoning my hike and my freind, whom I had hoped to accompany to the summit of Katahdin. Physically, I was weak. I went back to the gym and discovered that I had to greatly reduce the weght used in my workout compared to before I left for the trail. I don't know whether to attribute my physical weakness to nutrition defficency or mental depression. It took me about three months to recover physically and six months to recover mentally. When I left for the trail, I was working full-time and expected to resume after I got back. I discovered, however, that I had lost my motovation. Everyone at work had gotten used to me being absent by this time. The business was running smoothly without me, so I decided to begin the next phase of my life (although I haven't precisely determined what that might be). So far, my focus has been on getting myself in physical condition for the final (and probably hardest) leg of my AT hike. I've been goingto the gym every day and doing day-hikes with the local Sierra Club on the weekends. I've done a couple of section hikes on the AT this year. The first was with two section-hikers I met last year. We did a 150 mile section from Elk Park, NC to near Atkins, VA. The second was a weekend hike from Max Patch to Hot Springs.   My hike begins next Wedsnesday when I fly from Huntsville to Albany, NY. I'll stay there overnight and catch a bus into Bennington the next day (I hope). The next day after that will be my first day on the trail. I'm hoping for better trail conditions this year. I'm giving myself plenty of time, so i can take it easy and not wear myself to a frazzle trying to maintain a pace. I hope to get to Main when the leaves start to change color. If I get there early, I may hang around Monson until the change comes.
Date: 2008-01-01
To: New Years
Miles today: 0.0

Happy New Year! This year will be the first full year of hiking the trail and all things going well will see me complete my first full state. The joke of becoming a ¢Ru¢ hiker should be put to rest. The ¢Ru¢ hiker only completes half of any given state. Right now as it sits I have half of Ct, Ma, Md and NY. I also have a few miles of Vt done but not really a drop in the bucket. I plan to hit the trail with a group from White Blaze and go from the NJ Stateline to the Elk Pen parking lot by the NY Thruway. This is where I ended my hike at thanksgiving. This will leave only 8 miles or so on the east side of the river left to complete the state. One down and then only 13 more to go. I am already trying to think when I will be able to get out for more than just a few days at a time and see if I can string together a week or two at a time. I want to get down for Trail Days this year and would also like to hit the Whites with Doggiebag maybe for the first few days of his return to the trail. If it is much after the first part I think that I would be too slow to keep up with him in that type of terrain. I have set up a number of Trail Journals to follow as the class of 2008 start their trips. I look forward to meeting some of the hikers that I will be following. I keep thinking of the day when I can take to the trail and try a thru of my own. Till then it¢s all about Sections.
Date: 2008-01-12
From: Little Dam Lake

To: Elk Pen Parking Lot
Miles today: 2.9

The last day of our January March O¢Fools trip in NY began clear and bright but with a good chill in the air. The rain from the day before had ended at sunset and left us with clear skies that let it cool off quickly. It felt more like January than it has this whole trip so far. I would not say that it was cold but it was close. I waited till the very end to strip down to my hiking layers. I was very glad to be one of the first ones packed up this am and not the last like I am so often. This did however leave me standing around for a bit getting cold as the others finished packing up. I was not too worried because with the sun out and a few short climbs early this morning I knew I would heat up quickly.We hit the trail and it is only 2.9 miles to our end of the trail today and only .3 miles from there to the cars. We made the climb up Arden Mt and the rocky ledges on the west side gave a great view back over the area where we spent the night and the ridge from the day before. I seemed to be lacking energy today and so was hiking pretty slowly. It was a good thing because Doggiebag was hurting from when he slammed his knee on the first day. We stopped at one point and I was able to give him a little something for his knee and that seemed to help some as we kept climbing but it was the down hills that really put the strain on it.We caught up with all the others and finished the short trip to the top of Agony Grind. The Grind is a 500 ft elevation gain in just under .4 of a mile so it is a typical steep rocky climb. I have not had a chance to hike in many of the states but I can say that I think I would like the longer climbs as long as the are less rocky than this type of climb. Well today it was the drop that we had not the climb. With the rain from the past few days we had to exercise extra caution as we made the way down the rocks and leaves were still very slick. When we got to the bottom I was just very very glad that the ice and snow of the previous weeks had melted off or it would have been a different type of hike. I am not sure when my next couple of day trip will be. I am really looking forward to the spring this year and hitting the trails a lot more. I will have to try to find a few warm days and get out and finish the last of the state of New York. Only about 8 miles or so left to do on my side of the Hudson.Daily miles 2.9 Grand Total 287.4
Date: 2008-03-22
To: Easter Trail Walk
Miles today: 0.0

Well it has been too long but I have finally gotten back out on the trails. For the past few months my back has really been in bad shape. I have done physical therapy to no real relief. I first felt it go just before the March O¢Fools trip in December. I was doing physical therapy up and through the trip in January as well. I still wake up shifted to one side with one shoulder about an inch and a half lower than the other. My forward flexibility is greatly restricted. I am to the point that I am now going to another doctor to see what is going on and in fear of the Doctor saying that I will need yet another surgery. I have had two back surgeries so far. Until then I figure that I can be bent on the trail just as well as at home.Today I went out to try and do some trail maintenance the section that I am responsible for from I-84 to just south of the Morgan Stewart Shelter. I was able to do a bit of water bar work on the sections that need a bunch of help. When I say a bunch my section is actually in pretty good shape but it can always be better. I was glad to see that another maintainer had come out with the chainsaw and cleared the big blow down that was on the trail. I did a bit of trimming with my clippers of brush that was sticking into the trail. I need to get out and finish my posting of night eye reflectors. This will allow for easy night hiking from the road to the shelter.I am clearing my schedule to try and get out for close to a week in April maybe down into MD and VA. I would love to try to go from where I came off the trail in December near I-70. I would like to make it down to just about Front Royal. In the mean time I will be following the progress of all the hikers heading north in the great migration. I will also try to make sure that at least my section of trail will be in good shape when they arrive.Daily miles 3.3 Grand total 290.7