morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-23
From: Home - South Windsor, CT

To: West Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 3.1
Weather: clear sky

Beth was ready to take me back to the AT before I was packed and ready to go. The transition home seemed much easier than the transition to resume hiking. There's so much space to spread gear and food out at home. It is a lot easier to be organized on the trail when space is shared and possessions are those being worn or carried on my back. Now that I'm less than 3 hours from home, I'll see Beth soon. But being with her for more than 4 consecutive days made it hard to leave. As she waved goodbye and turned the corner driving away, embracing the trail came easier with each passing moment. A trail register log was located between the divided 4-lane Palisades Parkway. I was happy to see that Bubbles and Sprout has signed the register earlier today. Mountain Man and Karma signed in today too. Less than 15 minutes in today's hike, Bubbles called my name. What a break! I'm sharing a beautiful shelter that overlooks the Hudson River with all of them and just them. Since it was just "us", we could talk as easily as if we were in a room at home. Talking for this group inevitably leads to singing a tune and laughing. Sprout made a nice fire and tended it until hiker midnight. The fire kept the bugs away and we enjoyed the view of the Hudson River below. It periodically rained lightly and we were treated to half of a rainbow. As darkness came, New York's lights surfaced in the distance as lights twinkled around the perimeter of the banks of the Hudson River. Bubbles shared how thankful she was to be here with her hiking family. That's clearly Mountain Man and Karma. I've been lucky enough to see this group a third time now and each time has been so enjoyable. Just as everyone was settled in for the night, Karma said how glad she was to have seen me again. It was too dark for her to see the big smile on my face but I let them all know that it was there. Bubbles immediately began singing "Oh Happy Day" as Sprout begged her to stop with the rest of laughing until there was silence. I can look out of the shelter tonight anytime I want to see the lights of homes and other buildings but I'm glad to be where I am. The transition back seems complete. I'm comfortable sleeping on a pad with my clothes bag as my pillow. Tomorrow will be a full day of hiking. My long break ended hours ago. I'm back on the AT and have already experienced one of its special moments.
Date: 2016-05-24
From: West Mountain Shelter

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The Whippoorwill began singing early, really early. Then it's song became louder and louder. The rain came too. You'd think this might lead to tired hikers who might not be in the best of moods. Not this group. They woke up happy. Bubbles became the DJ playing Bohemian Rhapsody, then Look On the Bright Side Of Life was mentioned and there was laughter remembering Monty Python skits. Bubbles played Bright Side Of Life by Rebelution before playing the Monty Python tune. It was easy to be up with this group. As I headed out, the sun arrived.I was a bit confused backtracking to get to the AT. The West Mountain Shelter was .6 of a mile from the AT and there were several other trails. Fortunately I made my way back. The trail today was very good, with wide dirt paths being common. The climb up and down Bear Mountain was primarily on rock steps or other types of trail to make hiking this part of the trail fun and relatively easy.   Extra food and drink were plentiful today with vending machines at the top of Bear Mountain and also at the Trailside Zoo. Near the end of today's hike was the Appalachian Deli. The sandwiches there were very good and the portion sizes were big. I hiked with Karma and Mountain Man for most of the day today. Our topics were varied and covered politics and social issues along with a good bit about the previous and future adventures of this young Swiss couple. They already were in India and their next stop after leaving America will be Australia. These two know adventure and it was a real pleasure hiking with them today. A call to Beth confirmed that Anne & Pat's wedding plans are really coming along. A date has been finalized and the Church and Wedding Reception venue have been reserved. It's great to hear about the progress that's been made.As night arrived and we were chatting around a picnic table, a headlamp came down the road and then it came towards us. I recognized the voice right away - Blues Brother figured out where I'd probably be based on last night's post and hiked to get here. My high school best friend had predicted today was going to be a good day. It was. And being reunited with Blues will lead to many more.
Date: 2016-05-27
From: NY 22 - Native Landscape's Garden Center

