morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-29
From: Palmerton City Hall

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 29.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked out this morning and the weather was overcast and drizzly. We had to hike up some big rocks and scramble up some boulders up and over Blue Mountain. I started to get a panic attack as I was slipping on the wet rocks. I took a couple of deep breaths and composed myself and climbed up and over until I got to better terrain. There is a lot of devastation to the terrain from zinc smelting in the beginning of the century. The trees and plant matter has been wiped out. It is slowly returning though. At Blue Mountain Road some young girls left some water for thru-hikers. They said their Uncle had hiked the trail and there was no water in this area, so they left water for the thru hikers. THANKS GIRLS! I decide to go for the shelter right before Delaware Water Gap. Almost thirty miles. I estimated about two miles per hour and that would get me there around nine pm...I might have to night hike. When I arrived at Wind Gap around three pm, I was in good shape...now it was looking more like I would arrive around seven pm. I was making good time. I only hiked with one pole, but it didn't seem to slow me down. The terrain is flat, but extremly rocky, so it plays with your ankles and feet in a rough way. At times they are small and just sticking out of the ground. Other times they are large and you clammer over them. And still there are times you have to hop on or over them and they are pointed, so you cannot step on them (at least not very well). Because of the rain this morning I hiked with wet shoes and socks most of the day. I changed my socks, but they just got wet again from my shoes. I tried to air out my feet, as they were white and wrinkled...perfect conditions for blisters! I have not noticed any hot spots, but my feet are achy and sore. I made it into the shelter by seven, washed up, aired out my shoes and feet, ate and enjoyed the company of some section hikers. Blue Yonder came in around eight thirty. YEA! We were pushing it because we want to make it to the Post Office before it closes at 11 am. The weather was not as bad today, a little cooler and not as humid. I am almost out of Pennslyvania!
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Backpacker Campsite
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

YIPPPEEE! I am out of the state of Pennslyvania! Seven down, seven more states to go. About 890 miles to Katahdin! WOW! I hiked six miles into Delaware Water Gap, New Jersey. I showered and did laundry and aired out my gear. Took my pole to the outfitters and had it repaired. I picked up my mail drop at the post office and grabbed lunch. Somewhere in the morning I decided to hike ten miles out to a campsite. I got a late start and arrived to a different campsite, it was getting dark so it would have to do. Blue Yonder was with me. I set up my bivy and she suggested I set up my tarp, as she looked up at the black cloud in the sky. So I did. We ate and the bugs were bad, so we got in our tents right away. As I was laying there some guys walked by my tarp and commented how awesome it was, and what a cool "ultralight setup". It kind of made me feel good! It did rain slightly and I stayed dry. I don't think it would be good in a really heavy downpour however. So now we have to time our hiking to make sure we pick up our mail drop at the next Post Office before the fourth of July...the Post Office will be closed. We are also finding out that Driftwood is finishing his thru hike and will be celebrating then, so we want to be there for that and see fireworks at the Wawayanda shelter. However, alot of other hikers will be there as well, so we have to watch for space at the hostels/shelters. Blue Yonder is calling Daybreak to come to shuttle us ahead to the Post Office so then we can relax our pace and enjoy our hike. There are still rocks in New Jersey, but I understand the trail will get better after High Point. We will see. My feet hurt, I did get a small blister on the bottom ball of my right foot. I have applied moleskin and will watch it closely.
Date: 2007-07-01
From: Backpacker Campsite

