morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-20
From: Wawayanda Mountain Stream Campsite, NJ

To: Arden Mountain, NY
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: light rain

I woke around sunrise, ate and packed up. I had washed out my clothes in the nearby stream and hung them up yesterday evening in hope of some dry less fragrant duds. However they were still quite wet making the task of putting them on a a shivery task.   They did however smell a little better which was a plus. I was on the trail by 6:30 looking to put in some high mileage for the day. Over the last 2-3 days I have been getting hot spots (and now blisters) on the outer sides of my heals and I am not sure why this was happening. I have not had blisters on my feet in a long time. The moleskin works but the blisters make long mileage a bit punishing. This section of the trail is actually quite strenuous. There are lots of small rocky ups and downs with a number of the ascents and descents requiring hand and foot climbing. Between these ups and downs are lots of small sections of boardwalk that cross muddy bogs. Like the following day good quality water was also limited. Fortunately trail angels had put out some jugs of water at road crossing or I would have been filtering brown colored stream water coming out of the ponds or bogs. Midmorning I crossed the NJ/NY state lines (see photo).   So goodbye New Jersey and hello New York.   Along the trail there are some nice overlooks atop the rocky ridges looking down on the Greenwood Lake (see photo). One highlight of the days walk was a short detour to a hotdog shop just west of the trail on NY 17A. In the heat of the day a cold drink puts so much pep in your step. I also had a few dogs which were pretty good as well. The other days highlight was running into a bear on the trail. He was walking southbound on the trail and I was going northbound and before we saw one another we were only about 30 feet apart. Fortunately after a few second stare down he hightailed it off the trail. I was only able to get one photo of him as he went down the slope (see photo). He was the biggest bear I have seen on the trail so far. After a long day I settled in a great campsite atop Arden Mountain, NY beside a rock overlook facing west allowing me to watch the sunset (see photo). What a great way to finish the day.
Date: 2014-06-21
From: Arden Mountain, NY

To: Fort Montgomery, NY
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: overcast clouds

After a great nights sleep, I was up at 5 am and on the trail before 6 am. I was motivated by the prospect of meeting my longtime friend who had retired along the Hudson River valley at the end of the days hike. He will pick me up and I will zero at his place with him and his family. Although NY is not known for being hard, the first two days of the state were a serious workout. There were lots of rocky ascents that required hand and foot climbing. One example was the "Lemon Squeeze" where you enter a tall narrowing crevice (see photo). As you approach the end of the crevice you must pull yourself up and out. Immediately after the squeeze there is another short vertical climb. These make for an interesting day. The other highlights included two overlooks where you could see the New York City skyline which is close to 50 miles away (see photos). There is also a steep rock step climb to Bear Mountain. Once on top of the mountain you are treated to bending machines (cold drinks) and a spectacular view of the Hudson River and NYC. Since it was Saturday Bear Mountain had lots of day hikers plus below the mountain park and zoo were bustling. The trail runs right through the small zoo and exits the zoo at the bridge that takes you across the Hudson. However, I will cross the bridge in two days time with my longtime friend and work colleague. He picked me up that afternoon at the bridge and we drove up the Hudson to his house. The drive was very scenic as we passed the West Point area. I finished the day with a shower and a nice dinner with his family. The sunset from their place was awesome (see photo).
Date: 2014-06-22
From: Fort Montgomery, NY

To: Germantown, NY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

There is nothing better than visiting with old friends and eating fabulous home cooking!   We also headed out for some supplies but after cleaning up gear and clothes much of the day was devoted to catching up and relaxing. Tomorrow my friend Frank will hit the trail with me for a couple of days. His wife Mary will take us out to the trail and ultimately pull us off further north. For Frank some parts of the trail will be like a trip down memory lane since he grew up very close to the trail near the Hudson River.
Date: 2014-06-23
From: Germantown, NY

To:  Campsite Near Catfish Loop Trail, NY
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

Frank and I started our hike around 8 am at the Fort Montgomery Museum. The museum was a little off the trail for a thru hiker (even though we might hike 20+ miles we are often ultra-frugal on any mileage off the trail), but Frank has been studying the Revolutionary War history of the area making the small detour very interesting. After the tour we headed up to the Bear Mountain bridge. The view from the bridge down the Hudson was fantastic. It is hard to believe back during the Revolutionary War the US army had set up a large chain across the river to prevent the British ships from passing. Once across the bridge we headed up the steep east mountainside. Once near the top of the mountain we veered of the AT heading up to Anthony's Nose Lookout. This was well worth the 1/2 mile hike up the side trail as the view from atop the lookout was spectacular! The Bear Mountain bridge was far below appearing more like a toy bridge.   There were great views up and down the Hudson from the lookout. We got back on the AT and started our trek north. There were not many more views after Anthony's Nose but we did get a real treat around lunch time. We strolled out of a low marshy area to a Y-intersection where the Appalachian Deli resided. Frank knew about this place since it was only about 4 miles from his parents house. This place was bustling and it had plenty of good food where you can get hot food as well as "cold-cut" sandwiches. The sandwiches were great. The only drawback in stopping at the deli is that you do not lighten your pack... Well such is life. The food was way better than the food in my pack. We finished the day at a great campsite beside a stream. Water in this section of NY is spotty at best and many of the streams come out of ponds which does not taste that great. However the stream beside our campsite was clear and tasted good. We set up camp and cooked our meals beside a fire pit as the sun was setting. All in all a good day on the trail.
Date: 2014-06-24
From:  Campsite Near Catfish Loop Trail, NY

