morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-16
From: Above Bear Mountain Bridge

To: NY301
Miles today: 17.0

I could hear a familiar noise. The pitter-patter of big rain drops landing on my tarp. I opened my eyes. Ughh. It was really wet. Really, really wet. I kept listening to the rain. Sometimes, it would sound like I was going to subside. Then, a strong storm surge would pass and drive me further back in my sleeping bag.Eventually, we could wait no longer. Deadline and I spoke from inside each' respective shelter. We timed it so that we'd be ready to go at the same time.I started hiking a little after 7:30am. The trail and its rocks were slippery from the thorough soaking it had received. There were some steep sections, but the trail gained some wonderful ridges and parks.The rain stopped and the humidity soared. It was oppressive. Next, came the gnats and mosquitoes. The still air provided no assistance in keeping the pests at bay.Today's terrain was really enjoyable, just like yesterday. First, was a healthy climb. Then, a high level section with scattered glacial boulders and nice views. It is no wonder that this was once a hotbed of amazing artists (Hudson River School).It was exciting that today would end in town! Tomorrow would be even better with a well-deserved zero day. I (and my clothes) need it. All of this humidity and weather has taken its toll on my clothes....a.k.a. They stink!!!!After a few hours, I began to see little bits of color through the trees. I could hear traffic and knew a road crossing was coming up. I was hopefully, but wouldn't know for sure until I got there. The splashes of color was a really nice convenience mart/deli. What a place!! It was a real deli where they slices the meats as they made your sandwich! They also had authentic NY bagels and bagel sandwiches!! It was great to have breakfast and a coffee!We got back to hiking and the trail began to get more overgrown and lined with thick brush. This held even more bugs and stifling humidity in the air. The trail passed a monastery and met a couple that was training the overhanging bushes. Deadline and I chatted with them, petted their dog, and headed on.On the last part of the trail for today, I met Oggie. He was really kind and wanted to ask a bunch of questions. I was happy to answer any that he had.    At the end of the conversation, he said, "Hey, I have two cold ones that you can have."Wow! It was so nice. It was at that time that Deadline walked up and was greeted with the beer! We took one last break and enjoyed the barley pops.We finished up at hwy 301 at Canopus Lake. It was really pretty. The lake was lined with rocky shores and a backdrop of undulating hills. Deadline's wife, Denzi, picked us up and took us to town. Unfortunately, there was a big university graduation nearby and most of the hotels were full. We finally found a hotel and the first thing I did was laundry. We got pizza and relaxed. It was such a great thing that Denzi picked us up, or we would have been hosed with all of the nearby hotels booked. I am getting close to Connecticut and then Massachusetts! Wow!! I feel like I am making progress.... Time for pizza!
Date: 2015-05-17
From: NY301

To: Poughquag, NY
Miles today: 0.0

Today, Deadline and I took a well-deserved zero day! It has been some time since our last and it they are essential to good health.Of course, I started my day with a luxurious and coveted coffee. It is so amazing to have since I don't carry it on the trail. I really look forward to such a special treat!Denzi, Deadline, and I drove around and checked out the area. The Hudson Valley is really pretty. We happened to pass by a pedestrian bridge that spanned the river. It was an old train trestle. The height of the bridge was impressive! An elevator had been installed to provide for greater access of visitors.Denzi, Deadline, and I went to FDR's home, library, and grave. It was quite a sight with its many buildings, stables, and garden. FDR had also given 3 Fireside Chats from here. After checking out the FDR estate, we went for Ice cream. I have to say that it was excellent. I had a Shamrock Sunday--mint chocolate chip ice cream, hot fudge, Andes chocolate pieces crumbles, and whipped cream.While we were chowing down, some period re-enactors with a cannon pulled in. First, the bronze cannon was amazing!! It was on a trailer and I really wanted to check it out. It was funny to fake-judge the re-enactors for not choosing period-correct ice cream. You can't use styrofoam! Ha!!Afterward, we went and picked up Bird from the trail. It was a great reunion! We all drove to do our food resupply and then headed back to the hotel.It would be a late night repacking! Another great day.
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Telephone Inventors Shelter

