morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-02
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Fingerboard shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

I didn't get any sleep last night. Everything was cold and wet last night.I tossed and turned all night. I started early because I new it would be a hard day in the rain. I passed Fitzgerald falls early in the day. The day went down hill from there. I feel exhausted and I'm wet. I was hiking with Pastor John (PJ) through the tougher stuff. There were many places you had to climb down the rocks. The rocks were soaked and very slippery in places. At little dam lake there are stepping stones across a creek. Big rocks every two feet about five of them. The only problem they were 10 inches under water with a fast current. We just took time and crossed with our boots on. We made it but our boots were drenched now. We had headed into Harriman park and headed to the Lemon squeezer. It's a huge cave like Boulder you have to squeeze through and climb over. Mad I approached the shelter I had another fall on the trail to the shelter. Just a rough day all around. This is the second night I'm eating after dark. Looking forward to no rain tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-03
From: Fingerboard shelter

To: West Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: broken clouds

The last two days in the rain has worn me out. I decided to do 8.5 miles with PJ tomorrow. We slept in the shelter last night with Luke sky walker. The hike was very good . There was some steep up and downs but nothing like yesterday. We even walked down the Palisades Parkway to use the facilities and get cool drink. We also filled our water bladders up to take to the shelter. Now water on top of the mountain. Tired after hiking 9 miles today. We will be more rested for tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-04
From: West Mountain Shelter

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

The climb up Bear Mountain has changed since I was last here. It's had a lot of work done to the trail there. They put steps of cut stone to make rock stairs. These will last for many years with minor trail maintenance. The trail was almost park like in places. They are still working on part of the trail coming off the mountain.PJ and I came down the mountain much faster with the new trail work. Thank you to the New Jersey and New York trail crew for all the hard work. We went trough the trail side Museum which is mostly a Zoo of the Native Wildlife. We were hopping to get a hot dog for lunch,but the concessions were closed.We walked across the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River.We left there with about 6 miles to the store for resupply and Diner. I had a hogie and a 24 oz beer. Our day ended 1 mile away at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center. It's a Monastery that lets hikers camp at the ball field. There is water,cold shower,portapottys,picnic tables and a covered pavilion with electrical outlets. Great place to stop. Tired but had a good day.
Date: 2015-06-05
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

To: Clarence Fahnesstock State Park
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

We hit the trail heading to Clarence Fahnestock State Park. We had a great stop at Graymoor and the store just before. I had my first beer on the trail. I got to see my first deer on the trail. I have seen squirrels and chipmunks a lot. The song birds are almost constant except in the heavy rain. I have heard turkeys and owls at night. We took s break at Dennytown road. There is a pump building with a faucet to get water. A car pulled up and the regional park commissioner got out. We talked to him for a couple minutes. We got to NY 301 and we knew the park was 1 mile down the road but there was a side trail 2 miles up the trail. When we got to the side trail it was marked in blue,it was green in our guide.We headed down it was twice as long as it should have been. We get down to the lake and there is nobody around. They let hikers camp one night for free. We called all the numbers and just a got a recording. We looked around and couldn't find anybody. We waited around and then set up our tents.Another hiker showed up named Shay.While I was at the bathrooms we were told to move or security would be down. There was no instructions or map of the park. All we knew is that the beach was supposed to be open until 5 pm we got there at 4:30. We packed up our camp and walked the mile uphill across the road to the campground. No one was there again to tell us where to go. They left early according to their hours. A nice camper gave us one of their sites they weren't using. She even drove us up to the site and we both were tired.they even gave us both a apple and a beer .Trail magic from a nice lady and her family. The park workers were not very helpful at all. What a hectic end of the day.
Date: 2015-06-06
From: Clarence Fahnesstock State Park

