morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-25
From: Rutherford Shelter

To: Pochuck Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.6

Good trail today. Stopped at Highpoint State Park HQ to use restroom and charge cellphone. I've been using Guthooks AT app on my phone and like it but it runs down the battery. I climbed the Highpoint lookout tower (highest point in NJ) and then went on to lunch in Unionville, NY. I had pizza for lunch and was looking for a place to buy alcohol when I met a trail angel on the street in front of the pizza shop. We talked and he gave me a bottle of alcohol for free. Great guy. The shelter is near the top of a ridge with no water available The AT Guide mentions a house at the foot of the climb where you can get water before climbing to the shelter. I looked around and went to the only likely looking house I saw. I asked if this was the place to get water but the lady didn't know what I was talking about. She was very nice and invited me into the kitchen to fill up my water bottles. I lugged 8 lbs. of water up the steep hill. I had a pleasant night in my tent except for the mosquitoes. The shelter area was full with both thru and section hikers. My feet hurt! My new boots are thoroughly trashed from the rough trail and so are my feet.
Date: 2014-05-26
From: Pochuck Mountain Shelter

To: NJ94
Miles today: 6.5

Sunny, Hot. Hiked boardwalk and came out on NJ94. Large parking lot full of cars at the highway. My feet hurt and I needed supplies. I saw a woman pulling out with an RV that had backpacks in the cargo area. I asked for a ride into Vernon, NJ and she took me to the hostel. Nice lady. The packs were her husbands and two kids. She was shuttling them to the trail. I was the only one at the hostel, it was Memorial Day. I showered and when I came out a woman was there from the church and asked if I'd like to come to her house for dinner with her, her mom and her brother. I said OK, we stopped at a store on the way and I got supplies. She bought a 6 pack of Yeungling beer for me and fixed all of us London broil steaks, barbecue ribs, corn on the cob and a nice salad for dinner. We ate on the back deck of her condo that faced a golf course. WOW! Her family was very nice and even gave me an old cellphone charger to replace mine that I'd broken that morning. They also insisted I soak my feet in Epson salts, very relaxing. She took me back to the hostel and I spent a quiet night since no other hikers came in.
Date: 2014-05-27
From: St. Thomas Church Hostel

To: Meadowlark Farm B&B
Miles today: 0.0

My feet were really beat-up and getting worse daily. My boots were trashed. I decided to take a couple of days off to rest my feet and then get shuttled to Fort Montgomery, NY to meet my hiking partner Next Year (John Hill). I called Dorothy at the B&B 9 miles away in Warwick, NY. She agreed to pick me up at the hostel. I stayed two nights at the B&B. Dorothy was great, she took me to get my dinner and to the outfitters to get new boots.I bought Merrell All Out Blaze Waterproof Mid. From the moment I put them on they were the most comfortable boot I've ever worn. In my old (10 days old since new)boots my feet were fresh and rested at the start of the hike and got worse every day until I could barely hike. I started out in the All Out Blaze with beat up feet and they got better everyday.
Date: 2014-05-29
From: Meadowlark Farm B&B

To: Holiday Inn Express
Miles today: 0.0

I skipped 46 miles of trail from NJ94 to Fort Montgomery, NY to meet up with my hiking partner. Dorothy shuttled me to the Holiday Inn Express in Fort Montgomery on 5-28-14 and I met John for dinner after his drive in from Ohio on 5-29-14.
Date: 2014-05-30
From: Holiday Inn Express

