morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-07-06
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: Lott Rd Unionville NY
Miles today: 26.7

No, the rocks don't end in Pennsylvania. Shortly after bypassing a steep four tenths of a mile side trip for water, when the father and daughter out hiking told me I was within an hour of High Point, I slipped and a rock took a bite out of my ankle. It looked like I got spiked with a cleat. When it happened, I threw down my poles and hat before considering myself to be lucky to escape with a minor cut and a second requiring a band aid. My ankle stiffened up briefly, but after stopping for lunch, and weather a report from the office at High Point, it was fine.I got some more trail magic this evening when I decided to hike into Unionville for a pizza. While I was waiting for the pizza, a local came by and asked me where I was staying. After saying 'in the park' he offered me a place to crash in his basement and do laundry. At first, I was leery, hiking alone, but I didn't get any bad vibes and I couldn't resist a warm shower. It turned out, he was a shop teacher at a local high school and one of his classes had built a foot bridge I walked over today. His wife was watching his daughter's dogs for the evening and he had plans to go out for drinks with friends later so I got my pizza ate it quickly and we returned to town so I wouldn't spoil his plans for the evening. It turned out that his friends were part of the group that had left jugs of water one of the shelters I passed during the day. After a few drinks we returned to his house where I charged my phone battery, which had been draining quickly and crashed on the couch. While everything above was nice, the real benefit of the night was removing a small tick from my foot that I probably wouldn't have otherwise found unless I had been in the shower.
Date: 2012-07-07
From: Lott Rd Unionville NY

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 28.9
Weather: overcast clouds

My trail magic continued as my host called down to wake me at six to tsay breakfast was ready. Afterwards, I filled my water bottles, got a ride back to the trail and was hiking by six-thirty. The wildlife refugee was nice (and flat). I refilled my bottles through out the day from the tap at the house past the refuge, Heaven Hill Farms, the park station, and Bellvale Creamery.It barely rained today even though the forecast had called for thunderstorms all afternoon and evening. I stopped midway through the day due to thunder but continued after an hour wait when the forecast cleared.Despite what my map profile showed, the first four to six miles of New York were filled with climbs and clearly not flat like the profile indicated. Thank you to everyone at the Bellvale Creamery who wished me well. A few asked where I was staying tonight, and while I could have tried to get one to offer me a place to stay, I wanted to get hiking early tomorrow so I could get to my friend's house in a few days for an extended break.I figured out that my shoes fit but the insoles suck because I feel every rock. My heel feels better after every break so maybe its slowly getting better, though its hard to rest it when you hike every day. My back still itches from where salt from sweat was rubbing between my pack and my back and I have a few small raspberries from when my pack moved back and forth as I hiked over all the boulders and rocks in the last two states. A thank you goes to to Muck Fichigan for telling me to wipe down my pack every once in a while to remove the salt buildup which should make that issue go away.I arrived at the Wildcat shelter around nine but had to turn on my headlamp for the last few minutes in order to stay on the blue blaze trail to the shelter. The days are starting to get noticeably shorter. I'm somewhat surprised at my mileage today since my diet consisted of ice cream, Cosmic Brownies, a banana spit and cherries.
Date: 2012-07-08
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a brutal day and I thought about quitting. Between my back being cut into and the heel pain due to my shoes, most of the day was not fun. That being said the Lemon Squeeze and hoist up the rock afterwards were fun and a bit scary. But, I averaged two miles per hour all day which sucked.Thanks to everyone who left water along the trail today for us hikers. I filled up three times thanks to trail magic and again at Tiorati Park.I stopped three to four miles before my intended destination in hopes of recovering for tomorrow. I¢m looking forward to a break from hiking. Per the shelter journals I¢m still about a week behind Milkman which is cool because I've only lost three days to him since Tennessee and I know he¢s trying to finish around August 11th.I'm almost out of memory on my phone so I¢ll need to get another memory stick and move some pictures off when I get my next break. I¢ve also got to address the blisters on each of my heels.After a bit of time at the shelter to gain perspective, I realized I had hiked nineteen miles after twenty-nine yesterday so I should have expected today was going to need to be a recovery day.
Date: 2012-07-09
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: NY301 Fahnstock- to Danbury CT
Miles today: 28.3