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 14.0

Pastor John and I got a early start due to the distance we had to go to get back on the AT. We crossed Shenandoah Mountain with a painted 911 memorial flag. We took a break at the RPH Shelter. There was a group of trail maintainers getting ready to do some trail work. We thanked them for their hard work. We headed back up the trail to what else another deli to get some lunch. We are out here roughing it. We arrived at Morgan Stewart Shelter.
Date: 2015-06-07
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today is the day Pastor John gets off the trail. I really enjoyed hiking with him. He reminds me of OneStick. We hiked around Nuclear lake. They did nuclear testing many years ago. We hiked up to West Mnt and back down to the Dover Oak. It's the largest oak on the AT, it's over 300 years old. We headed to NY22 to where Pastor John is getting picked up. I also have a resupply box at Native Landscape and garden center. It's great when these businesses help out the hikers. I was going to get my first shower in a week, but boiler is down. I packed my bag with all my food and say my farewell to Pastor John. Went through some hay fields to reach the woods. Long day today but I made it to Wiley Shelter.
Date: 2015-06-08
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Stewart Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a huge mile day planned by my standard at least. You must factor in what kind of hiking shape I'm in and my oversized spare tire I carry around. I really need to take better care of my self. I planned a 19.7 mile day today. I had to change my trip plans due to my over aggressive miles planned. It's like trying to race the Daytona 500 in a Toyota Prius. I left at 5:45 am knowing it would be a long day. I scared up a Deer,but I couldn't get a picture. I left NY state and entered Conn. At Hoyt Road. You cross over into NY some but after today it's behind me. My first real climb is Ten Mile Hill. It Wanda 1.2 mile climb with over a 500 ft gain. They all where me out. Heck I get winded just going up the stairs at home. Sometimes I have to stop to catch my breath or before I have a heart attack. The hike along Ten Mile River was beautiful. Next climb was Schaghicoke Mtn. it had some rock scrambles on the steep parts. I took a break at Mt. Algo Shelter. I wish I could stop here but I must go on. The next climb was 400 ft plus. Then several small up and downs. I got to Calebs peak with a nice view. The next challenge was the ledges it's a steep downhill rock scramble down the mountain. I did fall but luckily it wasn't down the mountain. That could have been serious. Once at the bottom I had a 2.3 level walk to the shelter along the Housatonic River. It's the level walking that is the most painful to my blistered feet. The blisters are on the pads behind my toes. I never had them there. I also have some on my small toes. I think I need a wider toe box on my boots. I arrived at the shelter at 7:15. Thirteen and a half hours after I started. I'm wore out. I set my tent up and wet to get water and it started to rain. I rushed back to put my pack under my tent vestibule. I made and ate dinner in the dark at the shelter. I new it was going to be a wet night. Today really kicked my butt.
Date: 2015-06-09
From: Stewart Hollow Shelter

To: Cornwall Bridge CT 4
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: light rain

It rained quite a bit last night, but I was dry for the most part. I have this huge rash covering s large area spreading from my underarm area.i haven't seen a shower in a week and my shirt feels like it's made of sandpaper when I hike. It's hard to dry out when the air is so humid and wet out. I try to clean up best I can at night. I felt exhausted as soon as I started hiking. It was flat for a while along the Housatonic River. Then it was uphill from there. I went downhill from the climb and I was worn out. My rash was getting worse so I decided to call and find a place in Cornwall Bridge. I called Robin at the Amselhaus. She said she would pick me up. I was in a 1830's home. It was split into two apartments. Mine was a 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath. It had laundry and everything a 4 star hotel would have. It also included my shuttles.I got something to eat at the deli across the street and tried to heel up. This unplanned stop is going to mess up my scheduled pickup on Friday. So Robin is going to take me to Falls Village in the morning so I can make it to Great Barrington ,MA. I hope I can get this rash under control and get down the trail. The Amselhaus is a great place to relax and Robin is Great!!!
Date: 2015-06-10
From: Cornwall Bridge CT 4

To: Salisbury,CT
Miles today: 7.0

My rash had improved quite a bit. I still felt a little tired,but it's time to go.Robin dropped me off at Falls Village. I hiked along the Housatonic River and with views of the Falls.Then I hiked up the mountain to Mount Prospect. I came down the mountain slower then I went up. I was not feeling well. I feel light headed and nauseated. Trying to slow down so I don't fall or get sick. I don't know what's going on. I just feel ill and lightheaded. I decided to get off the trail. If I do short miles today.i won't make my flight home. I walked into Salisbury,CT and called Maria McCabe. She has beds for hikers in her home.She came and picked me up and invited me into her home. She is 86 years old woman and she is wonderful lady! I don't fly home until Saturday. I will stay one night Great Barrington and one in Hartford.
Date: 2015-06-12
To: Home Sweet Home
Miles today: 0.0

