morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-11-10
From: William Brien Shelter

To: Hemlock Springs Campsite
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: broken clouds

What a great day I had today. I was up before daylight, had breakfast, and on the trail at 6:20. A few of the Boy Scouts were up so I thanked them again for last night¢s supper. The leaders always want you to say something about long distance hiking to inspire the scouts. I¢ve got to come up with something to say to them. First I hiked up and rock climbed Black Mtn. In the distance I could make out the NYC skyline. It was hazy but I could see it. Then I went down a steep descent to Palisades Parkway. There was a visitor¢s center .4 miles down the road so I walked down and had a 32 oz. Coke and some peanuts and then a 12 oz. Coke and some Oreos. I charged my phone and camera batteries while I ate. A lot of people were coming and going but one lady seemed very interested in my hike, asking a lot of questions. After my refreshing stop I climbed West Mtn. I thought it was a hard climb but once I got on top the views were outstanding. It was very windy on top. There were a lot of day hikers on top as the morning was very nice, but I noticed a black cloud in the north getting closer all the time. Then it was down West Mtn. toward Bear Mtn. It looked like it would be a bear to climb but it was a pussy cat thanks to the hard work of the trail builders.About half way up I spotted several people who had started a campfire in a no burn area. The flames were 3 ft. high and they were still adding wood. The wind was blowing about 20 mph.and there were dry leaves all around the fire. As soon as I got out of sight I called the Bear Mtn. ranger Station and reported them. The man on the phone said all the rangers were off fighting another fire, I think the one I saw a couple of days ago, but he would try to get someone to check it out. About that time the black cloud got there and it started raining lightly. I hope that will solve the problem of the fires. It was raining and cold by the time I reached the top of Bear Mtn. where the Perkins Memorial Tower is located but there were still at least 100 people there (you can drive there). I could see the New York City skyline again from there but dimly due to the rain. I left and went down the mtn. to the trail side zoo. Some of the animals had been put up for the winter but there were still several out. The animals are all native to the area, not lions and elephant types. I walked out of the zoo and right onto the Bear Mtn. Bridge that spans the Hudson River. After I crossed the bridge there were several cars parked along the road. At one of the cars the lady that talked to me at the visitor's center earlier was there with some friends. After talking hiking for a while they offered me cake, cookies, and coffee. It would have been rude not to accept. Then came a hard climb back up onto the mtn. where my campsite was located. The wind was still blowing hard on top so I had to find a little low spot to set up my tent. I could not find a level spot so I will probably slide around on my pad tonight.
Date: 2013-11-11
From: Hemlock Springs Campsite

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 10.4

I actually wrote yesterday¢s journal entry today. I was just too cold and tired last night. It¢s hard to write when your hand is shaking. It was about 40 degrees this morning. It seems to warm up during the night out here some nights. There was no water at the spring last night so I could not cook supper or breakfast today. I ate some summer sausage, Fritos, peanut butter, and cheese last night. This morning I ate a couple of sweet and salty bars and made tracks to a Deli 3 miles away but right where the trail crosses Rte 9. I ordered ¢The Works¢ breakfast. It had 3 pancakes, 3 eggs, 3 pieces of bacon, 1 piece of ham, 1 sausage pattie, and included a cup of coffee. All that for $6.00. Today was not as exciting as yesterday, mostly just walking through the woods, somewhat like Brown County, IN but with a lot more rocks. There are so many leaves on the ground that they make it very slippery going up or down hills. The rocks have become my friends. If you can get your feet on a rock you won¢t slip. I fell once today on my rear when my feet slid out from under me. I saw 2 deer and 9 turkeys today. The good news is I found a spring that was running, the first one in NY. Plenty of water tonight. I thought of what to tell the scouts today. Long distance hiking is not done with your feet and legs. It is done with your head and heart. And that¢s the honest truth.
Date: 2013-11-12
From: Stealth Camp

