morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-07
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

6/7/17, Delaware Water Gap, PAMiles hiked: 976.3 Miles to go: 1213.5Zero Day - yay! Zero Day with Marguerite - even yayer! In true zero Day fashion, we didn't really do anything but zero day chores. We went to the grocery store for resupply, ate, washed clothes, ate, and drove back to Eckville Shelter to retrieve my Kindle reader. Oh yeah, we also ate. It took us over an hour each way to drive back to Eckville Shelter; but, what an amazing stroke of luck that I forgot my Kindle at one of the very few shelters on the trail that you could drive to. And one of the few shelters that had a caretaker who could go look and see if I had actually left it there in the first place. Tomorrow, Marguerite heads back to TN and 1st Sgt and I cross the Delaware River and head into a new state. Hopefully, one with fewer rocks.
Date: 2017-06-08
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Stealth site at Mile 1310, NJ
Miles today: 16.7

6/8/17, Stealth Site at Mile 1310, NJMiles hiked: 993.0 Miles to go: 1196.8I think we may finally be leaving the accursed PA rocks behind! Woo hoo!  Marguerite and I started the day early at the Hampton Inn in Stroudsburg, PA. She had a noon flight from the Newark airport; but, had to drop me off, drive back to the airport, and drop off the rental car first. We were back over at the Church of the Mountain hostel by 7:00 AM and she was on her way. I hung out visiting with other hikers while 1st Sgt finished packing. The place was packed! Lots of people I'd never met before. We hit the trail by 7:30 AM and were soon crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey. I was so glad to see PA in the rear view mirror (Ok. I don't really have a rear view mirror on my pack - it's just an expression). PA has been my least favorite state so far. It had limited views, lots of rain, and those freaking rocks! The only really fun part was the climb out of Lehigh Gap. So far, NJ has been great. After crossing the river, we climbed back up onto the ridge. The climb was fairly long, but not too steep. And, yes, we were still contending with leftover PA rocks. In fact, we had rocks almost all day; however, they weren't as bad as PA and they are beginning to peter out. We also had many more views! We walked along the edge of a ridge most of the day and had views of farmlands down in the valley below. And the woods are much more open and airy. And we had sunshine all day! And did I mention the ponds? We passed a couple of big, pretty ponds. And a really cool fire tower!About 10 miles into the hike, we stopped at the Mohican Outdoor Center, which is operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club. I bought a Ruben sandwich, a coke, and a choco taco. Even though we just left town, we never pass up an opportunity for more town food. The rest of the afternoon was spent hiking along a pleasant ridgeline. Since we were stealth camping at a site that did not have water, we had to carry four liters of water for several miles. It's always a shame to have to add more weight to the pack; but, sometimes it can't be helped. 1st Sgt and I are now camped on the ridge with Wizard, a young Flip Flopper from VA. We expected several more people to stop here; but, a few passed by and several more apparently didn't come this far today. That's fine. The three of us are enjoying a pleasant evening and Wizard actually built a fire. By now, most NOBOs have quit building fires; but, if the Flip Floppers, who are still in the honeymoon phase of their hikes, want to build fires, we are happy to sit by them. All in all, I think I will enjoy New Jersey.
Date: 2017-06-09
From: Stealth site at Mile 1310, NJ

