morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2022-05-12
From: Campsite at MM 1284.7

To: Delaware Water Gap 
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

May 12 - Campsite at MM 1284.7 to Delaware Water Gap, Deer Head Inn - 12.2 miles (148.4 trip miles) - 30281 steps Up early as usual. Packed up quick, ate a couple of breakfast bars and was walking before 7. Of course the first few miles were as rocky as ever and very slow going. But then a strange thing happened. The forest nymphs or fairies created a smooth soft trail of dirt for almost 2 miles. It truly was magical. But all good things must end and the rocks returned. There were a few small rocky up and downs. The trail eventually became a forest road for about 2 miles taking me to the drop off to the Delaware River. Although not up to nymph and fairy quality trail, it was still nice. The decent into town reminded me of the descents in GA or NC. Steep but well maintained and easy to move on. There were a few nice views on the way down. Finally the trail entered the town of Delaware Water Gap. My hotel, The Deer Head Inn, is right on the trail. Too early to check in, though. I went to the post office to get my resupply box; easy peasy. I went back to the hotel porch and organized my food. I have too much. I then walked to the outfitter and got some sock liners. Maybe they¢ll help with the blisters. At 3 I checked in, got a shower and a nap. There¢s a restaurant in the hotel. It is the oldest continuously running jazz club in the US. Who knew?  I ate, had a couple of beers and listened to the music. It¢s now after 8 and almost time to sleep. Tomorrow I¢ll enter NJ. It¢s supposed to be mellower on the rocks and grades aren¢t quite so steep. We¢ll see. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-05-14
From: Campsite at MM 1317.8

To: Rutherford Shelter 
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: scattered clouds

May 14 - Campsite at MM 1317.8 to Rutherford Shelter - 19.1 miles (188.4 trip miles) - 43252 steps Today was a very uneventful day. Low clouds most of the day as well as some rain left little to see. I was up early as always and headed out before 7. The first few miles were a series of short but somewhat steep up and downs. The terrain was much rockier than yesterday. I got to Culver Gap just after 10. There are a couple of decent lunch places there but I was too early so I pressed on. Leaving the gap was the lone long climb of the day. Again, very rocky. At the top was the Culver Fire Tower. The views were ok but not great with the low clouds. From there I went to the Gren Anderson shelter to eat lunch. This is where I realized this hike needs to end. The blisters are just too much to deal with and are taking the fun out of the hike. I¢d post a picture of the culprits but who wants to see dirty hiker feet?Now that I decided to end hiking, I needed a plan to get home. There was enough cell coverage at the shelter to make a plan. I packed up and left. I was going to the further of two shelters to get closer to High Point State Park HQ. Hopefully I can get an Uber to a train station. Next up was Sunrise Mountain. Near the top a heavy shower came in. I got my pack cover on and my rain jacket. I then went the next 100 yards only to find a nice covered pavilion at the top. I waited out the rain while checking train and plane schedules. From there it was 3 rocky miles to the Mashipacong Shelter. I chatted with some hikers for a bit then moved on. The next 2.6 miles to my shelter continued to be rocky. The shelter is .4 miles off trail but there is water down that way. The Rutherford Shelter is a dump. There are signs of mice both on the floor and in the log book. There are 2 birds living in there that didn¢t like me eating my dinner in their home. I am tented 50 feet away. On the plus side there is a bear box and a clean privy. It is now raining lightly. Hopefully it stops soon. (It didn¢t, and rained lightly most of the night.)I saw 2 deer, a snake and hundreds of orange newt. It¢s now 7 and I hear a couple of others roll in. I thought I¢d be by myself tonight. Tomorrow is just 2.9 miles to the HQ after .4 to get back to the trail. I will head out early to give myself as many options on the train as possible. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-08
From: High Point State Park Headquarters