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today's zero day was used primarily to clean gear and outline hiking plans for the remainder of this hike. Those plans aren't definitive but allow me to be estimate where I'm headed and when I'll be there. This is important to prepare resupply boxes and more importantly, to identify which days I can hike with family and friends. It looks like I'll be hiking just under 8 miles on Saturday, June 11th en route to Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts. Beth will pass along details of this plan to family members intending to hike that day but contact me if there is anyone else reading this that would like to join us for the hike or to share some time together at Mt. Greylock's summit. Betsy - I'll contact you soon to see if your plans coincide with me being around Stratton Mountain. Right now, it looks like I'll be around Stratton Mountain on June 7th. Mark - Beano - Ugly or any of the many names I've called you over the years, please resend me your family vacation dates so that I can identify options for us to hike together. The zero day was also an opportunity to assess this hike and my enthusiasm for it. The picture shows my gear is ready to go. Today's song title provides a sense of where I currently find myself. I am tired. I've enjoyed myself immensely. Do I have enough "gas in the tank" to finish this hike? Admittedly, it is easier to prepare an outline of where I'm headed than to hike it. I am not saying this to create drama or beg for encouragement. This is me reflecting on knowing how good I feel about the miles and experiences already behind me. I told my daughter Anne that this was always about having fun and wanting to be out here doing this. The AT is calling with many more beautiful sights and challenges. There are plenty of friends and family to hike with that will provide additional sparkles along the way. As I write this while Beth is driving me back to the trail, the sense of wanting all of it grows. But there is a "but". I'm looking forward to whatever is coming ahead. We just got to our exit so my backpack and poles will be put to use momentarily. Thanks for taking this journey with me.
Date: 2016-05-28
From: Home

To: CT 341 - Schagthicoke Road - Kent, CT
Miles today: 18.4

Before hiking today, Beth and I stopped in at Native Landscapes And Garden Center so that I could say hello and introduce Beth to the kind woman who I'd spoken with a couple days ago. She was there speaking with another hiker named Stepandahalf. Turns out that Stepandahalf reads my journal. We posed for the picture after talking a bit. He is night hiking currently to avoid the high temperatures. Meeting Stepandahalf was a nice way to start today's hike. The initial climb today was one I'd done a couple days ago before turning around and getting Beth to pick me up. It sure was a lot easier with fresh legs and the cooler morning temperatures. A group of hikers from New York City had just gotten off the train. It was a nice group that included a 2013 Southbound thru-hiker named Professor. Others included a couple who had recently been in Ecuador for a couple years. It's always fun to learn about such varied hikers. Without prompting from me, Professor said he had wished his thru-hike ended a month before it did. It was an interesting comment given my recent bout of doubt. Today's trail was varied over the day. Most of it was on dirt-based trail that was easy hiking. I was surprised when another hiker going south told me that the trail really became nice near Kent, CT. I thought this trail was pretty nice already.Thanks to the trail angel who provided water at Leather Hill Road and Duell Hollow Road. I was dripping sweat within the hike's first half hour and benefitted greatly from those easy water sources. There was more water at the border between New York and Connecticut. Always good to cross another state milestone. The Ten Mile River Shelter area looked spectacular. Lots of tents were up and there were many people cooling off in the river. I had an extended conversation with G2, a successful 2013 thru-hiker. I could see how much he enjoyed reminiscing about his hike. The trail began a substantial climb shortly after passing Ten Mile River. By then it was mid-afternoon and the heat was a bit stifling. Thank goodness for the shade. The bugs began then and didn't let up the entire day. One group of hikers had stopped to replenish their repellent, saying that their ears were under attack. I agreed and said how unfortunate it was that I gave those bugs so much surface area to pursue. Thunder was heard for the last hour and a half of today's hike. It clearly had rained earlier but I was lucky and hadn't been rained on. The descent between Schaghticoke Mountain Campsite and Thayer Brook was steep, rocky, and rooty. It slowed me down just as I was trying to finish. Finally, the hike was done. Beth was there to whisk me away back home. Between speaking with Beth and the car's comfort, the day's challenges faded. We both said how the day's start in New York seemed a long time ago. Thanks to all for your encouragement and good wishes!
Date: 2016-05-29
From: CT 341 - Schagthicoke Road - Kent, CT

To: West Cornwall Road - West Cornwall, CT
Miles today: 15.9

Beth again drove me to and from the trail today as I am taking advantage of being near my home. The day started with a reasonable temperature but got hotter and was pretty miserable as the day went on.Beth and I have previously day hiked portions of today's hike. The climbs and descents were pretty steep. St. John's Ledges is a particularly steep descent filled with countless rock steps. The climbs and descents between Hatch Brook and Carse Brook approximate the famed Roller Coaster that was hiked hundreds of miles ago. Since those portions came at the end of the day, they made for a tough finish in the heat. I just took them at a comfortable pace and was buoyed knowing that Beth would be there to enable me to cool off after finishing. There weren't many hikers on the trail today. One hiker that appeared to be about my age was napping on the trail as I came by. Within an hour after seeing that hiker was a group of three hikers. The older hiker in that group remarked that it just isn't supposed to be this hot yet. Some smart hikers took advantage of the cool waters of the Housatonic River to cool off. There were smiles on their faces as I applauded their spontaneity.Just before St. Johns Ledges, I met Onesimus who identified himself as a trail angel. I wasn't familiar with this name which has its origin in the Bible and I was told is a Greek word meaning "useful". He's former military who has thru-hiked twice. He's been providing trail magic up and down the AT for the last 5 years. I was directed to find his camper located near the gate as the trail consists of a river walk along the Housatonic River. I found the camper and benefitted from his clean water but the big treat was an ice cream sandwich. Thank you Onesimus!The heat was overwhelming today and I was glad when today's hike ended.
Date: 2016-05-30
From: West Cornwall Road - West Cornwall, CT