Crossing the Palisade Interstate Parkway during morning rush hour was something I hadn't envisioned when I started this trip. Thank you to Beth at Bear Mountain Park for directing me to where I could find filtered water at the Inn. Unfortunately, poor planning on my part caused my phone memory to get full and my battery to drop under ten percent and lock just as I got to Bear Mountain bridge. I¢ll need to go back to get pictures of the Hudson River from the bridge. Oh well. It was a beautiful day and sight. At least, I got to see that.It was odd to see signs for Route 6 and 202 since I grew up here but left eighteen years ago. I took a nice lunch break at the deli in Peekskill and a short dinner at Dennytown Road, getting water at both, before pushing on to Fahnstock Park.After hiking twenty-eight miles today, I knew I had no chance of walking a marathon to the Pawling train station tomorrow so I tried calling my buddy to see if me could pick me up a day early at the park. Luckily, it did. So after 1,023 miles in fifty days, it is time for a break!
Date: 2012-07-10
From: NY301 Fahnstock- to Danbury CT

To: Danbury CT
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a maintenance day. I can't figure out iCloud so I bought a memory stick, downloaded all my pictures and deleted a bunch of the ones I've already sent home on the previous memory stick to free up space for the rest of the hike. Unfortunately, I realized in my haste to free up space yesterday I deleted a video of the lightning storm in Pennsylvania because the video screenshot was all black and I assumed it was a mistake like recording the inside of my pocket. Thankfully, it wasn't something really important. I'll need to remember to be more careful in the future.
Date: 2012-07-11
From: Danbury CT

To: Danbury CT
Miles today: 0.0

Today was maintenance day number two. I went to Target to replace my hiking clothes. I bought 2 pairs of shorts and underwear and a new short sleeve shirt. I also bought a book and began to type up my AT notes in an email to myself on Chris' laptop. I resupplied at WalMart and had dinner at an AYCE Chinese place.
Date: 2012-07-12
From: Danbury CT

To: Danbury CT
Miles today: 0.0

I borrowed Chris' spare car and drove to the train station to spend the day in Manahttan. I love walking in Central Park but its not the same after living in the woods (sort of) for two and a half months. I've never had a camera with me before so today I got to take some pictures in the Park and around the city before having a nice late Italian lunch. I still managed to tweak my Achilles walking in Central Park so I guess I'm dealing with this until the end of my hike wherever it ends. I picked up a pair of socks, since the last new pair felt so good, and bug spray at the REI in Soho but I will need to call Black Diamond about the red light being out on headlamp. I bought two pounds of cookies from an Italian Bakery before returning to Connecticut.I finished typing up my AT notes and did laundry before a nice German dinner Chris and one of his college buddies who is down for the weekend.
Date: 2012-07-13
From: Danbury CT

To: Danbury CT
Miles today: 0.0

I spent the day at Jones Beach with two of Chris' colleg buddies I know, Joe and Christian. It was mostly cloudy which was good for me avoiding a sunburn. Chris had tickets to several of the summer concerts at the beach. For better or worse, tonight was Poison and Def Leppard. I can't say I would have chosen to go to the concert, but it was another good if not odd diversion on this hike.
Date: 2012-07-15
From: Danbury CT

To: Danbury CT
Miles today: 0.0

I skipped going to the beach with Joe and Chris, which worked out fine, since it rained. I got my hair cut for the first time since I began my hike, read part of the book I bought, took a nap, repaired my tent fly and packed up for an early start tomorrow. I hadn't thought about it a t first but I'm glad I didn't leave today since I would have been hiking in those thunderstorms for most of the day.
Date: 2012-07-16
From: Danbury CT