To: Dennytown Road
Miles today: 14.3

My feet were better today and I'm ready to hike with Next Year.We caught a ride to the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River. We headed up the steep trail on Anthony's Nose. We met a woman section hiker about halfway up, Sandy PA was her trail name. We passed her as she was resting and went on. After we reached the top and took a short break Sandy caught up with us. She said with a grin "you didn't know you'd have your own Mary Ellen, did you?". This in reference to a goofy female hiker in the book "Into The Woods". I thought, OH NO!. Turned out she was just kidding around and we hiked on and off with her the rest of the day. We stopped at a deli for lunch as we crossed a highway. Just before this Next Year got a sick look on his face and said, "I forgot my sleeping bag." At the deli he called a cab from Peekskill, NY and we went back to Fort Montgomery to get his car. We drove around until we found a Walmart and he bought a cheap lightweight sleeping bag. The bag was OK for summer use only. We went back to the deli and Next Year found a nearby business that would let him park his car for a week in their parking lot. We got back on the trail after losing about 3 hours. We ran into Sandy again and late in the day she left us so she could camp alone. We were originally headed for Fahenstock State Park but it started raining and Next Year said he didn't think he could make it to Fahenstock. We were only a mile from Dennytown road where water was available from a spigot. I suggested we go there, get water for camp and camp in the nearby woods. When we got there and got our water we met some hikers who told us about a nearby campsite with porta potties, trash cans and picnic tables scattered among the campsites. It was a great place. We set up our tents and had a nice evening after the rain moved out.
Date: 2014-05-31
From: Dennytown Road

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 10.7

Hiked to Fahenstock SP and had lunch at the snack bar. We took showers in the camp area. Good trail. Stopped at RPH shelter which was an old building with the back wall taken out and replaced with a covered deck. There were wooden double bunks inside and a picnic table on the covered deck. Windows had glass. Nice place!
Date: 2014-06-01
From: RPH Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 16.7

Stopped after 4 miles at Mountain Top Deli and grabbed a snack and cold drink. Took away a ham sandwich for dinner. We hiked with Sandy for much of the time. She's in her mid 50s I'd guess and as we got to know her I discovered she knew more about the trail side plants and backpacking gear than anyone I'd ever met. Very smart lady, good company. My new boots have been great. I love them! TPH shelter is on the side of a steep hill and we set up our tents in a small not quite level area behind the shelter. Shelter area is full.
Date: 2014-06-02
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Ten Mile River Shelter
Miles today: 12.9

Nice hike today. Sandy was with us most of the day.We passed the railroad station that is right on the AT. This is a nice shelter but we met a guy there carrying a Samurai sword for protection. We explained this wasn't needed on the trail but he said he was a transsexual and needed protection. He turned out to be pretty nice and was only hiking in the area. He left before dark. We 3 set up in the shelter and were the only ones there. Just after dark a noisy young man came in and set up in the shelter. Sandy gave him hell for being so noisy. I almost felt sorry for him but he was a dufus. He was contrite and quieted down. An hour or so later he started snoring and Sandy got up in disgust and went out in the dark to find a place to pitch her tent. She came back and got her gear and set up camp in the nearby woods. In the morning the guy was up early and out but still noisy. Good Riddance!
Date: 2014-06-03
From: Ten Mile River Shelter

To: CT 341, Kent, CT
Miles today: 9.0

Good hike. Needed supplies so decided to go into Kent, CT. We needed a shower so we looked for a hostel or B&B. Found a listing in the trail guide for Bearded Woods that said they also did slackpacking. Sandy hadn't slackpacked before so we talked her into it. Hudson from Bearded Woods picked us up at CT341. Bearded Woods is Outstanding! We all loved it. Big Lu is Hudson's wife and what a great lady. Also great cook!
Date: 2014-06-04
From: CT341, Kent, CT

To: West Cornwall Road
Miles today: 16.6

Good day of hiking. Hudson slacked us from CT341 to West Cornwall road. Enjoyed 5 easy trail miles along the Housatonic River. Guinea Brook was in flood so we had a mile detour on CT4 and a gravel road to go around. Another great meal and night at Bearded Woods.
Date: 2014-06-07
From: Under Mountain Road

To: Guilder Pond Picnic Area, MA
Miles today: 13.0

Decided to slack south from Guilder Pond to Under Mountain Road. Started about 7 miles north of CT/MA state line. Steep climb up Bear mountain. We were worn out at the summit. Saw Sandy northbound for the last time at midday. She had decided to go on her own since we were leaving the trail tomorrow. Chris picked us up on 6-08-14.
Date: 2015-10-20
From: NJ94

