morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-10-04
From: US 9 ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Peekskill

To: Staten Island & then Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, in spite of all the wind that chilled me while I was setting up my tent, this was the warmest night I've had in several days. I woke up at an appropriate time, and took off.I had tried to call last night to see if anybody from the monastery might be driving into Peekskill this morning. I was told I'd better check back in the morning with a different shift. So I went to St. Christopher's Hall, which is where I had called last night. They didn't know of anyone going in; so I ended up walking the 4 miles into Peekskill. I took the right road to arrive at Division Street which is where the church is; so that worked well, even if it is actually some distance from the train station.I changed clothes & worshiped at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. They had a guest preacher (because of death in curate's family), an African American woman who had come from this congregation, which has always been racially mixed. I was told that there had been Black land-owners in the area before the Revolutionary War. Very welcoming congregation, which seems to have a variety of social outreach programs. Then I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant & headed for the train station, which is at least a mile from the downtown. The railroad runs along the river & is separated from the town by an expressway, so it was a little complicated to walk there.I always enjoy the ride along the Hudson, but it's hard to get good pictures from a moving train with poles along the tracks. I did observe that they seem to be widening the Tappan Zee Bridge. The train took me to Grand Central Station, where I found the subway to the South end of Manhattan, walked to the ferry terminal, & crossed to Staten Island. It was a beautiful day for views of the city, Statue of Liberty, &c. Then I got a bus to Phill's street, walked a block, & arrived at his doorstep just as he opened the door. I'll stay tomorrow & fly home Tuesday.Already thinking about when I can get back on the Trail to continue on thru NJ & PA.
Date: 2015-11-18
From: Culver's Gap

To: Past Buttermilk Falls Trail
Miles today: 9.0

I'm back on the Trail again. Since the weather looked nice, I decided to start where I left off in NJ & do as much of PA as I can in 2 weeks As far as to the half- way point would be nice. I had a good flight to Newark & stayed with Phill again, & he kindly took me up to the Trail at the farthest point I had reached earlier this Fall. I arrived at the Trail around 10:00. Since I couldn't bring a fuel canister with me on the plane, I had hoped to be able to buy one at the sporting goods store at the Gap. No luck. They have hunting & fishing gear but not much for backpacking. I walked back to the bakery/deli & bought a sandwich. Sorry to see on the way that the steakhouse is for sale. Nice place. I got up on the ridge in half an hour. Stopped there to eat. I'll be eating stuff I don't cook at least till Delaware Water Gap. It had been nice & sunny coming up from Staten Island, but it became cloudy just as we got up here.Kittatinny Ridge is known for little rocks that trip you. Walking on fallen leaves is nice (slippery when wet), but they hide those rocks.After walking till it started to get dark, I'm camping a few miles past the trail to Buttermilk Falls. I had forgotten how easy the Trail gets right after that (for a mile or so). I had also forgotten how short the afternoons are when the sun sets shortly after 4:00. Just a light rain so far, but I was able to get everything set up before that started. Hanging my bear bag took me longer than setting up the tent. I'm just not a very good aim, I guess. Maybe if the rain is starting now, it'll be done by morning (wishful thinking).
Date: 2015-11-19
From: past Buttermilk Falls Trail

