morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-05-22
From: Waynesboro

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Left Waynesboro at 12:00 noon and arrived at Calf Mtn. Shelter at 3:00 and didn't want to stop that early and there was no water until Blackrock Hut so I kept going. Wild life seen today - grey squirrel, blue jay and one deer. Everything going great, feet hurt, but not unbearable.
Date: 2005-05-23
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Left Blackrock Hut at 9:15. Stopped at Loft Mtn. camp store at 12:30. Hiked one mile down to the way-side restaurant and ate two meals. While I was there it poured down rain. Hiked on back up to the camp store and took a shower. Left there at 4:00 and arrived at Pinefield Hut at 7:00.Wildlife seen today - one very large deer before getting to the camp store. Then when I was walking to the way-side restaurant, three deer followed me down the road for a ways. It rained off and on all afternoon.
Date: 2005-05-24
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Bearfence Mtn. Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up this morning at 6:00 and by 7:30 it was raining. It rained just about all day. Arrived at Bearfence at 7:30. There are seven of us at the shelter tonight. It is still raining at 9:00 p.m. Saw a few deer today.
Date: 2005-05-28
From: Elkwallow Gap

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

Left Elkwallow Gap at 10:00 after eating two breakfasts and getting two turkey subs to go, one for lunch and one for dinner that I just ate. I arrived at Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter at 5:30. I am now out of the Shenandoah National Park. The only wildlife I saw today besides birds was a groundhog this morning. The weather was sunny and clear except for a thunder storm from around 12:00 until 1:00. It turned breezy and cooler this afternoon.
Date: 2005-06-03
From: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground

To: MD 491, Raven Rock Hollow Campground
Miles today: 17.7

Left Dahlgren Back Pack Campground at 9:00 and arrived at MD491 at 7:00. Hitched a ride to Smithsburg and called a taxi to take me to the motel on Rte. 40 to meet my sister-in-law, Jean, my niece Lee Ann and her husband Tom and their son, Clayton. Rained all night and all day.
Date: 2005-06-05
From: MD 491

To: Tumbling Run Shelters
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: few clouds

I got up this morning at 7:00 at the motel. I took a shower, ate breakfast and took a taxi to the trail. It was 9:30 when I got to the trail. Arrived at Tumbling Run Shelters at 6:00. There is a snoring and a non-snoring shelter. Vapor told me I should sleep in the snoring shelter. It was very warm today. Sunshine all day.
Date: 2005-06-06
From: Tumbling Run Shelters

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

Left Tumbling Run Shelters at 7:00 and arrived at Birch Run Shelter at 7:00. Stopped at Caledonia State Park for about two hours and had lunch and took a bath in the creek. The park was closed today so the pool and concession stand were not open. Thats ok I had food in my pack so I ate out of it. We had thunder storms with hail from 3:00 until 7:00. I did not put on my rain gear so I got soaked. I put my rain cover on my pack, but my mattress and sleeping bag got wet anyway.
Date: 2005-06-07
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: broken clouds

Left the Birch Run Shelter at 9:45 this morning. Arrived at Pine Grove Furnace State Park at 2:30. Just before Pine Grove Furnace State Park, I was walking down a gravel road and I saw a black snake wriggling off the edge of the road into the tall grass and weeds. Stayed at the Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel. Everything is going great. Past the halfway point today (Yahoo).
Date: 2005-06-09
From: Boiling Springs

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

Left Boiling Springs at 10:00 and arrived at Darlington Shelter at 6:30. It started raining around 4:30 so I walked in the rain for the last two hours. It is 7:45 and is still raining. Looks like it may be set in for the night.
Date: 2005-06-10
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Left Darlington Shelter and arrived at Duncannon at 1:30. Stopped at Cove Mountain Shelter for an hour. Got some water and a snicker snack. Had a little light rain this morning. It is very warm. The temperature is around 90 degrees.
Date: 2005-06-13
From: PA 325

To: Swatara Creek (Waterville Iron Bridge)
Miles today: 17.9

After eating breakfast at Jeff's house we got to the trail at 10:00. Vapor hiked with Jeff today and is going to spend the night at his house tonight. Jeff said I could stay there too, but I told him I could not get to the parking area by 6:00 where Jeff's friend was going to pick them up. It was 7:00 by the time I got there so I hiked on over to Swatara Creek and pitched my tent and took a bath in the creek. It was 8:00 when I got here. I saw two wild turkeys today, a big male and a hen.
Date: 2005-06-14
From: Swatara Creek (Waterville Iron Bridge)