To: NY17A
Miles today: 15.0

Stayed the night at Meadowlark Farm B&B. Very nice place, Dorothy is a great host, very helpful.Got on the trail at 8AM with my wife Chris slackpacking me today. Stiff hike up the Stairway to Heaven of about 900 ft. but not bad overall. Hoping to be done by 3PM or 4PM at latest. It¢s a beautiful day in Autumn with temperature in the low 60s and lots of sunshine. Autumn leaves are beautiful. I had a nice hike over a series of N-S ridges that weren¢t too high but there were quite a few of them. Stopped to have lunch atop a ridge about noon. Filtered water from Parker lake outlet at mile 1359. With all the sunshine I was drinking more water than I thought I would. I drank a liter and put a liter in my water bag and made it the rest of the way without having to stop for water again. I¢m using my new SPOT GPS tracker. It sends my location every 10 minutes and I¢ll send an OK message at lunch and when I¢m at the road for pickup. Chris is tracking me on an app on her cellphone and will come to pick me up when she sees I¢m nearing NY17A. I didn¢t see any other hikers until the last 4 miles today. The first one was a nice guy section hiking southbound. We met at the ladder (now iron rungs) and talked for about 15 minutes. I told him I planned to do 16miles tomorrow from NY17A to Tiorati Lake and then the following day from there to Fort Montgomery. He lived locally and said those were challenging hikes that were much harder than the one we were doing today. After I left him I thought a lot about what he¢d said and decided to make this my last hike on the AT. I haven¢t enjoyed myself for a long time hiking the AT but continued out of a desire to finish what I¢d started. The over 700 miles remaining is really too much to do if your heart¢s not in it and mine isn¢t. I enjoyed hitting the NJ/NY border and viewing the NY City skyline from the heights. I got to NY17A about 3 minutes before Chris showed up. The SPOT worked perfectly. We spent the 2 cancelled hiking days sightseeing in the Hudson River valley and had a great time while staying at the Bear Mountain Inn.My AT hike ends at Guilder Pond, MA with a 31 mile gap south of Fort Montgomery and a total trail mileage of 1475 miles. That¢s 67% of the trail. I¢ll settle for 2/3 of the AT and call it a day.
Date: 2016-08-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I've lost track of the number of times I've said I'm done with the AT. I should really just give up once and for all on quitting! I keep coming back because really down deep I like it and enjoy it but sometimes it can be sooo irritating.I guess that's just the nature of my love/hate relationship with the AT.Well I'm feeling the love now so to show that I'm really back I've accepted my son's request to accompany him on his 2017 NoBo thru hike. I'm excited about joining him and I'm totally committed. This is my 2017 thru hike as well as his and I'm going all the way. There's a link on the sidebar to 2017. New motto: SHUT UP AND HIKE!!!
Date: 2009-07-21
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, Nh
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: few clouds

Got out to an early start after reaching this shelter rather late. The trail pages and topo were not exactly correct when giving out information for road crossings and indications. The trip from the shelter into Hanover was rather easy with it mostly being down hill. At the end there was a little road walking before reaching main street. I took a zero day in Hanover at the Marriott which catered to my every need as this would be my re-supply point prior to the white mountains. I changed out a few pieces of gear and and picked up a couple food items. The remainder of the trip should be smooth with the "white's" and then the roller coaster through Maine. I have scheduled a couple stops in between Katahdin and here. So far the trip has been one hell of a ride but is coming to a close very soon.
Date: 2009-07-24
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: light rain

After packing in the rain I decended and prepared for my first 3,000 footer in N.H. Atop the mountain was a shelter I could have breakfast in. After breakfast it had stopped raining but the trail conditions were not good. Continued on for the rest of the day and stopped at a hostel .4 from the trail for dinner. Forded my first high river and headed to the shelter. After reaching the shelter I noticed a sign explaining if the river was to high to ford you could move a little to the west and cross a bridge. Too bad that wasnt at the trail head where I crossed it to come up LOL.
Date: 2009-07-25
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter

