morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-13
From: high point shelter

To: Episcopal Church in Vernon
Miles today: 19.1

Ok I'm about to build a boat if it keeps raining. It rained for most of the day with a break around noon and the poured the rest of the day. I left the shelter this morning and walked to the Murray cabin to take a break from the weather. I hung out there until noon and then I hiked another 2 miles into unionville, ny to grab lunch. This was my first experience with New York pizza and it was amazing...hands down the best pizza I have ever had. The restaurant had espn on tv and ice cream so I was not in a hurry to leave. After hanging out there for several hours I decided to try to push 7 to the next shelter then if the weather was nice I would go another 5 to Vernon, NJ. Well I got to the shelter and the rain was very light and sometimes not even raining so I kept hiking. As soon as I passed the shelter the rain started coming down extremely hard and sideways. The rest of the hike was tough with even more water on the trail. In the last week it has rained everyday except for one everything is flooded and it is still raining. As I was descending off of the only mountain of the day I got going to fast and I started slipping. I couldn't stop slipping and sliding for at least 30 yards and I somehow stayed on my feet. At that point I started having a great time and thought heck I should just hike through the night this is great! After a few more miles I was ready for Vernon. The trail was completely flooded and I was absolutely soaked. Where the tail hits the hwy it is 2.4 into Vernon. It is illegal to hitch in NJ so I just started walking. I was praying I would be picked up because the weather was miserable! After walking five minutes a man pulled off in front of me and brought me to the episcopal church hostel. When I got here i instantly took the best shower I have had on the trail! Super hot! Then the church had pasta for the hikers that are here along with a few other snacks. There are only four of us tonight so it is nice and quiet. The church also has free laundry so I will take advantage of that tomorrow. I am for sure not hiking anywhere tomorrow morning and ill probably just zero here. If I do hike it will only be a few miles to the next shelter. Thankful to have a dry place to sleep! It has to stop raining eventually right?
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Episcopal Church in Vernon

To: zero nada nothing relaxed
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day and I did zero! I watched 2 movies and just relaxed all day. The only thing I did that required effort was walking to resupply. Other than that I stayed off of my feet. I had the hostel all to myself all day so it was nice and quiet. Hikers started getting here towards the evening and stretch and barking spider are here too. They are the hikers I hung out with at the restaurant until midnight. Great to see them.One thing I have noticed about all of us hikers is that we all become great friends almost instantly! Looking forward to being back at it tomorrow. I will leave NJ and go into NY.
Date: 2013-06-15
From: zero nada nothing relaxed

To: mombasha point
Miles today: 20.9

I got to sleep in a bit this morning since my ride back to the trail was at 9. It was so nice to be back on the trail with blue skies! I really enjoyed the day and just cruised. Around noon I crossed into NewYork and stopped for lunch. The first few miles of the trail in NY were really hard to follow. After a while the trail dropped back into the woods and I met smooth. We hiked together for an hour or two. Once we got to a hwy he went into town and I kept heading north. I didn't have a set place of where I wanted to camp but I wanted to do more than 17 miles. Around the 19 mile mark I found several cool campsites by a waterfall but it was .1 from a hwy and on a Saturday night I prefer to be away from the roads. So I headed on to the top of mombasha mtn. At the top I met a guy who is out for a week and he was also looking for a place to camp. The top of the mountain is a flat slab of rock and a road is about a mile north so I decided to stay here. Since we are supposed to have good weather tonight and I can't set my tent up on rock I decided to sleep under the stars. 1st time to do so on the AT. It is good to be in New York!
Date: 2013-06-16
From: mombasha point