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So I slept pretty well last night. We packed up and headed out this morning. It is a sunny yet cool morning. Great hiking weather. Later it became overcast and looked like rain. I hiked by Sunfish pond, it is the southernmost glacial pond on the AT and one of seven natural protected areas in the state of New Jersey. It is indeed beautiful. Blue Yonder and I hiked to the Mohican outdoor Center for coffee. They said the coffee maker was broken, but if we would wait he could fix it. After about twenty minutes he said he couldn't fix it. Then he offered us some french pressed coffee. It was wonderful! The bonus is, he gave it to us for waiting so long! I Love it! The blister on my right foot is tender. I have to take it slow. The rocks should be over soon. Everyone is sick and tired of hiking over them. Our feet are extremely sore. We have been on them since the middle of Pennsylvania. There were some in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland...but not like these. They are not soo bad, but they do beat up your feet, and there is no going around them. There is a resident skunk at this shelter. people have written that they come into the shelter and follow you around into your tent. WOW! That would be horrible to try to remove skunk smell from a sleeping bag! The temps dropped low last night so even though I was in a shelter I slept in my bivy sack, it gave me 10 degrees more warmth. In the middle of the night I had to lay my poncho over me for a little more insulation. The views have been great now that there is clear weather. I am so happy it has cooled down a bit. You can see really far and the sun has been out with cooler temps. People still want the rocks to be gone, but there is just a few more miles, and then we will have BIG rocks to deal with...mountains! Its all part of the trail.
Date: 2007-07-02
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: St Thomas Hostel
Miles today: 19.6

Today we got up and hiked three miles to Joes to Go to get coffee and a bagel. That gave us great caffeine to get the miles done.   Blue Yonder has arranged for us to get a ride into Vernon to get our mail, and then come back to High Point and hike right on through Vernon so, tonight I will be in the hostel in Vernon. Tomorrow I will go back to High Point and hike through to the Pochuck Mountain Shelter.   Today was great cool weather again. Good for hiking. Had some good views from Culver Fire Tower. I did not realize how beautiful New Jersey really is. I guess I thought more of the big city when I picture New Jersey. Who would have thought this state has swamp areas and bogs?This is what is so great about walking through the different states, you truly geta feel for the state and not just blow by it on a freeway.      I came off trail and saw Daybreak. She had some soda, chicken salad, potato chips, and rolls. It was great. She brought us to the Post Office and I picked up a few groceries so, I should be good all the way into New York in about two days.   The internet has been hard to get a hold of, so I am unsure when I will be able to post again. I try to get on as much as possible, but it is difficult. I cannot upload any photos at this point, but they will come soon. thanks for your patience.
Date: 2007-07-03
From: High Point State Park

To: Happy Hill Farm Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 18.9

So, today I am hiking to the Pochuck Mountain Shelter. I could go twenty miles and end up at the St. Thomas hostel and then hike to the Wawayanda shelter tomorrow, but there is a huge group (about 15) right ahead of me doing the same thing, which means...possibly no room at the shelter. On top of that they are calling for thunderstorms on Wednesday night as well as Thursday and Friday. That means everyone usually stays in a shelter. I am concerned about getting room in the shelter. These are smaller shelters in this state and usually sleep six to eight people. Well, usually when this happens, I turn it over to God and something works out. So, that's what I will do. I will post more when I get to the next town that has internet access. Well it turns out that I did hike from High Point(where I had left off) all the way to Vernon and we stayed at Heaven Hill Farm. My feet were sore and now I have a weird blister that developed on the side of my heel. I think because my socks were wet the other day. Even though I changed them, the grass was wet and they became wet again. At least it wasn't raining. It was good I jumped ahead and made it into the Post Office yesterday, because I would not have made it in time today. Thanks Daybreak! We had a chance to make it to the secret shelter for lunch. The shelter is on private property and owned by Jim Murray (AT'89) who allows long distance hikers (only) the use of a heated cabin with hot water shower and privy. It was nice. There were a couple of donkeys there who kept braying constantly. It was kind of funny. We think the one was a male, because it kept chasing the other on around alot. I finally ran into Driftwood. He has been posting entries in the shelter logs that he will be finishing his thru-hike on July fourth. He started last year and hiked from New Jersey to Maine and then in March he hiked from Georgia and is going to finish at Waywayanda Shelter. There will be a big celebration and hopefully alot of hikers to cheer him in his victory. Kind of a cool way to finish. I ran into Sublime, GameOn, and Sniper. We all camped at Happy Hill Farm. It is a garden center and fruit stand that has really wonderful food! Later Diamo came in. Blue Yonder went into town and will be at the shelter tomorrow.
Date: 2007-07-04
From: Happy Hill Farm, Vernon, NJ

