morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-09-02
From: Riga Shelter

To: Caesar Brook Campsite
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up this morning and packed up in the dark. This shelter is known for its sunrise view from the shelter. It did not disappoint. I ate my breakfast at the picnic table and watched it come up. It was beautiful and it was hard to leave, but I did eventually and I made great time today while enjoying Connecticut. It is kind of a continuation of Mass. The trail are beautiful and very well maintained and a real joy to hike on. I hiked next to the Housatonic River for a long time. I stopped for lunch at a Hydro Plant where they have water and an electrical outlet. The dam was pretty impressive and the falls after the dam were raging downward over the rocks. It was pretty cool. I hiked up into the mountains out of the town of Falls Village. I noticed the sounds of race cars. When crossing one of the streets I saw a sign for Limerock speedway. For the next several hours I listened to race car roar around the track. You could even see part of the track from a view point where I took a break. I miss going to the races. In the 90's I went and watched Roger Raymond race at our local racetrack. He kicked butt back then. Today made me think about those times. I rather enjoyed these few hours, but soon enough the sound faded away and then it was back to the sounds of the forest. In talking to a NOBO earlier in the day he said the water at the campsite I was headed for was questionable. This was a bummer. I had to stock up about two miles before camp with five liters of water and hike it in. It also included a steep incline if 500 or so feet. When I arrived at camp I was beside myself. The water here was fine, as a matter of a fact it was way better then the water I just hauled two miles. I dumped out all my water and filled back up with the water there. I guess it is better to be safe then sorry. Tonight there are only a few people here at this camp. I talked with a NOBO named Wednesday for a while before turning in. It was another fine day on the trail. I must say I really am liking my time at night in my tent after dinner. It is nice to be off my feet and resting and listening to all the different kinds of crickets and whatever else is out there chirping. This camping part has become so much more enjoyable then when I first started way back in March.
Date: 2016-09-03
From: Caesar Brook Campsite

To: Schaghticoke Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

It was another carbon copy of the last week out here on the trail. Beautiful weather, beautiful trail. I hiked a five mile totally flat section with no rocks or roots. It was along the Housatonic river. There are not many spots like this along the trail so it was a nice break. I made my way to the trail head going into Kent. I put my thumb out and got picked up right away. I had my resupply box in town which is why I had to go in. I packed up all my food and had three hot dogs before the man I was chatting with offered to drive me back to the trail head. I accepted of course. I was off the trail for a grand total of 45 minutes. My plan was to hike another three miles to a campsite, but it was only 3:00pm. I had thoughts of trying for the next camp area, but that would have been another nine miles. After hiking to the next water source I decided to stick with my original plan and stay at the first campsite. I got here around 5:00pm and had plenty of time to set up and relax a bit. I am feeling really ready to go home. That has not been the case for much of this adventure. I am feeling a real peace within. I also am ready to shower daily, shave my face, eat real healthy foods, not carry my my house and all my belongings on my back everyday, not carry all my trash with me everywhere I go. I am ready to wear different cloths. I am ready not to stink. I am very ready to not wear boots. I want my Teva's. Oh, the list goes on. I am just ready. I have gained so much from this experience and learned so much about myself. I want to finish strong though, which is what I am doing. I am sleeping better then I can ever remember sleeping and enjoying everyday. I have less then 200 miles left. I plan to enjoy them all.
Date: 2016-09-04
From: Schaghticoke Mountain Shelter

To: Nuclear Lake north end
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: light rain

