morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-09-29
From: Bromley Shelter

To: Stratton Pond shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

Day 192 ¢ I had the shelter all to myself which was good because it allowed me to listen to all three baseball games to decide the playoffs, NY/Tampa Bay, Atlanta/Philadelphia, and Boston/Baltimore. I had allowed my radio to dry out when I was in Rutland so I am back in contact with the outside world. I slept well and it started raining hard at 11:10pm. The rain was really banging on the tin roof and was quite noisy. I got up at 7:30pm and was on the trail by 8:20am, hiking in the rain. I reached VT 11 around 9:05am and wanted to hitch a ride into Manchester to eat and resupply. After standing in the rain for ten minutes or so a group of young men turned around and picked me up. They were some construction workers working on a flood damaged house. They dropped me off at the Friendly¢s restaurant where I had breakfast and then walked over to the grocery store. I passed an outfitter on the way and was able to get the name of a shuttle person to take me back to the trail head. With it raining, I was concerned that no one would pick me up. I walked back to Friendly¢s and had lunch. I called the shuttle person and was picked up at 12:30pm and was back on the trail by 12:40pm headed to Stratton Pond shelter. It continued to rain and at 4:00pm a huge thunderstorm hit. The trail was very similar to the day after Irene came through, I had water up over my ankles. Several times I thought the mud was going to suck my boots off my feet when I took a step. I got to the shelter at 5:40pm and there was a couple there who were hiking the Long Trail. I finished with 12.7 miles today, increasing my total to 1,651.8 leaving 511.8 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-09-30
From: Stratton Pond shelter

To: Kid Gore shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 193 ¢ It rained all night, so once again I was glad to be inside a shelter. I got up at 7:05am and it was 45*F, so my clothes were not only wet from the previous day but also cold. I was on the trail by 8:20am and it was overall just a rotten day. My neck and shoulders hurt even after taking Aleve and Tylenol and I actually cried out once due to the pain. Additionally, the trail was a mess. The weather forecast for the next 4-5 days called for it to be ¢wet and raw¢. I arrived at Kid Gore shelter after 15.0 miles. A section hiker, Eric, was already at the shelter. He was from Queens and was out hiking for a couple days. I have hiked 1,666.8 miles and have 496.8 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-01
From: Kid Gore shelter

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: moderate rain

Day 194 ¢ It rained most of the night and was still drizzling in the morning. I determined that I had hiked in rain 16 days in September. I was on the trail by 7:45am and it was a sloppy hiking day again. But I did not let that impact my outlook. I arrived at VT 9 at 3:15pm, in the rain and was going to call the hotel in Bennington where I was going to stay the night to come get me. So, I am standing in the rain, trying to look up the number to call, my hands are shaking because I am cold, my touchpad on the phone is not working because my fingers are wet and I have no signal and cars are zooming pass me with no intent of picking up a cold, wet hiker. I start walking to town and pass a house with the garage door open so I walk down the driveway and knock on the door to see if I can use their land line phone. The young man was tremendously gracious and I called the hotel. I got to the hotel in good shape and immediately took a hot shower and went and got something to eat down town. I also did laundry; I did not need to wash but certainly needed to use the dryer. I hiked 14.3 miles today increasing my total to 1,681.1, with 482.5 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-02
From: Bennington, VT

To: Seth Warner shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

Day 195 ¢ I woke up at 8:00am and walked 1.5 miles to eat breakfast. I hated to walk that many miles but I needed a good breakfast before hitting the trail. I had a 3 egg cheese bacon omelet, hash browns toast and 2 blueberry pancakes. I stopped on the way back to the motel and had a chocolate ice cream cone too. I was on the trail by 12:00pm and immediately had a 1,000 foot climb for the first 1.7 miles. The path has really deteriorated over the past week with all the rain. The foot bridges are under water so one has to walk through the water to proceed. Even with these obstacles, my pace is increasing compared to Maine and New Hampshire, so I am pleased about that. I arrived at Seth Warner shelter at 6:10pm at dusk. There was a couple there who were hiking the Long Trail for 5 days. I was very surprised to pass a NoBo thru hiker today, Peter Pan. He was trying to determine if he needed to go on to Katahdin before the park closes. I traveled 11.6 miles today, bringing my total to 1,692.7 miles leaving 470.9 miles.
Date: 2011-10-03
From: Seth Warner shelter