To: Housatonic River Road - Falls Village, CT
Miles today: 9.8

This was a unique Memorial Day for me. I've never known anyone who died serving our country nor do I recall, before this AT hike, knowing anyone who knew and spoke of those who had died. This hike changed that. Big Cypress is the lone survivor of a horrific helicopter crash. Blues Brother told me a sad story of the death of one man serving in his unit. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who mourn and celebrate the lives of fallen loved ones. I am grateful for the service provided by veterans I've hiked with - Subman, Blues Brother, Papa Wolf, Big Cypress, Fresh Ground, Who-Dat, Mostly, Clyde, and No Schedule. While driving myself to resume my hike today, I realized my dependency on the trail's white blazes as I became anxious when not seeing frequent highway signs that confirmed I was still on the right road. Today's hike was intentionally short because the humidity continued to be high even though the temperature was a few degrees cooler. Connecticut trail's continue to be great. The blazes are consistently visible and dirt-based. Poison ivy was encroaching on the trail so I washed off with Dawn after today's hike. I only saw four hikers today. The climbs came early, much to my liking. The final miles were a shade-covered path along the Housatonic River that ended with the roar of the Great Falls waterfall. Hope this heat wave ends soon.
Date: 2016-05-31
From: Housatonic River Road - Falls Village, CT

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I am home. I am trying to eat and drink way more than normal. Beth has loaded the refrigerator and cabinet with so many favorites that I can't provide an answer when asked if there is something else I'd like her to buy. Sleep is coming easy - almost too easy. I've never been able to sleep as much as I've slept the last couple days. The last couple days of hiking have found me unable to stay awake within a half hour after showering and eating. Thanks for the continued support. All of your comments are appreciated and make me think this period is just another obstacle to overcome.
Date: 2016-06-01
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Recovering at home, but not feeling better, so I went to see my doctor today. The good news was that my blood pressure and heart rate were great. My blood pressure was significantly better than before this hike began. Still, I don't feel well. I will have a complete physical within 2 weeks. Blood wIll be drawn to specifically check for Lyme Disease and a couple other tick-borne diseases.The doctor said I could resume hiking as soon as I feel up to it. Then he warned about not climbing too high out of concern that I could fall down a mountain. My dad would've liked his sense of humor.
Date: 2016-06-02
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Was contacted by many members of my trail family today. Calls from Subman & Suds and Fresh Ground. E-mails from Bruce, Betsy, and Swamp Angel. So I really felt your concern and support throughout the day. Okay - to be truthful - Fresh Ground's call was more of a humorous smackdown telling me to get out there. It has been great to hear for all of you. Happy Birthday to Suds! Fasting last night for my blood tests made for a long night and I then realized how much Advil may be minimizing ongoing aches. Test results will be available either tomorrow or Monday. The weather is much better now but I'm probably not hiking until I really feel ready to go.
Date: 2016-06-03
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

I felt better today; best I've felt since being home. I was glad to finalize or move forward various components of Anne & Patrick's wedding. Weather was great and I can see more hikers passing me. It apparently takes at least a week for the Lyme disease test results to become available. I don't think I will wait for them if I feel okay for a couple days.
Date: 2016-06-04
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Muhammad Ali. There will never be another like him. Bigger than life. I wish Howard Cosell was alive today. I remember waiting for his commentaries. I would love to hear Cosell's memories of this legend. I remember listening to the radio to hear summaries of each round of Ali's fights. I've enjoyed being home to watch each channel's stories. Muhammad Ali - The Best.
Date: 2016-06-05
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Mark Loehrke long ago asked about maintenance of the Appalachian Trail. A donation request from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy provided some information that addresses his question. In 2015, 6,827 volunteers from 6 Trail Crews, 31 Trail Maintaining Clubs and many volunteers reported a total of 272,477 volunteer hours, an all-time record. These volunteers collectively save U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6 million annually Trail construction and maintenance that would otherwise be the responsibility of the federal government. The A.T. was originally built from 1925 - 1937 so this beautiful trail has evolved and been maintained for many years. Hope this helps a bit.
Date: 2016-06-06
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