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

October 8 - High Point State Park HQ to Unionville, NY - 8.8 miles (8.8 trip miles) - 24480 stepsTime for another section heading north. Was up early and got to the airport. First time flying a discount airline in the US. Well, I got where I was going on time so I suppose it was OK. It also flew closest to my start point. I was picked up by my shuttle driver/trail angel George Lightcap at the Stewart/Hudson Valley airport and driven to the park HQ in NJ. I would highly recommend George if you¢re hiking in this area. His number is in the Farout app. I got myself organized and was walking by 1245. The trail started with a gradual rocky climb up to a viewing platform. There were clear skies today so I could see a long ways. The trail then meanders near to the actual high point of NJ monument. It was early so I decided to climb up the quarter mile off trail to see it. It¢s like a miniature version of the Washington Monument in DC. I didn¢t stay long. The trail then gradually dropped to the back side of the ridge and the rocks mostly faded away. There were a few rocky areas but they were short. Crossed a bunch of fields, roads and boardwalks (due to low wet ground) and got to my intended destination. The ¢Secret Shelter.¢This shelter is .2 off trail and was built by a former AT hiker to give back to the trail. It¢s a small enclosed building that can sleep 4 with space for tents. It also has a resident mule named Jake. He was a bit standoffish today. However, it was only 330 so I continued on. It was only 2 miles to the small town of Unionville, NY. There is a small town park hikers are allowed to tent in. I registered in the general store and set myself up. I got a couple of slices of pizza across the street and went back to my home. Someone close by was gunning their motorcycle but it finally stopped. Some kids are playing basketball here as the sun sets. Hopefully things will quiet down soon once it¢s dark and the temperature drops. It¢s supposed to get down to about 30 tonight. I¢m glad I decided to carry the 0 degree bag. It was a good first day out. Tomorrow I plan to go about 17 miles to a shelter. In the morning I¢ll get a pastry at the general store for breakfast. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-09
From: Unionville, NY

To: Wawayanda Shelter 
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: broken clouds

October 9 - Unionville, NY to Wawayanda Shelter - 16.9 miles (25.7 trip miles) - 38535 steps Long day for day 2 but there really was no other option. The day started at 630. But, at 105 last night I thought we were being invaded. The town¢s warning siren went off and it was loud. I waited for people to come out of their houses but nothing happened. I went back to sleep. In the morning at the general store I asked the girl and she thought it was a call for the volunteer fire department. That makes sense. The hike started out with a gradual downhill to a road walk and then entered the Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge. It seemed like a wetland area for migratory birds. It was flat for about 2 miles, always appreciated. I then climbed Pochuck Mountain. This was a surprisingly steep rocky climb of about 900 feet. I had no idea there were mountains this tall in NJ so far east. The climb down was uneventful. Next up was the Pochuck board walk. This is a nice fancy board walk through a wetland and is about a mile long. Lots of folks out for a stroll I had to get around. The trail continued on a few more miles relatively flat with lots of locals. Exiting the woods into a cow field I noticed a long line of cars on the upcoming road. It was crazy. There is the Heaven Hill Creamery and they were having their Great Pumpkin Festival. The crowds were overwhelming. I got an ice cream and moved on. Next was the climb up Wawayanda Mountain. This one caught me by surprise. It was steep and rocky and long and covered in day hikers. There was a good view near the top down to the creamery. After that the day hikers disappeared. From the summit it was a short way to a nice creek to fill up on water. Then to the shelter that has no water. There is one southbound thru hiker here. I did pass a few other SOBOs today. I had a freeze dried meal for dinner. It¢s now 630, getting dark and cold and I¢m tired. My plan for tomorrow is to do a shorter day. Either go into Greenwood Lakes, NY or go to the Wildcat Shelter. 10 or 12 miles. Weather continues to be perfect for hiking. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-10
From: Wawayanda Shelter 

