morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-13
From: Rt. 22 (Wingdale)

To: Rt. 52
Miles today: 14.8

Today was a much better day than yesterday. We scaled back our distance goal and the weather was 10 deg cooler. Plus I was careful to drink much more water than I did yesterday. In fact we made a water stop every hour. And I drank 2 quart bottles of Powerade overnight. Princess was busy last evening replanning our next week or so. We hoped to get from Ft. Montgomery to Wingdale in 2 days (25 & 19 mile hikes). But since we only went 14.5 on the first day, we'll need a total of 3 days to cover the same distance. So that means another night here in Wingdale, different shuttle pickup points and everything downstream slides one day to the right. We're not on any schedule, so the extra day isn't a problem. But revising the shuttle arrangements is time-consuming. So, today was a relatively easy hike, several initial climbs and a lot of ridge hiking. But the ridges aren't level, the trail moves up and down between rocky outcroppings, so there are some challenges. There were some beautiful views as the trail wound around the edge of Nuclear Lake. We did this section SoBo, since that worked out best for our shuttle driver. Shuttle drivers are a little harder to find in this section of the trail compared to other sections. And motel or B&B accommodations are also more scarce. Martin, our shuttle driver today said the customary brand name motels are available along I-84, which we crossed on the trail today, so that may be a possibility for the future. We have been lucky this time to find drivers who are flexible and willing to work with us. So we signed up for a third night here at the Duchess Motor Lodge in Wingdale. The motel is a couple of miles from the AT crossing on Rt. 22, but the motel will provide a ride to and from the trailhead if the motel operator is available. The good news about the motel is that it's very close to Big W's Bar-B-Q. We've been there every night and love it. And there's a convenience store close to Big W's. So we have been able to get by. The trail was busier than usual today, mostly with day hikers from the area who were out enjoying the beautiful weekend weather. At one point we met 3 ladies with 7 (I think) dogs, all swarming around, none on a leash. We also saw several thru-hikers, but only knew a few. We did see Fireball for the first time in a while, and talked briefly. Later, back at our motel, Fireball rolled in with Chef. It seems that everyone has been struggling with the heat. We have one more nice (but hot) day tomorrow before the rains return on Monday. We'll finish up the section between Ft. Montgomery and Wingdale, and then push on north toward Kent, CT on Monday.
Date: 2015-06-14
From: Rt. 52

To: Dennytown Rd. 
Miles today: 15.8

Today we did the last segment of trail to complete the AT in NY up to Wingdale. It was hot again today, but didn't seem as humid as on Friday. We carried extra water and made a point to stop and hydrate every hour. We also slowed down a bit. All of that helped and I didn't feel as exhausted at the end. We did this section SoBo and Martin, who shuttled us, picked us up at 4:40 and dropped us at the trailhead at 5:15 AM. There was plenty of light and sunrise was actually 5:19. Martin has been fabulous. We got his reference from the AT Guide and he texts so he's easy to communicate with. He's a hiker, he knows a lot about the trail in this area and he's custodian of the nearby Wiley Shelter. Highlights from today's hike included the view from Shenandoah Mountain, including the 911 Memorial Flag painted on the rocks, and a hike through Fahnestock State Park and along the edge of Canopus Lake. I've included some photos of these. We also saw a group of hikers that we first met at Anton's on the Lake in Greenwood Lakes. They were passing through the RPH Shelter when we stopped there for water. They are thru-hiking, but doing a flip-flop instead of strictly NoBo or SoBo. This involves starting somewhere in the middle (like Harpers Ferry) and hiking in one direction to the terminus, then going back to the middle and finishing the rest of the trail in the other direction. Unfortunately, I can't remember all their trail names, but I'll work on that - they're a good group. Also at the end of our hike we met Retro who has been renamed Uhaul and Spartacus. After we got back to the motel and cleaned up, we treated ourselves to one more dinner at Big W's Roadside Bar-B-Q. Tonight it was dry rub slow smoked spare ribs with a sides of smoked cabbage and mac 'n cheese. Oh yeah. This evening we're busy trying to get ready physically & mentally for tomorrow's hike from Wingdale (Rt. 22) to Kent, CT. It's a long hike for us, almost 19 miles. And there's a 100% chance of rain with temps in the 60's. We're planning another very early start and we expect a long, grueling day. But it is what it is. So tomorrow I expect to be posting from CT. Adieu.
Date: 2015-06-15
From: Rt. 22 (Wingdale)