To: Mashipacong Shelter, NJ
Miles today: 20.5

6/9/17, Mashipacong Shelter, NJMiles hiked: 1013.5 Miles to go: 1176.3I passed a milestone today - over 1000 miles hiked! Woo hoo! We are still loving New Jersey. The rocks are still here; but, they are regular trail rocks. They aren't nasty, sneaky, poky PA rocks. The smoother trail and relatively flat trail profile allowed us to put in our first 20+ mile day in a long time. It was a pretty chilly night last night, with lows in the mid-40s. My down quilt felt quite toasty this morning, so I had a hard time dragging myself out of the hammock. 1st Sgt didn't appear to be moving much faster. As a result, we didn't get on the trail until 7:30 AM. It was another beautiful, sunny day, so we quickly warmed up. We once again had nice views along the ridgeline and passed several pretty ponds and saw several larger lakes down in the valley. We are definitely in geography influenced by glaciers. Although I'm no geologist, I suspect that all the rocks in PA were laid down by receding glaciers. We quickly covered 12 miles in the morning and arrived at Culver's Gap around noon. Gyp's Tavern is located 0.2 miles off trail at Culver's Gap. You know what that means - town food for lunch! Woo hoo! We hung out at Gyp's for about an hour, eating lunch and charging our electronics. They were very hiker friendly and I recommend it to anyone hiking the AT. After lunch, we had to climb out of Culver's Gap (remember that gap is a four letter word!) with full bellies, which made us very sluggish hikers. We soon got back into the rhythm though and started eating away at the final 8 miles of the day. At one point, we came upon a covered pavilion at Sunrise Mt. We arrived to find Dogmouse and Wizard there listening to a man playing a guitar. What a pleasant scene! 360 degree views, full sun, cooling breezes, and an acoustic soundtrack. Alas, we still had 3.8 miles to cover to reach the shelter. So, we headed out with Dogmouse and Wizard. With Dogmouse leading out, we made short work of the miles and arrived at the shelter a little after 5:00 PM. There ate ten of us here tonight, including an ATC ridge runner. I am comfortably ensconced in my hammock and looking forward to more days like today.
Date: 2017-06-12
From: Wawayanda Shelter, NJ

To: Stealth site in NY
Miles today: 17.3

6/12/17, Stealth site near Kloiber's Pond, NJMiles hiked: 1061.7, Miles to go: 1128.1Today's hike felt more like a work day hike than a holiday hike. It was hot, rocky, mosquito-filled, and just plain work. The AWOL guide described the section like this: "Despite the unimposing profile, rocks and abrupt ups & downs make this section challenging." They weren't kidding. We spent most of the day scrambling up and down large boulders. At one point, the rock face even had rebar rungs to assist in the climb. Temperatures in the low 90s only added to the discomfort today. I know we complain when we walk in the rain all day; but, the heat just wilts you. And it seems that no matter how much tepid water you drink, you just can't quench your thirst. Of course, since we spent much of the day on big rock faces, we spent a lot of time in the full sun. There were good aspects to the day also. We entered New York this morning - our 9th state. We also got some pizza for trail magic. We had planned to stop at the hot dog stand for lunch and then go to the ice cream store for dessert. It turns out that the hot dog stand is closed on Mondays. So, we were waiting for the ice cream store to open with High Life and Chef when a trail angel stopped and gave us pizza. Woo hoo! We then proceeded to have incredible chocolate shakes. After lunch, we felt sluggish in the afternoon heat and struggled to reach the Wildcat Shelter, where we took a much-needed break and drank cold water from the spring. Eventually, we moved on and put in another five miles to the stealth site where we are spending the night. Water has been an issue in this section. Most of the water sources are run-off from ponds. The water is very tannic and unappealing. It's kind of funny - we get used to access to ice cold spring water straight from the earth. So, we get kind of picky when it comes to water. These sources are sluggish and the water is brown. Luckily, just 0.1 miles short of where we planned to camp for the night, a wonderful trail angel had left 11 gallons of water. It was still cold! Woo hoo!We have eaten and stowed our bear bags and are now lying in our shelters (tent & hammock) sweltering. It's too buggy to be outside of our big nets. It is still mid-80s at dusk and not a hint of a breeze. Hopefully, the exhaustion from the day's labors will win out over the stifling air.
Date: 2017-06-16
From: Clarence Farhnestock State Park, NY

