morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-23
From: Port Clinton

To: Reservoir Road
Miles today: 5.8

Bob and Amy made sure we had a great breakfast and packed us a lunch, then Bob gave us a tour of PA, including the Yuengling brewery and Centralia. Yuengling has the oldest brewery in America (Pottsville, PA) and offers a reasonably good tour through its innerworkings, including the storage tanks, canning/bottling operations (they were doing cans that day), and its underground caves. It was a lot of fun to see how it comes together. Their brewing process contains many similarities to the pharmaceutical manufacturing processes with which I'm familiar, so it was of particular interest to me. Centralia is the burned-out ghost town made famous in Bill Bryson's book. Its underground anthracite fire has been burning since the 60s, but we couldn't find any active hotspots. It didn't help that it was about 95 degrees out. Bob took us out to the old section of highway that was rerouted due to giant fissures which had opened up. We were able to see the residential area with curbs, stop signs, and streets laid out without any houses. A very small number of residents are still holding out; we saw a couple houses all alone in their neighborhoods. Lately the fire has been encroaching on the cemetery. Fortunately there were no flaming zombies roaming the countryside, thirsting for human flesh. People should go see Centralia while they can; pretty soon it'll look like nothing at all. Bob shared the tip that day lillies are edible (the flower part)Starting up the trail I found a bunch. They taste like lettuce except for the bottom, which has a slightly sweet spot (nectar). Just watch out for ants which hang out in there. After about 6 (some steep uphill) miles we camped out on a grassy hill swarming with fireflies (The original site of Windsor Furnace). The shelter was only 0.3 miles further but I was pretty sure that lots of people were there.
Date: 2010-06-24
From: Reservoir Road

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was a good call. Millions of Boy Scouts were at that shelter, along with some of our friends. Fig is gone; he went ahead to Allentown to take a couple days off. Backwards had a gigantic spider on her pack. Either a spider or a land-octopus. It was running around camp after we got it off. Today we made it to "The Pinnacle", which is said to be the best view on the A.T. in PA. I'd believe it. It's a mini McAfee Knob with a panoramic view from 1635' up. There is also a nice cave with 3 different openings, so I got to do a little spelunking. Actually we all did except for Backwards, which was funny because the cave wasn't easy to navigate with 4 people inside. Eventually the fastest of the Scouts arrived and so we departed. A thunderstorm passed as we were all in the Eckville shelter learning to play Yahtzee. The Boy Scouts showed up there, so we moved on past Bake Oven Knob (exactly as hot as it sounds) to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. A hotspot for birds of prey during the migratory seasons, prior to the founding of the sanctuary in 1934, hunters flocked to the mountain each fall to shoot the raptors. Now the 16 species of hawk, falcon, and eagles which can be spotted are protected here. Before reaching the final shelter, I saw a sign: "Welcome to Rocksylvania!" The rocks were worse 2 days ago, but it's still fairly true.
Date: 2010-06-25
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 

To: Little Gap
Miles today: 15.4

I was back in the Krug household again! Bed, shower, food, laundry! Great stuff. Amy redid my laundry, even my backpack because they all said it smelled bad (for some reason). Debbie wanted to hike with me today, so we set up 2 cars and slackpacked from Little Gap to Wind Gap. After 10.8 miles we hit a shelter and visited all of my friends who were staying there. At that point Debbie hiked down to the road, and I continued the next 5 miles. It was getting late, so I had to use my cell phone to see for the last mile or 2. At dusk a porcupine walked across the trail in front of me. I followed it and made a video. It went up a tree and looked down at me. I shook the tree to see what it would do (not too hard, I didn't want it falling onto me). It climbed higher. After returning to the Krug Household, Amy made us taco salad and ice cream for dessert. It was a great day of hiking!
Date: 2010-06-26
From: Little Gap

