morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Lehigh Gap / PA 873

To: Wind Gap
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: few clouds

Sundance and I had a big climb out of Lehigh Gap this morning. Some parts required using your hands to grab boulders and help pull yourself up. We had good views back down into the valley. Once on top, we were walking through the site of America's first superfund cleanup. There still are very few plants returning to the area. The rest of the trail wasn't too bad with patches of rock and patches of good trail. There's a NASCAR race near here this weekend, and we had trouble finding a hotel room. Tomorrow will be the last day of slackpacking. I'm ready to get back to camping and to get out of these PA rocks!
Date: 2007-06-09
From: Wind Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Today was the last day of slackpacking, and it was a fairly easy day. There were still rocks, but also some stretches of good trail. I saw some bear tracks in the mud but nothing else exciting. I'm staying at a hostel in a church basement, and it's full. Besides our foursome are Cracker, Slo-Going, Route66, Cheese, Widow Maker, Earl Grey, Big Guy, and Young&Dumb.Tomorrow, it's back to carrying the pack and also saying goodbye to Butch and Sundance. They're planning a 20+ mile day, and I'm only going 10.5 to give my feet a break and get these blisters healed up.
Date: 2007-06-10
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a nice change-of-pace day. I woke up at 6am and Butch, Autumn Joy, Route 66, and Cracker were outside eating breakfast and finishing packing up. Butch and Autumn Joy took off about 6:15 with the other two following shortly. Sundance got up and headed out a little after 7. It's been fun hiking with them again.I took a shower then walked to a restaurant for breakfast. I came back to the hostel, loaded up the pack, then went upstairs to the church service. Cheese and Widow Maker also attended. I've been fellowshipping with nature but hadn't attended a church service since I started this hike. It was a nice service. After the service, I grabbed my pack and was hiking by 11:15am. I crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, my 8th state. I actually crossed the river on I-80 which my hometown of Newton, Iowa is on.Today's hike went by Sunfish Pond which is a glacier pond that reminded me of Colorado mountain lakes. The wildlife highlight was watching two tom turkeys fight over a hen turkey. They fanned their tails, jumped at each other, bumping chests. I was about 25 yards away, but they seemed to have other things on their minds besides me.This outdoor center is 0.25 miles off the trail, and they let thru-hikers tent for free. Also here are Route66, Big Guy, Earl Grey, and Five String. I hadn't seen Five String since just north of Damascus when Julie and I were doing some trail magic. There's some thunder in the distance, and we've had some sprinkles. Should be a good night to sleep.
Date: 2007-06-11
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: scattered clouds

It rained some during the night last night, so I was a little slow starting this morning. It was almost 8 when I started hiking, but I wasn't planning a long day. We were hiking on a ridge much of the day and had good views. There was an old fire tower at one point. I climbed the stairs and took some pictures. Just after noon I saw a bear heading up a hill away from me. Earl Grey hiked up just then, and as I pointed out this bear, we saw another walk up a little ridge to get a view of us. This was the mama bear, and she was huge. We then saw the second cub heading up the hill. These cubs were fairly large, also. Mama then followed the cubs up the hill, stopping to check us out every now and then.I got to the shelter about 4:15pm and set up the tent. The mosquitos are out tonight. With me here tonight are Five String, Big Guy, Earl Grey, and Martini and Rossi. Five String played some bluegrass on his banjo, a live concert on the AT!
Date: 2007-06-12
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: High Point State Park
Miles today: 17.9

New Jersey threw a few rocks on the trail today. I guess they didn't want us to forget Pennsylvania! My feet are a little sore tonight, but the blisters are pretty much healed. There were several good views today. It thundered off and on most of the day. At one view point I could see the rain to my left and sunshine to the right. I only got a couple sprinkles. I was planning on tenting at the state park-- but then I read about this hotel that shuttles hikers to and from the park. I called Mike, who came and picked me up. He had Cracker with him. They dropped me off at the motel, went to a grocery store, and brought a cheeseburger back to me!I'm planning to sleep in tomorrow.
Date: 2007-06-13
From: High Point State Park