To: ridge on west mountain
Miles today: 19.6

The stars were so pretty last night. I woke up at 5:30 this morning and watched the sunrise. After that I wen back I sleep until 7. I left soon after and made my way north. Around mid morning I met buddy backpacker. He is a 5 year old that is trying to bet the youngest person to ever complete a thru hike. They started in harpers ferry going north then once they get to Maine they will go back to harpers and go south to GA. He was a cool kid with a lot to say. After that it was on to the lemon squeezer and a few steep climbs that required me to use my hands to climb up. It was a lot of fun and a good warm up for what is ahead of me. New York is very pretty. The mountains are getting bigger and the hiking is slowly getting tougher. Towards the end of the day I got to a lookout to where I could barely see the NYC skyline. With the haze it would come and go but you could make out a few buildings. A local that I met gave me some fresh fruit that I didn't recognize. It was delicious. Tonight I am camped on a ridge with great view to the west. Looking forward to a great sunset if I can stay awake for it. Bear mtn tomorrow,I get to go through a zoo, and the lowest point on the AT.
Date: 2013-06-17
From: ridge on west mountain

To: Dennytown Road
Miles today: 21.8

Took my time leaving this morning since the zoo didn't open until 10. I left camp around 9 and descended west mountain and started the climb up bear mountain. Bear mountain was an awesome climb with a lot of views. The mountains are starting to get a lot better. On the way up bear I was walking on exposed rock most of the time and mountain laurel was blooming everywhere. Once I got to the top I met up with beacon and we hiked down together and went through the zoo. I was excited to go through the zoo but it was a lot smaller than I expected it to be. They only had a few animals and one reptile exhibit. After the zoo beacon and I went separate ways, i went north over the Hudson River and he hitches into town. As I hiked up from the Hudson a thunderstorm hit and rained pretty hard for about 10minutes. I didn't bother putting on a rain jacket since it was pretty warm out. Then at the 7 mile mark I approached a hwy and out of nowhere appeared a gas station with a deli and pizza place. T was a miracle! I didn't expect to see one there and I was so happy that it wasn't a mirage. Frodo was there eating a hamburger and I join him. I ended up hanging out there with frodo, beacon, goat, foxy, and tommy hawk for about three hours. After we ate a man came up to beacon frodo and I and gave us $7 to split. So we debated on what to get...we ended up getting 3 slices of pizza and a $1 lottery ticket. We didn't win unfortunately. The grand prize was $2,100 and if we would've won we were going to go into NYC. Then the randomness continued when two people rode up on these tiny bicycles and told us they were heading to the Rocky Mountains to start there own village and over throw the government. I saw a few holes in there plan but I told them good luck. Then we relaxed for a bit more before I hiked on. I originally want to go 12 more miles but I was running out of daylight so I only made 8. It was a great day on the AT. I am loving my time out here and it has been incredible. I am doing a quick resupply tomorrow where I will buy bug spray...the mosquitoes are horrible.
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Dennytown Road

To: morgan stewart shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a really quiet day on the trail....first one in a while. I camped by myself last night and I got a bit of a late start. I woke up around 7 and didn't feel like moving. So I read for a while and finally started hiking a bit before 9. The trail was really clear today and well marked. The goal for the day was to get to a deli that was 17 miles away. Not much happened on the way there. I had lunch on top of Shenandoah mtn with a great view. After that I hiked another 5 miles and met a Peter a local trail maintainer. He was weed eating a section of the trail that was overgrown. I am super thankful for his work because the less weeds the less of a chance for ticks. After I talked to him for a bit I had 5 miles to the mountain deli. I hung out there for about three hours relaxing, eating, talking with friends, and drinking tons of Gatorade. When I can hydrate with water and Gatorade it makes so much of a difference. A bit before 7 I headed back to the trail and hiked another 5 miles to the shelter. Those last 5 miles went by incredibly fast. I was there before I knew it and I had to pull out my maps to make sure i was at the right place. Kinder is hear also, she is hiking south for a few days. We chatted for a while before I went to setup my tent. I wanted to sleep in the shelter since it is lightly raining but there were a lot of mosquitoes in the shelter. Connecticut tomorrow!Goodnight
Date: 2013-06-19
From: morgan stewart shelter

To: ten mile river shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: broken clouds

