morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-09
From: Graymoor Friary pavilion

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

"It was humid enough today to make the quills slide off a porcupine" Laredo wrote in the RPH Shelter register. It was 90' with hardly any breeze. I hated to walk past Canopus Lake and not take a dip, but there seemed to be no easy access to the lake from the road or the AT. Later, it was torture seeing swimmers at the Clarence Fahnestock State Park as we looked down from Shenandoah Mt. However,the saving grace was when Charles suggested we take turns at the RPH Shelter pump and wash our feet and soak our heads. This is hardly a substitute for an air conditioned motel room, but it will do! The privy is located right on the AT, which makes a convenient stop for hikers not choosing to visit the shelter. The only hiker we saw today was Golden Boy, who stayed with us last night, but is moving on after a break at the shelter. We are .1 mi from a road, and there is a home next door. The pizza place that delivers is closed on Mondays, so Nancy and I thought we might go next door to ask to buy cold drinks and ice. So, the kind man next store sold us a 2 liter coke bottle, bag of ice and some spring water for $3! How many other Thru Hikers have bugged these folks, we wonder... Today's hike was the usual ups and downs, spotting one deer and several squirrels and chipmunks along the way. I hiked with CNN from 6-3:30. We are exhausted! I am going to pitch my tent on the grassy lawn because the shelter register said the bugs were bad last night. I am looking forward to my husband, Richard, meeting me in Kent, CT on Wednesday, with Skiman, who will join me on the AT once again!
Date: 2007-07-10
From: RPH Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a wonderful nights sleep in my tent last night after it cooled off at 8:30 pm. There were 5 tents pitched on the lawn and one person was sleeping in the shelter, when I got up at 5:30 am today. Some younger hikers typically arrive after dark. It was a bug free evening! As we continue to hike in the wilderness of New York, the sound of traffic is never far away, to remind us of civilization. We try to concentrate on the birds singing or chipmunks rustling the leaves, but the traffic noise is constant. We hiked .4 off the AT at a road crossing to have a breakfast sandwich, Gatorade, and an ice cream bar! What a combination at 9 am! There are signs attached to trees informing us about the lack of water northbound. Today, Charles filtered several liters for us at Nuclear Lake after I took a swim. Besides the name of the lake and the abundant goose poop on the shore, I hope I don't get duck itch or sick! Many Thru Hikers have a variety of little problems, such as poison ivy, heat rash, callouses, toe nails coming off, etc. For me, poison ivy and heat rash are a nuisance. As was inidicated on the tree signs, there is absolutely no water in the spring here. I have cut myself short on water. I have 2 cups left. I need 1 cup to cook, plus some to drink tonight and tomorrow morning. I will be able to get water tomorrow morning after .7 mi. I have decided not to cook and just eat cold food tonight and have a cup to drink tonight and tomorrow. Live and learn... Buttercup, Segway and his young nephew Jacob, CNN and I are here for the night. There are no level tenting spots, but some are still pitching their tents or hanging their hammocks. It feels like rain. It was 85' today and I'm glad this hot spell is supposed to end by tomorrow.
Date: 2007-07-11
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Kent CT
Miles today: 21.4