While assembling my backpack for a short hike on the AT this morning, I noticed a red circle on my leg. Then found a few more and found a larger rash area on my chest. Beth googled Lyme Disease and the site indicated that such a rash could be indicative of Lyme Disease even though it wasn't a bulls eye. I've been icing my neck the last few days and a stiff neck was listed as a symptom too. I went to see my doctor again and she confirmed the appearance of Lyme Disease. So I am on Lyme Disease medication as of noon today.
Date: 2016-06-07
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Am being a good patient. The medication's directions are a bit challenging for a thru-hiker. Need to take the medication one on an empty stomach and not eat for one hour after taking the medication or take the medication two hours after eating. Need to not lie down for 10 minutes after taking the medication. Am very susceptible to sun light so need to be completely covered up if out in the sun. Somewhere in there I guess I can hike. Looking on the brighter side............I am grateful that medication exists to overcome Lyme Disease. The test results aren't back yet so I don't know for sure that I have Lyme Disease but I am feeling better than last week. Thanks for everyone's good wishes. Have been hearing from my family on and off the trail. Subman and Suds are hiking strong and taking time to get me pumped up to continue this AT adventure. Fresh Ground is busting my chops every other day or so in a way that just continually makes me laugh. Swamp Angel and Captain Kirk have checked in and remind me of how happy I am to have met such great people out on the trail. Lots of you have shared advice and best wishes. Rambo is now hiking in New Hampshire and tells me that Blues Brother is now in Vermont - impressive and I'm very happy for them. My brother, sister, and friends from home are all in my ear telling me how happy they are for me in addition to telling me to be well. It's all appreciated. Maine seemed to be a mere x weeks away just a week ago and now seems much farther away. Doctors who see patients on a daily basis must have a really tough job to keep their patient's spirits up. I am reminding myself that many people have real problems. I have so much to be thankful for and have so many to thank for the love and kindness they send my way.
Date: 2016-06-08
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Anne and Pat drove down last night for a busy day of all things about planning their wedding and lives together. It's fun to be around these two. They deal with so many important decisions and details effortlessly. If I had their energy I'd probably already be on my way back from Mt. Katahdin. Dreams are important. Making them come true requires planning and effort. I was given a gift today as I watched them move from one decision to another or decide that they'd think a bit about decisions they hadn't considered yet. They weren't sweating or fretting about any of it either, just taking it all in stride. Impressive.
Date: 2016-06-09
From: Home

To: US 44 - Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 6.1

Beth joined me today for a short hike intended to stretch my legs and see how I felt. The trail in Connecticut again was dirt-based and spotlessly blazed. The weather was perfect. The trail was almost entirely shaded, particularly desirable for me given my Lyme Disease medicine that makes me very susceptible to the sun. Beth and I have hiked together many times. It was great to be out with her again and we'd never done this specific hike before. The hike was intentionally short and provided few views or prizes, but Rands View at Mile 1,495 was special. Normally there's a climb of some magnitude to obtain such a view but this one came as we moved through the woods and all of a sudden it was just there. I wish I knew the names of the distant peaks because it seemed that we were able to see mointains a long way away. I was surprised by how long I slept as soon as I got home. That sleep showed me how soft I've gotten and how resuming my hike will probably require my initial hikes to be somewhat shorter until I get my hiker legs again. Good to be out there today.
Date: 2016-06-10
From: US 44 - Salisbury, CT

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Aren't friends great! Beth and I walked in the park I last walked in preparation for my AT adventure. As we arrived home we saw a couple bags of goodies near our front door. Gene Mazur, a great colleague from my past working days, had dropped off the pictured yummy "Lime" medications. Gene has always displayed creativity and kindness to many and I was a recipient of his good deeds today. I never expected a trail angel to show up at my house, but that's Gene finding ways to make people smile. It was good to chat with him later in the day. Just like it was great to exchange messages with Spirit of 76 and Rambo. As the day went on, I got to get caught up with friends I worked with a long time ago and within the past year. Beth mentioned how the day was filled with friends. Yup. I've said it before. I'm one lucky guy.
Date: 2016-06-11
From: Home

To: Mimi & Big Guy's House
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Beth and I went to Beth's parents house in Pennsylvania today. It was great to see them and is always a special time since we don't get to see them that often. I was glad to be in PA without having to hike PA's rocks. There was plenty of trail talk and interest in my plans. Admittedly, I don't have the answers. It is a lot of fun talking about where I've been and experienced. In those moments, the urge to return to the trail is great. I get the same feeling when reading trailjournals or getting messages from friends who are on the AT. It sounds like there is a big group of hikers that are approaching my mileage mark, including Big O, who started hiking the same day I did almost 4 months ago. Spirit of 76, Teach, and Steady expect to be in CT by the end of next week. I better get out there soon before they all pass through.