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 4:00 and heard rail drops on my tent. At 4:50 I had to get up for a call of nature and it was starting to snow. I cooked breakfast at 5:45 under the front cover of my tent. I had prepared for rain or snow last night. I even had a cooking rock to set my stove on. As I was eating my oats I spotted two green eyes staring at me about 20 ft. away. I moved my head a little to get my headlamp on the animal and zip, it was gone. It never made a sound. I think it was a Bobcat from the distance between its eyes. Much too far apart to be a house cat. By now the ground was white and by the time I was packed up and out of the tent the snow had covered any tracks that might have been there. It stopped snowing about 8:00 with 34 inch on the ground. The rest of the day was mostly walking but I did have a good 360 degree view from Shenandoah Mtn. Someone has painted an American Flag on the rocks up there in remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks. I stopped at the RPH Shelter for the night. It is a concrete block building, totally enclosed. John from England showed up shortly after I did. We both ordered pizza delivered from out of some little town for supper. Frankly it wasn¢t all that good but I ate some and saved some for later. It¢s going to be cold tonight.
Date: 2013-11-13
From: RPH Shelter

To: Stealth Campsite
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

John was up early trying to make 25 miles to Bear Mtn. today. I waited until it was getting light outside to get up. It was cold, 30 degrees in the shelter, and 25 degrees outside. I ate a piece of leftover pizza and an energy bar, packed up and left. The only thing I had frozen was my shoe strings. As soon as I started hiking my water tube froze up. The water at the shelter well tasted like rust so I never carried any out in my bottles. The trail went up the side of Hosner Mtn. but before it reached the top it turned and ran parallel along the side of the mtn. for what seemed like forever. The sun was up and shining everywhere except where I was, as I was on the west side of the Mtn. plus a cold wind was coming right up the mountain in my face. My water was frozen, I was cold, the sun could not reach me, and for the first time on this hike I wanted to go home. Like I said before LD hiking is done with your head and your heart. 5 miles later a stop at Mountain Top Market & Deli on Rte 52 near Stormville improved my attitude with food and water, but now I was thinking that this hike would soon be ending. I reached the Morgan Stewart Shelter about 1:00 but it was too early to stop and the shelter was at 1307 ft. which would be too cold tonight. I walked on another 3 miles where I found a campsite at 688 ft. by a stream so I pitched my tent for the night. It was already below freezing and my tent had ice on it from when I rolled it up in the snow yesterday morning. I wiped it down with my rag which then froze stiff in a few min. It was too cold to cook so I ate some more left over pizza and some junk food I had with me while laying in my bag. I got out my pages and looked at my options. There is a motel at Wingdale, NY 4 miles from the trail so I called for a room for Thur. and Fri. night. I need to rest and figure out how to end this hike.
Date: 2013-11-14
From: Stealth Campsite

To: Wingdale, NY
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: clear sky

I was going to cook breakfast this morning but it was too cold. I lay in my bag and ate the last piece of two day old pizza and 2 pop tarts. My drinking tube was frozen again and the water in my bottles that I kept from freezing by putting them under my pack in the tent tasted like oil. The stream was probably polluted by an industrial looking building just up the way about 14 mile. Since I was headed for town I left my dry sleeping socks on but it took 15 min. to get my frozen boots on my feet. After I got moving I was o.k. The trail was easy by A.T. standards again today and has been for the last 4 days. I walked past Nuclear Lake, which was the site of a nuclear research facility until 1972, and scared up a beautiful buck drinking from it. Later I passed by the Dover Oak which has a girth of over 20 ft. It is thought to be the largest oak tree on the trail, even bigger than the Keffer Oak. I was soon at the Appalachian R.R. Station where you can flag down a passenger train to NYC on weekends. This also put me at Rte.22 4 miles from my motel. I walked about a mile before I was picked up and given a ride to the motel. I almost thumbed an approaching car which was a NY State Police officer. Hitching is not legal in NY. And the man at the motel said they do ticket for hitching. So now I am at the motel making plans to end this hike. I am reading AWOL¢S pages and a plan is coming together. More on that tomorrow
Date: 2013-11-15
From: Wingdale NY

