morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-06-24
From: 501 Shelter

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Had a nice relaxed hike today. The rocks continue to be a nuisance. The terrain is flat but the rocks make your feet ache. Rolled into camp around 7pm and cooked Ramen Pad Thai for dinner. Had a nice dinner with Rocksteady, Sampson and Bondi. I spoke with Mom, who let me know that my dad has a mass on his bladder. Not sure what it is at this point. More tests to follow. Bummer! I made sure to say my prayers last night.
Date: 2008-06-25
From: Eagle's Nest Shelter

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

Walked into Port Clinton today. Not much happening in town. The outfitter was nice and offered a shuttle into Hamburg where there were multiple fast food joints and a Cabelas that we visited. Seven of us were able to hitch back to Port Clinton. I ate a pint of Strawberry Ice Cream, then packed up my resupply and headed six miles North out of town to the next shelter. I got to the shelter around 10:30 and slept there. I shared the shelter with Sandman from Manhattan.
Date: 2008-06-26
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Was out on the trail at 8am. We made it to the Eckville Shelter shortly after 12 noon. The Eckville Shelter offered several amenities, such as a solar shower, flush toilet, clothes lines, spigot with water and padded bunks. We were all defeated by Lady Cluck at a game of sorry. She never did apologize. We encountered a little magic in the form of a large pizza and sodas courtesy of a hiker named Beat who's friend was in town. Be weary of Mic? the caretaker, he's a little on the grumpy side. He lives in front of the shelter.
Date: 2008-06-27
From: Eckville Shelter

To: George W. Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: broken clouds

Had a long day today to make up for the 9.1 mile day yesterday. Hiked mostly with Rocksteady today. Had some nice vistas from Hawk Mountain and Dan's Pulpit. Later in the day we had to do some rockscrabling at the cliffs. I kept an eye out for Mr. Rattlesnake, but I never saw him. The rocks continue to take a toll on my feet. Every morning I wake to a pain of swollen lumps of meat which are my feet. Crocs are a must in my opinion. We camped this evening just above the shelter. The crew this evening was Shutterbug, Corley, Rocksteady, Lady Cluck and Sampson. Bondi went home to Philly for the day. Hopes he catches back up.
Date: 2008-06-28
From: George W. Outerbridge Shelter

To: Leroy A. Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is the day we crossed the Lehigh River and climbed up out of the Lehigh Gap. A 1000 foot climb up a loose rock face. A cool breeze made the experience somewhat enjoyable. There were a few sections of the climb that made me nervous due to having a full pack and having to pull myself up from rocks above my head. The next 5 miles of hiking consisted of walking on barren ridge line due to and old zinc superfund site. Little to nothing grows in this place. The rest of the day was PA rocks. About 3.5 miles from camp I ran into some of Sampson's friends from NC. They had come up to visit and brought a well stocked cooler with them. I spent a couple hours hanging with Flash and Susan. Sampson had already passed through we found out later, so Flash and Susan hiked into the shelter with his brother Hal with pizza and beverages. I got into camp right at dark. It was a nice long day.
Date: 2008-06-29
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: moderate rain

Rocks, rocks, rocks! The PA rocks got to me a little on this day. They seem so senseless. Jagged little rocks littering every inch of the trail. Long day into DWG. Focus, a thru-hiker from last year and his wife were providing trail magic at PA 191. He said he didn't remember any trail magic in PA on his thru-hike and he wanted to do magic in PA. Thanks, Focus! The decent down into DWG was the reward of the day. The rock face opposite us was quite impressive. On to Church of the Mountain Hiker Hostel.
Date: 2008-07-03
From: Culver's Gap

To: Young Family Reunion 7/3 - 7/5
Miles today: 0.0

I met up with Sampson and two of his friends from back home (NC), who had come up to hike with him. Cole and Hall were their names. Cole thru-hiked in 03. They had been with Sampson for the past few days and the plan was to take Sampson to PA for a family reunion over the 4th. I ended up getting an invite as well, which was to good to pass up. We ate pot-luck for three days. The Young family reunion was a great time. Thanks Cole, Hall, Roger and all the rest!
Date: 2008-07-07
From: Gren Anderson Shelter

