morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-30
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Stealth Camp, NJ
Miles today: 20.0

Pockets and I had breakfast at a nice bakery in town and met Reddy and her Dad. This morning we crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, which is the 8th state that we have entered. Along the way we climbed up to Sunfish Pond which is a large glacial remnant and is listed as one of New Jersey's 7 natural wonders. Due to a relativlely high acidity of the pond, swimming is prohibited but that didn't stop us from swimming in the cool refreshing water. The views were beautiful above Sunfish Pond and the landscape was very scenic, most likely due to the glacial activity in the area. Further up the trail, we encountered a very large copperhead in the process of swallowing a mole-like creature. The head of the animal was already down the throat of the snake but I could see the digging claws of the animal. At a road crossing we ran into Ms. Janet, a legendary Trail Angel and she gave us popcorn beer and cookies, a winning combination. Combined with picking fresh blueberries on the trail, it was starting to be a great day. Just before lunch, I saw a fire tower and looked up and as I did I failed to see a brightly colored rattlesnake sitting right in the middle of the trail. Pockets who was walking behind me did the exact same thing. Basically, my left foot had to have landed just to the right of the snake and my trekking pole must have straddled it to it's left. The snake never reacted and it is amazing that neither of us got bit.
Date: 2014-07-01
From: Stealth Camp, NJ

To: Rutherford Shelter, NJ
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Pockets and I watched the sunrise over Crater Lake while having breakfast and then broke camp and started hiking. I Came over a ridge and saw the biggest bear I had ever seen about 20 yards to my left. I guess it weighed in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 pounds. It just stared at me and Pockets and then slowly wandered away. Further down the trail I crossed paths with Chinook, who was slack packing south with his friend Alicia. We had recently been hiking with Chinook and Scout fairly consistently but since they are from New Jersey, they have been hiking the New Jersey portion southbound and sleeping in their own beds at night. He had cold sodas and apples and small Clementines to hand out to northbound Thru-hikers. It was great seeing him and I hope that we are able to hike again together. Saw a second bear near the end of the day and this one high tailed away from us as quickly as possible.
Date: 2014-07-02
From: Rutherford Shelter, NJ

To: Unionville, NY Park
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: moderate rain

Today exemplified why sometimes you have to be flexible while hiking the trail. Pockets and I hiked about 4 miles and then took a side trail to a small lake with a sandy beach. It was hot early and very humid so a dip in the cool lake followed by a shower at the Park facilities was just what the doctor ordered. We then hiked a short distance to the highest point in New Jersey where there is a 220 foot tall obelisk erected over the spot. We climbed the spiral stairs all the way to the top and looked out over the lake we had just swam in. On up the trail we ran into both Chinook and Scout slackpacking south and today they were handing out ice cold sodas and cookies. Again It was great to see these guys.The plan today was to cross over into New York in the small town of Unionville to resupply and get pizza for a late lunch. The scenery today was varied and I enjoyed it a lot. As we got nearer to the road that would take us into town a storm hit so we made our way through town and straight to the pizza restaurant. While there we met Lint and Politician, two amazingly fast hikers who are looking to finish the trail in 90 and 100 days, respectively. We resupplied at nearby grocery and then a violent storm hit. We sat it out on the porch but it was almost too late to hit the trail so several of us pitched our tents in the town park, which amazingly is allowed. After dinner, a few of us played in a pick up basketball game with some town locals. What an amazing adventure this is!Trail Scat : After hearing numerous Storm Crows in the woods, today I finally saw one. These birds do not like to be seen. It stealthily flew across the trail like it was trying to avoid a heat seeking missile. There is a hiker on trail who has the trail name "Morning Wood". I was laughing about it with a group of friends and my Swiss friend Pockets took me aside and asked me what was unusual about Morning Wood. She laughed when I explained that it wasn't because he liked to collect firewood in the morning.
Date: 2014-07-03
From: Unionville, NY Park