To: Wingdale, NY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

After much research, thought, and several phone calls a plan has been reached to end this walk. I have already exceeded my original goal to hike PA and NJ. 7 miles and I will be out of NY and into CT. Great Barrington, Mass is about 15 miles inside Mass. They have bus service to NYC if I should need it. I plan to be there Friday the 22nd. Diana is planning to fly to Baltimore on the 22nd where Zig Zag will pick her up at the airport and put her up for the night. Diana will pick up my car and drive to Great Barrington on the 23rd and pick me up. I still have the bus option if something would make the plan fall through. There it is. I hope to update again Wed. from Salisbury, CT.
Date: 2013-11-16
From: Wingdale, NY

To: 10 Mile Shelter
Miles today: 9.7

I am updating on Nov. 19 from Falls Village CT. I had not planned on stopping here but it seems that has been happening a lot lately. More on that later. Today was a beautiful day to hike. I slept in this morning until 6:05 and walked down to the deli for breakfast. Again they did not have the ingredients for a western omelet so I had another Belly Buster, today with bacon. Honestly this is the worst deli I have visited this hike. There is a really good one up the road the other direction but farther away. While I¢m gripping the motel is overpriced for what you get but it is the only one around so I guess they can charge what they want. I went back to the motel and called the local taxi for a ride back to the trail. I did not want to walk the 4 miles and didn¢t want to take the time to try to hitch. I started hiking at 8:39 and it was already quite warm with bright sunshine. It got up to about 60 deg. this afternoon. It was a stellar day weather wise. I took a good tumble about an hour into today¢s hike. I have fallen 5 times on this hike, once in PA. when my pole slipped, 3 times in NY. and NJ. on slick dry leaves, and once in NJ. on a wet rock. So far I have not shed any blood. This morning a spotted a doe in front of me so I froze. Two more does and a buck walked into view. I reached for my camera and they started to run but then stopped. I got a pic of two of the does but don¢t think I got the buck. He stopped with his head behind a tree. I guess he thought that if he could not see me I couldn¢t see him. The trail was easy again today. At 12:41 I crossed the state line and said goodbye to New York, hello CT. I reached the 10 Mile Shelter at 2:45 and set up in the shelter hoping no one else would be there tonight. But being on a weekend the Boy Scouts soon showed up. 5 of the leaders are in the shelter with me tonight. I went to bed at 5:30 and they came to bed at 7:30. A herd of Buffalo could not have made more noise. But I will get them back with my snoring. I hiked 9.7 miles today.
Date: 2013-11-17
From: 10 Mile Shelter

To: Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I knew I had 15.7 miles to do today so I started packing as quietly as possible at 5:05. I was packed, had breakfast, and ready to go before it was light enough to see the white blazes. I walked about 1.5 miles on fairly level trail then started the long but not too steep climb back to the top of the Mtn. About 12 way up I spotted 3 does just below me. They ran parallel along the mtn. side. A few minutes later I turned on a switch back and looked up and saw 4 more does. They ran up the mtn. I met a SoBo flip flopper thru hiker today. He has to reach Harpers Ferry to complete his thru. Yesterday I met a nice couple out for a day hike who had hiked a lot of the trail in this area. The lady told me she thought the trail in CT. was harder than in Mass. I didn¢t think much about at the time. I thought that CT. would be an easy hike. Boy was I wrong. The leaves were damp this morning from a brief predawn shower and not as slick as when they are dry. About 10:45 it started a fine heavy mist that wet everything down, leaves and rocks. The terrain got rough with a lot of steep but short climbs and descents. By 12:00 I had only made 8 of my 15.7 miles even after my early start and was worn out. I did something I don¢t recall ever doing on my 1461 miles on the A.T. I stopped at Mt. Alto Shelter and cooked at lunch time. I fixed some oats and French Vanilla Cappuccino. No I wouldn¢t lie to you. Last night the scouts were all eating MRE¢S and one of the leaders asked me if I had ever tried them. I said no and he tossed me one out of the box. I didn¢t look at it, I just said thank you and put in my food bag. I got it out for lunch and it was French Vanilla Cappuccino. I topped lunch off with a Snickers Bar and went on my way. There were a lot of PUDS (pointless ups and downs) and rocks that just slowed me all day. The descent down to the Housatonic River was brutal. It was only a 450 foot drop but was nearly vertical. The wet leaves and rocks made it the most dangerous place I have encountered on the A.T. It took me 30 min. to go 450 feet down. By the time I reached the road at the bottom by the river it was getting dark. I had a .8 mile walk down the road then back onto the trail along the river. I had to put my headlight on to see the signs and the blazes. Just as I went back into the woods it started raining harder. That made it a little easier to see because the fog went away somewhat. After walking about a mile and a half by headlight in the rain I finally saw the sign pointing to the shelter. It was a welcome sight. The shelter was dry and I fixed my supper, put on warm dry clothes and went to bed with a new respect for the trail in CT.
Date: 2013-11-19
From: Sharon Mountain Campsite 