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Left Swatara Creek at 9:00 and arrived at 501 Shelter at 5:00. August West and Wood caught up with me around 12:00 and they were both out of water so I gave them both a drink of my water. It was about one and a half hours to the next water supply and I had about 30 oz. of water which was more than I needed. Last night I heard some woman telling her dog to come on and get away from that tent. It woke me up and I looked at my watch to see what time it was and it was 12:30 so I went back to sleep. I got up at 5:30 this morning and started to pack up and start hiking early while it was not so hot but when I got back in the tent to start packing I laid back down and fell asleep and didn't wake up again until 8:00 and it was already getting hot in my tent. I ate breakfast, packed up and left at 9:00. August West, Wood and myself arrived at 501 Shelter at about the same time. We all took a shower, ordered two large pizzas and six 24 oz. soft drinks. After we ate they both went on up the trail about six more miles. I had planed to do the same but with the heat and the weight of my pack I decided to spend the night here. I will try to get out early in the morning before it gets too hot. This shelter is totally closed in with windows with screens and doors. It also has a resident big brown spider hanging out in the octagon sky light in the center of the roof. When I get to Port Clinton I am going to send everything that I don't absolutely have to have home. The items I only need when I get into town I am going to send them to the next town by postal service. I have been leaving towns with about 45 lbs. It is getting really hard to carry that much weight as hot as it is. When it is cooler it is not so bad to carry that much weight but the heat really wears me down. Everything else is going great. 995.1 miles to go. Under 1,000 now. I spent the night alone. I was the only one in the shelter.
Date: 2005-06-16
From: Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Eagles Nest Shelter at 8:00 and arrived at Port Clinton at 12:30. Got a room, a shower and a meal and in that order. Sent everything home that I didn¢t think I absolutely had to have. I sent other items that I only need in town to the next town by mail. My pack will be a little lighter now, will leave Port Clinton in the morning Friday 6/17/05.
Date: 2005-06-17
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I left Port Clinton at 8:15 and arrived at Eckville Shelter at 7:30. On the way I took the Pinnacle Trail to Blue Rocks Camp Ground to buy food and make phone calls, (very hard trail) should have taken Blue Rocks Trail. It took me 3 hours and 45 minutes off the trail. Port Clinton had no phones in the hotel and no pay phones in town. It also has no place to buy food. I met a guy named Grits at Port Clinton and we stayed at Eckville Shelter along with a young couple that is section hiking south. Eckville Shelter has a cold shower and the caretaker has a refrigerator on the back porch with drinks and cookies for a donation. When I was leaving the camp ground a lady named Old Gray Mare asked me to take a Mountain House meal back up to the trail and give it to Grits. She had met him earlier that day on the trail at Pulpit Rock and he told her I was at the camp ground buying some grub. I gave Grits the food when I got to Eckville Shelter where he was. I ate dinner, took a cold shower and talked with Grits and the young couple for a while and went to bed around 9:00. Great day.
Date: 2005-06-18
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Eckville Shelter at 7:30 and arrived at Bake Oven Knob Shelter at 6:30. To get water I had to go down a steep hill and over rocks .5 mile to a spring and then 1 mile back up the hill (it felt like). Grits and I stopped at a restaurant at Blue Mountain Summit and had lunch and I ordered a sandwich and two cokes to go for lunch tomorrow. We spent about an hour and a half there. We hiked on to Bake Oven Knob and sat on the rocks about an hour looking at the view and talking. There was a small airport in the valley below with planes taking off and landing. No need to say what we talked about. (For those that don¢t know me, flying).
Date: 2005-06-19
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Leroy A. Smith Shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: light rain

The climb out of Lehigh Gap today was a good one almost straight up over boulders and then across the zink poisoned mountain. It was cool and cloudy today, otherwise it would have been very hot out in the open like that. Now I know what the rocks of Pennsylvania are like. Got into camp at 8:30 low on food and out of water. It was .6 mile down a steep hill to water. The two upper springs were dry. I met the Mechanical Man on the trail this evening and we talked for about 45 min., or I should say he talked. Long day today, I left camp at 6:50 this morning.
Date: 2005-06-20
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA 
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: broken clouds