To: Wawayanda Shelter, NJ
Miles today: 16.8

I didn't sleep well last night and I was awakened every hour by the chiming of the town clock. Pockets and I packed up early and had breakfast at the general store. Today the trail took us around a wildlife preserve and across a boardwalk over a large swampy area.   The weather forecast was much like the previous days with a high chance of strong thunderstorms late in the day.   So the plan was to make it to a shelter about 17 miles up the trail before the storm hit. At the road crossing near Vernon, New Jersey, we received some great Trail Magic courtesy of some local women. Thanks to Heather, Amber, Triona, Jerica, and Jamie. After the magic, it was time to climb the steep slope up to the top of Wawayunda Mountain. It was a very hot and humid climb and there was very little sign of any weather on the horizon from the top. About 3 miles from the shelter, thunder was booming all around and it was going to be a race to beat the rain. I told Pockets that we needed to hurry and get to the shelter before "The shit hits the fan" and she said to me in her Swiss accent "Why on earth would there be shit near a fan"? I replied, "I don't know but when it happens, you don't want to be around". We lost the race and got drenched in the last mile. Me, Surge, and Pockets holed up in the shelter for the night and so we didn't get wet going to the water source, we collected rain running off of the roof to cook with.
Date: 2014-07-04
From: Wawayanda Shelter, NJ

To: Wildcat Shelter, NY
Miles today: 13.1

It rained all last night and was still raining this morning. Hiked out in a light drizzle and crossed paths with a small bear walking across the trail.   It retreated and sniffed the air after Pockets and I passed. Because of the rain, there were many red spotted newts all along the trail so I had to focus on the color orange to make sure I didn't step on any.After 4 miles, we left New Jersey and entered the State of New York.Shortly after lunch the rains came in full force fueled by Hurricane Arthur. I was crossing a slick slab of rock and started to slide as the tips on my hiking poles bent and I fell hard on my right elbow. Thank goodness it was only a bruise and no severe damage was done. We stopped for the day after only 12 miles to dry out in the shelter. Many familiar faces were at the shelter including TyeDye, Surge, MoMo, and Vista, and some new faces including Gilligan and Ginger and wrecking Ball and Pack Rat.The evening skies had cleared and the wet air of the day was replaced with cool, almost cold, dry air. As soon as it got dark, everyone in shelter had turned in for the night. I heard fireworks going off from several directions with the explosions echoing around the shelter. It certainly dawned on me at the time, that as I lay there on a wooden platform next to friends, who only several weeks prior were complete strangers, the symbolic nature of my situation as I was free with nowhere to be and nowhere to go, all the while, a celebration of this country's freedom was being demonstrated all around me. Happy Birthday America!
Date: 2014-07-05
From: Wildcat Shelter, NY

To: Black Mountain Cowboy Camp, NY
Miles today: 20.9

Today was a tough but rewarding day of hiking with lots of steep ups and downs, but at least the scenery was nice. There were 3-4 instances of trail magic with mostly jugs of water being left for hikers and one instance of bagels and V-8 juices being left. Because it was a holiday weekend, we figured all of the shelters would be filled with weekend hikers. Because of that, several of us decided we would carry water to the top of Black Mountain and Cowboy camp under the stars. It was a great plan and we found a nice spot with a view of the New York City skyline some 30 miles away.   We watched the sunset and then numerous 5th of July fireworks displays all across New York. At the camp was Pockets, Vista, Surge, Tye Dye and we were later joined by Pack Rat.
Date: 2014-07-06
From: Black Mountain Cowboy Camp, NY

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, NY
Miles today: 16.2

I slept well for the most part and only awoke at 1:00 and 4:20 AM and looked up to see millions of stars in the sky. I forced myself to stay awake long enough to see a few shooting stars. In the morning, I walked out to the view point and watched the far off sky scrapers become illuminated by the rising sun and set aflame in bright orange as I sipped my coffee.The scenery today was spectacular and varied between open woods and large glacially deposited outcrops of rock. We hiked through Bear Mountain Recreation area and as hikers we stood out drastically from the picnicking and site seeing crowds. Later the trail took us through the Bear Mountain Zoo before crossing the Hudson River. We ended the day tenting at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, which had a cold outdoor shower and a power source to recharge electronics. Prior to reaching the center, we resupplied at a convenience store and Pockets and I watched the Wimbledon finals between Novak DJocovic and Roger Federer. Later, Pockets, Momo, Dependable Pete, Dirt and I walked to a sports bar and had beers and dinner.Trail Scat : The other day I forgot to take my Mp3 player out of my shorts and it went through the washing machine. I plugged it in and was amazed that it still worked.   Even more amazing is that the sound is cleaner than ever.
Date: 2014-07-07
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, NY

