morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Sat Day 118 6/9Out at 5:40 very rocky start. The trail was a continuation of the Rocky Ruff Roots. After our resupply, it felt like we had very heavy food bags. I'm becoming quite the wimp about carrying anything more than 4 lb of food. Our goal was to eat all the food that we were carrying before we got to the next resupply which would be in Dalton Massachusetts. We had some confusion because there was two Wilcox shelters North and the South and the signage was not clear to us where we were. Even with the rough footings it felt like we were making good time. It was a 20 mile day ahead of us and we had to keep moving to be able to complete it in 10 or 11 hours. At the top of Baldy Mountain we met a thru hiker named Cowboy. He was experiencing the same sensitive feet that we were. We were reminiscence for a moment or two about Pennsylvania and how tough that was. We got to a nature area and was confused again. It appeared that we were hiking south to go north. That happens on tbe AT at times. We met a fellow promoting Mighty No Bitey bug repellent. He gave us a sample. In spite of the tough trail surface we were hiking well. We crossed Mass. Pike RT 90. It was a lot of noise. It was a big deal to me to cross Mass. Pike. We passed the Upper Goose Pond House sign that said OPEN. What does that mean? Whatever it was it was a half mile away. We hiked on. On Monday we learned u could have stayed there for free. They served all u could eat blueberry pancakes w maple surup every morning. I was late with the data retrevial. We didn't want to get water or sleep in the RT. 90 area. We were tired but hiked on. We finally found a water source and RT.90 was a distance whine that earplugs could mask. Our stealth camping spot was on mossy rocks with water running through and around us. It was very buggy. Once i got my tent up, I just had to lay inside and rest for an hour before doing anything. There is a cumulative effect of fatigue happening. All the hikers are talking about it. By hiker midnight, 7 pm, I was fast asleep. It was nice sleeping with the sound of running water all around me.
Date: 2018-06-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tues Day 121 6/12 Graylock Mt. As we were going on the trail hiking up to Mount Greylock, the tallest peak in Massachusetts, we came across Joe cool and Ginger who is actually Domatello. Somehow I got his name confused and I've been calling him Ginger. It's amazing how many times we crossed paths w them hiking to Maine. It was very cool hiking with Ibex brother, Jess. He's a personal trainer who knows a lot about how human body works. He is now studying for his Ph.D in moleculuar medicine. The climb up Mt. GreyLock was much to our liking. The top a Greylock is quite impressive. There's a Stone Tower that's a monument to World War I veterans who lost their lives. At the top of the tower you can see quite a ways Albany, New York,Mount Washington, NH, 360 degree views. It was a perfect day. We were on a good schedule so we are able to hang out have lunch on the Mountainside. It was one of those perfect temperature days. The wind was just right and I fell asleep in the Sun. Had a little curious interaction with a fellow with a drone. As we're sitting there enjoying our lunch there's a whining scream of a of a drone right above us for about 30 minutes. It surely didn't seem to fit in with the ambiance of the location. When he brought the Drone down I asked him if he was finished. He said he was. I didn't think anything else more of it. About 15 minutes later he came back and angrily asked if his flying his drone had bothered me. I said one word, yes. He commenced to be very angry and said that he had broken his finger as I was talking to him. Jess took offense to his tone and got up to confront the situation. This might escalate to violencein a blink. Turns out Jess can have a short fuse. I just turned away. It all seemed to pass and nothing happened. As we hiked down off of Graylock we came across a porcupine in the trail. They have no fear and really don't care what you do. We hiked to where Jess was going to get picked up by a shuttle which would take him back to the train station. We hiked in into Williamstown and had a very nice dinner. Wethen got a half a gallon ice cream at the food store. Hiking out of Williamstown was very pleasant as well. We made very good time on an uphill to our liking. After we got past the no camping restrictions because It was along the water supply for the town we stopped just by the Vermont border. We created a little stealth site for ourselves. Sometimes there will be a stealth site that has been used many times by other people. Other times you're tired, you've gone far enough, and you're just looking for a flat enough spot for a tent and two trees for hammock. We were tired.