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

6/16/17, Morgan Stewart Shelter, NYMiles hiked: 1120.5 Miles to go: 1069.3Hiking conditions this morning were almost perfect. Sunshine filtered through high clouds, temps in the 60s, and a soft breeze. Unfortunately, 1st Sgt and I both were feeling sluggish today. I don't know if it was the long day yesterday or just cumulative fatigue over the past few days; but, we just weren't feeling it today. My joints hurt and I just had no energy (don't worry - I don't think it's Lyme Disease or anything, just one of those days). We trudged our way to the ten mile point,  where there was a deli 0.4 miles off-trail. We went there for lunch. They had a nice picnic table behind the deli and a water faucet and power outlets for charging - the important things. As we ate, it continued to cloud up. The Weather Channel app was predicting rain and it looked like they were going to be right. We decided to make for the Morgan Stewart shelter and try to beat the rain. As we hiked, the air got heavier and the rain felt more and more imminent. 1st Sgt and I pretty much hiked in silence today. Nothing really wrong, just one of those days for reflection. About a half mile before the shelter, the rain finally arrived. Luckily, we were able to reach it before we got too wet. There were four section hikers and Pa John already here when we arrived. We've spent the afternoon dozing and hanging out, visiting with the other hikers. We are staying in the shelter tonight to keep our equipment dry. Everyone else rolled in. We now have about 20 people camping here. A couple people built a fire and everyone is hanging out and enjoying each other's company.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be a more energetic day. We are hearing rumors of trail magic just across the Connecticut border...
Date: 2017-06-23
From: Glen Brook Shelter, MA

To: South Mt Wilcox Shelter, MA
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

6/23/17, South Mt Wilcox Shelter, MAMiles hiked: 1214.4 Miles to go: 975.4We lucked out today. The forecasted thunderstorms went north of us. We had high humidity and a couple of sprinkles; but, no real rain. Although we had a couple of big climbs, today's hike was pretty good. 1st Sgt, J, and I were on the trail by 6:30 AM and 1st Sgt set a pretty brisk pace. The morning passed pretty quickly and it wasn't long until we reached Rt 7. The AWOL guide said that the antique store near the trail crossing had a soda machine, so we headed over there only to find that the store was closed. Bummer. It's kind of funny - once you get your mind set on something like a soda, you become obsessed. We checked around a couple of other businesses nearby to no avail. Three sad little hikers returned to the trail, only to find that about a mile north a former thru hiker, Belch, and his friend were doing trail magic! Score! Mt Dew, Pepsi, watermelon, chocolate, and cheese and crackers. We were now very happy hikers and the sugar buzz carried us to the top of the nearby mountain. 1st Sgt and I stopped at an overlook for lunch; however, J decided to keep on hiking because he said our pace was a little fast for him and he wanted to build up a little buffer. While eating lunch, we met Pom Pom and Deep Cheeks. They said that they had been treated to dinner and a place to stay in Great Barrington by a guy who was following me and 1st Sgt on TrailJournals. Way to go Kevin! You made their day!After lunch, we settled in for the eight mile hike to the shelter. We hiked along, doing lots of ups and downs. About three miles before the shelter, I hit the wall. No energy! I struggled up the climb and finally caught up to 1st Sgt to find that he also owas struggling on the climbs. We eventually drug ourselves into the shelter, where we saw Monkey, whom we hadn't seen since NC, and No Hurry, who is averaging 3 - 5 miles a day. However, there was no J. The only thing we can figure is that he got off at the last road crossing and headed into town. We are both staying in the shelter tonight because we are expecting rain. Luckily, this shelter has four bunks (actually just wooden platforms), so we aren't sleeping on the floor. We are tired and our feet are also tired; but, our feet are actually doing better. Talking to other thru hikers, it appears that all our bodies are beginning to break down. Luckily, only 650 miles to Katahdin and I hear it's all downhill!
Date: 2017-06-25
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA