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 19.4

Awake at 5:15 (after lots of dreams ¢ 11 hours of sleep seems to produce an unusual number of dreams, which I remember after waking.); out by 6:35. I had heard some thunder during the night & one flash of lightning, but nothing that affected me. A few sprinkles off & on this morning. Then more rain later on & into the evening.This part of the Trail is quite variable. I may face lots of rocks coming down a long hill; then I go up the next hill on an old gravel road. One of these old road sections had a lot of short side roads on either side. I believe these are the driveways of former summer cottages that were removed when the Government acquired the land for a big dam that was never built. So then it became part of the National Recreation Area. I stopped at the AMC Mohican Center to get water & to be able to eat out of the rain. I considered buying fuel at their store but decided they had it priced too high. The stop got me going again on a nasty afternoon. I'm not really sure what AMC is doing down here, but they do have a Delaware Valley Chapter!In the morning I had passed a pond with two beaver lodges. In late afternoon, I passed Sunfish Pond, an acidic glacial pond that supports relatively few kinds of life. By that point I had to make a decision: I would shortly come to a campsite. It wasn't quite dark. Do I camp there or go five more miles (mostly in the dark) into Delaware Water Gap? I opted for town food & a hot shower in the hostel.Continuing on in the rain, I found that the trail I remembered as quite fast going up the other way wasn't so fast going down in the dark with everything wet. When I got to the highway which I had to follow over the bridge, I found Eastbound traffic backed up (for the weigh station?); so I had headlights in my eyes all the way across. It was a relief to get into the relative darkness of city lights. I found no one at the Presbyterian Church Hostel (last time there had been no room for me), so I was able to spread out & dry some things, then to go out to eat. The bar & grill looked so dark inside I decided to go on to the pizza place & have a calzone & salad just like last time. Then, I had arrived just at quitting time, but the owner had decided to serve me anyway; so I figured I owed him some more business (& told him so). A pleasant night with a full stomach.
Date: 2015-11-20
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: On ridge past Wolf Rocks
Miles today: 13.9

Started the day with 2 breakfasts: one regular & one of hot dog, apple pie, & ice cream. Then a quick stop at the Post Office to forward a package to Port Clinton. I didn't need any more food to carry, & I couldn't get a fuel canister because both outfitters were closed [specialize in river rafting, not backpacking].Yesterday I had refused to buy a fuel canister at the AMC, figuring they were charging too much & if I could get one in DWG, I'd be carrying that weight one less day. Wrong on first part; right on second. When I weighed my pack at the hostel ¢ 42 lbs! When I started 2 years ago, I had 40 lbs ¢ with a lighter tent & sleeping bag this year, I thought I could do better. Oh well, another day of traveling cookless! 134 hour to top of Mt Minsi, from whence it's downhill the rest of the day. Reminder that no matter how high a Mtn Looks, I can be up it soon [also, the mans in PA aren't very high]. Bright, sunny day. Great views of the gap & of rural PAKirkridge Shelter has 2 entrances ¢ I missed them both!! By then I was at Fox Gap, so I went on a little bit before stopping for lunchMet 2 women near top of Mt Minsi, then no one for while. Nice trail, off & on rocky. At Fox Gap, I started meeting hikers, including about 8 from Batona Trail Club, which maintains this section. In Pa many clubs each have short sections. This group was primarily interested in illegal hunting. I was wearing orange on myself & on my pack. Wolf Rocks were fun: actual climbing-rocks, where you can jump from one to another. After that & a stop for water, there came a whole Mtn [5-6 miles] of smaller rocks to wade thru on the Trail. I found a tentsite off the Trail, where there weren't so many rocks. For supper, I ate a pasta meal that I had soaked for more than an hour in lieu of cooking. Spanish rice was slightly crunchy, but it had enough seasoning to taste pretty good. Clear night with a bright half moon. I've got to start making use of that moon for hiking.My phone suddenly said 1% power, even tho it had said more than 30% last time I looked. Warming it & the charger in my sleeping bag got them both going.
Date: 2015-11-21
From: On ridge past Wolf Rocks

To: On ridge past Stempa Spring
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

Awake at 5:15; not out till almost 7:00. Missing some daylight that way ¢ not a good idea ¢ there's so little in the afternoon!Miles of jagged rocks on a mostly level Trail. Sometime I need to check on the geology of this area. Why are there so many rocks of the flat kind, all jumbled together at odd angles? It doesn't seem glacial, since hardly any have rounded edges. I went into Wind Gap for fuel. More than a mile to the hardware store, & of course they charged more than Mohican Center. I bought a canister anyway.It was much easier up the other side of the gap, with some nice switchbacks. I did 14 hour of trail work around a downed oak tree with Poison Ivy vines on it. I don't cut the vines, but I got enough other branches out of the way to make reasonably safe passage possible. I did another 14 hour later. The Trail levels out again on top. It's rocky but not as difficult as this morning. You can look out to the West, then to East, at Hahn's View.The combination of rocks & short days is making me feel slow compared to last time thru here. It seemed like it took a long time to get to Leroy Smith Shelter, after stopping in town for 114 hours. At the shelter, I had my first cooked meal on the trail & got water. I was tempted to stay, but there was another 112 hours of daylight, a valuable commodity not to be wasted. Besides the shelter is not very sheltered from the wind. I felt cold just sitting there to eat. Once I got into the woods, I felt warmer; so I'm camping out in the woods for the 3rd night this trip. Seems warm enough. If fact, my cold-weather sleeping bag can be a little too warm for the first half of the night.
Date: 2015-11-22
From: On ridge past Stempa Spring