To: Bascon Lodge - Mt. Greylock, MA
Miles today: 13.4

Day 196 -- It rained most of the night and got colder, I had to put on my down jacket on at 2:00am. My devotions today stressed that one should give thanks for all circumstances which made me reflect on my rotten attitude the other day. It pointed out that I needed to give thanks when my life seems out of control and when things go wrong to continue to trust Him. I need to work on that. I was up at 6:45am and on the trail by 8:00am. I got to the Massachusetts's state line at 9:27am, 9 states completed and 5 more to do. I arrived into North Adams around lunch and had hoped to walk by a deli but no luck. So, I just stopped on the sidewalk, sat on my pack and made myself a peanut butter/jelly sandwich. After packing up, I started up the steep climb that approaches Mt Greylock. This is the highest peak in MA and the trail climbs 1,900 feet in 2.6 miles. I had read that there was a restaurant on the summit so my plans were to get there, have an early supper and hike on to the shelter, 3.1 miles away. I was really starting to drag a little when I reached the shelter north of the summit. I gave a thought of just staying there but I figured that I could make it another 6.6 miles to the shelter south of the summit plus this shelter was 0.3 miles off the trail. I asked for help to get me going and to provide some direction for me. Not long afterwards, I saw a mileage sign for Bascom Lodge on Mt Greylock. That got my mind really thinking, wondering if there was lodging in addition to food. But then I figured, if there was, a room during the peak of fall foliage would be $150.00 or so and I did not want to do that. After hiking for a couple of more hours, I walked in the lodge reception area at 4:05pm and asked the lady if they had a hiker's rate or an AAA rate. She said that they had a hiker bunks for $35.00 and I said sign me up. What a nice surprise and another answer to my prayers. The restaurant served lunch until 4:30pm, so after putting my stuff in the 10 bunk hiker room I immediately proceeded there and had a BST sandwich, they used spinach instead of lettuce. As I was eating my sandwich, the manager came over and asked if I minded sleeping in a private room downstairs, at the same price, so they would not have to heat the upstairs. I did not have to think long about that question. So, I ended up eating lunch, eating a great dinner sleeping in a private room, all the while it was raining outside during the night. One of God¢s nice surprises. Granted, I lost 3.1 miles by not getting to the shelter but it was a small sacrifice. I hiked a total of 13.4 miles today, increasing my total to 1,706.1 with 457.5 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-04
From: Bascon Lodge - Mt. Greylock

To: Shemrock Inn - Dalton, MA
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

Day 197 - The wind howled all night and it rained quite hard, so I was happy to be where I was instead of the shelter. I had a big day planned, wanting to get to Dalton 17.1 miles away. After having a breakfast consisting of a 3 egg/ ham/ cheese omelet, potatoes, muffins, and toast, I was on the trail. It was still windy and raining quite hard so I had to put on all my rain gear. Not long after I started the rain curtailed a little and I took off my rain gear because it was too hot. The descent off the south side of Mt Greylock was much more gradual than the hike up the north side. I met three day hikers, Jo, Steve and David and had a nice conversation with them. It was a long day but I arrived at the Shamrock Inn in Dalton and had another hot shower and meal. The 17.1 miles today increases my total to 1,723.2 miles and decreases my remaining miles to 440.4 miles.
Date: 2011-10-05
From: Shemrock Inn - Dalton, MA

To: October Mt shelter
Miles today: 11.7

Day 198 -- I slept well and was up by 7:00am and walked down to the local cafe and had a waffle for breakfast. I came back to the motel and did a little journal work, since I was only planning to do 11.7 miles today I did not have to leave immediately. Dalton is a nice, quint town, and Crane Paper Co is located here. They make the paper stock for the U.S. currency. I packed up and hit the trail; it actually runs through part of the town, very similar to Damascus. There was a deli on the way out of town so I stopped there and had a bowl of chili, a turkey sandwich, and chips and got an ice cream cone to go. I also got a turkey wrap to go and I will eat that tonight. The day was nice, blue sky, a little overcast but quite windy. It is supposed to get down to 32*F tonight so even though I am headed to a shelter; I will sleep in my tent which will be warmer. After the short hike I arrived at October Mt shelter and there were several gentlemen there, Mark and Chris and others. I ate my sandwich, put on six layers of clothes and settled in for the evening. I hiked 11.7 miles today, bringing my total to 1,734.9 miles with 428.7 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-06
From: October Mt shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 199 - I slept well considering the amount of clothes I had on but it was hard to turn over in my bag. It got down to 41*F in my tent so it was certainly in the low 30's outside. My plans were to go to the next shelter but since it is supposed to be cold again tonight the guys that were at October Mt shelter convinced me to stop by Upper Goose Pond cabin. I decided that made sense but it would make for a short 8.8 mile day for me. That was OK as well because that would allow me to go into Lee and get some food. I was on the trail by 8:30am and had a nice 7.2 mile hike to U.S. 20. I hitched a ride into town after about 25 minutes but got a ride all the way to Price Choppers. I got jelly, peanut butter, bread and cheese and walked to Friendly's and had lunch. I was able to get a pretty quick ride back to the trail head and only had 1.6 miles to the cabin. I arrived there and hung up some of my gear to dry. This cabin is operated by the AMC, the same club that operates the huts in the White Mountains. Chris, who I had met at October Shelter was already there, having arrived earlier in the day. Nicole was the care taker, she volunteers for this job for 2 weeks every year. We had a roaring fire that helped to knock the chill out of the air in the cabin and I was in my bunk fairly early. I will need to make up some mileage in the next couple of days as I only did 8.8 miles today. My total is now 1,743.7 miles with 419.3 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-07
From: Upper Goose Pond shelter