To: Greenwood Lake, NY
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

October 10 - Wawayanda Shelter to Greenwood Lake, NY - 10.0 miles (35.7 trip miles) - 25609 stepsA short(ish) day today. My shelter mate, Po (from Kung Fu Panda), was up early as he said he would. No problem. I got moving before 7 and was hiking at 730. Last night was not as cold as the previous night. It was incredibly still; no wind whatsoever. It was 4 miles to the NY border. The terrain was quite mellow with few rocks and very small ups and downs. It warmed up quickly so the puffy jacket got put away. Immediately upon entering NY the trail was rocky and rock slabs for 3.5 miles. There were quite a few places where I needed to use my hands to pull myself up the rocks. There was even a spot with a rebar ladder to climb. I think that is the first so far heading north. After a while the rocks got old and it felt too much like PA. Finally, at the side trail that could lead to Greenwood Lake, the trail left the ridge and the rocks stopped. I cruised the final 2 AT miles. After crossing NY17A there is a side trail that leads to Bellvale Farm. Earlier, I had arranged a room in town and a ride from the farm. The ice cream was very good. Much creamier and smoother than yesterday. I called my ride and she arrived in just a few minutes. She is the owner of the motel I¢m staying at. The Lake Lodging Motel was good and the folks running it were very nice.  Very hiker friendly.The small room is perfect for me. I got a shower and asked about food. The owner¢s husband was going out so he dropped me at Murphy¢s, one of 2 Irish bars in town. The food was good as was the beer. This is a nice little town that seems receptive to hikers. Now I¢m just relaxing. The motel owners will get me back to the trail in the morning. I hope to get to the Bear Mountain area, just before the Hudson River, Wednesday afternoon. It will take a good push as there seems to be a lot of short but steep ups and downs to get there. Thursday¢s forecast has now changed to heavy rain all day. If that looks to be true I may take a zero day (no hiking) on Thursday. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-11
From: Greenwood Lake, NY

To: Fingerboard Shelter 
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

October 11 - Greenwood Lake, NY to Fingerboard Shelter - 16.6 miles (52.3 trip miles) - 40215 steps New York is tough! I fell asleep last night before 9pm and woke early. I walked the 50 yards to the Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. The motel owner took me back to the trail at 730. The first mile and a half were wonderful; smooth and rock free. Then NY showed what it really had to offer. The whole day was up and down steep rock walls and along rocky ridges. There were some spots that were close to vertical with small ledges to place feet. It was very tiring. I had to carry a lot of water as things are very dry. It¢s heavy but has to be done. I did top off my water bottles from some gallon jugs left near a road; thanks to whoever that was. The up and downs continued all day. I entered Harriman State Park in the afternoon. It was a very nice forest with a lot of grasses growing. Very different from most forests. I was feeling real drained in the afternoon. Late in the day I reached the Lemon Squeezer. This is a tight gap between 2 house sized boulders. I had to take my pack off and throw my poles ahead. It wasn¢t too bad. Right after that there was an 8¢ rock face. I could not figure out how to get up that and took the easy way around. I finally arrived at the shelter about 515. Ate dinner, took a wet wipe bath (it was warm today) and hung my food bag on the bear cable. This is sort of a crappy old shelter; no water or privy. So far I am the only one here. Also, it¢s not supposed to be as cold tonight. Tomorrow I¢ll get into Bear Mountain Recreation Area where I have a room for 2 nights. The Thursday forecast continues to be heavy rain and wind all day. I don¢t need to hike in that. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-12
From: Fingerboard Shelter 

To: Bear Mountain Overlook Hotel
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: few clouds