To: Campsite near Hosner Mountain Rd, NY
Miles today: 16.1

We were on the trail by around 7 am. The morning was cool and crisp and the days forecast was partly sunny and breezy. Perfect weather for hiking. Generally the trail was mild with some ups and downs. Frank and I hit the Fahnestock state park boundary around lunch time and the posted signs indicated the concession stand would open today! What perfect timing. Cold drinks would be the order of the day! I had explained to Frank how quickly one ends up appreciating some of the most simple comforts often taken for granted and one of those comforts being a cold drink. After about 2 miles of hiking into the park we finally reached the side trail off the AT to the concession stand. They had a grill but both Frank and I decided it best to eat down some of the food we were carrying and thus we only loaded up with cold drinks... Well and an ice cream for me. The lake that the park surrounds has a beach area and some of the locals were enjoying it (see photos). There were not many scenic outlooks this day only one or two that allowed a peek of a lake or pond below the ridge and most of the day was spent hiking beneath the tree canopy. The exception was a rock outcropping that we came upon in the afternoon where there was a painted memorial in remembrance of 9/11 (see photo). We took a break here and enjoyed the views and the breeze.   Late afternoon we rolled into the RPH shelter where we met thru hikers Red and Canadia. The shelter is atypical with 4 walls and bunks and you can call a local pizza place for hot food delivery. I explained to Frank that this shelter would be considered a "Hilton" of shelters with such comforts... Most shelters are simply 3-sided wooden sheds and no pizza delivery :-). We pushed on and late in the day after about 12 miles or so of hiking we tanked up with water and headed back up to the ridge to find a campsite. However as it turned out campsites were slim pickings and we put in another 4 miles before we finally found a campsite. The site was not much but it was flat and would accommodate both of our tents. We set up camp, ate and settled in for the night.   It was a good day and my friend Frank has done very well putting in over 16 miles today. That is pretty impressive on his second day on the trail.
Date: 2014-06-25
From: Campsite near Hosner Mountain Rd, NY

To: NY22 (Stayed Night at Friends)
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: light rain

We woke as the sun started to peek through the trees (see photo) and we had our breakfast and began packing up the campsite. When I took down my tent I noticed one of my poles had shattered likely due to repeated set up and take downs over the past 3 months. Obviously this is not a good way to start the day. I figured I could make do using some duct tape Frank had picked up the first day to fix his walking stick but ultimately I would need to fix or replace the tent. The tent was showing signs of wear and could use replacement. It is a cheap tent but I have come to like it. As we headed out on the trail we discussed options and decided it might be best to pull off the trail this evening at a convenient road crossing for a number of reasons. There was a major storm rolling our way which would hit this evening, I could get another tent and Frank will have covered the section of trail he wanted. So we both pulled out the cell phones with he calling his wife to arrange a pick up and me locating nearby sporting goods stores for a tent. Since I had not done any major research on tents I was inclined to simply get the same tent. It had worked fine for me so far. Hence I would simply go with what I know. Both of us were successful and we had a trail extraction game plan.... We would get picked up near the Appalachian Train Station (see photo). There also happened to be a nearby deli in case Franks wife was late. You know how it is.... I have to keep up my calorie count! I am burning between 5,000-6,000 calories a day.   There were a number of boardwalks we trekked over during the day on our way (see photos). The highlight of the day was the Dover Oak which is the largest oak on the AT (see photos). It has a 21 ft circumference! There was also some trail magic at this location so it made a great place to sit and take a break. Another thru hiker, Sea Biscuit joined us as we relaxed. One other unique place we passed was Nuclear lake. Both of us scratched our head on why would someone name a body of water Nuclear lake. So I pulled out the cell phone and did a Google search and come to find out there was a government research facility that handled bomb grade uranium and plutonium at this location until they had a dust explosion at the site in 1972. Urgh!! They cleaned it up (tax dollars at work) and it is now a park area. Well we decide we would pass on getting any water near this site or we might light up like a glow stick. :-)We rolled into our pick up spot around 4 pm and headed down to the deli to wait for our ride. We could see the storm clouds to the west approaching but we were picked up before the rain started. During the evening I picked up a new tent, cleaned up and slept at my friends home as the storm passed.
Date: 2014-06-26
From: NY22 (Stayed Night at Friends)