I always write these entries when I am in my tent at night right before I go to sleep. Often times I forget things that happen early in my days. The mornings have become my favorite time of the day to hike. My body feels fresh and the air is nice and cool. Lately I have had great morning hikes. Like this morning for instance. I was on the trail just as the sun was rising. I was camped on a ridge last night so I was up kind of high. It was nice to be hiking and watching the sun come up over the mountains in the distance. It gets pretty hot by noon and then I lose some of my moe joe. By late in the afternoon it starts cooling down again, especially now that it is September. I like hiking in the evenings, but I hate getting caught out with no place to camp and darkness approaching. Today I hiked my 2000th mile on this adventure. That is pretty dang cool. I only have 150 miles left now. I also hiked into New York today. It did not take long to notice I was out of Mass. and Connecticut. The trails were very lacking in maintenance in areas. It was still a fine day of hiking. I am stealth camping at Nuclear Lake tonight. I arrived at the shelter back a ways at 4:30pm and did not feel like stopping. It was too early anyways so I hiked on and stopped around 6:00pm. Sorry I do not have much exciting to report. I did see a big deer yesterday in Connecticut. It was really close too. The wildlife has been a bit shy up here north compared to down south. I hear there are lots of bears in New York and New Jersey so maybe I will see a few more in my last days out here.
Date: 2016-09-05
From: Nuclear Lake north end

To: Stealth spot mile 771.1 SOBO
Miles today: 25.0

Day two in New York and day two of thinking it is not so great. The trails have gotten a lot more rocky and I am told it is just going to get worse over the coming days. It is just not that attractive. The forest is bland and unappealing. I also hiked next to Interstate 84 and then the Taconic Parkway, so I got to listen to car roaring down the road. I am not a fan of that. On a positive note I got to breath nice clean forest air all day again today. That never gets old. I set an awfully fast pace today to try and make it to to state park that is on the trail. I hiked 19.5 miles and reached the park around 3:30pm. I went straight to the concession stand, which closed at 4:00pm and ordered two large Cheeseburgers, some Fries, a Powerade and then an Ice Cream. All day all I could think about was that burger. It was wonderful. I ate with a NOBO who's name I forgot. He was good company and we exchanged what is ahead on the trail for each of us. I was planning on staying at this park but it seemed rather loud and I had all this new energy from just eating real food. I decided to hike on and ended up with a 25 mile day. It is my longest milage day since going south on the trail. It also puts me in good shape to make it to the post office in Fort Montgomery tomorrow before 5:00pm. This will be my last food drop. I can not believe it. I only have about a week left. I am camped beside the trail tonight in a stealth spot. As usual all the critters are singing away. It should be another good night.125 miles to go
Date: 2016-09-06
From: Stealth spot mile 771.1 SOBO

To: West Mountain Shelter junction
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I saw a total of one hiker in my first fifteen miles today. I am pretty much a bubble of one. I know there are some people a day or two in front of me and I know there are people behind me some where. The terrain remained pretty rocky today. I must have kicked 30 rocks sticking up today. That can be irritating. The bugs were also flying around my eyes and ears, but I did not let them get me down. I am keeping my spirits up despite the lack luster terrain. I did do something exciting today though. I crossed the Hudson River. It felt like a big thing. I am not sure if it really is though. Once I crossed I had to get into Fort Montgomery to the Post Office to pick up my last food drop from my brother Greg. I had a little problem getting there though. As I approached a bridge to get into town it was closed to pedestrians. I had to turn around and walk back a half mile and take a historic walking path which was a pain. I eventually got to the post office and picked up my package. I walked across the street to a parking area and unloaded my pack and started repacking all my food for the last five days. A nice man named Jack came up and politely started talking to me about my hike. We chatted for a while and I told him about the problem I had getting into town. I was hoping to catch a ride back to the trail. He immediately offered to bring me. I was very happy about that. I finished packing up and then we headed back to the trail. The trail goes through a Zoo in town, but I have heard nothing but sad things about it, including a section hiker who I saw earlier in the day. She said it was really sad. I decided to take the route you have to take when the Zoo is closed. I do not need to see sadness. I got to the Bear Mountain Inn and Recreation area and it was really nice. I filled up my water then had an Ice Cream and then headed up the mountain. It was a gorgeous path all the way up to the top. A lot of hard work went into this six foot wide path with nice walkways and hundreds of stone steps going up up and away. Just about every state on the AT has a Bear Mountain. This was the best one by far. The only thing that bothered me was all the trash cans were over full and there was an awful lot of trash on the ground in specific areas. The views were nice from up top and even better from the next mountain, which is West Mountain. I am actually camped at the top of it tonight. I can see the New York City skyline through the trees. I was hoping to stay at the shelter which has a great view of it but there was no sign for the shelter and I walked right by the path for it. I eventually backtracked to the shelter junction. It is six tenths of a mile off the trail anyways. It was getting really dark when I found this spot just after the junction. There is a hurricane off the coast. I hope it pulls out to sea soon. It may rain some tonight. Hopefully not too much.103 miles to go
Date: 2016-09-07
From: West Mountain Shelter junction