October 12 - Fingerboard Shelter to Bear Mountain Overlook Hotel - 14.5 miles (66.8 trip miles) - 42390 steps What a difference a day makes. The shelter was quiet all night. There were a lot of signs and notices posted about past bear activity around this shelter. Not last night. They did put bear cables here that look pretty new. It surely helps. Bear cables are a simple pulley system that allows hikers to raise their food bag up to about 12 feet. Once the bears determine there¢s no food for them they¢ll go somewhere else. I was up early as usual. Hiking by 715. The first 7 or so miles were easy and light on the rocks. Water is very scarce so I carry 3 liters. I fill up whenever there¢s water available. There was only one water source today so I took advantage of it. There is a ¢mandatory¢ detour recently incorporated into the trail just before the Palisades Parkway. Official detours count as trail miles. Supposedly the traffic is very heavy and fast. I thought about ignoring the detour and staying on the AT but finally gave in. The detour adds just under a mile on some lightly used state trails. When I finally went on the bridge over the Palisades, there wasn¢t a car in sight. Oh well. The first 80% of the detour was flat and easy. The last 20% was straight up rock scramble. Finally it rejoined the AT. From here it was a long rocky downhill to get to Bear Mountain State Park. There was a long climb once entering the park. In the park all of the ups and downs are on cut stone steps. An incredible amount of work to fit these steps into the small gaps in the rock walls going up must have occurred. There were some great views on the way up showing the foliage colors on the distant peaks. At the top of Bear Mountain is a small tower with 360 degree views. It was very busy at the top so I started down to my destination. Again, wherever the grade dropped there were nice stone steps. It was a long but easy hike down to Hessian Lake. I am staying at the Overlook hotel so had to walk an additional mile. I then had to walk 3/4 mile each way to get dinner at the restaurant at the Bear Mountain Inn. Today was tough but nothing like yesterday. There were some tough climbs but not over sheer cliffs. Tomorrow I¢m not hiking. The weather forecast is still terrible and leaving here has a big straight up climb I don¢t want to do in the rain. The trail overall has been in excellent condition with only a few blow downs that took some effort to get around. Thanks to all the trail builders and maintainers. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-13
From: Bear Mountain Overlook Hotel

To: Bear Mountain Overlook Hotel 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

October 13 - Bear Mountain Overlook Lodge - 0 miles (66.8 trip miles) - 4271 steps Today was a zero day, no hiking. I was asleep before 9 and slept until 730. I needed it. I wandered over to the grill at the Inn for some breakfast. It was ok. I then went back to my room and lounged around most of the day. I washed some clothes in the sink. I hope they dry. The few showers today were light and if it got windy I never noticed. I could have hiked but the rest was needed. Around 4 I got an Uber to get some resupply food and dinner. The grocery store was small but I found enough stuff for the next 4+ days. I then got dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. It was good. Getting back was tough. I tried Uber and Lyft for quite a while but no drivers. When I went outside it was now raining and my groceries were in a paper bag. It would have been a horrible 4 mile walk. Yikes! I finally called a local taxi and it all worked out. I don¢t think I can recommend this Bear Mountain resort area. There are no stores that are walkable for resupply. The restaurants were good but way overpriced for most hikers. Midweek everything shuts down early. However, there¢s not much in Fort Montgomery or Highland Falls either. And the hotels there were double the price of the Overlook. Maybe Peekskill would have been a better option. Live and learn.Now I¢m just organizing my pack so I can basically close the pack and walk out in the morning. I¢ll walk through the zoo, over the Hudson and straight up Anthony¢s Nose. I¢ll leave you with that thought. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-14
From: Bear Mountain Overlook Hotel 

To: Dennytown Road Campsite 
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

October 14 - Bear Mountain Overlook Lodge to Dennytown Road Campsite - 15.4 miles (82.2 trip miles) - 35924 steps Great day of hiking. Was asleep last night early and up around 6. I was mostly packed and ready to go. I just needed the sun to come up a bit more. I left at 710 and had to walk back around the lake to the point where the AT leaves the lake. The trail goes in a tunnel under the highway then enters the zoo. After a few lefts and rights I got to the zoo entrance. However, they don¢t open until 10. It didn¢t dawn on me to check if hikers can always get through. Oh well. Back to the blue blaze trail that goes around the zoo. The problem with going around the zoo is that I won¢t get to see a bear on this hike. Are there bears in the woods? After the zoo the trail crosses the Bear Mountain Bridge. This is a huge, imposing structure built in the 1920s and for many years provided the only crossing of the Hudson between NYC and Albany. The things you learn by reading those informational boards. Next up was Anthony¢s Nose (hey, I don¢t name the mountains). The elevation profile for this climb looked horrible. It wasn¢t that bad, really. Very steep but only about 600 feet. After that the trail had a few small steep climbs but was gentle for the most part. The rocks did come out on the latter half today. I stopped in to the Appalachian Market late morning. This is a gas station/convenience store/deli all in one. Busy place. My food bag is stuffed from yesterday¢s resupply so I just got a drink and some M&Ms. a sub would have been nice but not needed. After that it was uneventful. The hike was in the forest all day so really no views. The morning clouds cleared off after noon and the weather was perfect.  I was able to top off my water bottles a few miles from camp.I¢m now set up at the Dennytown Road camping area. This is part of Fahnestock State Park in NY. It¢s a Friday and there are other people, likely locals, already setting up. It could be a loud night. In a little while my fraternity brother Steve V. will be joining me to hike the weekend. The terrain looks gentle and I¢ll dial down the mileage so as not to kill him and give him a chance to enjoy hiking. We¢ll do about 11 then 12 miles. He doesn¢t know my plan yet so I hope it goes well. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-15
From: Dennytown Road Campsite 