I thought rocks were bad yesterday. The rocks this morning were the worst yet. The last 4 hours into Delaware Water Gap was not too bad. Left camp site at 6:45 and arrived at Delaware Water Gap at 7:30. Very tired from long miles yesterday and rocks. I am told if you made good plans you should come into town hungry, thirsty, out of food and water. Yesterday I did just that. May not have been exactly planned but that¢s the way it happened. Everything is going great.
Date: 2005-06-22
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA 

To: Blue Mountain Lakes Road (- .6 mile)
Miles today: 17.2

Left Delaware Water Gap at 9:00 and arrived here at 7:30 0.6 mile short of Blue Mountain Lake Road. It is not quite dark yet and I was lying here watching the mosquitoes gathering outside my tent. There must be a dozen or more under the vestibule trying to get to me. Good night all I think I will get up in the morning and go for a walk.
Date: 2005-06-23
From: Blue Mountain Lakes Road

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

Left the campsite at 8:00 and at 8:10 I was at Blue Mountain Lakes Road where the water pump is. I had breakfast there and left there at 9:00. The water from the well has a lot of iron in it and don¢t taste very good. When I got to Culvers Gap and ate dinner there I poured out the water I had and the girl at the bar refilled my water bottles for me. I went next door at the gas station and got two Pepsis to go and am drinking one of them as I write. I arrived at the trail to Gren Anderson Shelter at 7:00. I did not go to the shelter. I am tenting beside the trail just off the A.T. I didn¢t see any reason to walk .3 mile in and .3 mile back out. Besides there may not be any tent sites at the shelter anyway. I have enough water to get me to the next water supply at High Point State Park that is 11.3 miles on up the trail. I got a little cold last night. Thought I might have to put on my long pants. But I tuffed it out until the sun was well up at 7:00 before I got up. It is not as cool tonight. Everything going great except this pen keeps skipping and I have to keep going over some the letters. The plastic nose piece came off my glasses this evening, so I will try to get them fixed in town.
Date: 2005-06-24
From: Gren Anderson Shelter

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 20.1

Left Gren Anderson at 8:20 and arrived at Unionville, NY at 8:00. Stopped at the Murray Property and took a shower and rinsed the sweat out of the clothes I was wearing and put them back on. They were almost dry by the time I got to Unionville. Went to the Back Track Inn and ate two meals, three beers and three cokes.
Date: 2005-06-25
From: Unionville, NY

To: Woods Road 
Miles today: 13.6

I didn¢t leave Unionville until 10:00 and it was very hot. It was too hot to walk very fast. The last part of New Jersey is hilly and rocky. I pitched my tent in the dark and the mosquitoes about ate me up. It was in an old cow pasture at the edge of the woods. When I laid down in my tent there was a hump under me at my lower back. When I got up to the next morning I saw cow piles all over. When I took up my ground cloth there it was mashed pretty flat. It was last years model and dried out so there was no mess.
Date: 2005-06-26
From: Woods Road 

To: Cascade Brook
Miles today: 8.9

I left Woods Road at 6:45 and arrived at Cascade Brook at 5:00. I was going to eat and move on but the mosquitoes were so bad I decided to pitch my tent and eat inside it and stay the night. I was very tired anyway. The heat and cliffs really wore me down. I was out of water when I got to Furnace Brook but the water had an orange color to it but I had to have water so I filtered 20 oz. and the water was still orange. I thought at Cascade Brook it would be better. It was a lot worse, but I drank over a gallon of the orange water. It tasted ok.
Date: 2005-06-27
From: Cascade Brook

To: Arden Mountain
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: few clouds

I left Cascade Brook at 6:40 and arrived at Arden Mountain at 6:00. I decided to camp on top of the mountain. It is cooler and less mosquitoes. On the hike today trail angels had left water at three places, so I had plenty of fresh water today. I stopped at Fitzgerald Falls at noon today and took a bath, rinsed out my clothes and ate lunch there.   It sure felt good to get the salt washed off. When I started to eat lunch Fatty came by and had lunch too. On the way up the mountain this evening at a lower camp site I saw a black snake about six feet long. I touched it¢s tail and it posed for me to take it¢s picture. It¢s raining.
Date: 2005-06-28
From: Arden Mountain