To: Kinsman Pond Campsite and Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: light rain

Rainy and foggy during the morning. Mt. Moosilauke was covered in clouds and a little chilly during the crossing. Passed a couple groups of hikers coming from the north side. The decent was slow due to the ladders and the rocks being so slick. The weather had cleared a little and the sun was actually showing. South Kinsman was a kick in the butt!!!! The climb was probably the toughest since entering NH. After that the rest was fairly easy and down hill. Made it to Kinsman Pond C/S and enjoyed the lavish shelter that had been constructed there. Thought I was going to be the only one there but eventually 6 more weekend hikers arrived.
Date: 2009-07-26
From: Kinsman Pond Campsite and Shelter

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

Cloudy and Foggy again as I decended towards Lonesome Lake Hut and stopped in for brownies and coffee. A beautiful place and extremely accessible from the highway. After crossing the road the rain started again, slow but persistent. The climb was not bad just long. After reaching Liberty Springs Tentsite I received a weather report for the next three days from the caretaker. Sunny skies where in the forecast two days from then. I decided to eat breakfast before crossing Franconia Ridge. Filled up on the water and set off for the crossing I had heard so much about. I didnt expect to see many people as I crossed due to the weather and temperature but there were probably a dozen people I passed. The temp with wind chill had to be around 30. Totally covered in clouds with no views I decided to up the pace and move as quick as I could across and get back below tree line. Once I began my decent of course the sun begins to come out LOL. I passed two woman that were a little confused where they were even though they had just passed a sign giving them directions. I assisted them as best I could and continued. After coming to the sign for Galehead I decided to go in just to have a snack and coffee. Much to my surprise after getting comfortable I called it a day. One of the main reasons though was the weather report I had recieved indicating the good weather that was approaching. I wanted to set myself up for the best view I could during my presidential transit.
Date: 2009-07-27
From: Galehead Hut

To: Mizpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 21.1

After a wonderful dinner and a terrific breakfast I was off to enter the Presidential Range. Before that I did my first climb of the morning which was only .08 and took me to 4,902. Of course the clouds were low and no views were available. As I proceeded the weather did begin clearing up and before I started dropping towards Zealand Falls Hut I did get a couple views of the prezzy's which were coming up soon. I couldnt avoid stopping at the hut and taking advantage of the wonderful food they had to offer. Two bowels of soup followed by a large piece of bread and a couple brownies were what filled my belly. The trail from Zealand over to Crawford Notch couldnt have been easier and my milage was averaging upwards of 3mph. After crossing the road and preparing for the climb the weather had shifted again and an afternoon shower started. The rain stayed around for only a couple minutes and the sun came back out. My clothes however were soaked from the sweat instead of the water as I reached the top of the ridge for the walk. I had underestimated the amount of water I had started with and was nearing the last of what I had. Once on top the walk over was easy with it being a roller for the rest of the day. After passing a couple areas where water was coming out onto the trail I came upon a deep puddle that was being fed from water off the side of the trail and was able to fill both of my bottles and be on my way. The views were good to the south and I took a couple photos. I reached Mizpah about 4:30. After checking in and laying out my gear I took the time to dry out my clothes and socialize with the day hikers.
Date: 2009-07-28
From: Mizpah Spring Hut

To: Osgood Tentsite
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: scattered clouds