To: Lott Road
Miles today: 8.8

I slept in 'til 8am this morning. Pizza Man and Gizmo took the early shuttle back to the trail, but Cracker decided on a late one with me. We left the hotel at 10am and drove by MacDonald's for a breakfast sandwich. We were hiking by 10:30am and there was no hurry since it was a short day.I am in Unionville, New York tonight. This is the 9th state, but I'm not done with New Jersey yet, I'll dip back into Jersey tomorrow.This town lets hikers camp in the city park and has a grocery store with great deli sandwiches. Besides just feeling lazy I need to set my schedule so that I end up someplace easy for Julie to find me when she comes out next week. We're going to take a trip into NYC, and I'll be taking 5 days off the trail.
Date: 2007-06-14
From: Lott Road

To: NJ 94
Miles today: 11.8

Another fairly short day. Cracker and I got up about 6:30am, walked across the street for coffee and donuts, then started packing up. On the way out of town I stopped by the grocery store and got a turkey sandwich to go. This thru-hiking is tough! We hiked around a national wildlife preserve-- a restored wetlands. Then we climbed 800ft and had good views of where we had walked today and yesterday. Another highlight was a mile long walk on a boardwalk through another wetlands area.We're back in New Jersey tonight, staying in a church basement in Vernon, NJ. I bought enough food to last me until Julie gets here-- but it's hard to resist town food.
Date: 2007-06-15
From: NJ 94

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a beautiful day today weather wise. We had lots of sunshine after a couple mostly cloudy days, and it was a little warmer but still nice temps. Cracker and I hitched a ride back to the trail and started hiking about 8:15am. We had a 900ft climb to start then we stayed on the ridge most of the day. There were some pretty good rock scrambles throughout the day. We crossed the NY/NJ state line, and I think that I am finished with New Jersey, one more state done!When I got to a road crossing a couple miles from this shelter a guy that runs a local trail angel group greeted me. He had seen my last journal entry, knew Cracker and I were in Vernon last night and would probably be heading to this shelter today. He told us how to get to the ice cream store just off the trail and said that he would be at the shelter with some trail magic when we got there. We went and had a sundae then hiked to the shelter and had a beverage! Thanks!There's a fairly large group here tonight. Besides Cracker and I are Cheese, Widow Maker, Katerpillar, Matt & U-dog and a southbound section hiker.
Date: 2007-06-16
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: scattered clouds

The next time I say that I'm "only" hiking 14.3 miles will somebody slap me.Never mind-- the trail did the slapping today! There were lots of rocky ups and downs today, and by early afternoon I was whipped. When I got to the entrance to Harriman State Park there was a pay phone, so I sent yesterday's journal entry and got recent guestbook entries. That was a pick-me-up! Thanks to everyone who has signed my guestbook. One entry was from Hobbit talking about the rocky ups and downs in the first 30 miles of New York. Maybe I wasn't just being a wimp. Hobbit, thanks for the note, I hope your knee is getting better and that we meet on the trail sometime soon.I then walked into the park, and Cracker flagged me down to a parking lot where Paddio was doing trail magic. He gave me a quart of Gatorade which I drank while eating 6 chocolate chip cookies that he also provided. That gave me the energy to go the last 3 miles to this shelter. On our way here we went through the Lemon Squeezer, a very narrow opening between some rocks. The opening is not quite vertical, so you're leaning against one wall as you squeeze through, pack scrapping on each side.For wildlife, Cracker and I saw 2 spotted, deer fawns. I saw a blue-tailed lizard and a dung beetle rolling its ball of dung down the trail.Here at the shelter tonight are Matt & U-Dog, Katerpillar, Cracker and me. Tomorrow I'm only hiking --- slap, slap, slap! We'll wait and see what tomorrow brings.
Date: 2007-06-17
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: West Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 8.4

Today was a better day for me than yesterday. Cracker has a shin bothering him, so today was worse for him. It got hot today, and there were some decent climbs. This shelter is 0.6 miles off the trail but has a great view of the Hudson River. We crossed the Palisades Interstate Parkway with crazy traffic. There was a road sign that said NYC 34 miles. I saw another rattlesnake today, the first since PA. I saw this one before I walked by it. It was laying halfway across the trail and stayed put until I took its picture. It was really pretty, and as it moved across the trail, I could see old skin still on it's rattles-- so it had very recently shed. We also saw 3 deer this morning, one with velvet antlers.Happy Father's Day to my Dad, it was good to talk to you this evening!
Date: 2007-06-18
From: West Mtn Shelter