It was a chilly night last night. I have been sleeping with my sleeping bag at my feet but last night I had to get in it. It was great sleeping weather! I woke up early this morning and started reading. I read for about an hour and then fell asleep for a bit more. It was a lazy morning and I didn't start hiking until 10. A very late start but oh well. The morning rolled by without much activity. After lunch I passed the Dover oak the largest oak tree on the AT. Then I went up and over a small mountain and descended to the metro north railway. As I was doing so I met two lady's that were out enjoying the day. We talked for a bit and they asked me if I wanted to go into town with them to grab some food and they would bring me back to the trail. I will never ever turn down such am offer. So we went into pawling, NY. It was a really nice town with a lot to see. We ended up at a restaurant out of town. It was a great lunch with Betty and Michelle! They asked all about my hike and went above and beyond in helping me out. They even insisted I order dessert! They were really cool people and it was a great way to spend my last day in NY. After that they brought me to the trail and I started out to hike 10 more miles. The trail was pretty muddy all day bit manageable and I was able to get into camp before dark. I also made it into Connecticut! It was an amazing day on the trail great weather, scenery, and people! Can't beat it! Looking forward to my visit in kent ct tomorrow!
Date: 2013-06-20
From: ten mile river shelter

To: stewart hollow brook shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

It was another cold night last night. I had a great campsite and a great night of sleep. I only had 9 miles to go before I got into Kent so I took my time getting there. The first part of the trail followed the 10 mile river and the rapids were very strong. It was cool to see! Then it was up a pretty nice climb to several great views of the river and a golf course below. The trail has been really quiet the last few days. I am between bubbles of hikers. When I got to the road I walked a mile into town. Kent is a really nice and typical New England town. I stopped by the outfitter, grocery store, PO, and then a lunch place. While I was in town I was in search of a small thing of bug spray. I ended up finding one at the drug store. It is an all natural spray and it smells like cookies...it is kind of ridiculous but it seemed to work. People have been using spray with a lot of deet in it but deet will eat the nylon out of your socks. So a lot of people have quit using it. The big news of the day.....About 3 miles from my campsite I was descending a steep mtn and walking down a steep slab of rock. When I was nearing the bottom I slipped and fell for the first time on the entire trip. It was a record that I knew would be tough to keep up. It has come up a few times in conversation that I haven't fallen the entire trip am people are surprised. I wish I could've made it the whole way ha. After that I met up with a thru hiker that started a few days ago and he is doing a flip flop. It was a lot of fun to talk to him and to remember what it was like when I left springer. I got to camp early to get a good night of sleep and to get up early tomorrow for a big day. Oh tonight while I was cooking dinner I caught my leg on fire. I got it put out fairly quickly, no harm done.Goodnight
Date: 2013-06-21
From: stewart hollow brook shelter

To: Brassie brook shelter
Miles today: 31.0
Weather: light rain

I got started a few minutes after 7 this morning with plans to go 26 miles so I could resupply on denatured alcohol. The morning went by fairly fast and without to much excitement. Right before my lunch break I heard a noise to my right and I spotted a timber rattlesnake. This one was the biggest that I have seen on the trail. He noticed me and curled up and started rattling his tail. I got a few good pictures and a video. Then it was down to the shelter for lunch. After lunch I knew I needed to pick up the pace if I was going to make it into Salisbury before 6. So the afternoon was spent walking nonstop. Around three or so I was on a ridge about to descend into great falls and I had a view of lime rock park. It is a racetrack and they had some type of cars driving around it making tons of noise. It wasn't NASCAR or formula 1 but the other cars....I don't know what they are called. After that I descended into the small town of great falls. I hiked past the high school and back into the woods. I took a break along the housatonic river to give the gear shop in Salisbury a call. I asked them if they could leave some denatured alcohol by the door since I would be getting there after they close and ill leave money. They were glad to help me out thankfully! So I pressed on from the river and passed the waterfalls of great falls and they were a lot bigger than I expected them to be. It was a nice surprise. After that it was up and over prospect mtn and down into Salisbury. On the descent I had great view of the ridge line to the north, the mtns are getting bigger and the scenery is getting better too. I reached town and my goal for the day but I still had to find a place to camp. So I climbed out of town looking for a flat spot and water....water was easy but the flat spot was tough to come by. I ended up cooking at the base of the climb before I found a campsite so I would have that out of the way. After a while I realized I might as well go to the next shelter. So I decided to celebrate the summer solstice with a big mile day. I decided to go over 30 for old times sake. I got to camp late and there are a few weekenders here but no one else. I am pretty tired and looking forward to a good night of sleep. I am 4 or so miles from the Connecticut- Massachusetts border. It is nice to be in and out of states so fast now.
Date: 2013-06-22
From: Brassie brook shelter