To: Buchanan Mountain
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: few clouds

Had another fantastic night of sleep on top of a West Mountain last night. I even slept until 5:30am. The hiking today was the hardest in weeks. It was very rocky with constant steeper ups and downs. My feet took a beating. It was also very hot and humid. My pants and shirt were drenched in sweat all day. I ran into four different road crossing where Trail Angels had left out gallon jugs of water. This was a God send because the water on the trail has mostly dried up. I drank about seven liters of water today. On a normal day I drink about four or five. Tomorrow is suppose to be hotter. I could only muster about 17 miles before I quit just before 6:00pm. I am camped on the side of the trail on top of Buchanan Mountain. I am very tired tonight. Today and tomorrow are suppose to be my hardest days on this leg and then it gets a easier in New Jersey. At least that is what people are telling me. It did not help that I had a full five days of food and carried one or two liters of water all day. That is a lot of weight. It is nice that every day it gets lighter because I eat the food. I really need a shower and to do laundry. It has been way to long. There is a hostel 23 miles away. I am just not sure I can make it that far if the terrain is like today. I saw one thru hiker today and a handful of day hikers. It continues to be very quiet on the trail. I have seen deer the last few days though. Both times it was a momma with two little ones. They looked just like Bambi. The days are winding down out here. There are parts I will miss a lot and other parts I will not miss at all, like being in sweat soaked stinky clothes all day and having to put those wet sweat soaked cloths back on in the morning. Nope, not going to miss that.86 miles to go
Date: 2016-09-08
From: Buchanan Mountain

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: few clouds

Last night was very interesting. It started out very pleasant with all the bugs and crickets chirping away. Then all the sudden they all stopped at once. It was spooky. After a few minutes they started back up again. A little later something knocked over my trekking pole and I heard it fall to the ground. There was activity outside my tent all night. I just kept my earplugs in, but even with them in I could here something walking close by. When I did get up in the morning to get my food it was still dark. I got out of my tent with my head lamp on and 50 or 60 feet away I could see two sets of eyeballs looking at me. There eyes glow with my light shining on them and are easy to see. They moved back and forth. I yelled and stomped and what ever they were ran off. Soon after it became light and the sun came up. I was happy to see that. It was a very hot and humid day again today. Worse then yesterday. I struggled with my energy level. It was a difficult morning with more rocks and meaningless ups and downs. I stopped at a hot dog stand for lunch and the man running it said there are a lot of coyotes in this area and they have been know to be aggressive towards people. There is also a very high population of black bears and rattle snakes. It is always something out here. I made the decision to only stay at shelters the remaining few days. I crossed into New Jersey at 2:00pm. It felt good to be done with New York and only have one more state left. It is crazy. I made my way to Wawayanda State Park around 4:30pm. I needed to fill up all my water containers for the night here. They had a bathroom with running water. I am really gross right now. I basically gave myself a bath and also washed my shirt, pants, and underwear in the sink. It was not perfect by any means, but it will be a whole lot better tomorrow putting them on. I did make sure the bathroom was good and clean before I left. I only had about three tenths of a mile to the Wawayanda Shelter where I am staying tonight. I was hoping for some people, but it is 8:00pm now and I am here all alone. There is a chance of storms overnight so I am actually in the shelter, which is rare for me. It is still very warm and humid. It is suppose to stay in the 70's tonight. Everything is so sticky. I doubt I will sleep very well. The other thing that has happened the last few day is the mosquitos have finally found me. They have been pretty bad in a lot of areas, especially if I stop for very long. Tomorrow I am going to try to hike 21 miles so I can stay at a hostel. I am not sure I can make it that far in this weather. It sure would be good to get a shower and get my laundry done as well. Hopefully that will be the motivation I need to get there. 68 miles to go
Date: 2016-09-09
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Moseys Hostel. Courtwrite Road
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: broken clouds