The day after arrived at Maria's she tried to find me a bag to put my pack in to protect it when I fly home. She ended up giving me a old suitcase she had. She doesn't take no very well. She is a sweet woman who really goes out of her way for the hikers. I have never been to her place before and I wasn't planning on going their. In a way I was blessed to have gotten sick and met this trail legend. The AT is not only the trail,but the people and places that are connected to it. I really feel blessed to have met Pastor John and many other hikers no mater how long they are on the trail. Maria,Silvia,and Robin are part of the trail too. The people we don't see doing trail work or a day hiker just picking up trash. It's all the Appalachian Trail as far as I am concerned. I prefer not to hike alone anymore. It's better to share the experience with someone else. Either to modavate or just share the day's events. I also have to be realistic of miles hiking and time to rest. I need to just be more physically ready too. It's had trying to put 70 hrs in a week and do anything extra. That will be coming to a end in the near future. My new pack was great on this trip and my boots were not perfect. My new hiking poles were ok except the straps don't hold up well. Thank you to everyone who read my journal. I know it's kind of boring, I need to work on that. Thank you for coming along. Looking forward to next year and hiking with my friend OneStick again!
Date: 2014-01-29
To: My Dream
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hello Everyone!Wow! I can't believe I am writing in an online journal. Not to mention, I am writing about a dream and obsession of mine that is about to become reality. Life is so good! For well over 15 years now I have been telling anyone who would listen that my Dream is to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine one day. This Adventure of a Lifetime is an amazing journey of approximately 2,185 miles. It is said that the elevation gain of hiking the entire AT is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest 16 times. Wow!I have always been a nature lover. My first backpacking trip was about 15 years ago with my son and stepson. We started at the Approach Trail to the AT at Amicalola Falls and hiked for four days. My feet were killing me, it rained almost everyday and my pack was unbelievably heavy. Muscles I didn't even know I had were screaming at me, and I could barely put one foot in front of the other. We were so prepared for this trip. We had EVERYTHING we could possibly need and then some. We had been collecting our gear for months and the piles kept growing. Even brought a big can opener for all our canned food. I could barely lift my backpack out of the trunk so my sons helped me lug it up to the big scale. I was astonished when it weighed in at 100 pounds! No wonder I couldn't lift it myself. So we carried it back to the car and I instructed everyone to get rid of half their gear including our extra flashlights. We had to hurry because it would be dark soon. We were starving, but I promised we would eat after we hiked for a bit and found the perfect campsite. Did not weigh the packs again which was probably a good thing, but I could lift mine onto my back if I used a tree for support. I thought this was the way it was supposed to be. After getting on the trail we realized we didn't have a single flashlight between the three of us. My son was unhappy that I made him take out the three flashlights in his pack. We hiked in the dark and did not have an easy time finding a spot to camp. Crawled into our sleeping bags without eating dinner because we couldn't see in the dark.The rains came down the next day and stayed with us throughout most of our trip. The smartest piece of gear we brought were garbage bags for rain jackets and to cover our packs. My feet were absolutely killing me in my brand new heavy leather hiking boots. When I found a picnic table at Springer Mountain Shelter I laid down on top and cried because my feet hurt so bad. I didn't know how I could go on, but nothing was stopping me. I LOVED it, and I was hooked! I was going to thru-hike this one day and I became obsessed with this dream of mine. But first, I had to figure out how to overcome the foot pain and how to manage my pack weight. I had to learn everything I could about making the Appalachian Trail my home for six months.
Date: 2014-01-30
To: Yoga on the Trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Over the years I have read everything I could about the Appalachian Trail. Reading Backpacker Magazine every night only added fuel to my fire. Did all my research on lighter weight gear and slowly upgraded. What fun! Have section hiked Georgia and North Carolina more times than I can count and Tennessee too. Have learned so much and am so thankful to the many hikers I have met over the years on the trail and who have taught me so much. So many kindred spirits on the trail. So happy to be a part of the Class of 2014. Looking forward to meeting some incredible people.After my first backpacking trip my feet continued to hurt daily. Finally went to a podiatrist and was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Did the recommended exercises for two years including rolling my feet on soup cans. Everything helped but still had regular pain. Continued hiking but always with foot pain. Tried several different hiking boots but nothing seemed to work. Didn't know what I was going to do. This was a big problem.Meanwhile, my sister had been doing yoga for years and kept trying to convince me to give it a try. I would have no part of it. Definitely not for me. Finally after arriving in California for a 7 day visit with her she begged me to go to a class with her in the morning. I said no thank you, and she told me if I went with her and didn't like it she would never ask me again. This sounded like a good plan. So I went, and it changed my life! I loved it so much we went everyday. I slowly learned to quiet my mind and relax. I learned about balance and becoming in tune with my body and so much more that I was able to apply to my everyday life. Thank you Michelle! The first thing I did when I returned to Tampa was look for yoga studios and began going to classes daily. After three months I realized my feet no longer hurt. I couldn't believe it because the pain had been constant for two years. Yoga not only changed my life but changed my backpacking. I started doing yoga every day when I was on the trail and it made a HUGE difference. I have never had an issue with plantar fasciitis again.I will definitely be doing yoga on the trail during my thru-hike. It is part of my journey and adventure.
Date: 2014-02-02
To: Getting Ready
Miles today: 0.0

I plan on starting my adventure around the end of March. The date is not set in stone at this point. Originally I planned to start at the beginning of March but was advised by others who had thru-hiked the AT that because I do not do well in the cold to start towards end of March. I am a Florida girl and 60 degrees is freezing to me. Most of my section hiking has been done in the warm months and I can handle the heat and humidity. Once hiked for over 10 days and didn't see another person the entire time. Found out there was a record heat wave and people were advised to stay indoors. Explains why the water sources were dry. I don't want to rush through my Adventure of a Lifetime and want to make it last as long as possible. My goal is to enjoy each and every day and to embrace whatever challenges and joys the trail brings me. I plan to hike my own hike and live in the moment. This means I am going to be flexible in my plans and start out hiking slow no matter what others are doing. Taking care to do whatever I can to reduce my chance of injury so that I can be one of the 20 percent of thru-hikers who make it from Springer to Katahdin. I have the heart, passion and determination. Can't wait to meet everyone on the trail!
Date: 2014-02-16
To: Stay Strong
Miles today: 0.0