To: Limestone Spring Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

By the time I reached campsite last night it was nearly dark again. I got my tent up then put on my headlight and followed the blue blazed trail to the stream and got water. I needed to call Diana and tell her the good news but last night my phone was down to 1 bar on the battery. I said a little prayer for more power and when I turned on the phone I had 3 bars power. After I talked to her I purified my water and cooked supper lying in my tent. The wind was getting strong and it was cooling down fast. I had to get out of the tent to wash my cooking pan but then I was set for the night. This morning it was about 37 degrees and the wind was still howling. I fixed breakfast in the tent and packed up. I had an easy hike to Falls Village although the wind blew me sideways a few times when I was out in the open. I met a man and his dog on the trail and asked about somewhere to eat and the library. He told me how to get into town and that there were restaurants there. I got into town and saw no where to eat so I went into the Town Hall to inquire. A wonderful lady named Mary Palmer took me about 2 miles out of town to a deli. She said it was the best place around to eat. It was also the only place around to eat. She said she would come back and get me in an hour. Thank you Mary Palmer, Town Clerk of Falls Village, CT. I enjoyed 2 double egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches, some chocolate cupcakes, and 2 cups of coffee. I ordered a turkey club to go for supper because it is going to be late by the time I get to the shelter. The temperature has continued to go down through the day. They are predicting 18 degrees tonight. So now it is 3:00 and I am still at the library. I have 4 more miles to hike so I need to hit the trail. I may add to this post later if the need arises.
Date: 2013-11-20
From: Limestone Spring Shelter

To: Brassie Brook Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

I didn¢t get out of Falls Village until 3:15 yesterday. I only had 4 miles to get to the shelter but it was almost dark when I reached the sign that pointed to the shelter. I had met a lady walking her 3 dogs, 2 labs and an Austrian Shepard, a short distance out of town and chatted with her for a while. You met the most interesting people on the trail. I happened to remember that the shelter was 12 mile off the trail. I had enough water to drink for supper and any water I collected tonight was going to freeze, so I saw no need to go to the shelter. I set my tent up beside the trail, threw everything inside and crawled in to get out of the cold. I ate my turkey club sandwich that I had carried out of town, drank all the water that I had, and settled in for the night. The wind had finally quit blowing and it didn¢t feel all that bad. I actually slept quite well although I woke up once feeling cold and found out I had rolled off my mat onto the ground. It was very cold this morning when I got up and starting packing things up. My fingers would not work very well so it took longer than it should have. I ate a peanut bar and a small Snickers bar and started walking to Salisbury, CT. to find somewhere to eat breakfast and resupply. I found the Country Bistro and enjoyed 3 pancakes and sausage with real maple syrup. I thought about trying to find a place to stay here in town tonight but decided against it. I was afraid it would push me too hard the next 2 days to make up the lost miles. I don¢t want to be late getting to Great Barrington. I have a very important meeting there Sat. So I am going to the market and pick up a few things and be on my way to Brassie Brook Shelter for the night. I¢m not sure if I will tent or shelter. It depends on what the shelter looks like and what time I get there.
Date: 2013-11-21
From: Brassie Brook Shelter