To: Graymoor Friary
Miles today: 12.1

Today was a fun day. I got out of my tent a little after 6am, and Cracker was already gone. I packed up and was hiking before 7. The first stop of the day was Bear Mtn at 1305ft. Then I descended into the town of Bear Mtn. The trail went by a lake, and I took a break and watched kids play on the playground. The trail then went through the Trailside Museums & Wildlife Center. I learned a few more of the local trees names and got a picture of the two bears they had. The black bears in here were brownish in color where the ones I've seen in the woods were jet black. In front of the bear exhibit is the lowest point on the AT at 124ft. After exiting the Wildlife Center I crossed the Hudson River on the Bear Mtn Bridge. There were a couple decent climbs this afternoon, but the rest of the trail was very nice.I am staying at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center. I'm tenting near their soccer field. There's a pavilion, cold shower, water faucet, and porta johns for hikers to use, all free. Here tonight with me are Cracker, Lost, Lonah, and Missionary Mike.I'm just going to stay right here until some cute chick comes and picks me up (sometime tomorrow morning)!
Date: 2007-06-19
From: Graymoor Friary

To: Holiday Inn Express
Miles today: 0.0

When I got up this morning, Cracker was still here. He gave me a cup of cocoa, and then I heated up some bacon to share with him. Lost was already gone by then, but Lonah and Missionary Mike were still sleeping. I called Julie a little after 8, and she was still more than an hour away. I showered, sorted through by food bag, shook the dirt out of my tent, then packed up. I walked up to the main entrance road and waited. Julie got there about 9:45!We drove to Peekskill, NY and bought our train tickets into NYC (we head in there Thursday), ate lunch at a Greek diner, then drove to this motel. Tomorrow will be a lazy day before going into the city on Thursday.Julie thinks I look like Grizzly Adams, and she says that I'm skinny!
Date: 2007-06-20
From: Holiday Inn Express

To: Holiday Inn Express
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a lazy day, as planned. I did my laundry then we drove around West Point. In the afternoon, we drove up to Bear Mtn at 1300 ft, then to Bear Mtn Park at about 200 ft. It was much easier driving than it was walking it a couple days ago!We then drove into Peekskill, and I got my hair cut at an old-style barbershop. There were 4 people cutting hair, and I just waited for the first available. Vinnie was in charge and let each of the other barbers know who was next. I hadn't had a haircut since I started this hike back in February. The beard stayed as is though. On our drive back we were crossing the Bear Mtn Bridge, which the AT also crosses, and I saw Ladybug and Natural High heading south. Julie and I stopped on the other side and waited for them. I'd last seen them in Duncannon, PA. They took a bus up to MA and were hiking southbound back to Duncannon. It was great to see them. They had seen Ranger today and he told them that I was getting off the trail for good. I assured them that wasn't true, that I was taking a few days off, but I will be back on the trail next week. Tomorrow we head into NYC.
Date: 2007-06-22
From: New York City

To: New York City
Miles today: 0.0

We got up this morning and took the subway down to ground zero. We walked through St Paul's church right across the street from the site. It's still a somber place.We then went to meet my cousin Jami outside her apartment. We had lunch, walked around the theater district, then walked with her to where she had 3 auditions and met some of her friends. We did stop by the Hello Deli, bought a slushee, and talked to Rupert G about hiking the trail. Jami also took my picture with Rupert.Julie and I then went to do more shopping, ate supper and made our way back to the hotel.
Date: 2007-06-23
From: New York City

To: New York City
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a shopping day. We went to SOHO for most of the day. We found an Eastern Mountain Sports store, and I ended up buying a new pair of boots and some Superfeet insoles. The guy helping me knew a lot about fitting boots. The new boots are Vasque instead of Merrells, but I wore them all day and my feet feel pretty good. Jami met us down there then we ended up going back to the theater district to take some pictures and see her apartment. We ate at an Italian restaurant then Julie and I headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow we're planning on doing some sightseeing.
Date: 2007-06-24
From: New York City