To: RPH Shelter, NY
Miles today: 18.8

I'm out of coffee and so this morning I was a little out of sorts. The trail seemed crowded so I hiked ahead of the group and pushed hard to try to get through my morning funk. Just before lunch, I ran into Left Turn and she gave me a Starbucks Via Ice coffee mix and the day was saved. At a road crossing we came to a large lake and we all crossed the rail and jumped in and swam. Afterwards we hiked to a concession stand on the lake and I had a burger and fries. To cap off this day, the shelter we stayed at was near road and so we all ordered pizza. A huge storm blew through and we waited for the delivery in the rain. At the shelter was Wrecking Ball, Pack Rat, Surge, Vista, Burn, Pockets, Tye Dye, Dependable Pete, Dirt and the female Scout and her boyfriend.
Date: 2014-07-08
From: RPH Shelter, NY

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter, NY
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was mostly an uneventful day of hiking. It was extremely hot and humid and there were numerous trees blown down across the trail due to last nights storm. Early in the afternoon, we all swam in Nuclear Lake and relaxed in the afternoon sun. At the shelter is much of the same crowd including MoMo, Pockets, Vista, Surge, Tye Dye, Dependable Pete, and Dirt.
Date: 2014-07-09
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter, NY 

To: Mt. Algo Shelter, CT
Miles today: 21.2

The morning hike was pleasant with the trail leading through farm fields and then a across a wetlands on a boardwalk.   The trail later passed a train stop with access to New York City, but the train was not running today. We crossed into Connecticut from New York in the early afternoon and swam in Ten Mile River. Besides numerous day hikers, Tye Dye,Surge, Pockets, Vista, Dirt, MoMo, and Dependable Pete were at the shelter tonight.
Date: 2014-07-10
From: Mt. Algo Shelter, CT

To: Silver Hill and Campsite, CT 
Miles today: 11.6

Last night we watched a display of fire flies lighting up the woods from the shelter before a fast moving storm blew in and lit up the sky with lightning. The mosquitoes were terrible and forced me to cover up with my sleeping bag even though it was a hot night.In the morning, we hiked 0.3 miles to a road and found a cooler full of sodas and apples provided by Dora the Explorer. We then walked a mile into the town of Kent, Connecticut and had a great breakfast. Dora the Explorer and Princess North Star also joined us. We then resupplied at the IGA grocery store. I uploaded pictures into my journal at the library and Pockets and I stopped at the outfitter to pick up some supplies, got some ice cream, and then hiked out of town. Pockets and I camped at the Silver Hill Camp site and were met by Dependable Pete and Dirt and later by Princess North Star. I ended up giving out my third trail name as I named a section hiker who is an avid bird watcher, Tanager.It is considerably cooler and drier tonight.
Date: 2014-07-11
From: Silver Hill and Campsite, CT 

To: Rand View Field Stealth Camp, CT
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night was cool and rain free. I ended up falling asleep to some Barred Owls calling off in the woods. Pockets and I hiked for a few hours and stopped at a shelter for a break and were surprised as Slim walked in. He had been following me in my journal and at shelter journals and knew he was closing the gap. It was great to see him so we made plans to hike together and stealth camp in a field with a view. It would require us to carry water up the mountain, but in the end it was worth it as the view was fantastic.   Before getting to camp, we swam below the Great Falls waterfall. At camp, we toasted with some Bourbon I had been carrying to the reuniting of old friends, and to completing over 2/3 of the AT.
Date: 2014-07-12
From: Rand View Field, CT

To: Jug End Camp, MA
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: light rain