CNN and I started hiking at 5:45 because the bugs were so vicious when we woke up. We were all low on water so we used the hose at the purple home with the perennial garden to fill up, as the notes on the tree invited us to do. The house was just down the road from the Dover Oak, which is possibly the largest tree on the AT. It is slightly larger than the Keffer Oak, back in VA. This majestic tree is a reminder of what the forest was like about 350 yrs ago. We crossed the railroad tracks after 3 miles, arriving at the Appalachian Train Station. Here, Thru Hikers can take the Metro-North Commuter Railroad into NYC to Grand Central Station for $23 roundtrip, weekends only. We had a snack break there, just after the train wizzed by. After 11 miles, we had entered CT, our first New England state! Mac and Cheese, former Thru Hikers, had left great Trail Magic for us roadside. It included ice water, ice tea mix, chocolate chip cookies, apples and oranges, wet wipes, etc. I met Cecilia and her Dad who were out for a day hike, preparing for their 2 night hut to hut trip to Lake of the Clouds and Mizpah next week in the White Mts. Richard and Skiman met us with lunch after 14.3 miles at Bulls Bridge Rd. Skiman has rejoined the hike as we continue together to Katahdin, now 722 miles away. He has hiked 300 of the AT with me but I have hiked 1451 miles. I want us to stay together this time so much!! As we did this 7.1 mile slack after lunch with CNN, we took a break at the top of a steep climb. Skiman wandered out of sight to "relieve himself". What a surprise when he called us over to se a timber rattlesnake (yellow phase) all coiled up under a bush. We didn't disturb him, so we never heard his rattle or knew how long he was, but we took his picture and felt lucky to see him. Charles got stung by a bee on the lower p, which swelled up quickly. He said he was not allergic, but he did look a little weird. The swelling did go down after a few hours. The afternoon hike was three times harder than the morning hike, which was also half as long. We were grateful not to have fully loaded packs on for the steep 1040' ascent and 980' descent. When we met Richard at the road at 5:15, we left a note for Raincheck, who was still behind us trying to "catch up". As we drove to the campground we saw a Thru Hiker walking down the street in Kent. We slowed down to take a closer look and it was Raincheck! He had not hiked the last 7.1 miles in order to get his maildrop at the Post Office today. So, he joined 5 of us in the car to go to the campground where 6 of us will spend the next 3 nights. Skiman and Raincheck went for a swim in the river while the rest of us showered. We went out to dinner and got into our tents just before the downpour started. Perfect timing! It is great to all be together.
Date: 2007-07-12
From: Kent CT

To: Cornwall Bridge CT
Miles today: 11.1

Today we all hiked southbound, since the trailhead was close to the campground and we wanted to end up further south, near Kent, to go to the laundromat. (There is no laundromat at the campground.) Raincheck was hiking 18 miles today in order to be caught up with us. The rest of us were hiking 11.1, which we considered a "nero" day. We all started out together. After a climb from 670' to 1110' in .1 mile, we descended to hike 4 miles beside the Housatonic River. It was nice to be on easy street! Skiman and I wished we had inner tubes to "aqua-blaze" this section! Oh, what fun that would have been in the class II rapids on inner tubes! I love to hike south to see our Thru Hiking friends who are just a little ahead of us. I enjoyed seeing Terrapin Flyer who I hadn't seen since June 2 at the Dutch Haus. Next Blue Yonder and Day Break met us and I hadn't seen them since May 12 at the Partnership Shelter. It is so nice to renew friendships and anticipate seeing them again in the next few days. They met Skiman for the first time, too. We had another very steep ascent from 425' to 1160', reminiscent of the PA rock climbing, which seems so long ago. By 11:30, we (except for Raincheck) were done hiking for the day. What a treat! We went to a sandwich shop and ate lunch outside at a table with an umbrella. Nancy and I went to the laundromat while the men went to the grocery store. We bought groceries for 3 meals for 6 of us which cost $7 per person! We picked up Raincheck at 2:30 and returned to the campground, where 3 of us took a swim in the river. The beans, hotdogs, coleslaw and potato salad tasted great for dinner tonight. I hope the train will not blow its whistle when it goes by the other side of the river in the wee hours!
Date: 2007-07-13
From: Cornwall Bridge CT

To: US 41 Ct
Miles today: 22.3

Richard has been given a trail name by Raincheck. His new name is Cargo Master! Today we cooked bacon and eggs at the campsite before starting our hike at 6:15. Right away we had a steep ascent, but it afforded us a beautiful view of the valley, that was still in the clouds. We heard several woodpeckers who appeared to be sending morse code to each other saying, "The hikers are coming!" We later heard cars racing and soon had Limerock Racetrack in view. Cargo Master met us for lunch roadside with ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, Gatorade and cookies. After lunch we came to the Housatonic River waterfall and swimming area. It was very tempting to stop for a long break, but we still had 10 miles to go. The afternoon was easier hiking than the elevation map indicated. We called Cargo Master on our cell and told him we would be an hour earlier than expected. This is a rare occurance, particularly with five of us hiking together such a long distance. Now, we are less than 700 miles from Katahdin! We returned to the campground for our final night and served cheeseburgers, fresh fruit and cookies. We have made tentative plans for the next few days about where we will stay and the mileage we will hike. Skiman has a heel blister and Raincheck's feet are getting used to new boots. Everything is subject to change day by day, but we WILL be in Massachusetts tomorrow! Can you believe it?
Date: 2007-07-14
From: US 41 Ct