To: Wind Gap
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning we all went to Blue Mountain B&B for breakfast. Contrary to our information, it's not breakfast food and not very cheap either. I don't recommend it for a hiker's budget or hunger. Also it doesn't open until 11 AM (and we were only 4.1 miles away) so we were forced to play football in the parking lot until they were ready. After that start came 19 more miles of rocks. This part of PA is low on reasonable sources of water. Usually if a spring is listed in the book, it will be at least a quarter mile steeply downhill from the trail. As if that weren't bad enough, many of these are currently dry. So conservation is key. Approaching the George W. Outerbridge Shelter, I started seeing blueberry bushes along the trail. They were great and abundant. I must've had 1/2lb of them, considering I spent a solid half hour eating them. The highlight of my day was after everyone else went into Palmerton to stay at a hostel. I continued on to the road crossing at Little Gap. It was an extra 5 miles, but I was getting picked up and hosted for the night by Debbie Krug. So at 7:30 PM I started up the steep rocky climb from Lehigh Gap to reach the Palmerton Superfund site at sunset. It was 1200 feet up from the road, yieldIng beautiful views of the surrounding river and countryside. There was also a hot air balloon floating around. Blue Mounain ridge however was pretty disturbing. The site is on the Superfund list as a result of nearly a century of zinc smelting in Palmerton. In 1980 the EPA shut down the furnaces and in 1982, put the affected area on the Superfund clean-up list. Currently, the ridge is still bare, rocks everywhere, a dead trees, but mostly just open space devoid of vegetation. The trail made a temporary detour down a long grassy road just below the ridge. This area is pretty messed up too, mainly because I picked up 8 ticks while walking through. That's more than I've had all this hike! I was able to see the sunset from up on top and it was great. I also rediscovered my love for hiking alone and during low traffic times, like dusk and night. As I waited for Debbie to pick me up, a couple came by in their pickup truck and offered me a place to stay for the night. I declined but did accept the rest of their rotisserie chicken and chai tea. Yum.
Date: 2010-06-27
From: Wind Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: broken clouds

Breakfast with Amy's church. Departure from Wind Gap (12:15 PM) after some old enthusiastic guy kept talking about hiking for at least 30 minutes. I met a ridge runner today, he said that they usually have a few job openings every season, hmmm interesting. Today is the last real hiking day of Pennsylvania. As has become typical, the trail entirely consisted of stepping/jumping from rock to pointy rock, some of which shift under your weight. This routine has grown quite tedious, especially when you do it at 90+ degrees and humidity. To sum up hiking in this state, picture a rattlesnake eating a chipmunk on a rock. Above the snake's right "shoulder" is a bunch of poison ivy, to its left is a thorny bush.The snake looks thirsty because it is 90 degrees out and the only water source is far downhill. Also the chipmunk has a few ticks. Today I found a box turtle, 3 baby raccoons, several deer, a mole, and a salamander. I also crossed over a hang glider launch-point. It was an interesting day.   In town everyone stays at the church hostel (Presbyterian Church of the Mountain Hostel). They have campsites, a bunkhouse, showers, and a lounge (with games). I caught up with a lot of friends, including: Green Dog, Cricket, Brooklyn, Ray, Thin Mint, Pacer, Kentucky, Hiker Bill, and Stambler. After a shower, 3 of us went out to the bar and watched the game. Still no rain. Very few thru hikers are on the trail now, at least in my immediate vicinity. 0.2 miles until I'm out of PA forever!!
Date: 2010-06-28
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Random NJ Stealth campsite
Miles today: 7.2

After receiving a package this morning (sent by my mother), my pack weighs 39 lbs when fully loaded with 3L and 10 lbs food. I sent back the last remnants of cold weather gear (down vest + pant legs). I've got 2 hiking shirts, 2 shorts (hiking + town), 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of sock liners, rain jacket, and sleeping bag. We'll see when I need them again. It's been hot forever. I'm way under 170 lbs now, so my total weight is still pretty low. This morning I got the HeMan breakfast at the diner (French toast, 2 eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, extra toast). Good stuff. Cheese stayed to get her package tomorrow, so Brooklyn, Ray, and I said goodbye and set off across the mighty Delaware River. There were a few dead fish floating down. Lots of trail magic on the way: Boy scouts made us some burgers, we found sodas, and someone left Capri Suns for us at the trailhead. It was great! Crossing into New Jersey, we entered Worthington State Park. It has annoying camping restrictions and limitations. You can't stay anywhere which isn't designated a campsite. But its boundaries are vague so that helps. I stopped for a swim in Sunfish Pond, the southernmost glacial lake on the AT. It was warm and full of watersnakes, plus an otter. We stealth camped on a great vista to see the sunset. Also the wind kept the bugs away.
Date: 2010-06-29
From: Random NJ Stealth campsite