To: Wilcox South shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 200 - It was nice to be inside as the thermometer read 34*F on the porch when I checked it around 7:00am. Nicole fixed pancakes for everyone, plus some hot chocolate. I was on the trail by 8:30am and had a long, hard day. The weather has really turned for the better. I hiked 16 days in the rain in September and now we are supposed to have 5 straight gorgeous days. I saw a few section hikers today but basically the trail is vacant, except on the weekends. The vegetation here is starting to look very similar to the southern Appalachians; a lot of mountain laurel was seen today. I arrived at Wilcox South shelter at 5:00pm. There was a north shelter but I decided to continue and make up a few miles. There are two shelters at Wilcox South; both were empty, so I decided to stay at the one that was built more recently. It is only supposed to be 45*F tonight so I decided to just sleep in the shelter for the evening. I hiked 15.8 miles today, increasing my mileage to 1,759.5, with 404.1 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-08
From: Wilcox South shelter

To: North of Jug End Mt
Miles today: 16.1

Day 201 - I slept well and did not get cold but I was lazy which was not good since I had planned a high mileage day. I was on the trail at 8:20am and it was a tough morning. There were a lot of ups and downs. It leveled out later in the afternoon but then got very muddy. There was one stretch that was completely covered by water and I had no choice but to walk through it with water up over my boots. I wanted to get as far as I could today to make tomorrow's mileage shorter but I arrived at the base of Jug End Mt at 5:00pm and just could not go further. Even though I was not supposed to camp, I found a place well off the trail and set up my tent. As forecasted it was a beautiful day and I actually ran short of water because it was so hot. I hiked 16.1 miles today, resulting in my total now being 1,775.6 miles with 388.0 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-09
From: North of Jug End Mt

To: Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 202 -- I had a good night but was woken up several times with animals walking around in the dry leaves. At least nothing could sneak up on me without me knowing it. It was warm during the night and I slept with the rain fly open but the temperature must have dropped early in the morning because I woke up shivering at 5:30am. I did not put on additional clothes because I did not want to get too comfortable and sleep too late. I got up at 6:45am and was on the trail at 7:30am. I had a steep climb up Jug End Mt and was glad I had not attempted this climb late yesterday. It was another wonderful day and hot, it must have gotten up to 75*F. I could feel myself dehydrating and attempted to drink as much as I could but just could not stay up with it. I crossed into Connecticut around 2:00pm, so I traversed Massachusetts fairly quickly. I must have seen 50-60 day hikers today, hikers of all ages were out enjoying the day and scenery. I passed one hiker and he asked me if I had flipped flopped and I said yes and he said he had seen me during the 100 mile wilderness in Maine. As it turned out, it was one of the two cousins that were hiking the wilderness and had stayed at Shaw's. Tim was just out for the day taking advantage of the weather. I arrived in Salisbury around 5:15pm and went to Vanessa's hostel. I was pretty exhausted and continued to drink a lot of liquids. I took a shower, Vanessa did my laundry and I ordered chicken parmesan for dinner and ate it in my room. I hiked 16.6 hard miles today but also had some great vistas to enjoy the nice autumn day. My total miles are now at 1,792.2, with 371.4 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-10
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Pine Brook shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 203 - There is a church in Salisbury that rings chimes every 15 minutes and then sounds out the hour. With my window open I was concerned that it would keep me awake but that was not an issue. I slept well and was up at 7:00am and headed to the one and only local cafe at 7:45am only to find out that they did not open until 8:00am. Once they opened, I had an omelet and cinnamon roll and then went to the store and bought some peanut M&Ms. I had a 0.8 mile hike back to the trail and was on the trail at 9:30am. It was another gorgeous day and it was enjoyable to be outside. I stopped by Falls Village and had lunch at the Inn there. The day was fairly uneventful and I arrived at the Pine Swamp Brook shelter at 5:15pm and set up my tent. I covered 16.8 miles today, increasing my mileage to 1,809.0 resulting in only 354.6 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-11
From: Pine Brook shelter