To: Skiff Mountain Rd, CT
Miles today: 21.2

Nothing to report - more woods and plenty of bugs.... Just kidding..   I started the trail clean and with belly full, taking full advantage of the stay at my friends. He dropped me off on the trail around 10 am and I headed out across rolling farmer fields and pastures (see photos) on my way to Connecticut. It was interesting how different the CT countryside was compared to NY. Almost immediately there were abundant rivers and streams making the water sources so much better then the previous days water sources in NY (see photos). Additionally the CT section tended to have less boggy areas than NY. I also saw some deer and groundhogs during the days walk.   I did detoured off the trail once for lunch to a convenience store and on the way I passed through a covered bridge that crossed the Ten Mile River (see photos). It was a very quite day as I did not run into any thru hikers or section hikers on the trail. I finished up the day at a campsite near Skiff Mountain road beside a stream. I set up camp, ate dinner and crashed for the evening. I anticipate tomorrow I will see more folks on the trail......
Date: 2014-06-27
From: Skiff Mountain Rd, CT

To: Toymaker Cafe, Falls Village, CT
Miles today: 22.3

I woke up with the sunrise ready to knock out some mileage but when I got out of my tent I noticed one of the tent pole arches holding up the tent did not look right. Instead of looking like a half-circle it looked more like an oval.... Oh no, this did not look good on my brand new tent. Sure enough one of the sections of pole had shattered similar to what happened on my old tent I had replace the day prior... urgh. This is definitely not a great way to start the day. Rather than stew on the issue I packed up and started walking. I might as well be productive as I think about the best course of action. I did not want to have to pull off the trail again and I though I could probably make due for a while until I could get a replacement. I gave my friend a call to see if he still had my old tent and he did. Since the pole is built of sections I could conceivably use a section of pole from my old tent in place of the recently broken section until I get a replacement. My friend Frank was able to bring me the old poles and we met at a convenient road crossing late in the afternoon. The trail was very scenic starting along the ridges and down beside the Houstonic River (see photos). The river walk was mild with the rushing river on one side and grassy meadows on the other. I finished the day at the small town of Falls Village, CT. This unique spot had all the hiker conveniences. First I rolled in to the river hydropower station where they have a public outdoor shower for hikers. I washed all of the sweat and dirt off, bathing in my hiking clothes.. Ahh it felt great. Then I headed into town much less "fragrant" than normal. I went to the Toymaker cafe where the owners allow thru hikers to camp behind their place. After visiting with the owner of the cafe a while I set up my tent in a grassy spot and changed into my town clothes. My town clothes consist of a nice lightweight button down shirt with a collar and some nice shorts... I keep these clothes in a sealed bag in my pack to keep them clean. Looking as well as smelling a lot less like a thru hiker, I ventured to a posh eatery and inn around the corner to have a burger and brew at the bar. At the bar I found out I had just missed some fellow thru hikers (Lunch, Bubba and Looper) who I presumed had hit the trail again because I was the lone hikers at the cafe. With belly full and it rapidly approaching my bedtime (often around 9 pm) I departed the inn for my campsite and sleep. Tomorrow I can look forward to a hot breakfast at the cafe.
Date: 2014-06-28
From: Toymaker Cafe, Falls Village, CT

To: Mt Race, MA
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

Although I woke up shortly after 5 am when my internal alarm clock goes off. I snoozed a while until shortly before 7 am when the Toymaker Cafe opens. The I began to pack up my gear. After packing up I headed over to the cafe for a few breakfast sandwiches. The food was great! I said my thanks and goodbyes and headed back to the trail. My first destination was Salisbury, CT where I had a mail drop to pick up. It was only 7 miles down the trail. I reached the town around 10:30 and picked up my mail drop at Pete's Village Store. The town is small well groomed New England town and very busy since it was Saturday. Many folks from NY city have weekend homes and/or come up to CT for weekends. As I opened up my mail drop outside the village store I spied a few other thru hikers across the street having a bite to eat on one of the benches. The thru hikers (including yours truly) tend to stand out a bit with the backpacks and how should I say this in a kind way....our general appearance so they are easy to spot in a crowd. :-). The thru hikers were Looper, Bubba and Lunch. I went over to join them. We loitered around a bit as it was hard getting up again after gorging ourselves on goodies from the local supermarket. Finally we started moving out of the town and towards the trail. On the way out of town I tanked up with water at the cemetery. I know this sounds like a strange place to get water but the folks that run the place allow hikers to come by for water. Support for hikers is abound. BTW the cemetery water tasted fine in case you were wondering.....Just before entering the woods we came upon trail magic conducted by the local ALDHA club. Members that put it on included White sidewalls, zenith, sprained rice and hiker miker. Many of these folks were thru hikers in the 80s and 90s. They served us cheeseburgers, chips and lots of cold drinks and it was much appreciated by all (see photos). Now completely stuffed with food we all hit the trail which was a steep ascent out of the valley. The four of us hiked together for the next couple of miles arriving at Sages Ravine. The ravine is a hot spot for people because of the many swimming holes. The four of us settled at one swimming hole to take a dip and clean up (see photos). The water was very very cold but I brave it immersing myself only for a few seconds as I tried to catch my breath from the sudden chill. It felt good to get the dirt and sweat off. After the ravine we entered MA (see photos). Now I only have four more states to complete.   Once across to MA the trail heads up to Race Mt. I had planned to camp up there along the cliffs if camping was available. The cliffs face east and I was looking forward to catching the sunrise tomorrow. Looper, Lunch and Bubba went on 3 more miles. Atop Race Mt it was nice and breezy and there was a great view of the rolling hills of MA. As the sun set it cast a shadow of the mountain onto the valley below (see photos).After setting up camp I cooked up dinner and ate looking down at the darkening valley below. I cannot wait for tomorrow sunrise.
Date: 2014-06-29
From: Mt Race, MA