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 20.1

Did a big day to get to the Mayor's House. The Mayor, Dick Ludwick, Butch and Bill have a great set up for hikers. Maybe the best. They bring you into their home, feed you supper and breakfast, make you shower and do laundry, and allow you to sleep in the cool finished basement. First class all the way. Thanks guys!
Date: 2008-07-08
From: Unionville, NY

To: Warwick Turnpike
Miles today: 17.3

Slack packed back into Unionville to the Mayor's house for a second night. The mayor offered us the slack pack so Bones could come back and play the ukulele. It was another fun evening at the Mayor's house. During the day we were able to stop at Heaven Hill Farm for fresh fruit and ICE CREAM. This stand was right off the trail and wonderful on a very hot day in NJ.
Date: 2008-07-09
From: Warwick Turnpike

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

For the second day in a row we had the opportunity to stop for ICE CREAM at Bellvala Farms. Again it was wonderful. We had a beautiful day walking on the NJ/NY border and crossed into NY for good today. Had several fun rock scrambles today and the weather turned nice after several hot humid days.
Date: 2008-07-10
From: Wildcat Shelter

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

Another gorgeous day on the AT. We were able to see the NY city skyline first thing this morning from Mombasha High Point Vista. We entered Harriman State Park on this day. It is the second largest state park in the state. Saw lots of deer in the park. We met Paddy-O at the entrance to the park where he was giving out trail magic in the form of cold drinks, hotdogs, and delicious brownies. I met Fat Jim here and we hiked together for the next 6 miles up to the shelter. We witnessed a beautiful sunset. I tented out up on top of Fingerboard Mountain. It was a beautiful evening with a full moon.
Date: 2008-07-11
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: Hemlock Springs Campsite
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was one of the more challenging days I've had in quite some time. Lots of ups and downs that were steep. It took most of the day to get up to the top of Bear Mountain and Perkins Tower on top. On the other side of the mountain down by the Hudson River was the lake, park and swimming areas. Lots of New Yorkers visit this area. I sat and people watched for quite some time. I doubt any of them knew I had walked nearly 1,400 miles with this bag on my back to get there. I later ran into Samson and Lady Cluck coming out from Montgomery. They had been to the deli. Of course I had to follow suit. Great Pastrami HERO. I ate it once I got to camp.
Date: 2008-07-15
From: Kent, CT

To: Stony Brook CS
Miles today: 7.4

Short day out of Kent. Spent most of the morning at the laundry and grocery. Also shipped a few things home. Radio, Shirt and Shorts, only carrying one shirt and one pair or shorts. Had sweet potato pancakes for breakfast. That's my buddy Phil's favorite, they were very good. No Waffle Houses up North for Pecan Waffles. Guess I'll have to wait until I get back th NC for those. Had a beautiful camping spot right on the river. Think I heard the screech of a Bald Eagle early in the evening, but not sure. Peace!
Date: 2008-07-16
From: Stony Brook CS

To: Sharon Mountain CS
Miles today: 12.0

Hiked along the Housatonic River most of the morning. Saw a large doe in the middle of the river. Very nice. Met up with Lady Cluck and Sampson around 2pm and our hiking fizzled out. Lady wasn't feeling good and decided to go to the next camping spot. We got to bed early. Plan on doing more miles tomorrow.
Date: 2008-07-17
From: Sharon Mountain CS

To: Bull Brook CS
Miles today: 18.0

Uneventful day. Did get a shower at the hydroelectric plant in Falls Village, CT. I missed some trail magic I found out later when I got to camp. Cold sodas on the trail and I missed it. The mosquitoes are getting bad. Deet doesn't help much. Did have a nice climb with a view on top of Lions Head. (Big Rock) Getting off the trail for a day on Saturday for a pig roast. I'll be curious as to how they prepare the pig up here in the North!
Date: 2008-07-20
From: Undermountain Trail

To: Hemlocks Shelter
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: broken clouds