Date: 2018-06-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Wed Day 122 6/13 VermontTurns out we were only a hundred yards from the Vermont border. Three cheers to get all the way to Vermont. We hiked passed Joe Kool and Dom's stealth camp. We came across a guy by the name of Osprey who was from Italy. He had been hiking the trail last year. He fell and got hurt so badly that he couldn't continue. So he was back again this year to try and finish his thru-hike. He was really quite a funny pleasant guy to come across. Neither one of us were feeling particularly well. After 15 miles we were hiking down into Bennington. It was a pretty steep descent. It had a lot of steep big steps of granite. There was a slight drizzle so everything was getting wet. It add a degree of anxiety when you're taking big steps down hill on wet Granite, wet roots, wet slippery everything. As Charlie Horse would say, it makes for greasy rocks. I wasn't feeling particularly spunky. When we got to the road crossing there was a parking lot. There was a fellow there named Gary who was there with his friend doing Trail magic. So we had an apple cider, water, some Snickers, some donuts. We're going in to Bennington to resupply and Gary told us about a hiker friendly hotel called the Catamount. Gary was a particularly helpful fella. This was not a good place to hitchhike because it was on a downhill curve, there was no place to pull over and everybody was doing 60 miles an hour. Nobody had any phone reception. Gary walked around in the parking lot until he got reception at a particular spot and managed to organize a taxi cab for us. When the cab came he was not a regular cab but a medical shuttle. He didn't even understand how or why he got the call to come pick us up. That's how it seems to work for us. It just works out somehow. As we are getting in the cab a South African fella comes down off the trail and jumped in the cab. Charlie Horse came down off the trail as well. He couldn't make up his mind whether he wanted to go into town or not so he didn't. We went in resupplied, had dinner, and crashed early. Gary said he'd be happy to give us a ride to the trail early. So we called Gary and arranged for a 5 a.m. Pick up.
Date: 2018-06-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Sat Day 125 6/16 Zero.Amazingly, woke up around 7 a.m. Talk about sleeping in. Went to a little breakfast place called Upstairs for Breakfast. The food was great. The waitress was miserable. Went back to the room and slept for an hour. It was a beautiful day so we took some of our stuff down to a picnic table by the school and sprayed it with permethrin. Pretty much worked on my blog for the next couple hours. Ended up finding a shuttle driver who would pick us up a quarter of 5 and have it at the trail by 5. Had a great pasta dinner and crashed out early.
Date: 2018-06-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Sun Day 126 6/17 Father's DayWayne was there at 4:45. He's a retired English teacher and turns out he taught at the same school that Frank who runs the Sutton house taught at. Frank was a French teacher. It was supposed to be hot and there was a nice red sunrise. Well the trail was very kind to me today. The trail surface was fairly walkable. What I mean by that is there were rocks and roots but you could find some dirt to put your feet on. There were also a lot of boardwalks as Vermont can be a very wet boggy place it appears. We started out as usual with the big climb up onto the ridge. We hiked to a ski resort that the founder of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer owns. It's pretty cool. The AT goes right up the ski slope. At the higher elevations the sound the bugs made was incredible. It almost reminded me of the Drone sound. Constant loud buzzing, lots of insects flying around. We weren't getting bitten but we did put our bug spray on heavy. We manage to maintain a 2 mile an hour pace all day and after 21 miles loaded up with water. At one time all of a sudden my phone exploded with a bunch of Father's Day messages. I didn't have reception long and all my responses went out the next day. We pretty much hike from water source to water source trying not to carry any water. Sometimes you get to where they say there is a water source and there is no water. So it can be a less than perfect operational plan. But today everything worked well. This was a day of very pleasant hiking. That's not to say the weren't big climbs or steep downhills. It is that my feet did not hurt and I was able to maintain some kind of pace and keep moving. If you have to watch every step because there's a sharp rock or slippery root you move very slowly. Or I should say I move very slowly cuz I don't want to end up hurt with a hike ending injury cuz I slipped on a rock or a wet root. Or I got a stress fracture in my feet like I've heard other people having. So when we got to the last water we weren't sure where we were going to find a stealth site. There was the next 3 miles had no cross roads or points of interest. About a quarter mile in there was an ideal stealth site that was just perfect. We set up, had dinner, reviewed the next day, stretched, and were sleeping by hiker midnight at 7pm. The next day it was supposed to be in the 90s with a heat index of 91. We were going to start either at 3 or 4 a.m. and try and finish before they heat of the day. I really enjoyed the hiking today. I also felt rested and to some degree really refreshed from the smooth Trail surface that was so hikeable. My feet did not hurt at all. A very nice Father's Day on all. I did see a lot of families out hiking on the trail today. I said Happy Father's Day to all the obvious fathers with their children. It caught some people by surprise. I thought it was a nice touch.