To: Outerbridge Shelter 
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

A couple of days ago, I had hoped I might be able to get to Palmerton for church today, visiting the same one where I had worshipped my two previous trips. That would have meant going several miles farther last night & starting very early today. I just couldn't do that. I don't see how I made it from Lehigh Gap to Delaware Water Gap in 2 days 2 years ago, & now it's taking me 3.I don't really think I dawdled, yet it took me all day to get past Palmerton. Still a rocky Trail initially, but nothing I haven't been handling. Once I was in the Superfund area [recovering from zinc smelting pollution], the Trail was actually pretty smooth, on grass, with a lot more ups & downs than the map shows. There was still steam or smoke coming from the old plant ¢ I wonder what they use it for now.Because of slightly diminished breathing & heart-pumping capacities, I like to stop for a few extra breaths every so often going up hills [mostly I think it clears the lactic acid from my legs]. Some runners jogging the other way caught me doing that & got very concerned that I was in trouble. I had to reassure them so they'd go on. The only other people I saw were a father/son pair of day-hikers going down the big rocks at the gap just ahead of me. First time I did those rocks, they seemed rather formidable. Each of the other times, they seem easier.The sun was setting over Blue Mtn on the other side of the gap by the time I got to the road crossing. Getting into Palmerton from there is kind of messy, & I really had no reason to go into town [especially now that the hostel is closed], but I was concerned about how low my phone battery & chargers were.Just before crossing the last road before going up to the shelter, there is a good-sized car repair shop. When I saw they were open on Sunday, I stopped in & asked if I could charge my phone They were getting ready to leave at 5:00, so they told me I could use an outdoor outlet. I sat there for about an hour while it got quite dark. Even with a 120v outlet, these batteries charge slowly when cold. So I was sitting there trying to keep them warm. I'm sure I looked kind of weird to people coming in to drop off cars for tomorrow.It's a half mile up to the shelter, & I found that the moon was now bright enough to hike it without much use of my headlamp. As I neared the shelter, I found the spring & got some water. I had already noticed that someone had a fire going. It was a woman from Connecticut named Hannah who was section-hiking this & other parts of the Trail in the Northeast. I don't usually like fires because of the smoke, but this one was nice for the warmth. I even lent her my saw to cut some of the pieces smaller. This was probably my coldest night, but my sleeping bag was plenty warm, & I only had to get up once during the night.
Date: 2015-11-23
From: Outerbridge Shelter 

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 
Miles today: 16.8

I was awake at 4:40, out before 6:00, heading up the hill in the dark. Hannah wanted an early start too, going the other way. After a while, I discovered that there were interesting little bits of ice in my water bottles; also a few flurries of snow while walking. Eventually, the sun came out for a while & warmed things up a little. I cooked lunch at Bake Oven Knob Shelter. It's a small, old fashioned one. All the clubs have certainly been building a lot of big new ones lately, but it's nice to have a few of the antiques around too. On to the rocks! Alternating big rocks [Bear Rocks & the Knife Edge are the kind I like], rocks in the trail, & nice smooth trail [on some, I thought I was making really good time!]. The ups & downs are not more than 200 feet. Staying at Allentown Shelter tonight: a beautiful new one. Almost 17 miles today; that seems about max for the short days this time of year. I'm not sure I can get to Port Clinton tomorrow. Still lots of rocks to go.
Date: 2015-11-24
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 