We returned from Hartford, CT just afternoon. It was a hot and humid day so we decided 8.3 miles to Hemlocks Lean-to would be a good day. We had some steep ups to get over Mt. Everett. Water was scarce around the lean-to, but the bugs weren't bad and I slept well through a cool thunder shower.
Date: 2008-07-21
From: Hemlocks Shelter

To: Mt. Wilcox Lean-to
Miles today: 19.7

Slept in the AM until 9:30ish. The mosquitoes were nonexistent and the cool morning was too much to pass up. Sampson left before I did which is a rarity. Spent the day walking through Mass. Low lands. I skipped past Great Barrington, but did hit up the CORN CRIB for soda and ice cream. I met Dancing Bear and his friend from Charlotte, NC in the afternoon. They enjoyed the CORN CRIB as well. I pulled into camp around 10pm. Long day of hiking that ended after dark. At least the shelter was vacant.
Date: 2008-07-22
From: Mt. Wilcox Lean-to

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Left camp by 7:30. Had a nice walk over a few hills before making it to the cabin. Upper Goose Pond has a caretaker that obliges you with pancakes and coffee in the AM. There is Goose Pond which you can swim in, which felt great after a long day of hiking. Later we were greeted with a heavy rain shower. Later that evening I had the fortune to hike down to the road and meet my long time friends Mark and Nicole. It was a nice evening spent with friends over pizza, hamburgers, quesadillas and beer. Ye-ah!
Date: 2008-07-23
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Roy and Marilyn's Shed at the Blueberry Farm
Miles today: 11.0

Spent the night in the blueberry farm shed. It was a nice respite from the rain. Will head in to Dalton, MA tomorrow. The lady that owns the farm is known as the Cookie Lady on the trail. I had cookies and coke at the end of the day. It is slow going on the AT.
Date: 2008-08-05
From: Zero day in Rutland at Twelve Tribes Hiker Hostel

To: Stonybrook Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

We took the bus back to Route 4 this morning and were back on the trail by 10AM. It was a nice surprise to run into Slowstepper and wife at Gifford Woods State Park. I hiked in and around Slowstepper from Damascus to Harpers Ferry. He was finishing the AT by doing that section. We hiked in and out of the rain for most of the day. Vermont has by far been the wettest state on the trail thus far. I¢m ready for a break and blue skies.
Date: 2008-08-06
From: Stonybrook Shelter

To: Winturri Shelter
Miles today: 9.9

Awoke to rain pouring down. Had breakfast and then went back to bed to the sound of rain. Left camp at eleven when the rain had finally let up. I pulled into Winturri Shelter just as the skies opened and thunder and lightning set in. It was a short day on wet muddy trails. The hills continue to be more numerous and steeper than what I¢ve grown accustomed to. Should sleep well. Sampson, LadyCluck and Bus Driver and three Southbounders in the shelter.
Date: 2008-08-07
From: Winturri Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

Slept in today again. Sampson is a very bad influence. He can sleep in and still put in a long day. I on the other hand could use an early start. Passed VT 12 today. That¢s the road my friends Mark and Nicole used to live on. It was sad that I couldn¢t walk down and see them. I stopped at a little store and had blueberry pie and a pint of milk on VT 12 for old times sake. Ended up being a short day which was blessing. I¢m at the shelter with Bus Driver, Blues Traveler and four Southbounders.
Date: 2008-08-08
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

Left camp by 6AM to get an early start and into Hanover with time to spare. Couldn¢t pass up the West Hartford General Store for breakfast. The man working the counter asked me if I would like some fresh blueberries in my pancakes and I said, of course. They came with hot maple syrup as well. Phil Potter¢s favorite (they do sound good Nate). We made it to Hanover by 1pm and hung out on the lawn and watched the sights. A frat let us shower in their dorm, which I was grateful for. We resupplied in town, sent out an email, then hit the Brick and Brew for a free slice of pizza. The guys there were great. Very hiker friendly. We spent the night tented out at the edge of town.
Date: 2008-08-17
From: Garfield Tent Site