To: Sunrise Mountain Pavilion 
Miles today: 26.0

Caught great sunrise this morning! Ray and I saw a gigantic bear eating blueberries on the side of the trail. Lots of berries all over the place today. This morning was chilly, windy, and way less humid than usual. A cold front is approaching. I hiked very fast, probably because of the colder, drier air. I went over Rattlesnake Mountain, past Crater Lake, and climbed into both "Catfish" and "Culvers" Fire Tower for great views. The terrain is already noticably less rocky than PA. Rocks here are bigger and smoother, not so small and pointy. Lots of mosquitos however.
Date: 2010-06-30
From: Sunrise Mountain Pavilion

To: Unionville, NY 
Miles today: 17.7

Last night we camped at the Sunrise Mountain Pavilion, which is prohbited. However, our uppance came when 3 sets of loud drunk people showed up between midnight and 1:30 AM. Apparently there is a bar right at the bottom of the mountain. One of them was a girl "Jackie" who was especially loud and obnoxious in between bouts of throwing up. She ruined our high opinions of Jersey girls. The others were sympathetic and left shortly after discovering us. We talked to some of them for a little bit: "We're not supposed to be camping up here." "Well we're not supposed to be drinking up here, so shhh." The logic was flawless! Lots of ups and downs today, plus about 10 road crossings. The best part was a half-mile stretch of boardwalk over a swamp. It was pretty cold today too, but in a comfortable way. I also passed over the highest part of NJ, in High Point State Park. Stayed at "The Mayor's House", AKA "The Outhouse" in Unionville, NY. I met "Creepy", "Nobody", "Tequila John", "Kutza", "Teen Wolf", and "Gravy Crockett" (Hahaha). The hostel is run by Dick (Former mayor of the town for 12 years), Butch (retired military), and Bill (Crotchety and older than dirt). Bill charges you 25 cents if you use a word with over 3 syllables. There were about 12 of us there for dinner (sloppy joes), a great deal for $10: 2 meals, bunk/tentsite, 3 sodas/beers. Butch said that if any of us young guys used the phrase "Back in the day", he'd wring our necks.
Date: 2010-07-01
From: Unionville, NY 

To: Mt. Wawayanda Stealth Campsite 
Miles today: 14.3

Lots of miles hiked considering we didn't leave until noon. This morning I had breakfast at the Outhouse (The hostel, not the depository), resupplied: bought 1 lb of chocolate frosting, 1 lb of peanut butter, and divided s'more stuff amongst Brooklyn, Ray, and I. Then we lingered and played basketball and ate a pizza with everything (even anchovies). The trail today included a beautiful 0.8 mile boardwalk over a swamp, along with a walk past a very nice sanctuary for birds and aquatic creatures. I saw blue heron, swans, turtles, and wet deer. I also climbed Mt Wawayanda, the second highest point in NJ, after High Point. ¢Wawayanda¢ is Lenape for ¢winding waters. Met some ridiculous people who turned back from their hike because they heard there was a bear at the peak. As if the bear would even still be there in the hour it'd take them to summit. And further, if they ran into it, I'm sure the bear wouldn't immediately run away as every single one I've seen has done. You'd think people who lived in bear-adjacent communuties (these people were) would do some research about their neighbors. We all stealth camped with Teen Wolf and had s'mores.
Date: 2010-07-02
From: Mt. Wawayanda Stealth Campsite 

To: Random Stealth Site 
Miles today: 13.0

It's getting hot again! No more chilly wind. Back to July weather. I've just realized that we have camped illegally 4 out of the last 5 nights. NJ/NY, and CT won't let you camp just anywhere. After 3 miles of hiking, while filling up water at Wawayanda State Park, some guy offered us a ride to the lake beach area (2.5 miles away).   And thus I was able to spend a few hours swimming and mingling with "normals". In the afternoon a lifeguard shuttled us back to the trail. Soon the terrain switched to rocky ups and downs right until it crossed into New York. Immediately (0.4 miles) into NY, we hit the highest AT point in the state: Prospect Rock. At 1,433 feet, this is the highest point on the A.T. in New York (Bear Mountain is 1,305 feet). This and other rock faces along this ridge provide views of Greenwood Lake to the east. I saw a couple deer fawns, met hikers "Hither" and "Yon", and had trail magic ice cream.
Date: 2010-07-03
From: Random stealth site 