To: Shamrock Inn, Dalton, MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

6/25/17, Shamrock Inn, Dalton, MAMiles hiked: 1250.8, Miles to go: 929.0Today was a good day on the trail. 20.6 miles of fairly flat trail, with only one big climb. After a restful night at the Upper Goose Pond Cabin, we were served blueberry pancakes by the caretaker. We were a little later than usual getting on the trail, since she could only cook a few pancakes at a time. We didn't mind waiting though. Our friend Squire and his two sons Stretch and Remix (14 and 12 years old) arrived at the cabin late last night after putting in a 25 mile day. It was nice to visit with them over breakfast this morning. Due to our late start and planned mileage, we moved it out and kept up a decent pace all day. We passed the October Mt Shelter at 8.8 miles into the hike and found a smoldering campfire left by last night's occupants. We did our civic duty and made sure the campfire was completely extinguished before leaving a note in the shelter register reminding people to make sure their fires were completely out and heading on down the trail. At 10.8 miles, we stopped at the home of the Cookie Lady. She is another trail icon. She and her husband have been feeding cookies to thru hikers for the past 30 years. They also sell sodas and ice cream, so we had to be sociable and buy something to eat while we visited. Then we were off again, fueled by soda and ice cream. The trail profile was pretty flat; but, the treadway was fairly rocky and rooty. Also, we passed through many marshy areas near beaver ponds that required walking on plank bridges. I still can't get used the lakes being on top of mountains. I expect them to be in the valleys and low areas. The marshy areas also meant bugs. Lots of bugs. I almost broke out the DEET for the first time. At about mile 14 we came upon Rob Byrd and his friend Nancy handing out trail magic from his van. More soda and cookies to fuel our final push into Dalton. By the last few miles, our feet were getting tired; but, we kept up the pace. As usual, the last mile of the hike seemed to take forever; but, eventually, we arrived in Dalton. To celebrate our successful hike, we stopped at Sweet Peas for some ice cream. One nice thing about hiking 20 miles a day is you can pretty much eat what you want. We then made our way to the Shamrock Inn, where we had reserved a room. We were met by none other than Rob Byrd who offered to drive us over to Pittsfield for dinner since all the restaurants in tiny Dalton were already closed for the evening. The meal was wonderful and Rob was a very interesting fellow. After dinner, he brought us back to the motel. And who should arrive shortly thereafter but none other than Squire and the Boys. They put in another long day and are now rooming next to us in the motel. Tomorrow, laundry and resupply before we begin our assault on Massachusetts' tallest peak - Mt Greylock!
Date: 2017-06-27
From: Martinsburg, WV

To: Knoxville, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

6/27/17, Knoxville, TNMiles hiked: 1250.8, Miles to go: 929.0After a fairly short night at the Knights Inn, we were up and ready to hit the road by 7:00 AM. As we were pumping gas, my son Sam texted that he was leaving work. So, we met him at the Dunkin Donuts. It was fun to at least have a short visit with him. The rest of the morning was spent riding down I-81, which essentially parallels the AT through Virginia. So, it was fun to share stories that happened at various places along the AT we passed as we headed back south. Squire and the boys are such easy companions the ride all the way from Massachusetts to Tennessee actually passed very quickly. Squire and I even discovered that we have very similar tastes in music. We were under a bit of a time constraint to get to Johnson City, TN, for me to catch the 2:25 PM bus to Knoxville. We knew we were OK when we passed the bus on I-81 near Wytheville. We stopped for a quick rest area break and were a bit concerned that it may have passed us back up; but, we were good. We reached Johnson City about 1:45 PM. The bus didn't arrive until 2:55 PM. A short and uneventful bus ride brought me to Knoxville. Then, a quick Uber ride and I was home. I am happy to be home once again with Marguerite and the dogs. She already has a honey do list started for me and I have to do a few things like replace broken or lost equipment and find new shoes. I imagine the time at home will pass pretty quickly. I was a bit unhappy about one thing today, though. I read 1st Sgt's TrailJournals blog and discovered he saw a bear yesterday! He's not supposed to be having bear sightings without me!
Date: 2017-06-28
From: Knoxville, TN

To: Knoxville, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

6/28/17, Knoxville, TNMiles hiked: 1250.8, Miles to go: 929.0I enjoyed my zero day at home. I took care of a few items on the honey do list. I also shopped for new shoes. I started my hike in  trailrunners; but, switched to Keen boots through the Pennsylvania rocks. Now mm they are heavy on my feet. I also think that they contributed to my foot issues because they are very warm, resulting in perpetually sweaty feet. I went to my local REI and tried on various trailrunners. I loaded down a pack with 30 lbs of weight and walked around the store trying out various models of shoes. I finally settled on the Brooks Caldera shoes, size 14. I also replaced some broken and lost equipment. Tomorrow - a few more honey dos and a pack shake down to eliminate as much weight as possible before I return to the trail.
Date: 2017-06-30
From: Knoxville, TN

To: Knoxville, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

6/30/17, Knoxville, TNMiles hiked: 1250.8, Miles to go: 929.0So, I got this idea from No Rush. He said that when he had to go off trail for Lyme Disease treatment he painted a white blaze on a tree in his yard to remind him of the trail. When I came home for the week, I looked at this wonderful huge maple tree next to the garage. It was just begging for a white blaze. So, I gave it one. It looks much better, I think.
Date: 2017-07-03
From: Knoxville, TN