Considering it was the hottest stickiest night I have had on this entire trip, I slept pretty good last night. It was strange being the only one at a shelter. I was on the trail at daylight and my spirits were very high. I was singing away as I left camp. I had the two hardest days of this final leg behind me and I was determined to make the 21 miles to the hostel by day's end, as I was in dire need of a shower and to get my laundry done. It turned out to be a great day of hiking. I went down the "Stairway to Heaven" which was a steep descent for me. A lot of rock steps and boulders to maneuver around. I am glad I did not have to up it. After that it was very easy the rest of the day. I hiked through amazing fields of wild flowers on a boardwalk that went on forever. Flowers as far as you could see on either side. It was overcast and I was thankful for that as it was still very warm and humid today. Not having the sun directly on me helped a lot. The trails were very well taken care of. In a lot of ways it was like being back in Massachusetts. I was so happy to have an easier day with such amazing landscape all around. The butterflies and dragon flies were all flying around. I loved this day. It was a good day to be on the trail. I ended up picking up the pace towards the end of the day as storms were in the afternoon forecast. I easily made the 21 miles and called the hostel to come get me at 4:30pm. It is a great deal. $20.00 for a bed, shower, laundry, ride to and from the trail, and Mosey even brought me into town where I ordered some nice New York Brick Oven Pizza, which was amazing. The name of this hostel is Moseys Hostel. It is new this year. I needed this bad and I am thankful to be here. Mosey and I chatted while I ate and now I am in bed. I am thinking two in a half days of hiking left. If all goes as planned I will be sleeping in my own bed Monday night.46.3 miles left
Date: 2016-09-10
From: Moseys Hostel. Courtwrite Road

To: Moseys Hostel. US 206 Branchville
Miles today: 18.2

Mosey brought me back to the trail after making me a great breakfast. It had rained over night so the trails were all wet. The morning was slightly cooler, but it did not take long before the heat and crazy humidity took over again. The hiking was not difficult, but there was quite a few areas of rocks to negotiate around. I had to carry extra water because there still is very little water on the trail. The humidity sapped all my energy and really took the fun out of hiking today. It was very nice to have clean clothes on though. Around 3:00pm I decided to call Mosey and see if she would drive 20 miles and pick me up and let me stay at her hostel again tonight. She agreed and I was super happy. I did not have very good camping options for the night. I would of had to haul five liters of water about four miles to the next shelter with the first part of that being a decent climb. So like I said, I was very happy Mosey came and got me. I was at the trail head at 5:30pm and Mosey picked me up shortly after. It was nice to take another shower and then I had a camping meal. I am watching the nascar race now with my feet up. I am feeling great. It is still very muggy tonight and a good chance of storms. I am very glad to be indoors tonight. Mosey is pretty awesome. I only have two more shorter days out here. The end is right in front of me.28 miles to go
Date: 2016-09-11
From: Moseys Hostel. US 206 Branchville

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: broken clouds

It was another big breakfast at Moseys before she brought me back to the trail. I kind of dragged my feet a bit as a line of rain was about to come through the area. It came and went and it really did not rain very long. When I got dropped off the wind was blowing very hard and the air had turned dry. It felt amazing. Thank goodness all that heavy humid air is gone. The hiking today was nice. I drank so much less water. There was some nice ridge walks with great views, but also many areas that were rocky. Those areas were tough on my feet. I just took my time and went slow through them. I arrived at the AMC's Mohican Outdoor Center around 6:00pm. After looking at the bunk house and the tenting area I decided to sleep on one of the couches in the main lodge. It is really comfortable. I just have to be out of here by 8:00am. That will not be a problem as I plan to leave at first light. I can not believe this is my last night. A lot of thoughts ran through my head today. I have come a long ways since Springer Mountain in Georgia. I know now that I knew nothing then. I figured it out though. It has been one heck of a journey. 10.8 miles tomorrow and I am done.
Date: 2015-10-27
To: Initial Itinerary Thoughts
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