To: Hemlocks Shelter
Miles today: 8.8

Whew, it was cold last night at Brassie Brook Shelter. It was already down to 30 degrees at 3:30 because the ice was forming on the rocks. I slept with 3 water bottles and my camera and phone in the sleeping bag with me. I had to get up every 2 hrs. last night. Pure torture. There was a very nice sunrise this morning and it warmed up fast. I knew I only had 8.8 miles to go today so I lazed around the shelter and did not start hiking until 9:45 this morning. Big mistake. I felt fine for the first 12 mile but when I started to climb I found I had no energy. I struggled all morning and just couldn¢t get going. I stopped and talked to a couple of day hikers and lost time there. I crossed the CT/Mass border at 12:14. The hike through Sages Ravine was nice. I was getting water from a creek when Funk, a three time A.T. thru hiker plus the PCT trail came by on a day hike with his dog. We talked for a few minutes and he told me I was simply not eating enough food. He gave me a boiled egg that he had left over from his lunch. After I ate it I seemed to have more get up and go. The climb up Race Mtn. was long but not too steep. The view from the ridgeline was great, one of the best so far this trip. I went down off Race Mtn. only to face a steep climb up Mt. Everett. My energy was gone again by this time and it was already 4:10. but I knew I had to get over this mtn. because storm clouds were rolling in and at that altitude it could snow or freeze rain all over the rocks. The trail went straight up the side of the rocky mtn. By the time I reached the top at 2602 feet it was almost dark. I started down watching for icy spots on the rocks and soon had to put on my headlight. I walked for 45 mins. with my light before I found the sign for the shelter. I had a little trouble finding the shelter in the dark but finally did. I put on some warm clothes and had enough water left on board to cook supper. I will have to get water and clean my pan it the morning. It was another long day for no more miles than I covered.
Date: 2013-11-22
From: Hemlocks Shelter

To: U.S.7 Great Barrington, Mass
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up this morning at 5:00 to the sound most hikers do not want to hear, rain drops on the shelter roof. I lay in my bag until it got light outside the shelter then got up. It was surprisingly warm. I had intended to eat a snack bar or two and head for town but since it was raining I decided to cook some oats and see if the rain would stop. I put on my rain coat and went to the stream for water. When I met Funk yesterday he said I was not eating enough so I fixed my remaining three packets of oats, threw in all the bacon bits I had left, ate about 4 oz. of cheddar cheese, and drank a cup of double strength coffee. I packed up and left the shelter at 8:30. The rain stopped shortly after I started hiking but I was in the clouds all morning. The trail was fairly hard with a lot of steep rocky descents until I got down off the mtn. The wet rocks and leaves were very slippery and there were a few icy spots remaining. I had no view this morning due to the clouds. After I got down from 1935 feet to 882 feet the trail was a walk in the park. About the only thing I saw interesting today was a monument marking the last battle of Shay¢s Rebellion. About 3 miles from U.S.7 which was to end this year¢s hike the leaves reminded me how slick they are by depositing my boney body on the ground again for one last time. About a mile from the road the trail builders found one more little hill to go over. I only saw a few squirrels scampering around today. I reached U.S.7 and set my camera on a post and attempted to make a short video. I got sort of choked up but struggled through it. Basically it just said I walked 445 miles in 46 days including zeros and neros from P.A. 233 near South Mtn. P.A. to U.S.7 3 miles south of Great Barrington, Mass. I walked 8.0 miles today officially then walked 5 more miles to the motel. I guess that about wraps up this year¢s hike. It was a good run across the P.A. rocks, through N.J. and N.Y. with all the stone fences and delis, and across C.T. with a hard start and a nice finish. I met a lot of very nice people, had some trail magic, and only one day that it rain hard. There was a little snow and a couple of cold days but for this time of the year I was blessed with good weather. Diana flew to Baltimore today and is at Zig Zags house for tonight and will drive to Great Barrington tomorrow and we will slowly start for home. I want to drop by Zig Zags again and personally thank her for her kindness for shuttling me and Diana and taking care of my car while I was hiking. When I get home I will recheck the miles hiked and correct any errors I find. I will upload a bunch of photos and display some on the journal entries. Thanks for all the prayers, encouragement, and well wishes from all of you. Of course I am already thinking about how to best complete the trail. It may take two more trips but I could possibly do both of them next year.