To: Port Clinton 
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: few clouds

I tried to get up & get going before dawn but didn't quite make it. The Trail continued to be alternate patches of fairly easy trail & groups of rocks. Knowing that Dan's Pulpit was coming up, I thought several places fit the description [but only one was labeled such].I didn't stop at Eckville Shelter this time [tho I had the other 2 times thru]. The hill down to that road was pretty steep, but then the Trail was pretty easy going up the other side on old roads. The 7 or 8 miles to "The Pinnacle" gets pretty tedious & seems to be going the wrong way at times. Of course, that means they don't have many blazes.I saw a number of hunters on the way up. This is bear & turkey season ¢ deer next week. As I got near the top [where there are lots of side trails], I met more than a dozen day hikers, none wearing orange.I found the Pinnacle this time [hard to get used to the idea that it's not the highest point on the Mtn.], easier when there are no leaves on the trees.   I took some pictures & ate some lunch, then moved on to Pulpit Rock. I think this one is named from the viewpoint of a "flock" looking up from the valley below. Right behind it is the Pulpit Rock Astronomical Park [Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society]. I tried to take a picture of it for my astronomer daughter-in-law, but my camera conked out. Very frustrating. After getting a snack & talking with a couple of day-hikers, I headed down the hill. Much of this section is on old road & nice trail.I went right past Windsor Furnace Shelter because by now I was going to try for Port Clinton. As it took a long time to get up & over the next Mtn. [which had several "peaks" & lots of rocks], I toyed with the idea of camping up there. But why not go 3 more miles & sleep in a real bed ... after a restaurant meal?The moon was helpful in doing that last Mtn. in the dark, altho there were lots of slippery leaves on the rocks on the final descent. Getting to the busy highway, I followed it into town. The hotel was open [closed last time thru]; so I got a room & ordered supper because they were about to close the kitchen. It's an old-time hotel with the bathroom down the hall, but in much better condition than the Doyle in Duncannon. I figured this was going to be my Thanksgiving Dinner, so I had a big steak with soup & salad & wine. I AM thankful to be able to be out here & to cover so many miles without getting hurt.
Date: 2015-11-25
From: Port Clinton 

To: Just out of Port Clinton 
Miles today: 2.2
Weather: clear sky

This was NOT intended to be a zero day. Sure, I slept a little late & took an extra shower, but I only had a few things to take care of before leaving town: get an $8 haircut, have a good breakfast, do some laundry, & get a package from the Post Office. First problem: Post Office doesn't open till 12:30 (& laundry not till 11:00) ¢ not TOO big a problem.Barber shop was already crowded, so I walked a mile up to 3Cs Restaurant for breakfast ¢ closed Wednesday & Thursday for Thanksgiving! Back to barber shop ¢ still crowded, but I could get a ride to Wal-Mart, which I took. I had found a tick sucking on me last night & removed it. My doctor had given me some doxycycline for that before I left in June. I had carried it for 3 months without needing any. This trip I had forgotten to bring it. Couldn't I just get a prescription called in to Wal-Mart pharmacy for a few pills? Doctor was on vacation, & the one covering for him did't think it was appropriate ¢ only needed if the tick has embedded for two days [probably not?]. What with missed calls & getting a different person at the clinic each time I called back, I spent 212 hours at the store & got no pills. So I got a Subway sandwich & a few other items & walked the 2 miles back to Port Clinton. I started my laundry, got some lunch at the hotel, & got in line again at the barber shop.   End result: by the time I finished laundry, picked up package & got haircut, I found myself leaving town just before 3:00, with a sunset around 4:30.On the way out, I figured out that the Trail from the North did not come in on the highway but alongside it, after going under it at the bridge over the river just East of where the Trail came down the Mtn. Even in daylight, it was not obvious that when you come out of the woods you have to look left rather than right. The fact that they don't like to use directional double blazes made the situation more difficult to interpret. Actually, this is a place where a sign is needed.Getting out of town to the South isn't exactly clear either, especially when you have to cross railroad tracks with lots of "don't cross" signs, plus railroad cars blocking the view. Finally, I was heading up the Mtn. looking for a spot level enough to camp. Someone had once told me that sometimes the best place to find a camp spot was on old roads ¢ maybe gravelly, but at least they are flat. I found such a place as the moon was coming up, so at least it wasn't too hard to set up. Cold but pleasant night.I'm standing on the Mtn., eating in the dark, seeing & hearing the megalopolis [lit up] to the South. Yet I can feel like I'm way off in the wilderness. Port Clinton is separate in a way too. Less than 2 miles thru the gap from all the commercial activity, yet it feels like a different world.
Date: 2015-11-26
From: Just out of Port Clinton 