To: albany, ny
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: few clouds

I slept in a bit this morning since I didn't get into camp until after 8. I woke up around 7 and relaxed and read in my tent until 9. Then it was up and over bear, race, and Everett mountains. All of them had pretty tough climbs up and down. They were all similar with really rocky ascents and descents. I had some great views off of race mtn and in the gap between bear and race. When I was in the gap I hiking along sages ravine. It was a pretty big creek with a lot of waterfalls. After those three mtns it was down into the valley crossing over to the next mountain range to take me north. While I was crossing the valley I was battling mosquitoes and trying to decided of I was going to cut the day short or try my luck at getting a quick hitch into great barrington to resupply. As I was walking a saw a guy in a purple gown and hat walking to me. When he saw me he instantly turned around and sprinted in the opposite direction. It gave me a strange feeling that something was going on and I would run into them again. As I hiked I slowed down and I was just paying attention to my surroundings....kind of getting ready for a fight ha. I came around a corner and saw three guys one sitting on a log, another in a tree, and the other standing between them. They were all making crazy noises. As I approached I asked if they were ok... One slightly looked like my brother but I wasn't 100% sure so I was still on edge. I stopped and looked at them and thought I recognized the other as Aaron and the other I had no clue who it was. They finally took off there hats and it was great to see my brother, Aaron, and Andy. They flew into Boston this morning and drove out to the trail to surprise me. It was a great surprise and a perfect time to see them. We then headed into Albany NY to get a room for the night. Once settled in we searched for a place to eat....it was a tough task. In Albany, two of the top three restaurants in the city are chilis and outback...it's kind of a lame city haha. We struggled o find a place but finally did. They are all asleep now after a long day of traveling and I is about that time for me too. Blessed to have great family and friends that genuinely care about you and what you are doing. Goodnight world
Date: 2013-06-23
From: albany, ny

To: stealth camp 1516.9
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: few clouds

Great day just hanging out an relaxing. We had breakfast at the hotel and then headed back to Great Barrington for the day. I had to do the usual town routine of resupplying and what not. Other than that we walked around town and enjoyed the day. I am so glad they came up, meant so much to me! I am so thankful for the blessing of friendship. They brought me back to the trail a bit before six and I hiked past a marker of the last battle of shays rebellion. I only went a mile or so to a flat spot and setup camp. Ben Andy and Aaron came as found me for one last goodbye dressed in their beard hats. It was a great break from the trail! Looking forward to getting a good night of sleep tonight and an early start in the morning.
Date: 2013-06-24
From: stealth camp 1516.9

To: Shaker campsite
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I didn't leave camp until 9 this morning, a good bit later than what I planned. Once on the trail I had a few more miles in the valley before climbing up the ridge. The mosquitoes were the worst they have been today. I used my repellant but I was sweating it off... So I hiked as fast as possible to get on top of the ridge for some relief from the bugs. Once on top I was able to slow down and enjoy the day almost bug free. I didn't have many views today but I did walk above a deep ravine between two mountains, along with several ponds. After lunch I crossed a hwy and ran into a group doing trail maintenance and they gave me homemade Oreo's! They were delicious! The rest of the day I cruised and enjoyed how quiet the woods were. Around 4 I could here thunder way in the distance and I picked up my pace to try to get to my goal for the day. Around 5:15 the sky was dark and I could see flashes of lightning through the trees. Thankfully I was descending off of the ridge when the weather got to me. I hiked fast mainly to try to beat the rain but it started pouring about a mile from my campsite. It rained very hard and started to hail. Luckily the hail was small and I couldn't feel it through my jacket. The trail flooded very fast with the hard rain and I made it into camp about 15 minutes later. I got here around 6 an two other tents were setup. Not sure who they are but I haven't gotten out of mine since I got here. Today is the first time that I have looked ahead in my guidebook to see what the elevation profile of the whites looks like....they are big! I am getting super excited for Vermont and then New Hampshire and obliviously Maine.
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Shaker campsite