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: light rain

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! I Awoke this morning and it was so peaceful and nice. Everyone was still asleep, so I got up and went over to the picnic table and made breakfast and drank coffee. When the store opened, I picked up some fruit and grabbed another cup of coffee. Such a treat on the trail. Everyone awoke and did the same thing.       I kept dreaming about roosters last night. The funny thing is, three of the people who were sleeping near me said they heard roosters crowing, except it wasn't a real rooster, it was a person imitating a rooster that they had heard. Since I was the only one in the general direction that they heard the crowing come from, and I did dream about roosters, they think that I must have been crowing in my sleep! Kind of funny actually.      Today will be a very short day, Driftwood just has under six miles to finish his hike. It is really cool talking to him about the trail up north. It seems you don't hear as much about the trail further north because so many people drop out before they get up that far. Sniper, GaMeOn, Sublime, and Diamo all hiked to the shelter and watched Driftwood climb up on the roof and summit the shelter! It was cool to see him so happy and accomplished in completing his journey. We opened a bottle of champagne and celebrated with him. One by one more hikers came in and shared in his celebration. There was some food and beer and later when it was dark, we had some fireworks. People were so happy for him. He said the realization of being finished really hit him about a week ago, when he was close to New Jersey. We are really pumped up to finish our hike now!   All in all it was a short day but fun. The sky was overcast, but it didn't dampen anyones spirits! What a great way to finish a hike!
Date: 2007-07-05
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

When we all awoke this morning we had a pleasant surprise. Driftwood's Mom and brother hiked to the shelter with coffee and donuts for everyone!It was wonderful! We took pictures and celebrated some more. Then we said our farewells and went off on each of our own separate thru-hike adventures. I took it slow today. The weather is back to triple H (hot,humid, & hazy). It rained hard last night, the sun is trying to peek through the canopy of leaves, but is not very successful. Everything is damp and wet. The rocks are very slippery. Driftwood said the first two days of New York will be harder. It will be like the roller coaster in Virginia, but over rocks and more of the straight up and straight down. As I am hiking, I keep slipping on the rocks, so that has been in the forefront of my mind. I don't know, perhaps my thought of not falling stayed in my thoughts and so I brought it on, but sure enough as I was heading back down some rocks and into the woods, I slipped and fell and bumped my head on a rock. OUCH! I swear it was just like a cartoon when the bump grows instantly, but I could feel a big goose egg on my head. Without a mirror I couldn't see how bad it was. I got up and cleaned the cut and decided to take a picture so I could see how what it looked like. (Check out the photo - not exactly flattering, but oh well) I was glad I didn't hit it too hard, I had broken most of the fall with my arms, but with the pack on, momentum took over. It wasn't as bad as it looked and by the time I came into the shelter later in the day, the swelling had gone down. Welcome to New York! Yep, I am in New York! In the ninth state, eight states down and six to go! YIPPEE! I t is still rocky and I think it will stay this way until I reach Katahdin. I think it won't be rocky like PA though. I think it will be like today, some rock scrambling and some dirt trail, and definitely more hills. The hills are increasing and we are climbing up in elevation gains and losses around 1000 to 1500 feet down to roughly 200 feet or so. I came into Wildcat shelter and no one was there. It was a little erie. But later on, BoCephus, Gandolph, Diamo and Jew Dog came in. I decided to hike with them tomorrow, as we are going to go through the Lemon Squeezer and Agony Grind. So, I would like to be in the company of others getting through these areas.
Date: 2007-07-06
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: few clouds