To: Zealand Hut
Miles today: 0.0

We spent the night at Zealand Falls Hut, it was Bus Driver and I. It was my first It was my first work for stay in the White Mountains. I will be doing some general chores after breakfast. We feasted on turkey, mashed taters, peas, cranberry sauce and homemade bread. Delicious! We slept on the dining room floor. Yesterday was an adventure. We were on or near ridgelines, and above the treeline when a thunderstorm producing lightning and hail moved in rather fast. I took protection under some conifers to get protection from the stinging hail. The storm eventually passed and the sun returned. The trail was left a soupy mess. The crew at Zealand Hut welcomed us to their facility and gave us a warm cup of tea. It was a nice ending to an adventurous day.
Date: 2008-08-19
From: Lake of the Clouds Shelter

To: Mt. Washington Summit
Miles today: 1.6

We hiked up from the hut this AM after doing work for stay. It was a short hike up to the Mt. Washington summit. The winds are constantly blowing at 40 mph. The temperature is presently 37 degrees. Yesterday Mt. Washington was completely clear of clouds and the temperature was in the 60-70¢s Things change quickly up here. I¢m doing well. The hiking yesterday was incredible. Today, not so nice. You take what you can get. Hopefully I will be at Madison Hut this evening. It is good to be on the Appalachian Trail. I¢m mailing this entry from the post office on top of Mt. Washington.
Date: 2008-09-03
From: Horns Pond Lean-To

To: Pierce Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 28.0
Weather: clear sky