To: Cookie Lady's House
Miles today: 21.0

I had a great start this morning and really cruised for the entire day. My hiking style has changed a lot the past few weeks. I take the entire day to get to my goal no matter how far it is away. I find a comfortable pace, take several breaks, and just enjoy the trail. The mosquitoes were manageable today and I am extremely thankful for the relief. A bit before noon I met a group of section hikers from Tennessee. As we said our goodbyes I told them that hearing their Southern accents is a blessing to my day. Haha. Anyway from there I hiked on to the cookie lady's house were I am camping for the night. Before I started my hike I was following Hoosiers trail journal and I finally met him. We are both here at the cookie ladies house and we are going to hike into dalton tomorrow. Not sure if I am going to stay or go from there. Anyway I am loving every minute out here.
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Cookie Lady's House

To: mark noepel shelter
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: light rain

I woke up refreshed ready to go this morning. I took my time packing up and Hoosier and I left the cookie lady's house a bit before 7. We talked the for all 11 miles into Dalton, MA and the time flew by. I really enjoyed the morning and the conversation was extremely encouraging. We stopped for breakfast at a sandwich shop in dalton and relaxed for a few hours. The shop sold Zapps chips! This made my day! Zapps are made in Louisiana and they are hands down the best chip ever made. Good to see a taste of the bayou in New England. After breakfast Hoosier and I went different ways and I continued hiking north. The trail went up and over the cobbles and down to Cheshire. I stopped in Cheshire to grab my second ice cream cookie for the day.....they bring a smile to my face every time on a hot day. After that it was halfway up mount greylock, the first big mountain since central Virginia. The big climbs and descents are beginning. They say when you have done 80% of the trail you have only done 20% of the work. It is hard to believe that I will cross into Vermont tomorrow. I am also resupplying tomorrow. I am camped at a shelter and I am the only thru hiker here along with several section hikers. The thru hikers have really thinned out the last few days.. Oh and I don't know how my picture on my previous journal was just of me....I changed it.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: mark noepel shelter

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: light rain

I had another early start this morning and I am trying to make it a habit. It is so nice to knock out miles early in the day and cruise the rest. I was the first one on the trail this morning and I knocked down hundreds of spider webs as I finished the climb up greylock. On top of the mountain there is a resort and a towering monument. On the side of the tower there was a huge engraving dedicating the tower to fallen veterans and there was a misspelled word! I laughed and thought man someone felt like an idiot. After that it was down down down into the town of north Adams to resupply. I had to hitch in and out of town and it took me a total of a minute to get them. So nice to be picked up so fast. While I was in town I had lunch and I ordered the complete wrong thing. I wanted a burger with portobello cheese...so I ordered that off of menu...but once I received my meal I realized I had to of misread the menu... I received a huge mushroom covered in portobello cheese between two buns. I ate it but never again ha. I will be sure to read more carefully next time. After that I got a quick hitch out and started my climb and approach to Vermont. It was surreal to cross into VT. It is great to be here. I got to the shelter before the rain and I am the only one here tonight. It is an old shelter with character. I treated myself to a bath in the creek, hope I didn't kill to many things downstream! Enjoying the shelter and a quiet night. Oh and I saw some moose tracks today (not the ice cream). Not to many folks on the trail today. I am going to sleep well tonight! I'm expecting a thank you note from Milky Way and twix after my hike, I have to be the #1 customer