To: Random Lake Stealth Site
Miles today: 13.5

I had a ridiculously late start this morning. I left over 3 hours after everyone else. It was OK though, because I was the only one who happened across two women with a small billygoat up on the Eastern Pinnacles. They said that they often bring their goat up so it can run around. It apparently has a counterpart that didn't want to join them that day. I glanced over while talking to them and saw it munching on some grass.Today I passed through a beautiful tract of land: Between Greenwood Lake and Arden, 6 miles of the A.T. pass through the northern portion of a 20,000-acre tract called Sterling Forest. It was the center of a decade-long struggle between a corporate private landowner and a coalition of conservation groups, state agencies in New York and New Jersey, and such organizations as the NY¢NJ TC and ATC. All told, more than 30 environmental groups, along with foundations, individuals, states, and Congress, combined to contribute $55 million toward the 1998 purchase and protection of 14,500 acres. Thelast unprotected parcel was acquired in late 2006.My late start also let my friend Jibitz catch up to me after many hundreds of miles of being a day or so behind. It was really nice to see her after so long. Together we went over Mombasha High Point, where the NYC skyline is sometimes visible to the Southeast (today it was not). Then we crossed over Buchanan Mountain, which was very steep. I discovered an Eastern Hognose snake which flattened its neck out and hissed at me, much like a cobra. Today was hot too, so these little steep mountains were hard work. There was actually some bouldering involved (pulling yourself up/hanging directly from rock). Luckily, trail magic struck in the form of a former hiker "Featherfoot" who showed up and offered to slackpack Jibitz and I over Arden Mountain. He gave us sodas and then took our packs, meeting us on the other side of the mountain (1.8 miles). We were able to summit the peak in no time without our heavy packs! I just brought my camera. It was the perfect place for this to happen, considering that this stretch of the hike is called "Agony Grind". Featherfoot met us at the next road crossing and gave us more cold drinks. Unfortunately we couldn't accept his offer of a place to sleep for the night (we both had July 4th plans), but it was a gracious offer. We then crossed the NY Thruway and entered Harriman State Park. Eventually we both camped out with Ray and Brooklyn along some lake (good swimming hole!). It ended up being a great day after such a late hot start.
Date: 2010-07-04
From: Random Lake Stealth Site

To: Highland Falls, NY
Miles today: 9.8

3 snakes today! 2 garter, 1 rattlesnake. The rattlesnake was a surprise because it was black. I'd forgotten that they have a color morph where sometimes they are black. It rattled until I remembered that fact. I met a bunch of hikers, some of which I already knew, including "Marty McFly" and "Phyneas". I hiked with Marty back in the Smokies, so it's been a long time. It was good to be caught up in a big group again (7 people). That hasn't happened for a while. We also got booze trail magic in the form of a bottle of Jack Daniels that someone had left for us in William Brien Memorial Shelter. Fish and Uncle J-bird showed up as well. Brooklyn and I had been writing funny register entries and forging their logos/signatures. They started reciprocating and it was funny. The key is getting there first. The day was very hot and rocky. It also included The Lemon Squeezer (very narrow crack through boulders that is difficult to traverse, no matter how skinny you are because your pack is the problem). Eventually Brooklyn, Ray, and I made it to the Palisades Interstate Highway, where we waited at the visitor center (scene of some horribly bad driving) for Brooklyn's aunt to pick us up. She came and brought us to Highland Falls, NY, which is right next to West Point. Their family fed and put us up for the night, even sending us out to see the town fireworks with their 4 kids. It was a great reprieve from the sun. I had almost passed out right after getting to the visitor center.
Date: 2010-07-05
From: Highland Falls, NY