To: RPH Shelter 
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

October 15 - Dennytown Road Campsite to RPH Shelter - 10.7 miles (92.9 trip miles) - 27554 steps Gentle but rocky terrain today. Steve and I were up about 630. It didn¢t get quite as cold last night as expected. It was another ¢Chamber of Commerce¢ weather day. It took Steve a while to get organized but we were hiking by 8. There is a pump house near the campsite so we were able to top off all our water bottles. There were just a few ups today and none were hard. They were rocky though. We were cruising along pretty good in the morning. I tried to let Steve lead and set the pace. He started out strong but I could see the rocky uneven terrain was getting to him. We stopped on trail for some snacks but that didn¢t help much. I think the AT was a bit more challenging than he expected. Over a slow afternoon we finally were able to refill our water bottles just before our shelter destination of the RPH Shelter. There were only a couple of overlooks today, otherwise we were in the woods all day with nothing to see  The RPH Shelter is nice. It has bunks with (thin, old, plastic) mattresses but that¢s way better than usual shelters. Lots of space and we¢re the only ones here. It¢s clean, has books and a garbage can.  The privy was clean and had TP, a real luxury.  There must be a caretaker and that person does a great job.Steve has decided not to continue. His wife will pick him up here in the morning. But, I¢ll give him credit for coming out and giving it a go. I think he learned a lot about what and what not to pack.  His pack needs some adjustments as well. I know things weren¢t right but couldn¢t figure what was wrong.  I may see Steve when I get to Kent.  It was nice to have some company on the trail.Tomorrow I¢ll make a 3 day push to Kent, CT where I have a (very expensive) room reserved. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2022-10-16
From: RPH Shelter 

To: Telephones Pioneers Shelter 
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: scattered clouds

October 16 - RPH Shelter to Telephone Pioneers Shelter - 16.8 miles (109.7 trip miles) - 37351 steps Long hiking day. Last night a hiker came in the shelter at 2am and made a lot of noise and had his headlamp on bright. Poor shelter etiquette. I stayed hidden in my bag and chose not to engage him. I was up early. Steve¢s wife would pick him up at the road right by the shelter at 9. That¢s too late for me so I said goodbye and was hiking at 750. The trail climbed for 600 feet right away but very gradual. I made the top quickly and easily. It dropped back down then went up a much steeper 500 feet over very rocky ground. After that it was the usual small up and downs the rest of the day. Overall the rocks weren¢t too bad. Views were very limited all day. Late in the day I got to Nuclear Lake. It¢s called that because in 1972, a chemical explosion in a nuclear research lab situated on the lake blew out some windows. It¢s possible that some trace amount of radiation leaked. Since it¢s supposedly ok to swim in the lake and drink the water, maybe they should return it to its original name. I arrived at the Telephone Pioneers Shelter at 4, got set up, ate my freeze dried lasagna and am ready to get in my sleeping bag when the sun sets. There is one guy set up in a hammock here as well. Kent, CT is a bit to far for 1 day so I¢ll do 2 shorter days to get there. Until tomorrow.