To: New York City
Miles today: 0.0

Today was mostly a sight seeing day-- but Julie did sneak some shopping in this afternoon. This morning we went to Battery Park and took a harbor cruise that went by the Brooklyn Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. Then we took the subway to Wall St and walked around there a bit. We made stops at Chinatown and Little Italy. We had lunch in Little Italy. After lunch we went to Herald Square so Julie could shop at Macy's. We've pretty much got the subways figured out.We met Jami at a Thai restaurant near our hotel then have spent the rest of this evening getting organized for tomorrow as well as uploading pictures to this site. Tomorrow it's out of the city and back to the trail for me.
Date: 2007-06-25
From: New York City

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 6.7

My surroundings are much different tonight than they were this morning! Julie and I got up this morning and took a walk up to Central Park. We sat in the park and ate some breakfast that we bought at a corner grocery store on the way. Then we went back to the hotel, got our luggage, and checked out. We took a cab to Grand Central Station where we caught a Metro-North train out of the city. We picked up the rental car, had lunch, then stopped at a grocery store to buy me groceries for a couple days. We then drove to the Graymoor Friary where Julie had picked me up, I loaded the pack, and we said our goodbyes (the hardest part of the trip). I started hiking a little before 4pm. It was hot and humid today, so the sweat came easy. I found this campsite about 7:15 and decided to stay. I built a little fire to chase the bugs away, put up the tent, and filtered water. Trying to get back into the routine. I'm camping by myself tonight and didn't see anybody else on the trail this evening.We had a great time in NYC, and I've got a feeling, we'll be back again. Thanks, Jami, for all the info and for showing us around!The new boots and insoles felt pretty good today. Tomorrow we'll see how things go with a full day of hiking.
Date: 2007-06-26
From: Stealth Camp

To: NY 52
Miles today: 17.3

Today was hot. I started hiking about 6am and was moving slow all day. I took a lot of breaks and drank a lot of water. About 1pm I came to a campsite with a pump for water and a covered picnic table. I took a long break there, including eating lunch, sponging off, and taking a nap on the picnic table. There was a thermometer there that read 98deg in the shade. I hiked another 1.3 miles to the RPH shelter and there were 5 hikers there for the night. Iceman (not Iceman Dan) was the only thru-hiker. A trail maintainer showed up and provided good information about the trail ahead, including a deli that lets hikers camp behind the store. The deli was 5.1 miles from the shelter, and that's where I headed. I had a quart of Gatorade with my deli sandwich (The Mountain Man sandwich) and an ice cream bar. The deli opens at 6am tomorrow, so I have sneaking suspicion that it'll be after 6 when I start hiking!Julie arrived safely back in Iowa this morning, and I'm quickly getting back in the hiking groove.
Date: 2007-06-27
From: NY 52

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 15.8

Another hot, hot day! I had breakfast at the deli-- then got a sub to go. It was almost 7am by the time I started hiking. Just like yesterday, I took lots of breaks, some to rest and some just to mop sweat. One highlight of today was swimming in Nuclear Lake. So far I'm not glowing in the dark! There were sunfish and aquatic plants (potomageton's) in the lake, so it appeared healthy. (Potomageton is just a fun word to say.) I also ended up going to another deli (0.5 mi off trail) for supper and to fill my water bottles. Water is not abundant right now and some of the sources listed in the data book are dry. After eating, I hiked until I found a decent place to set up my tent. The bugs are bad, so after setting up the tent I lit a tubular mosquito repellant device (some people call them cigars) and sat outside just to cool down a bit.There's been some thunder and lightning since it got dark. Hopefully it'll cool off a little. If things go well, tomorrow, I should cross into Connecticut.
Date: 2007-06-28
From: Stealth Camp

To: CT 341
Miles today: 17.1

I was hiking by 6:30am, and around 7:45am, I called Kate and Rob. They do trail magic in the area, had read my trail journal, and invited me to stay at their house when I got to this area. Kate said that she would pick me up when I got to Kent, CT this afternoon. Shortly after 8am, I arrived at their trail magic location, with a large water jug, 2 coolers of snacks and 4 chairs! Johnny Mud and his wife were there, and it was nice to meet them. He had signed my guestbook a couple months ago.Later in the day I did cross into Connecticut, the tenth state on this journey. I had lunch near the Ten Mile River and waded in to cool off. It wasn't as hot as the last 2 days-- but still hot. Around 5 it started raining, so I was pretty wet when I got to the road where Kate was waiting. She brought me back here, where I showered, did laundry, ate dinner, and used the internet. This is the ultimate trail magic. They did all this for a perfect stranger. (OK, maybe not perfect, but I'm still working on it!)
Date: 2007-06-29
From: CT 341