Date: 2018-06-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Mon Day 127 6/18 RichWe were up early and it was already warm. We were hiking by 3:50 a.m. It was hot and muggy right from the start. I didn't even put on my puffy on to start the morning when I was packing up. We hiked until 6:30 when we got to our first water source. It was beautiful 30 foot waterfall in a very nice Rocky Canyon. A great place to have breakfast. All my emails and responses went out and a flood of responses came back in. Also got a couple calls as well. Reception can be so spotty people tend to know to call when they get any mail cuz I must have some coverage at that moment in time. So I drank 2 liters of water because it's a hot day. Our next water was 5 miles away which would be two and a half hours. Again the trail was very walkable. I was really energized by the ability to get in a rhythm and keep moving. My feet did not hurt at all. We were looking to try and get to a place where we could stop for lunch close to the trail. We came across view site above the Rutland Airport and met The Fonz who had stealth camped on a great rock outcropping site overlooking the valley. Night hiking with his headlamp the night before he had slipped trying to get around a down tree and it smashed his leg. So he just camped for the night to see how it be in the morning, which turned out to be okay. He was hiking the Long Trail and was full of information. It's amazing how some of the rocks hold water like a sponge and stay wet when others appear bone-dry. We are working our way down a steep set of rockface and both of us sliped neither fell but we did both slip. The Fonz who was coming up behind us slipped as well. Wet Mossy rocks can be very "greasy" in the words of Charlie Horse. My friend Rich called and said he was heading to Maine passing where were we. I said we were going to be in to Rutland, VT to resupply. He said well let's try and meet for dinner we'll be up that way. So after I got a lunch of a quart of chocolate milk and 2 massive egg and cheese sandwiches and a liter of Gatorade we headed into Rutland. We ended up stopping at The Yellow Deli. It has to be one of the nicest, most accommodating, well organized hostels on the trail. There's beautiful woodwork and original paintings throughout. It's run by some form of religious organization that is a very soft sell. It is setup on a donation basis. We saw Joe Kool and Dom and Charlie Horses there as well. There are a half dozen other hikers there. There was a hiker soaking his foot cuz he had an infected toe. A common phenomena on the trail.
Date: 2018-07-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

currently off Trail. I'm on a family trip to Alaska with my sister , Susan. We had planned this trip before I decided to hike the AT. My body is enjoying the change of pace. I I've lost 8 that I didn't have to lose. Hopefully I'll find that 8 lbs in Alaska. I should be back on the trail by July 20th. My goal is to finish the trail by Labor Day. They say I've completed 80% of the distance, and 20% of the effort. Thanks for reading.
Date: 2018-07-29
To: Kinsman
Miles today: 0.0

Sun Day 135 7/29 Kinsman Ridge Trail VERY TOUGH We woke up at 5:30. We packed up and were on the trail by 6:30. It was a nice gentle downhill. Just before New Hampshire 25 we had to cross a river. I should say we had to ford a small river. We found the hostel, Hikers Welcome, a quarter mile or so down the road. We were delighted to find PT sitting at the table when I walked in the door. We took the shuttle at 8 around Mt Moosilauke to Kinsmans Notch. We retrieved our food bags from the woods. We set our sights for Kinsman Pond Shelter 12 miles away. As usual, it was super steep out of the notch. The day proved to be very challenging with a lot of hand over hand climbing. It was very wet and there was a lot of water to be avoided. It seemed to take forever. We were averaging a mile an hour. To our surprise, we just seemed to be wiped out. After 5 miles, it appeared we were not going to be making Kinsman Pond Shelter today. We took a nice lunch on a sunny little spot instead. I fell asleep and had a nice nap. We ended up going to the Eliza Brook Shelter 7.9 miles in. It was a very nice shelter with only two older fellas there when we arrived. By the time we went to sleep there had been a group of 20 come in and stay at the group campsite and probably another 10 people in the shelter and tent sites.
Date: 2018-07-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Mon Day 136 7/30 Another steep climb to start the day. The trail paralleled a stream for quite a ways. It was very picturesque with the stream cascading alongside the trail. Our goal was Liberty Springs Campsite 11 miles away. It was steady hiking, but not quite the same difficulty as the day before. We passed Kinsman Pond Shelter, our goal from the day before. As we gained in elevation, we were rewarded with some beautiful views. As the sun was coming up it was overcast so we didn't get the classic sunrise but we did get very nice views. Who would have thought that 10 or 11 miles miles was just too far. Well, this is the Whites and things go a lot slower. We were coming around to the thought that if we could hike faster than one mile an hour we were making good time. We did very nicely and enjoyed the day. We got to the last mile and a half in good time. We came to a water source. The trail had been very nice today and we were very comfortable. We seem to be ahead of schedule and figured to be getting in this afternoon ahead of schedule. So we didn't take time to get more water and just headed up the hill. Suddenly the trail got extremely steep, rocky and difficult. The sun came out very hot. We were sweating like mad. I wasn't feeling well at all. Suddenly a day that have been going smoothly was extremely challenging. We had to stop and eat a plum just to regroup because the trail was so steep. We finally made it to the Liberty Springs campsite. The last mile and a half seem to take forever. We were both completely crushed by the intensity and difficulty of the last mile and a half. The hot sun was part of the problem. We shared a tent platform with a father son team. This was a first for me. A tent platform is a little different because every time anybody moved on the platform you felt the vibrations underneath you. By hiker midnight I was ready to go to sleep. The sun was shining in our tent as we were facing west. If we had stayed up, we would have watched the sun go down. It looked to me to be a nice sunset coming that I missed as I fell asleep exhausted.