To: CT 341 (Kent)
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

All-in-all, today went better than I expected. It definitely rained, a lot, almost the entire hike. Ponchos or not, we were soaked virtually from the outset. We needed an early start because we had a long distance to cover (for us) and we knew the weather would slow us down. Bill at the Duchess Motor Lodge wouldn't shuttle us before 7:00. So we called on Martin one more time and he gratiously delivered us to the trailhead at 5:30 AM. I got a late start on this entry, and I need some sleep before tomorrow's hike, so I'm going to be very brief. The first half of the hike was relatively easy with no major challenges beyond the wet trail. There were quite a few boardwalks over marshy terrain and the rain made the boards slippery, but we didn't fall. The second half was much more difficult with several tough climbs and descents over rocky trails. There were more of the large smooth rocks that don't provide much traction when wet. We didn't see any other hikers until near the end when McIver and Jonagold passes us. We finished early in the afternoon and "Cooper" from Cooper Creek B&B picked us up at the trailhead and delivered us to his B&B. It's a very old (180 years, I believe) farmhouse complex and very comfortable. Later, he shuttled us the 2 miles or so into Kent so we could launder our clothes and have dinner. We had a great dinner at the Fife & Drum and talked with Jonagold who is staying at the Fyfe & Drum. If all goes well tomorrow, we'll be at Bearded Woods.
Date: 2015-06-16
From: CT 341 (Kent)

To: Weat Cornwall Road
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: few clouds

The weather today was far better than yesterday. And we "negotiated" with Cooper for an early start - 5:30 departure. We had a very entertaining time with him, and learned a lot about the local area. The recent saga of the Schaghticoke Indians' efforts to achieve official tribal status, for example. So after chowing down, we headed to the trailhead on CT 341. There were a few sprinkles on the windshield on the drive to the trailhead, but we never saw any more rain (in spite of predicted morning showers and afternoon storms). Cooper warned us that the very first meadow we crossed might be very wet from the previous day's rains. My boots were still soaked so I didn't care much, but it turned out that the trail maintainers have been busy and we didn't have any problem in the meadow. The grass was cut back and there were elevated wood frames filled with gravel to walk on. However, the first hill seemed like a long pull to me. And it was followed by a long series of ups and downs, culminating in Caleb's Peak. I took a pic of the sign for my nephew, Caleb, back in Ohio - later I saw a strange streak of light in the photo, no idea why. After Caleb's Peak, we went by St. John's ledges and then navigated slowly down a tough, steep descent to the Housatonic River. The AT Guide describes it as "steep stone steps". There were some steep steps, but a lot of it was just picking our way down a jumble of boulders. There always seemed to be a way to get down, but the rocks were still wet from yesterday's rains and that made it treacherous. Past that point we had almost a 5 mile walk on a flat path/gravel road along the Housatonic River. Last year the river was clear, this year it was muddy and very full. The path looked well travelled, but we had the trail to ourselves. In fact we saw virtually no one the entire day. The rest of the hike was anything but flat - just ups and downs. It wasn't a long day, but it still tired me out and I was glad when we finally reached West Cornwall Rd. and called Hudson to pick us up. Tonight we're at the Bearded Woods Bunk and Dine. It's hard to adequately describe Bearded Woods. Hudson and Big Lu have created a unique experience for hikers. They are both hikers and they have spent a lot of time researching other facilities in the trail, and they've built and operate a "hiker utopia". I don't know anyone who has ever stayed here and had a bad experience, most people rate it at the top of their list. Virtually everything you could want is in the standard rate, including incredible breakfasts and dinners. Lu is an exquisite cook. We plan to stay here 4 nights, including a zero. Tomorrow we hike from our finishing point today into Salisbury and we'll probably spend the afternoon there.
Date: 2015-06-17
From: Weat Cornwall Road