To: NY22-train station
Miles today: 27.0

I wanted to ease back into hiking but I got to the trail early so my ride could get to work on time and then decided against staying the night at my lunch spot because the bugs were bothering me. The water source at the was trickling so I got water from the purple house and camped beside the train station. Its getting dark a lot earlier than a month ago so I don't see any more 30 mile days in my future as I like to see what I'm walking past. I hope to get to Kent tomorrow to pick up my mail drop and send some stuff home that I forgot to leave at Chris' house. I really wanted to quit several times today and began questioning why I'm out here. I spent at most five minutes talking to people and saw maybe six hikers throughout the day. There were no views and my heel hasn't gotten any better. I wonder how much of that is due to the amount of fun I had the last six days and how I'd like to continue doing that. Today is bad day number one in a row.
Date: 2012-07-17
From: NY22-train station

To: Kent CT
Miles today: 18.3

I crossed into Connecticut and passed the two-thirds mark today. I made it to Kent in time to pick up my mail drop, contacts and maps, do a mini-resupply, stop for ice cream and have dinner with a friend's mother but the outfitter that sells insoles and trail runners was closed. Still today was bad day number two in a row. My heels burn all the time, the bugs are annoying, there are biting mosquitoes, its hot, humid, there is little water and my shoes lack cushioning. If this keeps up I may need to start looking for an early exit strategy.
Date: 2012-07-18
From: Kent CT

To: Pine Swamp Brook Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

I didn't sleep well last night, waking up often during my night sleeping alone, stealth camping, a tenth of a mile from the road. During the day, I actually used my bandanna for a bug net as the bugs were relentless. After lunch, I stopped about a mile short of the Pine Swamp Brook Shelter due to a lightning storm. I set up my tent in the woods and read a book until it passed. I stopped again and decided to stay in the shelter, since my tent was now wet, due to thunder. The water source there was a yellow stagnant pound so I will try to ration what I have until I can find a better source in the morning. I stink, drilled my head on a beam in the shelter and need a shower but today was not a bad day. I actually saw some hikers and have adjusted back to being in the woods.
Date: 2012-07-19
From: Pine Swamp Brook Shelter

To: Laurel Ridge Campsite
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I got very little sleep as mosquitoes tried to bite me when they weren't buzzing near my ears during the night. I put on bug spray three times but sweated it off. I tried to sleep in my liner but the bugs could bite me through it so I was forced to stay inside my bag despite the heat and humidity. I did manage to pass out for a couple hours of sleep before waking up before dawn. The first campsite I stopped at didn't have water either but the morning rain made the miles go fast. It keep the air cool and me hydrated until I found a stream.I crossed into Massachusetts and passed the fifteen hundred mile mark. I got a bad headache during the day, probably caused by losing electrolytes but it is also possible that I could have over-hydrated in the afternoon. Its nice tonight so I didn't put up my fly and read my book inside my tent.
Date: 2012-07-20
From: Laurel Ridge Campsite

To: US7-Barrington MA
Miles today: 12.7

I had to get out of my tent and put the fly on last night at ten-thirty when it started to rain. It was still raining when I woke at five this morning so I went back to sleep until seven-thirty. It was still raining so I read a book before cooking breakfast under my fly, because I wanted to try it once, and hitting the trail shortly after nine.I took a spill on top of the first mountain of the day, sliding down the large rock face and luckily tucking my leg under my body. I about wrecked a second time and ran about five steps down a hill of large rock, onto the side of the trail and through some small trees to before I regained my balance and was able to stop.Thanks to Monkeygirl and her crew for the blueberries, banana bread, banana and muffins. I'm glad I could answer their questions about hikers, etc. Thanks to Mike at the AMC for letting me dry out my tent in the driveway since I doubted I was making it to the next shelter and didn't want to stay in a hotel. Thanks to Dawn and Kevin Naylor for taking me to the grocery store for resupply and dropping me off at the trail afterwards and then again when we happened to go to the same place for dinner. Thanks to the locals, Jenny and her crew, who invited me over to chat with them at dinner.I'm stealth camping again next to the road tonight.
Date: 2012-07-21
From: US7-Barrington MA