The hut had once again provided me with the food and shelter that the body had been craving. After leaving I could tell the trip over to Washington was going to be easy. Once at the base the clouds were covering most of the summit but I had confidence they would pass and I would have wonderful views once on top. I couldn¢t proceed far though before being stopped by the "Naturalist" and listening to a 5 minute lecture about the vegetation in the area and how it is so unique only to this area. I thought I was back in town after reaching the summit and seeing the enormous amount of people that were atop this 6,000 footer. Oh I forgot a road goes to the top along with a railroad in case the walking part is not part of your forte. It was almost like magic as soon as I positioned myself in front of the sign the clouds cleared and I had 360 degree views. I spent about an hour and a half inside the visitor center eating mostly. Pizza, hot dogs, and chili. After that wonderful lunch I set off towards Osgood with some of the best weather the entire trip. Due to being above tree line the entire time and not having anything over my neck the sun caused it to burn a little. I would take the sunburn any day over having the rain soak my clothes and pack. I was very tempted to stay at the Madison Hut but mustered up the energy to continue. The climb up to Mt. Madison was a breeze but that decent down was horrible. My feet took a beating and reminded me a little of certain PA sections. The C/S was upon me before long and I had the tent out preparing dinner and reminiscing of the wonderful trek I had through the prezzy's.
Date: 2009-07-29
From: Osgood Tentsite

To: Rattler River Shelter
Miles today: 24.0

First thing this morning the plan called for a stop at the Joe Dodge Lodge Cafeteria for breakfast. Not bad, Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon, and coffee were what the belly received. However, after leaving and beginning my first climb I realized my food didn¢t have time to digest and I was feeling it while climbing Wildcat Mt. I eventually made it to the top of Wildcat A, B, C, and D. and dropped down to Carter Notch Hut. Talked with one of the workers there and then proceeded up to Carter Dome. I had lunch on top a lunch I had prepared back at Joe Dodge Lodge which consisted of a delicious turkey sandwich, cheese, and a cliff bar. After lunch the headed towards IMP C/S only to watch the sky grow dark and cloudy. I had originally planned to pass IMP and continue on but the weather was playing havoc on what I should do. After arriving I decided I would continue and head to Rattler regardless of what the weather was doing. Once I began the decent the rain had already started and I had slowed due to some of the rocks and steps I had to make. I did make good time into the shelter and prepared dinner while talking with a couple others.
Date: 2008-10-29
To: Prep
Miles today: 0.0

Garage Man and I have been reading and enjoying Trail Journals for some time now. We didn't want to start our own journal until our date got close, but we are most interested in people who are starting at the same time as we are and thought others might be looking for the same. We've had some fun picking out gear and planning for our trip and we're the envy of many of our friends, family and acquaintances. We're hoping some of them will join us for parts of our thru-hike. Right now, a hammock is hanging in the garage for us to design a lightweight and inexpensive insulation for the bottom of it. Our gear is spread out on towels in the basement next to the scale and Trail Journals and gear links are bookmarked. We've been doing lots of walking in our Fairbanks, Alaska subzero temperatures to test our gear and our resolve.Our prep journals will probably be sporatic, but watch for regular postings once we start our hike in mid-February.To those who came before, thanks for suggestions on gear, planning and attitude. We have followed many of our "favorites" anonymously, rooting for those who complete the journey and sympathizing with those who can't.
Date: 2008-11-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Garage Man here. This might be my first and last entry as my wife Pound Hound is a much better writer than I. I turn 60 in Dec. retire in Jan and we start hiking in mid Feb. My longest hike to date was in 1977 when a friend, Wayne (before trail names), and I hiked the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail. Pound Hound and I spent our honeymoon, in 1982, hiking the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska. We repeated the hike last year on our 25th anniversary. Our AT dreams began in early June 2006, when we traveled to our son's college graduation at Cornell. We drove over to Bennington Vt. and did a couple of short overnight hikes on the Long Trail. We discovered that the AT and LT overlapped there and we met several AT thru-hikers and while listening to their stories decided that we, sometime in the future, would hike the AT. We also learned about light-weight equipment. So we dumped our old heavy weight equipment and began buying and making lighter   stuff. Just to give you an idea of our weight savings, when Pound Hound and I hiked the Chilkoot Pass on our honeymoon (1982) our packs weighed about 45 lbs. each. Last year they weighed 22/25 lbs respectively. That was for a 4 1/2 day hike including food and water.   We could not believe how much easier and enjoyable hiking was. So that's it from me. You'll be hearing from Pound Hound soon.Greetings from Fairbanks, AlaskaGarage Man