To: Salisbury
Miles today: 16.2

We had a great time hiking today. The weather was great, the trail was in good condition and we were well fed and rested from our first night at Bearded Woods. Speaking of well-fed, last night was Italian night and we had shells stuffed with ricotta, sausages, bruschetta and meatballs - and finished with an ice cream sundae over a light brownie. A section hiker furnished a tasty red wine for the occasion and we all had a good time. And bacon & egg muffin sandwiches for breakfast gave us a good kick start this AM. After breakfast Hudson drove 4 of us back to West Cornwall Road this morning, and I was so energized that I took off like a bullet up the first hill. On the way up we had to pass through a cracked boulder reminiscent of the Lemon Squeezer in NJ. Much of the hike was a series of sharp ups and downs. Most of them weren't very high, so we kept a good pace. About seven miles into the hike we dropped down toward the Housatonic River. This section is upstream of the long river walk we had yesterday and this part of the river wasn't as wide, but it was also muddy and high as well. At one point, the trail abruptly came out onto a paved road and there were 2 men there who were posting a map about the AT - one had an AT logo on his shirt. The explained that an iron bridge about 3 miles further north from that point was being torn down today and the AT was being rerouted. Instead of following the previous AT route, the trail reroute was a 3 1/2 mile road walk. We were the first hikers to take the reroute. The road walk was along a narrow road and the first mile or so had considerable traffic. Three and a half miles later the reroute rejoined the AT right at the end of the bridge that was being destroyed. And in fact the contractors were busy taking down the old iron bridge. After the reroute, we were back on the Housatonic River again and within a quarter mile we passed by a large waterfall on the river. We can remember that last year at this point, we climbed down to the river level and had lunch on some flat rocks at the water's edge. This year, those same rocks were under water. Then the trail took a sharp turn and headed up Mt. Prospect. Just beyond the summit we passed by the Limestone Spring Shelter. This shelter is currently closed due to a number of weakened trees that could fall on the shelter buildings. After passing the shelter, the trail began a long descent that eventually ended near Salisbury and we walked about a half mile into town. We had a good time getting reacquainted with Salisbury and we took care of some cores there. We were sad to find out that Beck's Village Store, an outfitter in town, is closing. We had a mail drop sent there last year. But we had a good lunch and picked up some resupplies before Hudson ferried us back to Bearded Woods. Tomorrow we're taking a zero here and we plan to rest.
Date: 2015-06-18
From: Bearded Woods 

To: Bearded Woods
Miles today: 0.0

Hallelujah!! A zero day at last. And what better place than Bearded Woods? Princess and I did get up in time for the end of breakfast and had a skillet mixed omelet with veggies and sausage and other good things. And a muffin with cream cheese and coffee. I hardly remember the rest of the day. Val and Andy took a day off also and we talked with them. They're here from Iowa doing a section. Princess & I have done the RAGBRAI bike ride across Iowa a half dozen times, so we have some experience in their state. Later in the day, their friend, Cinnamon joined them and he's staying here tonight also. One More is staying here another night, so he returned this afternoon after his hike with his dog Jazz. Jazz is possibly the most incredible dog I've ever seen. One More says that his wife trained the dog and that he has won national championships in agility, hunting and discipline several times. He's a gorgeous black lab who is now 10 years old and has retired from competition. Hudson and Big Lu have 2 dogs - Glacier and Cedar, who are well behaved, but very active dogs. Glacier barks a lot, gets Cedar going and tries to engage Jazz. But Jazz is stoic, he stands up and is motionless while the other 2 dogs circle around him barking and growling. I have never heard Jazz bark once. Later this afternoon, I took a nap for a couple of hours and when I got up, Spartacus had arrived. We met him several days ago and told him about slack packing. He thought it sounded great and he plans to try it tomorrow. Big Lu's dinner tonight was fabulous, linguini with scampi, spinach salad and warm bread with Italian sausages as a side dish. One More suggested that the sausages could even be added to the linguini and we all agreed. Cinnamon and Spartacus opted out of the seafood and had Italian shells with ricotta and a great sauce. Spartacus says he doesn't generally eat most seafood, but he does like lobster and has a large number of pots at his home on the New Hampshire coast. And he says it's been a bumper year for lobster. After last night (BBQ night) I thought it would be tough for Big Lu to top the grilled BBQ chicken and grilled corn on the cob - but she did. Spartacus said it was the best meal he's had in 3 months and we all applauded. This seems like a repeat of last year in a lot of ways for us. We zeroed here at Bearded Woods and the next day did the same hike that we plan to do tomorrow. I hope it doesn't end the same way - last year when I did this hike, the longer I hiked the worse I felt and afterwards I learned I had Lyme. After thinking about that, I went out to the clothesline and gave all my gear a thorough treatment with Permethrin. So it's been a great day. We both feel rested and rejuvenated, and ready for a tough hike tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-20
From: Guilder Pond