To: US 7 MA
Miles today: 21.4

After packing up Cargo Master's car with our tents and all our gear from spending 3 nights at the Housatonic State Campground, we went to MacDonald's for breakfast sandwiches. We hit the trail around 7 am for our last seven miles in Connecticut. The trail started, as usual, with a steep ascent from 680' to Lion's Head 1738'. There was a beautiful view looking east. Then we ascended a little higher to Bear Mt, 2316'. We got a little silly and sang verses of "Down by the Bay". The blueberry bushes were just loaded with ripe berries, so we picked our fill! Next, we met New Yorkers Allie, Christie and Alissa with their Dads at the CT-MA border. We were very excited to be in our second New England state, which is 90 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Skiman and I could not resist going in for a swim at Sages Ravine Brook. The water was freezing cold and deep enough for Skiman's canonball! Then we hiked to Race Mt 2430', and finally to Everett Mt 2602'. It was a very hot day and Skim!an got a taste of what rocks had been like in PA and NY in 85'. Four of us had run out of water after fourteen miles (3 liters each), so we stopped at the Hemlocks Lean-to to filter water. Next, we met Cargo Master and got rid of our trash from Gatorade and snacks, enjoyed chocolate chip scones and drinks roadside, and began our final 4.2 miles. That part was all flat and partially through corn fields. It was a great ending to our long but rewarding day. We went out to dinner for barbecue and then got settled at the East Mountain Retreat Center, which is also a hostel for Thru Hikers. They charge $10 per person for a bed and shower. We are esentially all in one room of mattresses on the floor. A load of laundry ($3) is going and we have all had showers. We have finalized hiking decisions and are exhausted, ready for bed. I hiked 126.9 miles this past week and if all goes well, we will be in VT Wednesday, where the AT coincides with the Long Trail for just over 100 miles!
Date: 2007-07-15
From: US 7 MA

To: Jerusalem Rd. Tyringham MA
Miles today: 19.4

Today's hike was much easier than yesterdays mountain climbs. The trail was gradual ups and downs, and on the whole a bautiful path. The forest floor was sometimes lush and green and other times only pine needles. We saw no other hikers today. We have been looking for the first southbound AT Thru Hiker..but not yet! I saw Black Eyed Susans in bloom in a field. The blazes were sometimes hard to follow and we took a wrong turn, now two days in a row. However, with 5 of us hiking together, we all are aware how important it is to "connect the dots" of the white blazes, and usually Charles, who is the most experienced hiker, helps us find the right way. Charles and Nancy, are CNN, age 63 and 64 from TN. This is their second time hiking the AT. The only part they have never done is Franconia Notch to Pinkham Notch in NH. This year they are Thru Hiking the whole AT. They joke that if they do that section twice they will have completed their Section Hike and then later their Thru Hike. Charles says no more hiking after this! The highlight of the day was when we got caught in a thunderstorm from 2:45-3:45. We heard the thunder beforehand and knew in advance we would get soaked. At least we did not have any hail! As long as you keep hiking, you stay warm, but there's no point in finding shelter and getting chilled, so we loved getting wet. The path at one point was like a Slip n'Slide. Our boots and legs were muddy. Later the sun came out and all the foliage looked shiny and healthy. We did use a little common sense and ended the hike 1.1 mile short of the days plan, by a vote of 4 to 1, majority rules, at 5 pm. We are all staying at a motel tonight and Richard, aka Cargo Master, returns to NH tomorrow after being a huge help to all of us. I look forward to being back in the shelters cooking my dehydrated dinners with our many Thru Hiking friends. I will miss my buddy Lowbranch, a firefighter from Myrtle Beach, SC who has left the AT. Now, Snowplow and I are the only two remaining hikers from our March 31 start date that I know of. Our group of 5 will be splitting up this week when CNN take a zero day in Dalton on Tuesday. As always, we hope our paths will cross again!
Date: 2007-07-16
From: Jerusalem Rd. Tyringham MA