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: moderate rain

I left Arden Mountain at 7:00 and arrived at Brien Shelter at 6:10. No water here and all I have is 10 oz. I will use it for breakfast in the morning. I didn¢t have breakfast this morning because all the water I had was about 2 oz. I thought I would get water at Island Pond. When I got to Island Pond the deer flies were biting me so bad I could not stop to get water. As I hiked along the pond the deer flies got worse, there was thousands of them swarming around me and biting me. I was swatting with both hands and killing 3 or 4 at a swat, my trekking poles flailing in the air and the further I walked the worse they got. I was so busy swatting that I missed my turn that went up the hill. I turned around to go back and find the white blazes. By this time I was getting very excited and thought about throwing down my pack and running, but then I would just have to come back and get it. I found the turn that went up the hill and way from the pond. I began to think I was going to go crazy if I didn¢t get away from those flies. I went up the rocky hill as fast as I could go swatting my head, neck, arms and shoulders as fast and as hard as I could. I have been in bees and mosquitoes before, but never in my life have I been in anything that bad. I started down the other side of the hill to lemon squeezer and the flies started again. I went back up the hill and put on my hat and two hankies to cover my head, face and neck. That worked pretty well, now all I had to do was rake them off my arms. As it turned out they were not as bad but I kept my face, neck and head covered until I got to Arden Valley Road 3.2 miles away. When I got there I went to Lake Tiorati Circle and got water and took a shower. I got there at 12:30 and didn¢t leave until 3:30. I also ate lunch there too. It rained all night last night and on and off all day. I ate supper last night about 100¢ away from where I pitched my tent and when I got up this morning there was a fresh baby deer leg and thigh bone with hoof lying there, no meat left on the bones. It wasn¢t there when I ate there. Something had super while I was asleep.
Date: 2005-06-29
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Hudson River, Bear Mountain Bridge
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: thunderstorm with rain

Left camp site at 7:30 and arrived at Hudson River at 4:30 after going thru trailside museums and wildlife center. Walked on in to Fort Montgomery where I met my friends Ron and Rocky to spend the day with tomorrow. Great to see some friends from home.
Date: 2005-07-10
From: Caesar Brook Campsite

To: Limestone Springs Lean-To
Miles today: 15.7

Have been tenting all the time since it has been warm weather because of mosquitos. Today was a great day. Ate breakfast at 6:00 and packed up and started hiking at 7:30. It was cool and breezy. Stopped for lunch at 11:30 at hang glider view. Stopped at 2:00 at the Mountainside Cafe and had two very large hamburger meals. Then stopped at the hydroelectric and took a shower at the cold shower on the outside corner of the building. No walls or roof, just a shower head on the outside corner of the building beside the road. It felt great. Then hiked on to Limestone Springs Lean-To for the night. Arrived there at 7:00.
Date: 2005-07-11
From: Limestone Springs Lean-To

To: Hemlocks Lean-To
Miles today: 17.5

Left Limestone Springs Lean-To at 8:30 arrived at Salisbury, Conneticut at 10:30. Had a glass of milk and a bearclaw then went next door to Holly's Cafe and had breakfast, they don't serve lunch until 12:00. I also had breakfast before I left camp. Before I left town I bought 6-8 oz. cans of Coke and one Caromelo bar. When I started up Mt. Everett I ate the candy bar and drank two cokes and went right up the mountain. Mt. Everett is 212' almost straight up over rocks and boulders. Arrived at Hemlocks Lean-To at 8:45. Great day today.
Date: 2005-07-13
From: US 7

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Great Barrington at 8:45 and arrived at Shaker Campsite at 7:30. STopped at Tom Leonard Shelter and ate lunch at 12:30. Right after Beartown Mt. Road as I came around a turn in the trail I heard a noise to my left, as I looked I saw a bear coming down from a tree. When it got about 6' from the ground it jumped to the ground and ran off thru the brush. I did not have time to get my video camera out. I ran off too fast. That was the first bear I have seen on the trail.
Date: 2005-07-14
From: Shaker Campsite

To: October Mtn. Lean-To
Miles today: 18.7

Left Shaker Campsite at 7:00 AM and arrived at October Mtn. Lean-To at 7:00 PM. On the way I stopped at upper Goose Pond cabin for lunch and a swim to rinse the salt off me and out of my clothes. I stayed there about one and one half hours. I hiked along with shadow most of the day.
Date: 2005-07-19
From: Cheshire, Ma.