To: Mt Algo Shelter
Miles today: 21.0

There was a really cool little feature at the shelter. It was a "Leave a book, take a book" mini kiosk right on the front of the shelter. This one was sponsored by the local library. I had seen a similar one once in the town of Dahlonenga, Ga.The morning got interesting early today. Some "hikers" showed up at 8 am to use the shelter. They weren't hikers and claimed to have done 8 miles this morning. It was not possible. As they walked up, I could hear them talking about being disappointed that we were at the shelter. Deadline, Bird, and I had decided that we'd wait for heavy rain to stop. It was a good decision and left us with a few hours of rare idle time. A New Yorker named Tony came up with his dog and chatted with us. He was really nice and personable.The trail went by a simple but unique train station that can take hikers to NYC. Along the way, the intoxicating smell of honeysuckle again filled the air.The weather was predominated by intense and oppressive humidity. I sweated out just buckets of water. It was nasty. This was complimented with the gnats and mosquitoes agin today.Initially, the AT went through some farm lands interlaced with forests. Many jack in the pulpits, ferns, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy populated the immediate vicinity of the trail.I saw a sign on a nearby tree. I had made it to Conecticut!! Very cool!!Because of the rain and subsequent mugginess, the trail remained wet all day. That equated to very, very slippery rocks to negotiate. It was rather difficult as slow-going. It was great to see lots of red efts again today.   Such friendly little guys! One of the scarier reptiles today was a small Copperhead. As I was climbing up a large boulder, the snake appeared right in the middle of the trail.I finally got to the shelter that would be my residence for the night at dusk. It has a nice little creek just beyond the shelter. After finishing camp tasks, thunderstorms rolled in. They clapped and flashed and gave a great show!
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Mt Algo Shelter

To: Falls Village, Ct
Miles today: 25.0

Last night, I witnessed a heck of a thunderstorm. The flashes of lightning and the claps of thunder echoed through the forest. The rains came down in sheets. The rain totals were 2.5 inches of rain. I was certainly glad that I chose to stay in a rare shelter.The morning came and the results of the storm were readily apparent. The rivers and creeks were very swollen and rushing.This necessitated us doing a couple of unexpected river crossings. It was nothing serious, but the one crossing had a one mile detour posting.Bird is a crack-up. He is always unassuming, but ready to be honestly pumped at patriotism, good deeds, and people doing the right thing. Bird also likes to say a little chant whenever he picks up his pack... He repeatedly says, "light as a feather, light as a feather." He's too funny...The day contained some healthy climbs. During one climb, Deadline got ahead and encountered a bear!! He recounted how he got to the top of the climb and saw a shaking, fat butt running away from him.The trail began to follow a rough and white water creek. This meant that the trail leveled out a bit. We joined a local trail and it took us into a quaint town.Falls Village was a super cool town. Everyone was extremely friendly. They kept saying how we were first thru hikers this year.An older lady at the store even offered to store our beers in her cooler until we were ready to drink them so that they would stay cold.We went to the local cafe and set up our tents. This cafe in town allows hikers to camp there!! Super nice folks!!!
Date: 2015-05-21
From: Falls Village, Ct

To: Hemlocks Shelter
Miles today: 21.0

I had a great start to my day. Deadline, Bird, and I woke up in the yard of a nice little cafe. The Toymakers Cafe is really kind and let's thru hikers camp in their yard.This meant we had access to delicious, quality coffee. It also meant we had an opportunity to have an incredible breakfast before we started. The food was great and we soon polished it all off.The local folks are really interested and excited for/about thru hikers. They were full of questions and comments.   Everyone was so, so nice here in this little community.Soon, it was time to leave and we walked down quiet and empty streets. The trail took us along a lively River. As we followed it upstream, the water noise got louder and louder. It originated from a beautiful water fall with multiple tiers of falls.After spending a few moments admiring the natural feature, I hiked on. The forest was mixed with both deciduous and coniferous, but the coniferous was becoming more prevalent. It still is just so nice to walk on the soft cushion of meddles and smelling that wonderful aroma.After a few hours, we needed to head into Salisbury, CT to get Bird's new shoes at the post office. It was a very quaint town with some nice bell towers and historical looking buildings. We grabbed a few, quick provisions and headed back out.The afternoon walk was nice. We climbing and followed a granite ridge line that had veins of marble running through it. Beautiful scenes of lush, rolling hills and small idyllic farms blanketed the valley.There were a couple of larger climbs and took quite an effort today. Luckily, the rocks were dry and gave good traction to help me up the incline.   Smart foot placement was critical for today to stay heathy and avoid injury. Soon, Deadline, Bird, and I saw a could of signs mounted to a tree. It was the Massachusetts border!! The border fell right at a beautiful creek which plunged and churned into several waterfalls.We hiked and soon got to the Hemlocks Shelter.   It was a nice one with a large overhang and a loft. Tonight, I decided to camp out because I think it won't rain.
Date: 2015-05-22
From: Hemlocks Shelter