To: October Mt. Lean-To
Miles today: 16.9

Today Richard and I went to the local hospital at 7:30 am so I could have routine blood work done. I hopped on the scale and had gained 2 lbs, but the tape measure in my toilet article bag from home shows that I am still losing inches. I feel blessed to be strong, healthy and injury free. We picked up Raincheck, Skiman and CNN at the motel. Skiman had learned about using duct tape on his heel blister and was giving it a try. We drove back to the Jerusalem Rd where we stopped to take a picture of Santarella's House, which was right out of Snow White and the 7 Dwarf's home or the Hobbit House. It is available to rent for functions. I look forward to looking it up on line to learn more about it. So, we got a very late start hiking at 9:15, but everyone seemed happy for a leisurely morning. The trail was a little slippery from yesterday's thunderstorm and our hiking shoes got soaked in the tall grass. Raincheck got his second bee sting in 4 days on a wooden platform over a swamp!When Charles saw the swarm emerging from the cracks between the boards he told us all to get off the platform, and fortunately the swamp was dry as we abandoned ship! Goose Pond was a pristine spot with one aluminum boat and 2 fishermen. If Skiman and I were alone, we would have taken a swim! After crossing over the MA Pike, Cargo Master met us at a road for lunch, and then 2 hrs later to load up our packs and say good by and thank you for all his help this past week. We weighed our packs on the scale Richard had hooked to a tree branch. Our packs all weighed around 30 lbs. Mine had 3 days of food and 4 lbs of water. I wonder how my Thru Hiking son got his pack weight down to 18 lbs when he was in Maine. I know he sent his stove home and was only eating cold food, but what else? Oh yes, I guess he didn't have needles, thread and little fabric squares to sew a quilt!
Date: 2007-07-17
From: October Mt. Lean-To

To: Cheshire MA
Miles today: 21.1

All 8 at the shelter tented last night because the mosquitoes were so bad. Besides the 5 in our group, there was a single man and then a mother with her 21 yr old son, named Dragon's Breath! This morning, we all commented on the good nights sleep we had, and fortunately the mosquitoes stayed out of our tents and stayed asleep when we broke camp. CNN were the first to leave at 5:45. Raincheck, Skiman and I left at 6 am. We knew the "Cookie Lady", Marilyn Wiley, lived just 2 miles away, and that we would be early to stop by her house. Regardless, we took a chance she and her husband would be awake, and it was the highlight of our day. We found the house, as directed in the Thru Hikers Handbook, and signed the guestbook on the porch, checking off what state we were from. I was the first checkmark on the NH line! (However, I know Achilles, from Keene, is way ahead of me, and probably just didn't stop by the Wiley's home.) Roy Wiley greeted us with a basket of home baked chocolate chip cookies as we put our packs at the picnic table. We admired his blueberry farm of large high bush berries, not quite ready for the public to pick, but getting close. Roy is retired from GE but as a hobby has a 1949 Piper Clipper 4 person plane he keeps in a hanger next to his grass strip runway beside the house. Skiman was happy he took us into the hanger to see it. We enjoyed our visit with Mr. Wiley and continued on the AT. By noon, we were in Dalton, MA to pick up our maildrop. We also had a sub at a local shop for lunch. CNN had decided to take a "nero" day today and a zero tomorrow. They invited us to their motel room to organize our pack with our maildrop food, meds and toilet paper. It was great to be able to spread out, reorganize, use their phone to send and receive messages on my Pocketmail and use a real bathroom! Our two hour break kept us out of the hot sun for a while, but we needed to continue towards a campsite 4 miles further. When we got there, the 3 of us were in agreement to hike 4 more miles to Cheshire, MA. Skiman's blister and Raincheck's swollen knee were doing ok. The first thing we did in Cheshire is get an ice cream cone, and I tripped and fell going in the door. I was fine and the guys laughed at me for hiking 21 miles without an incident but not being able to get through the store door safely! They reminded me that the same thing happened last night at the shelter. When I got up to leave the picnic table, I tripped and fell over a rock close to the table! We are staying at the free hostel in the Catholic Church fellowship hall. We were asked to cook in the parking lot. There are no showers. Only one other Thru Hiker is here whose name is Focus, from VA. He is retired from NASA. He has made reservations to stay at all the AMC Huts in the Whites! Tomorrow we look forward to climbing Mt. Greylock, elevation 3491', which is the highest peak in MA!
Date: 2007-07-18
From: Cheshire MA

To: Sherman Brook Campsite
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: haze