To: Pownal, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

7/3/17, Pownal, VTMiles hiked: 1250.8, Miles to go: 929.0Heading back to the trail after a very nice visit home. I finished several Honey-do projects and enjoyed spending time with Marguerite. We also had an overnight visit from our niece Lisa Rine, her husband GARY RINE, their son Daniel and his fianc© Joely as they were passing through town on their way to GA.  Oh yeah, and let's not forget Winnie the golden retriever!Today I flew back to Albany, NY, via Baltimore and Philadelphia. All three legs of the trip were uneventful. It was a very quiet travel day and all the airports were almost empty. I was met at the airport by my high school friend Linda MacPeak Townley, her sister Kathy Foley, and her niece Heather. A short drive brought us to Kathy's home, where I met her husband Jim and their menagerie of dogs, cats, horses, goats, and chickens. Being the animal lover that I am, I was in heaven. We went to dinner at a local pizza place in nearby Bennington, VT, and then got the nickel tour of covered bridges and monuments in Bennington. The rest of the evening was spent visiting and filling in our lives since we'd last seen one another over 30 years ago. Tomorrow, I return to Dalton, MA, and continue my northward migration with a hike up and over Mt Greylock, Massachusetts' highest peak. I heard from 1st Sgt and Sitting Bull and know I now have my work cut out for me to catch back up with my hiking friends. At least it looks like we should have several days of good weather...
Date: 2017-07-04
From: Shamrock Inn, Dalton, MA

To: Bascom Lodge, Mt Greylock, MA
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

7/4/17, Bascom Lodge, Mt Greylock, MAMiles hiked: 1267.9, Miles to go: 911.9After a great breakfast of farm fresh eggs, bacon, and French toast, Linda and Kathy returned me to the Shamrock Inn in Dalton. I wanted to check in with Laura at the Shamrock and let her know I was back on the trail; but, she wasn't around. I hiked through town and headed back into the woods. It was a beautiful morning with crystal clear skies and temperatures in the 60s. The trail was pretty nice, with some rocks and muddy patches, but not too bad. After leaving town, I immediately started climbing up Cheshire Cobble. "Up" would prove to be the word of the day, as I would spend most of the day climbing up Mt Greylock. Before starting up Mt Greylock, though, I dropped down the back side of Cheshire Cobble into the town of Cheshire, MA. I happened to walk right past an ice cream/sandwich shop at noon. So, naturally, I stopped for a ham and Swiss on rye and a chocolate shake. With my stomach full of town food and my pack full of restocked supplies, it was time to climb a mountain. At 3489 ft, this mountain was the highest mountain in Massachusetts. Cheshire sits at 970 ft. So, I had to climb 2519 ft over 7.4 miles. Definitely not the worst climb we've done out here; but, it just went on for a long time. Since it was a holiday, and beautiful weather to boot, there were a ton of people on the trail. They were mostly day hikers; however, I also saw quite a few thru hikers. In fact, the first person I saw on the trail today was a thru hiker named Calves that I had last seen in PA. He had had several issues, including shin splints and a stress fracture in his foot, that had slowed him down for awhile. He came flying past me, almost running, slowing down just long enough to catch up on what we'd both been up to. He then roared off into the distance. Had he slowed down long enough, I may have been able to give him a hint as to why he was having so many medical issues. After climbing all afternoon, I arrived at the summit of Mt Greylock. The summit has a tower that is a war memorial to MA veterans. It looks kind of like a swooping light house. Mt Greylock also has the Bascom Lodge, which has a bunkroom where hikers can stay. I probably should have pushed on to the next shelter, but I decided to get a bunk for the night so I can hopefully see the fireworks from Adams, MA, which sits at the base of Mt Greylock. They should be just about at our eye level. The next three days will be 20+ milers as I try to catch back up with 1st Sgt and the rest of my trail friends. I think the week off was just what I needed. My feet are all healed up and appear to be working just fine in my trail runners. Also, I really enjoyed being back in the woods. Tomorrow - Vermont!