Date: 2018-08-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Thurs, Fri, Sat Day 139, 140, 141 8/2, 3, 4 Zeros at Peter's in Center ConwayWas still feeling very congested and full of mucus almost to the point of choking in my sleep. Went to Walmart and bought some cold and severe symptoms over-the-counter medication. Slept a lot. It was very hot and humid on Thursday so we were thankful not to be hiking the trail. Friday was hot, really hot, 87 degrees. I was very happy not to be hiking the trail. Friday night it absolutely poured and most of all day Saturday it rained very heavy. Peter and Patty are at a bridge tournament in Maine and will give us a ride out to Crawford Notch when they get back around 7 p.m. tonight. We are meeting with PT tonight around 8 p.m. at a Crawford's Notch stealth site. We will head out to go up to Lake of the Clouds Hut in the early am. Hopefully we'll leave by four in the morning. There's only six slots for through hikers to stay, first come first serve, at Lake of the Clouds. We will go from 1277 to 5047 feet.
Date: 2018-08-09
From: Joe Dodge Lodge

To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.0

Wed 146 8/9 zero at Gary and Kathy's So a typical zero day of sleeping in a little later. I bring my blog up to date. We do a Walmart run. The highlight of the day is going over the next five days of the trail with Gary. He's done a lot of hiking in these parts and is very familiar with the trail. He's able to give spot on information on exactly what to expect in terms of difficulty and mileage. So we develop a plan for the next five days of hiking. We will do the first two days over what's called the Wildcats. Derwood thought the Wildcats were the most challenging part of his hike. Then after the Wildcats, we will have the the Mahoosuc Notch, described as the toughest mile on the AT, followed by the Mahoosuc Arm, one of the steepest climbs on the AT, and then Old Speck Mountain, a very challenging climb. Gary says we're in for a very challenging 5 days. We plan to leave the house at 5 and be on the trail by 6 a.m. Thursday morning. Gary will pick us up after two days for a resupply and then we'll do a 3-day run to finish. Plans on the AT are made to be adjusted. It's good to have a plan, so you have something to adjust.
Date: 2018-08-10
From: Joe Dodge Lodge

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 0.0

Thurs 147 8/10 WildcatsSo we leave Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch at 6 a.m. right on schedule. Right away it's a steep climb. We are going from 2000 feet to 4800 feet. It's a long, steep climb. It's challenging and there are times you're pulling yourself up with your hands and not using your trekking poles at all. There are four different identified peaks called Wildcat A, C, D and E. Where Peak B went, I don't know. The last peak after those four is North Carter Dome that has two peaks as well. Five miles in PT takes a bad fall. A momentary lapse of concentration can be a disaster. I take two falls as well. On one fall I bend up my trekking pole. My second fall I was going too fast to make the directional change that I made. I was moving up the left side of the trail and thought a better line was the right side of the trail. So I did not have my weight directly over my foot when I planted it, but rather it was reaching to the right and extended. It slipped right off that rock and I went down hard. I scraped up my shin and my elbow. I was scared when I first landed that I may have really hurt my leg. It was just a lot of pain but no serious damage. PT is walking on a four week healing fractured ankle. Every fall has the potential to end his hike. The Wildcats are up there with the absolute toughest day I've had. We are crawling, scrambling, and climbing up damp wet rocks. It had been a drought up until that long week of rain two weeks ago. When you're up in the clouds everything is always wet. As we're heading down a small decline, PT slips again, but this time gets his leg pinned underneath his full weight as he's up against a ledge. Hard to describe, but it looked like a terrible fall with a lot of pressure on that right knee. I headed back to try and help him untangle himself.The climb is really starting to wear us out. As we go over the two peaks of Carter Dome we start to think about looking for a stealth site. We were supposed to hike to the Imp campsite, but we're getting tired and would rather stealth. Also, we get better sleep stealthing than being in a crowded campsite. They also have limits as to the number of people you can have in a campsite. We surely don't want to hike there and then not be able to stay there. We come across one stealth site that would be perfect, but it already has somebody there and also is a little early. As we get to the top of North Carter Dome we find a very workable stealth site. We're just at the tree line, so the trees are ten feet tall. There are no widow-makers, which is important because it's a very windy night coming up. They're projecting up to 70 mile an hour winds during the night. So we're two miles short of our plan to get to the Imp Campsite. That's okay. We're pretty much worn out. During the night it's extremely windy and it rains. The tent is great and I'm very dry.