I awoke this morning to a spectacular sunrise with fog filling the valley floor appearing like waves on a beach. I slept without a rain fly so I was able to see the night sky and watch the sunrise as it intensified. Slim, who had spent considerable effort to catch us was already being called off the trail again to meet a family obligation in Boston. He bolted out of camp fairly early.Today while hiking, I noticed some purplish red stones sticking out of a metamorphic schist we were hiking over. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the stones were garnet minerals. I was able to pluck some pea sized multi-faceted stones out of the schist using my Swiss army knife. We met some weekend hikers today who gave us a dozen or so cliff bars and others who gave us some cherries sweet peas and radishes. We crossed into Massachusetts and camped at the end of the day near a view point but had to set up our tents in mosquito infested woods. We had hoped to find another camping spot that would be as awesome as the Rand View spot, but we would not be in luck on this evening. We cooked our dinners on the exposed ridge in the wind, which kept the mosquitoes at bay. As the light was fading, Pockets and looked down below on a small lake as vehicles came and went and we speculated that they were probably High School aged kids out cruising on a Saturday night looking for a party. Once inside my tent, I was safe from the mosquitoes and I fell asleep listening to the "white noise" created by their droning.Trail Scat : Hiker families on the trail are ever evolving, shrinking and or growing. Initially, I hiked with AZ and additions to our group included Slim, Thor the Red, Bearjuice, Pockets, and others. After I went down with illness I lost AZ but hiked with others including Slim and Thor the Red. Later those two fell behind and I hiked with Scout, Chinook and Pockets. Scout and Chinook ended up staying in their home state of New Jersey and since that time, Pockets and I have hiked together and have joined in with other groups. The hiker family is always in flux and Pockets' schedule will most likely change as her significant other from Switzerland will be joining her to hike in Maine. Hopefully Scout, Chinook, Thor the Red and Slim will be joining us again.
Date: 2014-07-13
From: Jug End Camp, MA

To: East Mtn Retreat Center, Great Barrington, MA
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Pockets and I broke camp in the mosquito infested woods and then hiked through lowland farm fields and bottom land swamps. The mosquitoes were relentless and there is not a section of exposed skin on my body that does not have mosquito bites. Trying to filter water, which is a two handed job was terrible as the mosquitoes had their way and insect repellents were ineffective. The plan was to make it to the East Mountain Retreat Center for the night. We hitched a ride from the road and when we arrived, Sasquatch and Celtic were already there. We shared a taxi that brought us into the town of Great Barrington, MA. Our first stop was at a laundry and while doing laundry, we met Rosemary, who was very interested in listening to tales of our journey. She gave us a great recommendation for a restaurant in town and after dinner, picked us up and drove us to a supermarket to resupply and then back to the retreat center. I am always amazed at the kindness shown to us on the trail. In between, I was able to get my hair cut. All in all it was a great evening.
Date: 2014-07-14
From: East Mtn Retreat Center, great Barrington, MA

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA 
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: broken clouds

It stormed all last night, sometimes very heavily and I appreciated the fact that I was comfortably inside sleeping on a mattress with a pillow. We hiked down the gravel road from the retreat center to the highway and had a ride within 5 seconds of sticking my thumb out. It was another warm and humid day of hiking and there really wasn't anything noteworthy about the trail today. After a long tough day of hiking, we reached the Upper Goose Pond Cabin, which is a nice retreat in the woods. After seeing almost no one on the trail today it is surprising to see about 15 hikers at the cabin. I had some birch wine and coffee that the caretaker had provided and then went for a nice swim in the crystal clear pond to clean the days accumulated grime off and then cooked dinner and prepared for bed in the cabins bunkhouse.
Date: 2014-07-15
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA 

To: Dalton, MA, Tom Lavardi Yard
Miles today: 20.6

We took the canoe out into the pond in the morning before breakfast and then went for a swim. the caretaker had cooked pancakes and made coffee so it was a nice morning before heading out on the trail.The destination for the day was the backyard of Tom Lavardi in the town of Dalton, Ma. Tom is a friend of Thru-Hikers and he and his family have been providing assistance to hikers for over 30 years. We reunited with Vista and camped along with Spirit Hawk, Celtic, Hemlock, and many others. I am amazed that Tom's neighbors have allowed all of this to go on over the years. We walked into town and had dinner and watched the Major League Baseball All-Star game, while it rained outside.
Date: 2014-07-16
From: Dalton, MA Lavardi Yard