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 27.5
Weather: clear sky

Thanks to Beartalker & ? for having left the cooler full of Coke and water fifty feet from where I camped. It was a nice early morning surprise. Thanks to Black Feather and Putt Putt Turtle for leaving the water at the parking lot by the trail. I hadn't planned to hike to the cabin but when I got to the previous campsite and saw that there was no camping allowed between the two sites I had little choice but to continue. I wasn't happy about having to do an extra half mile blue blaze to the cabin until I heard the care takers cook blueberry pancakes for the hikers in the morning. At the cabin, I caught up to Trekking Pole and Manfred, a German hiker I met a couple days past Pearisburg.
Date: 2012-07-22
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

The pancake breakfast didn't disappoint and Not Worthy and Clutch picked an excellent spot, the bottom of the day's first climb, to leave a cooler full of goodies. I detoured to the cookie lady's house for, you guessed it, cookies before stopping for lunch when I heard Trekking Pole call out as I passed an overlook with some hikers there. I had planned on snacking my way into town but he had chosen a spot with a nice view so I joined the group. I had planned on waiting for the group and staying at the other hostel in Dalton but ran into Tom Levardi outside his house and couldn't pass up the opportunity to shower and get to town for food. Levardi¢s was awesome! I had my own room and he put peaches and blueberries in a bowl full of ice cream for us hikers. Amazing!
Date: 2012-07-23
From: Dalton MA

To: Wilbur Clearing Shelter
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: clear sky

It was raining when I woke up so I finished ready my book and headed to the Post Office once it stopped. The timing was perfect as it just opened when I arrived. I mailed home the book and maps I no longer needed. In Cheshire, I stopped to eat lunch and pick up a fuel canister from a past thru hiker. I would have liked to stop at Greylock for a bit longer but I decided to hustled over the top because a storm was forecast and there were grey clouds in the sky when I arrived. I saw a bunch of SOBOs today and chatted with the ones staying at the Wilbur shelter. It was nice to hear what to expect in the coming days.
Date: 2012-07-24
From: Wilbur Clearing Shelter

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

The storm forecast for yesterday did arrive around eleven with lightning around eleven before the rain began around midnight. It was still going at three-thirty. I'm sleep deprived again because the guy line to the side of the wind kept coming lose and flapping against the side of the tent until the storm passed. After fifteen hundred miles one would think I would have learned which rocks are slippery when wet and not to step on them, but I managed to fall going down into and coming out of North Adams. I got a lift into town from Tom Levardi who was dropping hikers off at the road when I arrived. I went to Friendly's for breakfast number two and did a mini-resupply at the nearby grocery store. Thanks to the cashier for letting me use her discount card. I was happy to get over the first mountain without having to use the bad weather detour as it looked like it would rain again. Thanks to the father, and daughter, who took my picture at the Vermont border. I stopped at the next shelter for lunch and dried my tent then proceeded to get poured on fifteen minutes later. I wound up camping a safe distance from the fire pit as a Ukranian youth group had taken up a large portion of the area around the Congdon Shelter. At least they had a fire started so I could tend to it while I tried to dry my shoes and socks. I saw Toto again today. He had to cut his thru hike short last year due to injury and has picked up where he left off this year.
Date: 2012-07-25
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: few clouds

I crossed sixteen hundred miles today. The weather was beautiful; seventies and breezy. The only downside to the day was having to drink a half liter of water and cook with another liter of beaver pond water run off at shelters around Bennington. I was happy to see a piped spring at the next shelter where I drank two liters. I found a sunny spot on the trail for lunch where I stopped for lunch and to dry my shoes and socks. I've avoided blisters but my feet smell from the lack of breath-ability with the gortex shoes. I'm going to need another pair in order to finish so I might as well start looking to upgrade my footwear the next chance I get.I passed ten SOBOs and saw four or five more at the shelter. There is also a girl doing the Long Trail but no other NOBOs. I may resupply tomorrow, depending on the weather, for a possible run to New Hampshire without another stop. I also need to plan a zero and a mail drop to get my cold weather gear back provided I can find a place with cell service.
Date: 2012-07-26
From: Story Spring Shelter