To: CT 4
Miles today: 5.8

Day 204 - I slept well with my rain fly pulled back and the temperature was just great for sleeping. I was up at 7:00am and on the trail by 8:00am, enjoying the cool but humid morning. I was soaking wet fairly quickly but only had a short day planned. The trail was fairly flat this morning so I made good time. I had to ford Guinea Brook this morning, so I used this opportunity to wash my boots out. I arrived at CT 4 at 11:26am and Heidi picked up shortly after.I plan to take the next 5-6 days off and get my winter gear and allow my neck/shoulders/feet to get ready for the final push. I hiked 5.8 miles today, increasing my total to 1,814.8 miles with 348.8 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-18
From: CT 4

To: Mt Algo 
Miles today: 11.5

Day 211 - Heidi took me back to the trailhead on CT 4, after fixing me a full breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and eggs. I was on the trail at 9:39am and begin my ascent up from the highway. I quickly built up my body temperature and stopped and took off my long sleeve Under Armour shirt and converted my pants into shorts. It was developing into a beautiful day and ended up being in the mid-60¢s*F with a brilliant New England fall blue sky. This is in contrast to the forecast tomorrow, 1-3 inches of rain and 30-40 mph winds. It was a fairly easy day once I got some rhythm back; I kept tripping over myself at the beginning. I had a beautiful walk, 4.8 miles, along the Housatonic River but then had to climb out of the river basin up a fairly steep mountain. I arrived at Mt. Algo shelter at 4:00pm, I would have gone further but with the forecast I decided to spend a dry night in the shelter. Uncle Walt was there, he was an AMC employee, hiking back to NY State. There was also a brother and sister camping there; they were out for a week long section hike. Overall it was a good day, very enjoyable and nice to be back on the trail heading south. I hiked 11.5 miles today, for a total of 1,826.3 and now have 337.3 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-20
From: Wiley shelter, NY

To: Morgan Stewart 
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

Day 213 ¢ I slept well even though it rained hard 2-3 times during the night and woke me up. I got up at 6:50am in the dark and started packing up and fixed me some potato chowder for breakfast. I did not eat anything after my visit to the general store so I was hungry. I got on the trail at 8:00am and just as it had been forecasted it stopped raining at 9:00am. It turned out to be a nice day and the terrain was manageable even in the muddy sections. There was one section of the trail that was completely inundated with water and no way around it. So, I just walked through it with muddy, stagnant water up to my ankles. Thankfully, I did not have any open cuts or sores on my feet. I was able to get drinking water at a hiker friendly garden center and wrung out my socks and poured the water out of my boots. I went by the Appalachian Trail train platform. There is a train that runs a couple of times a day from here to NYC on the weekends, that would have been neat to do except today was Thursday and I did not want to sit around for two days. I arrived at Morgan Stewart shelter at 4:45pm after hiking 16.5 miles. My total mileage is now at 1,855.2 miles resulting in 308.4 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-21
From: Morgan Stewart 

To: Fahnstock State Park
Miles today: 15.8

Day 214 ¢ It was a nice and cool night so I slept well. I had a good morning hike and crossed NY 52 around noon and walked 0.3 miles down to a deli. I had them fix me a full turkey/cheese/tomato/lettuce sub sandwich and ate half of it there along with a bag of chips and a couple of ginger ales. I saved the other half for later in the day. While walking back to the trail, I passed another SoBo, named Bob who had started in Maine on August 12th. It was overcast all day but in the mid-60¢s*F and just a great day to be hiking. I passed the next shelter and got water but decided to press on to Fahnestock State Park. I arrived at the park and it was closed. No one was around plus no one answered the telephone, so I decided to make myself at home. I went up into the picnic area and found a flat area and set up my tent for the night. The terrain is flattening out now and I am able to make pretty good time. I hiked an easy 15.8 miles today, increasing my total to 1,871.0, with 292.6 miles remaining.
Date: 2011-10-22
From: Fahnstock State Park

To: Dennytown Rd
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: broken clouds

Day 215 ¢ I slept ok even in the warm confines of my tent and listening to the heavy road traffic on the Taconic Parkway, just over the hill. This promises to be a great day, as Megan is driving up to visit with me. I packed up and once again hid my pack so I could slack pack the easy 3.6 miles to our rendezvous spot. Megan picked me up, we went back and got my pack and then we had a nice late breakfast in Colds Spring. I called my Nurse Practitioner and emailed her a picture of a spot on my arm. I had picked off several ticks over the past few days and there are signs along the trail informing hikers to be aware of ticks and Lyme disease. Donna did not think the spot looked like a tick bite but she called in a prescription just to be safe. We enjoyed a beautiful fall day, visiting the Oktoberfest festival in Montgomery. I probably had the worst meal of my entire journey that evening as I ordered a slab of pork ribs at one of the local restaurant. I should have known better as I had not smelled any hickory smoke around the restaurant when we arrived. With the short miles today my total miles are now at 1,874.6, with 289 miles remaining.