I headed out early this morning. As I hiked up to Mombasa High Point I was excited because from there on a clear day you are able to see the skyline of New York City. I was disappointed because the trees had grown up and you could not see the city...rats!   Soon the others caught up to me and we hiked along and came down Agony Grind. I can see why they call it that as it is a steep, rocky downhill and could play with your knees if you are not careful. We haven't had many ups and downs, so we have to get used to them again. as we came to the roadside, we received trail magic from Roger. He works for Campmor and gave us soda, brownies, beef jerkey, fruit, and candy bars. It was wonderful! A perfect place to get refreshed! Thanks Roger!   We hiked out and the next challenge for the day was the Lemon Squeezer. It is a narrow passage way through the rocks and it is at a slight angle and is literally a tight squeeze. Gandolf, Barry Manilow, BoCephus, Jew Dog, Diamo and myself all went through it. It was fun. You had to lean to the left to get through it, so it felt awkward. Then we had some hand over hand scrambles up the rocks. We helped each other out and no one had to take their packs off. The rocks were dry, so I felt comfortable climbing up. When the rocks are we, I don't get good traction with my shoes. Actually, I don't think anyone does, you have to be careful of roots and rocks when it is wet.   Next we hiked to Arden Valley Road so we could go swimming. We kept stopping and eating blueberries on the way. So many blueberry bushes...wonderful. When we arrived at the lake, Sublime was walking toward us and told us that the beach was closing in 5 minutes. We decided to hike on to the next shelter as it was beginning to cloud over and we could hear rumbling of thunder in the distance. I was a bit disappointed. A swim would have been so refreshing.    As we hiked we also needed water (which we were going to get at the lake beach). The water sources were not good and actually they were orange. I didn't take any water as I had enough for today. There was no water source at the shelter either. Gandolph and BoCephus decided to get water from the "orange" stream. Yelch! They thought it may be sulphur or something. No thanks! I will wait until tomorrow morning when I hike by the visitors center and get it from a tap.   It began raining while they were getting water so we shlepped on our rain gear and kept hiking. It didn't last very long though. When we arrived there was a youth group there. Sublime said there wasn't any room in the shelter, but there was. He decided to sleep under the stars, so I grabbed his space in the shelter. Lots of people were tenting. Made it difficult to use the "privy" since there was no privy or no privacy for that matter. You really had to go far away from camp to get some privacy. It wasn't that bad. I made dinner and spoke with the kids. They were excited about hiking. I love encouraging other people to explore the outdoors.
Date: 2007-07-08
From: Graymor Spiritual Life Center

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: clear sky

Not a bad day today. I hiked out and made some good miles early on. I feel like I am not in the groove though. Lots of hikers are questioning why we are out here. The trail is getting harder. The weather is triple H and the bugs are nasty. Everything is damp all the time. Now I guess comes the mental part of the trip. The newness of the trail is gone. Most people have been tired from the rocks, and the crowd is thinning out. Less and less hikers are around. I too have been wondering what I am doing out here. It is difficult hiking in the heat when it is in the 90's. You get tired, hot and cranky at times. Then the terrain is starting to get worse. Many more hills to climb when you are already exhausted from the heat. I keep praying for a break in the weather. On the good side. I recieved an e-mail from my cousin Terri who lives in New Paltz, NY. She and Bob have invited me to stay with them for a few days. A welcome relief. I think it is just what I need. I will plan to take a couple of zero days there and get rested up. Terri has been inspirational to me, so I am really looking forward to seeing her and Bob. As I hiked I made it to a water source on Dennytown Road. I stoped and decide to cook lunch. Soon the others caught up to me. We decide to hike into the woods, find a good shady spot in the heat of the day and take a nap. It was quite refreshing. It felt great to be looking up at the trees. I was lying on my back, somewhere in the woods of New York, just relaxing.it was wonderful. We relaxed for about an hour and a half. When we decided to move on, we all had felt very refreshed. Along the way Gandolf and Sublime took a break, but the mosquitos were attacking my elbows, so I kept hiking. About a mile before the shelter, I took another spill. I bent back all the fingers on my left hand back to my wrist. OW! I can't believe I fell again! I am going to have to be more careful. It is ok though. I am going to see Terri tomorrow, so I can take a break and give my hand a chance to heal. I am looking forward to it.
Date: 2007-07-09
From: RPH Shelter