Last night, we agreed to leave the church hostel at 6:30 am this morning. When we woke up it was pouring rain. I called Richard at home for a weather report. We decided to hike Mt Greylock, as planned, though we would be deprived of any view. The puddles on the AT were deep and sometimes overflowing the roots in the path like a waterfall. There was no way to avoid the mud. There were boards on 4x4's to walk on where there was no water, and no boards where the water was deep! We got to the summit at 11:30 and cooked a backpacking meal in the stone ski lodge to help us warm up and fuel us for the hike down. Focus, whom we met last night at the church, also was there. The rain stopped. The water bars had been cleared, making it less muddy and slippery for our steep descent from 3400' to 650'. It was great to see all the young men who had done this trail maintenance, to be able to thank them personally. They asked us about the condition of the AT on our ascent, and we told them it needed alot of work, so that's where they were headed next. When we got to MA2, a road that leads to Williamstown and North Adams, MA, Raincheck decided to go to a motel for the night. We were all filthy dirty in mud. However, Skiman and I continued another 2 miles to the campsite with platforms. While I got water, he was learning how to set up on the platform. It is a challenge when your tent is not self standing, like dome tents are. While he figured it out, I set up my tent on the wet leaves, but neither of us were fast enough. It started to pour again, so we both finished setting up in the rain and washed off our dirty legs before retiring to our own tents. We are 2.3 miles from the Vermont border! We are meeting a friend of Skiman's in Bennington tomorrow afternoon. I love hearing the sound of the rain on my tent roof.
Date: 2007-07-19
From: Sherman Brook Campsite

To: VT 9
Miles today: 17.4

Last night, when I was sleeping in my tent I woke up at 11:30 to "P" and I noticed a light outside. First, I thought it was Skiman's headlamp, then I wondered if it was my own headlamp that maybe had been turned on by mistake. Then, I realized it was fireflies! So, I went outside and continued to watch them dance. When I went back inside my tent one came in with me! I figured "Mother" wanted to make sure I was all tucked in, then she flew out and I slept soundly til 5:30 am. We got back on the AT at 6:30 am after following the Blue Blaze trail and going to the stream to fill up our platypus. We had our rain covers on our pack because of the wet branches. I asked Skiman if he would take a picture every hour of me that was not posed, so I might be able to share with you a typical day on the AT hour by hour. We started with a very rocky ascent from 1300' to 2300'. The trail was shoe lace deep in mud and puddles where there were no rocks. Our hiking pace was slower than usual. We didn't talk, because we needed all our energy to hike safely. After two miles, we entered VT, but I was disappointed to only see a Welcome to MA sign for the south bounders, but no Welcome to Vermont sign for us northbounders. Skiman took a picture of me at the Long Trail sign, for which the southern terminus is the Vermont/MA border. So, here I am in state #12 of 14 on my 111th day! We saw no Thru Hikers today. We are still anxious to meet the first southbound AT Thru Hiker. Of particular interest during today's hike was the beaver pond and the dam, just on the verge of overflowing. Throughout the day, there were boards for us to walk on to try to stay dry, but here, the boards were submerged, and so, too, were our feet. I told Skiman that was one way to wash between our toes! Our legs and boots were disgustingly filthy. He wished he was wearing rubber boots. We hadn't had a shower or clean clothes since Sunday. It was pouring rain. I fell twice backwards. Everything..board, roots, rocks and mud were slippery. We planned to meet Skiman's Air Force friends at 3:30 at VT9 for a brief visit and then hike the remaining 1.6 miles to the Melville Nauheim Shelter, which was a steep 1000' ascent in 1.6 miles. Skiman and I decided instead, to ask his friends to bring us to a local motel to spend the night, that had a laundromat and provided transportation back to the trailhead ($10). Steve and Cathy Caine, from Albany, NY, were happy to help us out and even took us out for a wonderful dinner. They drove us around Bennington and we saw what a charming and historic community it is. Skiman and I got our laundry done, we're "clean all under" and "good to go" back to the AT at 6 am tomorrow for our tough climb. We hope our legs will wake up and be willing to get us from 1360' to 3748' which is the Glastenbury Mt obsveration tower. It's fun to be hiking the same trail I did in 2003 with Asta, except them it was 85' and NOT raining !