To: MA 23
Miles today: 16.8

Hope we're not proselytizing too much, but a couple of fellow hikers have decided to try out our style of slack-packing for a bit. We talked with Spartacus a week or so ago, and he tried it out yesterday and today, and he's pretty enthusiastic. And today Focus hiked with us and thinks he will hang with us for a while too. They're both good hikers and it was a challenge for me to keep up with them.Otherwise, we checked out of the Bearded Woods this morning. We really like Hudson and Big Lu, and they have been great to us. This was our second stay with them and it was even better than the first. Big Lu conjured up a spectacular meal for us last night and it was really hard to say goodby. We hope to be back again, so it really wasn't goodby - just so long. We do have an excuse for coming back. Spartacus missed a small section of trail near here and he has vowed to come back at the end, after Katahdin, to finish the AT at Bearded Woods. That will be a first and we hope to come back to help him celebrate. Apparently no one has actually "finished" the AT here at Bearded Woods. Big Lu gave us a fine send off with another great breakfast and then Hudson took us back to Guilder Pond for the continuation of our hike. After dropping us off, he took our packs to Jess Treat's in Sheffield, MA, and we headed north to catch up with them. The hike started off with a difficult 4 mile descent down Jug End. It seemed that most of the 4 miles was ridge walking with great views of the valley, and some scary steep descents intermixed. The good news was that the rocks were mostly dry, so it was easier to get a good grip with our boots. We passed a number of the same thru-hikers that we saw yesterday and then later they passed us. After finishing Jug End safely, we still had to climb June Mountain and East Mountain. Those proved longer than I expected and remembered. I'm not sure that the trail actually crossed the peaks, but it flanked the peaks and wound along the ridge line for quite a while.   We finished about when we expected, and Jess Treat was there in the parking lot to scoop us up and ferry us back to her house. And we found One More and his dog Jazz at her house when we arrived. After showers and cleanup, she hauled us the short distance to the Bridge Restaurant and joined the 5 of us for a good dinner and good company there. Rain is scheduled for tomorrow, so we're planning on a moderately long hike. Once you're wet and miserable, might as well go as far as you can. Then we'll head back here for another night.
Date: 2015-06-22
From: Goose Pond Road