To: Stormville, NY
Miles today: 5.1

Headed out this morning and when I got to NY 52 where I will meet Terri, I see it is a 50 mph road with a curve and a hill. Not a good place for her to pick me up. So I walked west three tenths of a mile to a store with a pay phone. Blue Yonder and a couple of other hikers were there.   Blue Yonder lets me use her phone, so I call Terri and tell her where I am. I go in the store and when I come out with a muffin and milk, Terri is in the parking lot! Wow that was fast! We drive off and I have to admit, the air conditioning in the car felt great!   When I arrive, there is a tent set up in the living room, I couldn't resist asking if that is where I am sleeping. Ha Ha. No, Bob's daughter Amy and her family is staying here as well. The kids are playing in the tent. They were not here for the day, but will be back Tuesday. Terri gives me a towel and sets me up for a wonderful soak in her huge tub. I told her I washed part of the New York Park down the drain. Bob made a fabulous flank steak dinner with a fresh salad, and I did my laundry. I slept like a rock! I am so grateful for this short hiatus. It came at the perfect time. The weather today was 97 degrees. I am glad to not be hiking in that.    I am reading a book about positive thinking and attracting positive energy to you. Perfect, as I was getting a lot of negative thoughts. Perhaps that is why I was falling so much.
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Stormville, NY

To: New Paltz, NY
Miles today: 0.0

I am able to call my sister, Barb and talk with Mom and Rachel who are visiting her in Virginia Beach. It was great to be able to talk to all of them and hear their voices. I also called Bob and spoke with him as well. So nice. And then, I spoke with my Aunt and cousins Chris and Gerald as well as my brother Dave and sister-in law Kathy. I will try to give Brian a call again, and hopefully be able to talk with him and see how he is doing. Nice to connect with family while I am out here. My hand is swollen and bruised, so this break came at a perfect time. Terri is helping me load my photos on a disk so I will be mailing home a package to Bob. I am also able to update this journal. So this is really great. I was able to go to the store and resupply. I have aired out my sleeping bag and now I just want to track my trip a little. Amy and Dan have offered me a place to stay in New Hampshire when I get up there about a month from now. How cool is that? Dan did some work for Outward Bound, so it has been interesting talking with him about that. They have a couple of toddlers and it is fun to watch them running around with all the energy they have to burn. Wish I could tap into that! Bob has been cooking these wonderful gourmet meals. Boy am I getting spoiled. I love it and can't wait to tell the other hikers all the wonderful food I have been eating...hehehehe! Today Terri and Bob took me to the gym and I went swimming. It felt great to be using my upper body muscles and I was able to sit in the hot tub too, ahhh that felt great for my tired bod! I think they are calling for rain tomorrow, so I plan to take one more zero before heading out. I hope I can finish the book Terri gave me to read, it is really positive and it is helping me look forward to hiking the trail. Thanks Terri and Bob!
Date: 2007-07-11
From: New Paltz, NY

To: New Paltz, NY
Miles today: 0.0

So today I have finished entering and updating my journal. Last day to relax and take it easy before heading out. Terri and I are going shopping later, and I will be mailing some items home to Bob.   I love the energy here. Bob and Terri are both artistic type people, so I can really relate to them. It has been fun helping Terri with some of her work and I am so relaxed now. Bob showed me around his studio and it has inspired me to start creating artwork again...even if it is just for me.    My hand is in good shape,a little stiff, but usable, so I am not too concerned about it when I get back to hiking. I have been sleeping well at night so I feel I am getting a good nights sleep and will be well rested when I hit the trail tomorrow.   This trail or "vision quest" as Bob has put it has been so good to me. I am truly grateful for all of the lessons I am learning. I can see changes in me on so many levels already . My perspective has already shifted. And I know, even long after I finish the trail, I will still witness how this hike has changed my life. I am truly grateful for all things that have come into my life, all the people I encounter and mostly my family, who continues to support me in this endeavor. Thanks everyone!