To: Hemlock Springs Campsite
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today I resupplied at WalMart and was given a great driving tour of West Point by Brooklyn's uncle, Joe. Ray stayed to meet a friend in town. The other two of us then started up on the AT where we left off: The Palisades Interstate Parkway. At 2 PM when we began the climb out of the valley, it was very hot and dry out. High 90s and heavy sunlight plagued the hiking that day. Then up and over Bear Mountain, 1,305' and one of the highest points on the trail in New York, it offers views of the Hudson River Valley and the New York City skyline. In the early 1900s, the state was considering a site near the base of Bear Mountain for a prison, but Mary Averell Harriman, widow of railroad magnate Edward Harriman and primary landholder in the area, had other plans. In 1910, Mrs. Harriman agreed to donate 10,000 acres for the development of a park with the condition that the state discontinue its plans for a prison. What was then known as Sing Sing Prison was eventually built on the Hudson River 20 miles south of the A.T., its location giving birth to the phrase, ¢sent up the river.¢ I wish I'd been sent up the river that day. When I reached the summit (the waterless summit), lots of tourists were milling about in sunbathing attire. It was near 100 degrees at that peak but alas there was no water or trail magic of any kind. Then it was down to the lowest elevation on the AT, 124' near the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River. One final climb up and into the campsite for the night. Skip, Rocket, Pacer, Kentucky, and Stambler were all there. It was fun to see everyone but I was about to die of heat exhaustion so it was a quick goodnight.
Date: 2010-07-06
From: Hemlock Springs Campsite

To: Shenandoah Tenting Area
Miles today: 21.7

Ughhhh it was 101 degrees out today. The hottest day in anyone's lifetime, ever. And what better way to use it than hiking 21.7 miles today. Everyone was up and gone by 6 AM. There was barely any natural water (streams etc) where it was listed in the book. The solution was using spigots and hoses from people's houses. Luckily the trail consisted of pretty big ups and downs to make it easier. After 12 miles (by noon), I laid down in a field to die in a pool of sweat. Some other thru hikers showed up and ordered pizza. Soon there were about 10 of us eating pizza and drinking big bottles of soda. The soda was the least stupid part of the idea. Under no circumstance should anyone ever eat hot pizza when it is over 100 degrees out and you plan on doing intense physical labor afterwards. Everyone was laying around moaning and trying not to throw up. After 4-5 hours we'd all gotten up and limped the rest of the way over Shenandoah Mountain and to the campsite, arriving after dark. I used my tent for the first time in over a month due to the mosquitos.
Date: 2010-07-07
From: Shenandoah Tenting Area

To: Nuclear Lake
Miles today: 15.6

Trail Magic (Apples and cherries) at the first shelter today! Still ungodly hot, but heat is slightly less and humidity is slightly more than yesterday. This morning I had a few 500' climbs and was moving slowly. Everyone was so tired from their early starts that they slept in and didn't get going until around 9. In the afternoon I caught up with this ridiculous old guy "Lab Rat" (he is on trailjournals.com). He talks a mile a minute. When I ran up behind him and gasped a "hello", he turned and said "You must be from the North! I'm from Georgia and we're used to this heat. These skeeters aren't so bad either, they can only see you when it's light out or if you have a light on, so the trick is to wait until it's dark and just hide out from them". He was wearing long pants and shirt sleeves! The final destination for today, Nuclear Lake, was the site of a nuclear fuels-processing research facility until 1972. After the Park Service acquired the lands for the A.T., the buildings were razed, and the area was tested extensively and given a clean bill of health, dispelling fears that the lake was contaminated and allowing the Trail to be rerouted along the shore. We all went swimming and it was quite warm. Brooklyn and I swam out to the island. When everyone was done a big snapping turtle surfaced and swam around, then descended and began chasing minnows around. Camping is prohibited at Nuclear Lake, but we heard from some guys fishing that the caretaker usually comes around dusk to check the area. So after dusk came and went, all 7 of us set up our tents/hammocks and went to sleep. After everyone had been asleep for at least an hour, an SUV showed up honking its horn and getting us all up to move. It was the caretaker! So we all quietly picked up our stuff as she sat there, probably burning about $20 of gas as she waited to make sure we weren't just pretending to vacate. Then we set back up in the woods. Except for Brooklyn, who was sick. He just rolled into the bushes and hid when she came back to check on us later, as if we'd all just pretended to pick our stuff up and hike out of there only to sneak back an hour later.