Trying to remain positive and strong in light of disappointing news last week. I found out I have two torn ligaments in my right wrist from a fall I sustained in early December. Really thought my doctor's appointment last week was something to check off my "to do" list before my hike, and I have gotten used to my wrist pain. Doctor had been out of the country and it took a few weeks to get me the test results. Surgery is required and is scheduled for three days from now. I am told worst case scenario is three months to resume normal activities. Not sure if normal activities include thru-hiking the AT. Seriously considered delaying surgery but definitely not advisable for this kind of injury. My plan now is to do a leapfrog hike and finish what I miss after Katadhin or do a Flipflop (which may be the same thing). Will readjust my start date after surgery. Any ideas on this would be appreciated. Don't want to wait until 2015. Gotta get back to dehydrating. Experimenting with all kinds of energy bar recipes today.
Date: 2014-04-01
To: Recovering from Wrist Surgery
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday was supposed to be the first day of my long anticipated thru-hike. I had my wrist surgery on February 19, almost 5 weeks ago. I have been unsure of what to write in my journal as my thoughts and emotions have flip flopped all over the place. I ended up having two torn ligaments in my right wrist which is my dominant hand. One was completely torn from the bone requiring four pins to hold it in place. I can't even begin to describe the disappointment and depression that has taken hold. Totally unexpected for me was the constant and intense pain I have been in daily. Literally brings me to tears as I don't think I can handle it any more, until this week when it has become so much more manageable. I am attributing that to a couple natural remedies I have started on my own. Also, living on my own and having no one to help me with the little things I could barely do like preparing food, changing clothes, etc. was very humbling and yes, lonely. On the bright side, I am sure this experience is going to make me even more prepared for my 6 months of living on the AT. I had already had my internet and cable and newspaper disconnected in preparation of my journey. I have sold almost all of my furniture as well, as I plan on starting over when finished. Boxes are everywhere for resupplies and storing my worldly possessions in a storage unit.I am scheduled to have my cast off in about 3 weeks and then will begin physical therapy for 4 weeks. The first 4 weeks my arm was in a splint past my elbow, and I could not bend it. When my doctor took it off 10 days ago and replaced it with a shorter cast I passed out from the pain when he tried to straighten my arm. It was not going to happen! Just had my second PT session for my elbow and am happy to say it seems to have full motion but with soreness. My doctor will not give me a timeline for getting full strength back and generally does not like to answer my questions. So...I consult the internet daily regarding my injury and how professional athletes heal so quickly. If all goes perfectly I plan to start a flip flop hike the first week of June at Harpers Ferry.I guess I should mention as well that when I fell in December I also landed on my left wrist but with much less impact. I still have a problem with a couple motions and it started popping several weeks ago. I had an arthgrogram done yesterday in which a dye is injected into my joint and pictures are taken to determine if a ligament is torn. I have the xrays to bring to the doctor but he can't see me til next week. Obviously if I need surgery on this wrist as well my hike is out until 2015. Being positive as I am forever the optimist. All this and I'm not even on the trail yet... Of all the things that could have happened I never anticipated this. My heart goes out to all the thru hikers who have had to leave the trail already due to injuries...and to all who could not start due to circumstances beyond their control. I think only those of us who share the same dream can truly understand. Dream big!Namaste,
Date: 2014-12-25
To: Merry Christmas
Miles today: 0.0

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas filled with joy, peace and love. I am so blessed to be spending this holiday with my daughter and almost five month old granddaughter and family. Naturally as 2014 draws to a close I am reflecting on the events of the year and what lies ahead. It has been a year full of ups and downs but not the kind that I eagerly anticipated. My 2014 thru hike was postponed to 2015 because of torn ligaments on my left wrist which required surgery as well. This was not done until the end of August because of slow healing on my right wrist. Next week begins my sixth month of physical therapy three times a week. I spent a total of six months of 2014 in a cast or splint on either wrist, not counting three additional months wearing a splint at night. Sounds so crazy to me...like a bad dream. I would have been much better off with broken bones instead of ligaments.Still, I have been hiking, backpacking, camping and planning. I am learning to compensate as my wrists will never have the same flexibility and strength as before. My biggest disappointment is not being able to put my hands flat on my yoga mat. This is not the way I wanted to start my thru hike but mental toughness has always been my strength and this past year has been no exception. I want this more than ever.