To: Manchester Center VT
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: light rain

I got up and out early in order to try and get to Manchester before the weather turned for the worse. I got lucky to have one bar of coverage at the firetower this morning. I got through to the hostel that the SOBOs said I needed to stay at and reserved the last bed for tonight. I would have skipped Manchester if not for their recommendation. Thanks to Sheila, who happened to be going to work at the outfitter, for the hitch into town. I had lunch and resupplied for four days in an attempt to get to Hanover without stopping again. I also called my mom who is sending my winter gear there.The Green Mountain Hostel provides a free soda and pint of Ben & Jerry's to each hiker who stays. It's a past thru hikers home and a real nice place to stay. I showered, did laundry and got useful information from other hikers. A SOBO told us what to expect in the coming days from the reroute due to last year's hurricane. A NOBO, Big Orange, told me Salomon had an excellent policy regarding replacing trail runners and that I should call regarding the previous pair I had worn.I may nero or zero tomorrow. Ninety-nine days down.
Date: 2012-07-27
From: Manchester Center VT

To: Bromley Shelter
Miles today: 2.0
Weather: light rain

I ate a big breakfast including bacon that another hiker, DirtyGirl, had cooked for everyone. I had wanted to zero here but the hostel is already booked for tonight so went back to my original plan of seeing The Dark Knight Rises with Deep, Mr. Noodles and Lighthouse. One of the latter two had suggested it last night when I was thinking of doing something for Day 100. After showering again and shaving, we were dropped off in town. I bought bug repellent from the Outfitter and went to lunch at Friendly's with the guys. After lunch I called Salomon. Even though I had put nearly nine hundred miles on my trail runners, because they had failed within six weeks, I have a replacement pair on the way to a park office in the White Mountains. Well, the hole in the toe box actually started near the Maryland border, I just happened to make it through Pennsylvania with them in that condition. We saw the movie, ate again and thanks to Parker, who just got off from the Mountain Goat outfitter, got a hitch back to the trail around six. While I didn't get my zero, I did miss the storm that passed through during the movie which was my real goal. Today was my shortest day, having hiked a mere two miles to the first shelter out of town.
Date: 2012-07-28
From: Bromley Shelter

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: light rain

There were nice views, especially at Bromley by the ski lift, today. Thanks to the SOBO who told me take water from a stream along the trail to the Greenwall Shelter as the source there was dry. I may have pushed it a little too hard over the hills in an effort to get to the shelter before a storm arrived. I didn't quite make it before the rain began. There are no NOBOs at shelter again.
Date: 2012-07-29
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Cooper Lodge
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: moderate rain

I found a camera on the trail early this morning. Normally I¢ll leave things on the trail but since it might rain again I figured I¢d pick it up and see if I could find the owner.I sidetracked to The Whistlestop for second breakfast and ran into Big Orange. I thanked him for his part in getting me new shoes and told him about my find. I had just finished breakfast and writing a note to leave at the last trail head regarding the camera when Dirtygirl showed up. Big Orange went to retrieve him and heard Dirtygirl lament about how he had lost his camera and spend the morning looking for it. Big Orange just told him no you didn't and then pointed in my direction. When he asked about his camera I pulled it out, happy that I could return it to a NOBO, no less, in working condition with pictures taken over sixteen hundred miles on it. I skipped the detour and took the normal trail today, walking through the hurricane damage from last year. After stopping for a snack break at the shelter at the base of Killington, I got lucky to spot an older couple walking down the trail through the woods while I continued on the dirt road having missed a blaze. I only lost a minute or two but it could have been much worse had I not stopped to ask them if they were on the AT.I tried tenting at night but a storm came in at five and water pooled under my tent on the platform so I moved into the lodge. When the rain stopped I went to the summit to take some pictures at sunset but it was very cloudy. I passed the 500 mile to go sign today!