Hey Friends, I am now in Caratunk, ME. For no reason at all or maybe for pancakes, I did 28 miles on this day. I'm not a fast hiker and usually don't even like mentioning mileage, but it was nice to do my biggest day over the Bigalows in MAINE. Maine has been unbelievable. Looking forward to summiting soon and getting home to my DOC, family, and friends. Love you Mom & Dad. Thanks so much for taking care of Doc for me. Thanks for all the messages in my guest book. They are my strength. I've met so many wonderful people on and around the trail. Big shot out to my boyz Bondi, Butters, and Rocksteady. I caught up to them on my big day after not seeing them since NJ. It was hugs for everyone one when I got into camp that evening. Hope everyone is well that is reading this and can't wait to summit Katadhin.
Date: 2008-09-07
To: Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Spent the day in Monson today. It has been loads of fun catching up with the crew from way back. (Butters, Rocksteady, & Bondi) I am hiking with friends I hadn't seen since the forth of July when I got off the trail for a few days. It has been a great reunion. Yesterday was one of the best days on the trail. My good friends Shutterbug & Hotwheels met us at a road crossing a few miles from Monson. They had a truck load of goodies and put us in a great spirit cruising into Monson. Hotwheels & Shutterbug summitted on the 4th of this month. They had beautiful weather. They partied with us for the evening and then hung out with us today and helped us run our errands and and get to the outfitter in Greenville. I broke a pole tip and needed to repair it which I was able to do. We are hoping our great weather will continue.   We haven't had rain since early on in NH which has been a blessing. It rained last night but the skies are clearing and it is supposed to be nice the next couple of days. Thanks everyone again for following my journey. I'm a little sad it is drawing to a close. Your kind words along the way have been a great inspiration. Can't wait to see everyone real soon. I plan to summit Katadhin next Saturday and then spend a day or two with Rocksteady in Bangor where he lives with his folks. Post hike party is planned for that evening. Lobster is going to be the main course. Rock's parents are great. They also visited us in Monson and Rock got to see his little nephew, Dylan. Very cute baby. Thanks for breakfast Mr. Phair. Your son's is a great young man. I would be proud if I was you.
Date: 2007-11-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The picture is of me and my son Michael at the conclusion of the NYC marathon, my first. I'm the one that is all teary eyed. I'm an emotional guy. It's been a few years since that marathon and I've run a few others since but the fun of running on the road evaporated. It's so much more enjoyable to run through the woods, over mountains, and across streams. You can really scare up animals when moving at a quick pace.I love the woods. I'm not in much of a hurry anymore so hiking has replaced running. I live in Northern New Jersey and often hike the many trails in Harriman State Park, one of which is the AT. In fact, the first section of the AT was blazed there circa 1923. I'm on it a lot.I've tried many times to publish this journal. I'm not having technical difficulties but emotional ones. I lost Michael to cancer. He is the reason I'm hiking the Trail. Now lets not get all gushy here; Michael wouldn't like that. So I'll write about my journey and from time-to-time talk a little about my son. That, he would like. You can get to know me better by reading the 'about' page. Keep those emails coming and please sign my GuestBook!
Date: 2007-11-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It's been a long time since I last backpacked. The picture was taken about 30 years ago and is representative of my last attempt. So I'm a little rusty. Jimbo, I and Mike Martin (one of the reasons my son is named Michael) took a winter wilderness survival class at the University of Oregon. The final exam, and only measure, was a three-day excursion on Mount Hood in early March. On consecutive nights you had to stay in a tent(easy), a snow cave(hard), and an igloo(damn-near-impossible). It took the three of us 6 hours to build the igloo and we were the only ones to succeed at the task. You could have parked a bulldozer on the roof of the thing. We passed the course.In subsequent years we would repeat the effort. Always an igloo. The joy was to ski from the igloo down to Government Camp to get a maple bar at the only restaurant/store in that small village, then return to the Timberline Lodge at 7000 feet on a shuttle bus for a buck. A poorman's lift ticket. At the lodge we would drink too much beer, watch the NCAA basketball tournament (March Madness), and shuffle back to the igloo for dinner. Always gourmet.In the picture, I'm the one on the right with my foot on the igloo. I have hair then that has since departed. I wonder, is an igloo suitable shelter on the AT? A snow saw is a lot lighter than a tent.
Date: 2008-02-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A not-too-well advertised tradition of northbound Appalachian thruhikers is to gather a small stone from atop Springer Mountain in Georgia and carry it throughout their journey to be deposited on the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. I suspect that this is widely ignored because of the added weight. What could the purpose be? If southbounders have a similar obligation don't the mountains remain equal in stature in the longhaul?Somewhere along the journey every hiker has Mr. Quit pop into their heads. "Go ahead, get off the trail," he says. "You've hiked far enough already." "No," you reply, "I've got to get this rock to Maine." That's your reason. Get the rock to Maine. It's not a journey, it's a mission.Choose your rock wisely. I've chosen mine and I haven't yet summited Springer Mountain.Of all the worldly pursuits Michael loved baseball the most. If his talent to play the game had matched his passion for it he'd be in the hall of fame. He graduated from the Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse University. Interpretation: To get paid to talk about baseball. Most sports announcers you might know are graduates of the same program.His first post-graduate job of note was with the scouting department of the New York Mets. He loved that job. It fit. He was paid to watch baseball games. Continually, 24/7, he and a cadre of other Syracuse grads downloaded broadcast videos of forthcoming opponents and edited the films for the coaches and players. The Atlanta Braves coming to town? A video briefing on Greg Maddux. If Piazza gets in a hitting slump, film of his last 20 at bats together with his first 20. You get the idea. He had to take a single interview exam to get the job. They showed him 20 video clips of a major league pitcher throwing a single pitch. The question was always the same. "What was the pitch?" Slider, fastball, knuckler, changeup, cut-fastball, split finger, forkball,...He claims to have gotten all but one correct (his advice on the missed question, "Maddux always throws a changeup."). He got the job.I took the picture of Michael as the Detroit Tigers played at Yankee Stadium in September of 2006. You may recall that the Tigers eventually swept the Yankees in the post season to gain entry into the World Series. The Tigers were Michael's favorite team, most certainly because of his Kindergarten years in Michigan. He saw his first Major League game in old Tiger Stadium. I have a small vial of dirt from the pitcher's mound at that stadium before they tore it down. A gift to Michael."What does this have to do with a rock from Springer Mountain?", you ask. All the major league teams east of the Mississippi know that the best dirt for an infield is clay, red clay. And the most sought-after red clay comes from Georgia. The umps rub the gloss off the baseballs with this clay. The field crews spread it over the field. Its color looks great on TV. Springer Mountain has been eroding for a gazillion years, I'm sure that no small part of that vial of clay came from Springer Mountain. So I'll carry it to Maine.No turnin' back now. The rock is on its way.