To: Caesar Brook Campsite
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather took a turn for the better today. The high was in the 70's and the low tonight is suppose to be in the 50's. Great hiking weather. Kate dropped me off about 8:30 this morning after feeding me an omlet, toast and fruit. She also had me resupply out of her stockpile of trail magic food! Thanks again for everything!The day started with a good climb and then a steep, rocky desent to the Housatonic River. The trail then ran along the river for 4 miles of flat walking. I met Pizza Man and Gizmo, a retired couple walking the trail for the second time. I also heard that Hawk and Alleycat aren't too far behind. I haven't seen them since Harper's Ferry.This is a nice campsite with several spots for tents, but I'm the only one here tonight. The only problem, here, is that there wasn't a deli to buy supper, so I actually had to cook my dinner!
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Caesar Brook Campsite

To: Lower Cobble Road
Miles today: 19.1

Today was another beautiful weather day to hike. I started hiking early with the thought of making it to Salisbury, CT. As the day progressed and things kept slowing me down I decided that I'd probably stop before Salisbury. The first things to slow me down were black vultures. As I was hiking, I noticed 2 of them on a boulder just 20 yds above me-- and they didn't fly. I watched them for a while, then noticed the baby vulture behind and to one side. The baby was brown and fuzzy, very cute, unlike its parents. I then noticed that the trail went within 10 ft of the baby. There was no other way to go. I wasn't sure how aggressive a vulture would be protecting its young. It did do the 'head down low, spread the wings,' but stayed on the boulder as I walked by. Second, I found my first ripe blueberries and raspberries. The third thing was the restaurant 0.2 miles from the trail at lunchtime!When I got to the cutoff for Limestone Spring Lean-to (same as a shelter) it was 5:30pm. It was a half mile to the shelter or 3.4 miles to town. I headed for town. When I got to town I found Maria's house, but nobody was home. I left my pack in the yard and walked to get an ice cream sundae. Maria rents out rooms to hikers and is a real kick. Hobbit recommended I stay here in one of his notes. As soon as I walked back up to her place, Maria asked if I needed to do laundry. I did, so I had to take a quick shower as the laundromat closed at 9 and it was already 8:20. She drove me there, talked to the owner who said, "no problem" if we went past nine. So I started laundry, then went next door and had some buffalo wings. Also here tonight are Atom and Stricker. The grocery store opens at 8am tomorrow, so it won't be a real early hiking start.
Date: 2007-07-01
From: Lower Cobble Road

To: Hemlock's Lean-to
Miles today: 14.1

A new month and a new state. I crossed into Massachusetts, state number 11.Today's hike was as beautiful as the weather. The mountains are starting to get a little higher again. I had great views at Lions Head (1738ft), Bear Mtn (2318ft), Race Mtn (2430ft), and Mt Everett (2602ft). I also walked through a ravine that was awesome. It had a steam running by sheer rock walls, huge boulders, waterfalls and crystal clear pools. The ravine was called Sage's Ravine. Great job, Sage!I didn't start hiking until 9:30am, as I didn't leave Maria's house until 8:30-- then had to buy groceries for the next 4 days. Maria is one of the trail's true characters. She grew up in Italy but has been in the states since 1947. At my age, it's nice to run into someone that called me "young fella".
Date: 2007-07-02
From: Hemlock's Lean-to

To: Mt Wilcox South Lean-to
Miles today: 19.7

I was up and hiking at 6:15am this morning. There were some good views early, then a steep descent followed by about 6 miles of flat trail through pastures and along a river. In one pasture, there was a great view of the mountains I had just walked. And there was an older man there setting up his easel to paint. Late in the day, I passed a nice lake and met two guys walking the trail around the lake. They were excited to meet a thru-hiker, and I never get tired of talking to people about the trail.I'm the only one at this shelter tonight, but there are a couple thru-hikers just ahead of me (they signed this shelter's log book today).