To: St Mary Church, Cheshire, MA
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

When I returned to my tent, I realized that I had left the rain flap of my tent open. At first glance there appeared to be little to no damage. But when I climbed in I found that water had pooled in one corner and it just so happened to be the corner where I had placed my expensive camera. It was sitting in about 2 inches of water and my worst fears were realized as the camera would not operate.   In the morning I tried drying it with a blow dryer I borrowed from Tom but it still did not work.I left town late and only did about 9 miles and stopped in the town of Cheshire, MA to try to regroup. Several of us stayed at the St. Mary's Catholic church including TyeDye, Vista, Pockets, 19, and two South Bounders named Jub Jub and Fatman. Later, we went out for a nice dinner of pizza and beer.
Date: 2014-07-17
From: St Mary Church, Cheshire, MA

To: Seth Warner Shelter, VT
Miles today: 21.6

We left early in the morning after having breakfast and headed to Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. It was a beautiful area and the only sub alpine region in Massachusetts with Spruce and fir trees. Tye Dye, Pockets, Vista and I enjoyed a nice lunch there under beautiful skies. Pockets and I resupplied in the town of Adams, MA and later in the day crossed the border into Vermont, the 12th state with only two left to enter. We met Tye Dye, Sasquatch, and Vista at the shelter with some other section hikers.
Date: 2014-07-18
From: Seth Warner Shelter, VT

To: Goddard Shelter, VT
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: light rain

It was cold this morning and the air was free of bugs. It was a welcome change from the muggy hot and rainy weather we had been experiencing.I left camp early and for the most part hiked in solitude the entire day. The trail was very muddy in places as runoff water runs right down the center of the trail. I crossed over two beaver ponds and noticed large moose Tracks in the center of the trail. I followed the tracks for about 0.2 miles up the trail. I slowed my pace and listened intently to see if I could spot the maker of the tracks but I was not in luck on this day.The rest of the days hike was nondescript with miles and miles of steep climbs with nothing to see. I was very exhausted when I made it to camp at the end off the day and was joined there by Pockets, Tye Dye, Spam, Half Rack and a few other section hikers. The water source at the shelter was the coldest I had ever felt and it was almost uncomfortable to put my hands in it.
Date: 2014-07-19
From: Goddard Shelter, VT

To: Stratton Pond Shelter, VT
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: moderate rain

We climbed two fire towers that both had awesome views. I have a slight fear of heights, but with every tower I climb, my fear is lessened somewhat. Towards the end of the day, the second tower we climbed was at Stratton Mountain where the summit seemed to be just out of reach on every turn. I swear that the mountain was actually geologically uplifting as I climbed. When I finally reached the top, the climb up the fire tower was worth it with views of far off lakes and spruce covered mountains. At the end of the day, several of us swam in Stratton Pond to clean up and remove much of the days sweat and grime. There were several people in the shelter including The Lorax, Wikipedia, Pockets, The Toad Herder, Half Rack, Lady Slippers, Tye Dye, and Spirit Hawk.
Date: 2014-07-20
From: Stratton Pond Shelter, VT

To: Green Mountain House Hostel, VT
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: light rain

Today was a planned short day into the town of Manchester Center, VT. I awoke early and hiked to the pond pre-dawn and watched the day awaken and listened as Loons called across the lake. We started hiking in a light rain and quickly covered the 11 miles to the road leading into town. We hitched a ride and stopped for pizza first off and then did some shopping at the outfitter, and then re-supplied at the grocery store. We also planned a dinner at the hostel and ended up cooking pasta and sauce with green beans, cucumber salad and fresh bread. I packed my camera for shipment back home to be evaluated for repair, and to determine what options I will have for the rest of the trip. Jeff, the owner of the hostel is a very thoughtful person and in honor of Pockets, who is from Switzerland, hung a Swiss Flag out in front of the hostel.