To: Tom Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

It started with an intermittent tapping on my tarp. That gradually increased to a steady and soaking rain.      "Ughhh", I said as it was not the ideal way to start the day.Grudgingly and slowly, I got my gear assembled. I had hoped the rains wouldn't last for long. It would last for a good part of the day.This morning was a bit wet and stuffy. The rains stopped after a while. That bought out tons of nasty & aggressive mosquitos. These pesky, whining creature could drive a person crazy, if you let them.Today's terrain alternated between rock and forest, with occasional boggy wetlands. That was kind of the standard issue around here. Luckily, the trail volunteers had installed boards to walk on in the wettest of the areas.We trudged along and Deadline kept mentioning that he was hungry. He started talking about food. And cokes. Thoughts swirled around in our heads as we walked. It was contagious. Next, Bird was chiming in about foods. We soon found ourselves at a road that was supposed to have a vending machine 0.3 miles away. We stuck our thumbs out and surprisingly a truck stopped. It was really amazing and random. He gave us a ride into Great Barrington, Ma.What a cool town!! We got lunch and drank Cokes. We must have had at least six glasses of it each. It was unbelievably great tasting and perfect for our thirst. Their hamburgers were delicious as well!Bird needed to buy a couple of quick snacks from the CVS store nearby. When he returned, he had some snacks and a ride back to the trail for us. The kind lady who gave us the ride even offered to take us to her house for showers. We thanked her and politely declined.As our spontaneous town lunch used some of our hiking time, we decided to set an abbreviated destination for today. We also had worries of people and "caretakers". We chose the Tom Leonard shelter to go to. When we got there, we knew we got lucky. It was a nice location...Up on a hill in a nice pine forest. There were no other hikers, and best of all, no caretaker! Just us!!We went down to a nearby stream and got water. While we were there, another hiker came by and got water. After we got back to camp, we waited for Deadline to return. He returned and pulled two beers out of his pocket. He yogi'ed the two beers from the fellow at the stream!!!We sat around and had a few beers while enjoying the sunset. Another good day.
Date: 2015-05-23
From: Tom Leonard Shelter

To: Lee, Mass
Miles today: 24.0

It was cold this morning. Very cold. That made it great for sleeping, but not so easy to get up and ready.The morning light got me up right on schedule. It was a really nice camp-spot and I would miss it.I broke down my camp and went over to the shelter to see how Deadline and Bird were doing. They had a couple of great stories from last night.The first was a couple that came into camp very late (like 10:30pm or after) and proceeded to walk right over to the shelter. They shined their headlamps directly into Deadline's eyes and asked questions.      "Where is the camping?", the lady first asked.      "Are there any sites we should see tomorrow while we are hiking??", she continued.Since Deadline was nearly asleep when they walked up, his glare was understandable. He must have been pissed. I would have....   Based on this facial feedback, the woman conceded, "Oh never mind. I'll ask you tomorrow."It seemed like Deadline and Bird could finally get some rest.... But no.....Taking a step back, when we first got to the shelter, we couldn't figure out what the scrapes were in the shelter's edges and bunks. It almost looked like someone took a wood spoon and gouged the wood all over.The guys figured out what caused it in the middle of the night. Deadline woke up to two plump porcupines who were eating the bunks inside the shelter. He said it was a bit unnerving as the bite marks went halfway into the bunk!!!In the morning, we found lots of quills outside of the shelter where one of last night's critters had fallen. Very interesting to see up close.We walked on.... The trail today is similar to the trail in the past several days. Lots of mixed forest with thick underbrush interrupted by small, lovely sections of pines. Then, there is the rocky segments in-between.For the last few days, I have tried to coordinate a meet up with a friend, BearBelle. She had my Quebec permit and wanted to give it to me. Unfortunately, my schedule and timing were sketchy and we couldn't make it work. BearBelle had a bunch of information on the International Appalachian Trail, as she is starting it at the end of May.The day stayed hot and fairly uncomfortable. During the day's climbs, one profusely sweated and quickly saturated their clothes. Occasionally, strong breezes surged through the woods keeping any insects at bay. This was most appreciated!!During the afternoon, we met Deadline's wife Denzi, and their dog, Bob. They hiked southbound from the next town to meet us. Not only did they meet us, she brought us pizza and cokes!! We took a break and devoured the food.All of us, Deadline, Denzi, Bob the dog, Bird, and I hiked the remaining few miles into Lee. It was a lot of fun. Poor Bob didn't think so though!!!We ate dinner at an Irish Pub and Bird tried New England Clam chowder for the first time. It was good food and great company!!We got a motel room for the night and will head on tomorrow!
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Lee, Mass