To: MA 23
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday's rains are gone, replaced by a beautiful day today. There was no sign of overnight rain, so we hoped for a dry day on the trail. We were up early as usual, and after breakfast Jess drove us to the Goose Pond Road trail crossing. Spartacus has invented a new lunchtime munchie: a blueberry pancake coated with peanut butter and jelly, and then rolled up. Princess & I are sticking with our standard Powerbars for lunch. Fully armed with food and water, the four of us (Spartacus, Focus, Princess & I) hit the trail about 8:00, and hiked SoBo toward MA 23. For the most part, the trail was dry. But there were some places where there was still deep mud and even standing water from the rains on the previous day, and we continued to encounter those all day long. We also found a lot of boardwalks, stone steps, plank walks and puncheons over low, swampy areas, and neither of us remembered those from last year. At one point, as Focus used some rocks to step across a stretch of mud, he put his hiking pole down on the mud for balance and virtually half of the length of his pole disappeared into the mud. Some of these mudholes seem bottomless. Our first mountain today was Baldy Mtn. It wasn't much of a climb, since our starting point was only a couple hundred feet lower in altitude. But the descent was nearly a thousand feet and pretty steep. Another up and down took us over Cobble Hill, and then we started our longest and steepest climb up toward Mt. Wilcox. There are actually several shelters on Wilcox only about 2 miles apart, one on the north side and two on the south side. But we didn't visit either since all of them are off trail. After the Mt. Wilcox shelters, we passed the ledges, which offered a view across the valley and then began a long descent toward our pickup point. We did pass one point that offered good views across a lake (Benedict Pond I believe), and our group posed for pics. We hit a pretty good stride today and finished around 2:30. I didn't take many photos, the forest was interesting, but we were moving fast and nothing caught my eye as unique. I did take a photo of the view from the Ledges. We enjoyed a special treat this evening. After we cleaned up, a close friend of Spartacus drove out to have dinner with us. We decided to eat at the Barrington Brewery and he drove us there. I had a couple of their IPA and Princess tries a more fruity beer. We really had a great time and hope to see Spartacus' friend (Kevin) again. Back at Jess Treat's house, we packed up for our departure tomorrow morning. We have a short day, so we don't have to push out early. We have really enjoyed the last 2 nights here and talking with Jess. But once again it's time to move on.
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Waahington Mtn. Rd. 

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today started out so nicely. We had a fine, relaxing breakfast at Jess Treat's, we waited a few minutes while Jess delivered 2 section hikers to the nearby trailhead, and then Jess drove us a long way to the AT crossing at Washington Mtn. Rd. We weren't too worried about time since we had a short day planned. There was a moderate probability of rain starting around 11:00, but it had been shifting later. We took a couple of final photos with Jess. She has been great to us and we appreciate her hospitality. The AT is full of interesting, wonderful people both on and off the trail. Even though we started at 2,000 ft. elevation, the trail was still damp from the rains day before yesterday. We had a lot of plank walks across wet, marshy ground most of the day. But everything was fine until we started hearing distant thunder about an hour and a half into the hike. And it started getting dark. Not long after that it started raining. Not much at first, mostly wind in the trees with some sprinkles. But the big rains finally hit us. They came in waves and it seemed like a cloudburst at times. We were really fortunate that we have a mostly flat profile today, no big climbs. But even the small ones were a big challenge with the heavy rain. I wanted to use my poncho, but it got stuck in the zipper of my slack-pack and it was too dark and soggy to get it unsnarled so I gave up. Princess did pull hers on, but she's was already wet. I don't know how much rain we got or how long it really lasted, but it was really miserable for me. It wasn't the rain, it was the trail that turned into a river of mud. There was no way for the rainwater to run off fast enough, it just created a big mudslide. To everyone's credit, none of us fell into the mud, although at times I was literally skiing on the mud. Enough said. We were all glad when we finally broke out of the woods onto a railroad track and then marched into Dalton, MA. By then the rain had passed and the sun was out. The AT goes through Dalton, and comes within a block of our motel, the Shamrock. Jess had delivered our packs there early this morning and they were waiting in our room. An hour later, we were showered and ready for a beer and lunch at Jacob's, a hundred yards from our motel. And the mud experience turned into just another trail story. We found a nice coffee shop not too far away, I took an afternoon nap and later we had supper at Jacob's with Euchre, who is also staying here. So now it's late and I'm anxious to get some sleep. We have a long hike planned tomorrow, all the way up Greylock Mountain to Bascom lodge. Spartacus plans to meet family tomorrow and we'll have dinner with them at the lodge tomorrow evening. Coincidentally, Jess Treat has plans to take her Mom out to dinner at the lodge tomorrow night also. Should be a fun evening.