To: Ridge before Hertline Campsite. 
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy Thanksgiving! No special meal today [had a nice steak Tuesday], but I am thankful to be able to be out here hiking.Up at 4:50 ¢ out by 5:40 ¢ that's pretty good for me, especially when tenting. Bright full moon that lit up the trail past sunrise. I'm learning to deal with the short days!A few rocks, but this was generally pretty good Trail for PA. And not all that many ups & downs, either; yet it took 5 hours to do the first 9 miles. That was disappointing. Also, my pack feels really heavy again.I've been hearing lots of gunshots. Hope they got their turkey in time to roast it. It's not regular deer season till next week. I heard fire sirens earlier ¢ now two from different directions around noon. Don't have an area map so I don't know what towns. Always, there's the noise of the interstate paralleling the Mtn. I stopped for lunch & water at the trail to Black Swatara Spring [about 14 mile down]. 15 years ago, I thought this was the best-tasting water on the AT. This time, it was OK but didn't impress me. While there, a NOBO section hiker came by, on his way to Eagles Nest Shelter [which I had skipped] This is a light forest with lots of pin oaks. After crossing PA 183, there is a couple-of-mile section with multiple tracks as hikers try to find their way thru all the wet spots. This time it was totally dry. With all the choices, it's obviously hard for trail maintainers to know where to put the blazes. I saw the tree from which wasps came out to attack me last time ¢ no activity now.Altogether, a beautiful, sunny day in the low 50s ¢ sorry I missed such a nice one yesterday! After getting thru the sometimes-swampy area, I moved up the hill a bit & looked for a place to pitch my tent just as darkness fell.
Date: 2015-11-27
From: Ridge before Hertline Campsite. 

To: Campsite South of Pa 72
Miles today: 20.6

Another beautiful day. Up at 3:30; out by 5:15. Bright moon till an hour after sunrise. I passed Hertline campsite before dawn ¢ at least one tent set up there. Soon there was bright sunshine, but views of the valley were all hazy.I passed a turn-off to "Boulderfield Trail".  I didn't go there; I had plenty of boulder fields on the AT, interspersed with long sections of pretty nice trail. The intersection with "Shower Steps Trail" was confusing, partly because of their refusal to use directional double blazes [where the top one shows you the direction the Trail turns]. Altogether, they use too many double blazes, but not necessarily where there is actual cause for confusion. I stopped to eat at 501 Shelter. No one else around [had been quite crowded 2 years ago]. I also stopped briefly at William Penn Shelter. It's typical of a bunch of new shelters they have been building along here.Almost the whole day was spent on one long ridge. After working hard all day, I had still gone only 20 miles in 12+ hours. As I came down to Swatara Gap, I met a man hiking up with a camera, who complained about how rocky it was. I told him the views were pretty hazy, but I didn't say that there were fewer rocks here than in most other places. However, there had been enough rocks at key places to slow me down no matter how fast I thought I was going on the flat, smoother sections.After crossing the highways & the wrought-iron bridge, I started looking for the "campsite south of PA 72" mentioned in the guidebook. As it began to get quite dark, I settled for the most likely, reasonably-flat site with the remains of a fire-ring. Certainly nothing labeled as a campsite [Didn't find one next morning either]. I had pretty much given up on getting to Duncannon in time for church Sunday; but if I can do a couple more 20-mile days, maybe it's possible.