To: Raynham, Mass
Miles today: 0.0

A zero day!!! What hiker doesn't look forward and cherish a voluntary zero day?!? This would be a fun day!!Denzi started off our day by making all of us amazing French toast for breakfast. It was soooo good!!That fueled us for a good road trip. Deadline and Denzi drove Bird and me to Newport, Rhode Island. It was great to see the massive mansions and pretty beaches. The rocky sections of the shoreline made the area even more scenic.We visited Purgatory Chasm, which was a narrow cut in the rocky cliff that let the ocean surge in and out of. It turned out that my dad had been there with his dad years and years ago!After some sightseeing, we had worked up an appetite. Deadline gave us the inside scoop on just what to get--lobster rolls!! He was right! They were amazing.. It was a hot dog-style bun filled with lobster-salad... Like tuna salad, only with lobster. We washed it all down with a Newport favorite--frozen lemonades.Our last stop was a park on the coast that was known for kites. There were dozens and dozens of kites being flown. All shapes and sizes dotted the sky. It was a sight to see. The wind was really strong and consistent.   I could also picture that there must be a few watery eyes out there due to tangled kite strings or broken kites. In the evening, we went over to friends of Deadline and Denzi. They were Mike and Stacey. It was really nice as we had a BBQ/campfire with some delicious beers!!
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Raynham, Mass

To: Dalton, Mass
Miles today: 18.0

May 25To dalton, mass. 18 milesThe dawn was unwelcome this morning. It seemed way, way too early. We (Deadline, Bird, and I) got to bed late last night. Unfortunately, the sun didn't care and kept rising.It was a long ride from Raynham back to the trail at Lee. The weather quickly became uncomfortably hot and humid. We didn't waste too much time before we hit the trail. I was pleasantly surprised with the easier terrain. The trail meandered past many ponds. Evidence of a thriving beaver population was everywhere with downed and partially cut trees laying about. I especially liked the prevalence of pines and dropped needles.We walked fast. This was going to be a short day. We modified our original plan of doing a 28 miler in lieu of a more reasonable 18 miles. It was due to our late start.I didn't expect the number of folks were out hiking today due to it being Memorial Day. They were all nice and chatty. One couple surprised me a bit. The couple had a new rv and asked if I wanted some water. I said, "sure" and walked over to get some. The lady suddenly spouted, "Hey!! You two are the hikers we saw at Bear Mountain, NY!" It was true. When Deadline and I had a burger at the Bear Mountain Lodge, these folks were at the end of the bar.What a funny, small world!! I thanked them, wished them luck, and walked on. As we all got closer to town, Denzi (Deadline's wife) hiked in and met us with Bob the dog. We all hiked into Dalton and got a room. A local fellow told us about the industrial building on the river. He said it was where they made the rag paper for US currency. It was now time for fish and chips!!! It was already getting late on this holiday.
Date: 2015-05-26
From: Dalton, Mass

To: Wilbur Clearing Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: few clouds

No one would acknowledge the morning and rouse the others. I could hear that Deadline was awake, and I'm sure he knew that I was. Neither of us would wake up Bird so that we could keep sleeping. Bird is notorious for having a difficult time waking up. It is hilarious when he doesn't even flinch while his three alarms go off. He will be dead-to-the-world. It's ok, though, as we are not strong motivators either.All of us had various tasks to finish before we headed out. Mine was to get some new shoes coming as mine are deteriorating at a fast rate. I don't know how long they will exactly last, but it won't be too long. Zappos really tried hard to help out and gave me an exchange with a new pair. They really do try to help us travelers by working hard to find solutions and assistance.We all eventually moved and got going. After a great coffee and two bagel-egg-cheese-bacon sandwiches (which were awesome), we walked on. The brief neighborhood walk was an interesting facet of the trail. When it ended, the climbing for the day began. This was the approach (if you will) to Mt Greylock. The stickiness of the air just made the climb worse. The weather forecast for today was supposed to be 90 with high humidity. It was another one of those days that you start off immediately soaked and ended even more drenched. The mosquitoes and black flies added something special. The trail was, for the most part, well-built and maintained. Some areas today were overgrown and other parts were very root-y. During the walk, Bird and I heard Deadline say something up ahead. We quickly went up to where he was standing. There was a porcupine walking away with his quills pointed up. It was very cool.We all consumed a ton of water today. At one point, we were purifying water and the mosquitoes about drove us crazy. The best water that we got today was from the lodge on the top of Mt Greylock. That water allowed us to carry 3-4 less liters that we otherwise would have for camp.The summit of Mt Greylock was cool with its stone tower that had a glass and iron globe on the top. There was also a bronze, circular relief map of the area. Deadline, Bird, and I couldn't stick around long due to the nasty thunderstorm clouds that were headed our way.We busted down the trail in hopes of reaching camp before the rains started. We sort of made it! The sprinkling started but never fully materialized. We made it to the shelter at about 7:30pm. There were several others already camping. A French couple in the the shelter somewhat refused to be accommodating. I went and set up my tarp. We snacked, but didn't eat too much. Again, this heat and humidity was nasty.Speaking of nasty, a really sick hiker showed up at the shelter. He had diarrhea, was puking, and lacked energy. I wasn't sure, but I told Deadline and Bird that guy might have norovirus. We gave him water.... and used our hand sanitizers several times!I am hoping that it doesn't rain tonight. The wind is gusty and the sky did look bad at sundown... We shall see!