2016 Appalachian Trail Plans.... During the past 5 months, my 2016 AT plans have started to take form. I plan to first catch those 40 miles I missed that remain in northern Virginia. Then I'd like to do all of the 230 miles of Pennsylvania for a total of 270 miles in 18 days. I plan to start 2 weeks earlier than I usually do to miss the heat/humidity. Jackson will once again be my constant companion.New for 2016, I have a friend who has requested to join me for the full 18 days. Her name is Debbie Rodman and she is already far ahead of me in physically being prepared. She is a novice long distance hiker and is working on building her expertise here at home on the Ice Age Trail. Her 1st time experience on the AT will give me lots of new perspective to share with you on FB during our hike.The terrain in PA is extremely rocky. The attached photo is Jackson in May 2015 in northern Maryland showing you how the 2016 terrain will be. It most certainly won't be a gentle dirt path.
Date: 2015-11-11
To: Let the Pre-Hike Training Begin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

So I am officially 6 months out from my 2016 Appalachian Trail hike. Exercise and hike training hasn't really been a priority this fall with Dave's ATV rollover accident. But with only 6 months left, its time to get moving. So we started Monday with our morning drill of light stretching exercises and a daily road walk/jog of 1.5 miles without backpack weight. Over the next 6 months I'll be increasing exercise, distance, weight, and adding tough-terrain hikes. This is last year's picture, but this same crew (minus Sandy) will once again join me for all pre-hike hikes.
Date: 2015-12-25
To: My Miracle Man
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

On September 12, 2015, Dave left home in his black Chevy Pickup at 4:00 a.m. heading to our lake home in northern Wisconsin. He was to spend a beautiful day ATVing with friends. He arrived safely and prepared his gear and ATV leaving to meet up with his brother and friends. I enjoyed the day at a local dog trial. Shortly after returning home, I got a call from Dave's brother. Dave had been in a serious ATV rollover accident. He was being Medevac'd from Northern Michigan to Wausau, WI. The next 24 hours were to be a blur of friends and family rallying to take care of everything that needs to be done in one's time of need. And then one coincident after another began to unfold. That many coincidents don't just happen, this was a true miracle Dave was enveloped in. The right decisions by friends at the accident scene, the right EMT decisions, the right transport assessment & packaging by his ER doctor and nurses, the right Trauma Center in the entire Midwest, the right Trauma Surgeon assigned on a Saturday. Dave's guardian angel was exhausted but not finished. Over the next week, I stayed by Dave's side and slowly Dave came back to me from the edge of death. It was a miracle. Dave passed many hurdles to overcome very serious injuries. During the past 3 months, his cognitive skills returned, his physical injuries were on the mend, he slowly returned to work being tasked with light duty, no wrenches were going to be turned for a long time. He is my Miracle Man!!!One of his recovery exercises is the need for daily walks. So I am now extremely blessed to have a new hiking partner for my practice hikes. My Miracle Man has need of daily hiking, on uneven surfaces, for 30-90 minutes. No complaints from me!!! I thank God every day I still have Dave with me and darn it, I have to spend every day going for a hike with this wonderful man!
Date: 2015-12-26
To: Hiking the snowshoe trails
Miles today: 0.0

Dave and I traveled to our northern Wisconsin lake property to celebrate the Christmas Season with family. Both our boys and our daughter-in-law were in Portland and staying at home seamed empty. The day after Christmas we took the fur babies and went hiking on the snowshoe trails that didn't have enough snow to required snowshoes. It was gorgeous. Sadly there wasn't enough snow and ice to cover the river that split the trails in 1/2 nor was there a bridge so we just walked the northern 1/2 of the trail.