To: Mt. Greylock
Miles today: 7.7

Short day today. Taking it easy for awhile to let my strength build back up. Took the last two days off in Cheshire and spent it with my wife, Donna, my daughter, Heather and brother and sister-in-laws, Dave and Carol. It sure was nice to be with family for a couple days. Yesterday it was very humid and everything I had on, even my socks were soaked with sweat. The lodge here doesn't have a laundry facility so I took a shower with all my clothes on to wash out the salt and sweat. Everything on my hike is going great. My shoes were starting to come apart, so my wife brought me new shoes. She also brought me a smaller rain suit. My rain pants would not stay up anymore. I had already changed to smaller pants a while back. I saw a porcupine today, it was on the trail and when I came up it wandered off into the woods. I could not get my video camera out fast enough to take a video of it.
Date: 2005-07-23
From: VT 9 (Bennington, VT)

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Back on the trail at 7:20 and arrived at Kid Gore Shelter at 4:30, stopped at Godard Shelter for lunch at 2:00. Seen moose tracks and droppings today but no moose. The weather was a lot cooler today.
Date: 2005-07-24
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Left Kid Gore Shelter at 8:30 and arrived at Stratton Pond Shelter at 6:30. Went down to the pond and took a rinse off bath and watched the sun set. It was warmer this afternoon. Realy felt good to rinse the sweat and salt off me.
Date: 2005-07-25
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: VT 11/30 Manchester Center
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: moderate rain

Left Stratton POnd Shelter at 7:00. Used the privy on the way out and then hiked .2 miles off the trail to the spring for water. Arrived at VT 11/30 around 1:00 and got a ride into Manchester Center with Snowy Man and his dad. I met them the day before and stayed at Stratton Pond Shelter with them. I stayed in the shelter last night. There was no good place to pitch a tent there. The mosquitoes were pretty bad. I laid on my air mattress and covered my whole body with my sleeping bag, head and all. A mosquitoe would still get in every now and then, I would kill it and go back to sleep until the next one got in. It sure was hot under that sleeping bag that way. It was cloudy in the morning and a warm breeze blowing, so it wasn't to bad hiking to Vt 11/30. When I got to Manchester Center the sun was out and it was realy hot, in the high 90's. Will take my time and go slow while the weather is hot.
Date: 2005-07-26
From: VT 11/30 Manchester Center

To: Griffith Lake Tenting Area
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It was 9:30 by the time I ate breakfast and got a ride to the trail. I got to the Griffith Lake Tenting area at 4:00 and was worn out. I had cooked and ate dinner a half mile back at the Peru Peak Shelter. After dark it came a heavy thunder storm with lots of thunder and lightning. It rained real hard for about an hour then a little later it came another smaller storm. The moon came out for a while then got real dark again. A moose came by my tent with a baby and stayed close to the back of my tent for about a half hour. I believe the baby was nursing. I could not see them but I could hear them.
Date: 2005-07-27
From: Griffith Lake Tenting Area

To: Little Rock Pond tenting area
Miles today: 9.2

I left Griffith Lake tenting area at 10:00 and arrived at Little Rock Pond tenting area at 3:00. Stopped for lunch at Lost Pond shelter at 12:30. Krazy Katie and her friend went into Danby and when they met me at Little Rock tenting area they brought me a 20 oz. coke. It was great. They have been camping with me for the last 4 days now. They are a great couple. Katie is from Atlanta, Ga. and he is from Mich. When I was at the pond around 4:30 the clouds were getting lower and lower until they were right down on the water. I was taking a bath. Just as I was finishing it started to rain. By the time I got to my tent it was raining pretty hard. That was 4:50 and it is still raining at 6:10. Not as hard as it was though. Think I'll go to sleep now and try to sleep for about 11 hours. Good night. It's 8:30 and the caretaker just woke me up to collect my receipt where I had paid my $5.00 to camp in this area. I'll go back to sleep now. Good night again.