To: Mt Wilcox North Shelter, MA
Miles today: 24.4
Weather: overcast clouds

It was an early but beautiful start to the day. As planned I had a spectacular view to the east from my campsite. The sunrise was stunning (see photo). At least my camera caught the view. My vision was a bit off this morning because I woke with one eye nearly swollen shut. I got up in the middle of the night to take a pee and a bug flew into my eye. I rubbed it and put some eyedrops in but I must not have got it completely out. There is nothing worse than a bug in the eye. Who would have known taking a pee could be so hazardous.... I drove on regardless hitting the trail by 6 am.   The trail was tough the first 2 miles or so with some steep descents from Mt Race and then a very steep climb up Everett Mountain. Once that was behind me the trail was much more mild. There were generally plenty of streams however I got myself in a bind when I was counting on getting water at a stream but it was still, dark brown and located directly beside farmland. Yuk... As a result I passed on the water source and I had to go another 3 miles up the trail to the next source of water. When I finally reached water I was parched. The water source was not much (just a small spring) but oh boy was it a welcome sight. Since it was a spring it was cold too. I hung around and had lunch at the spring. The afternoon hike had a variety of scenery including some boardwalks through marsh areas (see photo), lakes (see photo) and farmland (see photo). When I reached MA23 I came up upon Lunch, Bubba and Looper. They were being picked up by Lunch's girlfriend and heading to a hostel. She had some cold drinks and fresh fruit from a local farm. Which I gladly accepted when offered. I was asked if I wanted to join them and I declined as I wanted to get in to Dalton, MA early afternoon on Tuesday (two days hike). The USA soccer team plays that day at 4pm and I can catch it at one of the local bars if I can get into Dalton early enough. That stirred some interest with them and they planned to put in a long day tomorrow so they can also be in Dalton by the start of the game. They departed and I headed on about another 5 miles up the trail making for a long day but productive day. I set up camp at the trail entrance to the shelter and called it a day.
Date: 2014-06-30
From: Mt Wilcox North Shelter, MA

To: Washington Mt Rd (The Cookie Lady Farm), MA
Miles today: 26.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and on the trail by 7 am. The trail was generally mellow with no big climbs or rocks making for the potential for a high mileage day. I put in almost 15 miles by noon when I took a break at the Berkshire lodge.   The lodge is located just off the trail on a cross road and the owners allow hikers to stop by their lobby area where you can sit, cool off and purchase sodas and snacks. A few diet cokes later I was again ready to start hiking again. In the afternoon I met a couple section hiking the trail from League City TX which is right next store to my hometown of Friendswood.   Their trail names were Fallen Stream and Patience.   We visited for almost a 1/2 hr. The couples son thru hiked the AT a few years ago when he was 18 right out of high school. That is impressive. After a long day on the trail that consisted of a lot of marshy areas I arrived at Washington Mt Rd where I ran into Paltzer who is a thru hiker from Germany. We walked down the road to the Cookie Lady's Farm where we hoped to set up camp and tent for the night. At the farm they welcome hikers to camp on their large grass lawn. When we arrived we met Mr Roy who welcomed us. Roy asked if we might help out some by doing a little mowing around their blueberry trees. Hiker Monkey, a Fellow AT thru hiker was already mowing and I said sure I would help out. So I did a little mowing after 25 miles on the trail... Also later that evening another thru hiker, Wired, rolled in making a total of four thru hikers staying for the night at the farm.   It was a great place to camp, visit and relax. I am only 10 miles from Dalton so I should be in the town early tomorrow to clean up and resupply... And watch the USA soccer game.