morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-09
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

It was nice to leave the Brink Road Shelter this morning at 6:00 am. They decided to go for breakfast at Culver¢s Gap, only 3 or so miles away, where there are stores and restaurants. Bama reached the Gap first and was sitting on a bench outside a fresh bagel shop, Joe¢s To Go, just left off the trail. While she was talking to me, the owner came outside and told Bama to move her pack from in front of his shop. He also wouldn¢t let her use his restroom, even if she was a customer. When Little Wing caught up, they decided to go in there anyway and order some breakfast sandwiches. Cash only - no credit cards - no checks. They bought an extra and will split it later for lunch. The owner wasn¢t a very nice guy, but he made good sandwiches.Bama stopped at the Culver fire tower for a rest and the view. Very nice. While she was there she saw some thru-hikers come by that she had met at the church hostel in Delaware Water Gap, Ork & Bean and Treehugger and Rip. They shared some fresh cherries they had with them. Bama is enjoying the vistas and the nice views ¢ again a nice change from Pennsylvania, where if you don¢t look at your feet, you¢re going to get hurt. Everyone agreed to stop at the Sunrise Mountain Pavilion for lunch. Bama and Little Wing had their sandwich from Joe's to Go. Bama said the view was beautiful. Bama and the others with her decided to stop at Rutherford Shelter rather than going the next two miles to the High Point State Park. This tuned out to be a mistake. The shelter is a small, grungy shelter made of logs with a tin roof. The privy is a disaster and couldn¢t comfortably be used. There is tall grass and weeds all around and the shelter itself is full of wasps nests and even has a nest with baby birds. Mosquitoes are swarming everywhere. Oh well, maybe a DEET bath is in order tonight and everyone can pray for morning to come quickly.Bill
Date: 2006-07-11
From: Unionville, NY

To: Vernon, NJ - back in New Jersey
Miles today: 11.8

Today Bama and the crew of six at Unionville had an excellent breakfast at Sara¢s Soda Shop. Really nice town. Back to the NJ bogs and boardwalks (puncheons) and the mosquitoes. Everyone on trailjournals.com is complaining about the hordes of mosquitoes ¢ obviously a result of the recent floods. Bama said that anyone hiking this area needs to invest in a mosquito head net.At one point after Unionville at Walkill National Wildlife Preserve, a former sod farm that turned into a preserve, the group renamed it ¢Mosquito Preserve.¢ It was just Awful, Awful, Awful. Words can¢t describe the mosquitoes. It is demoralizing and makes hiking painful ¢ even on flat ground. Bama, Little Wing and Drum decided to exit at Vernon, NJ after hearing thunder for a break, but following heavy rains made them hang around and they decided to stop. They went to Heaven Hill Farms for snacks and had fruit and ice cream. The rain wasn¢t stopping so they went to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel for the night. A real nice guy, an AT trail maintainer, Shamrock, gave Bama, Little Wing, and Drum a ride to the door and agreed to them up tomorrow at 7:00 am for a hitch back to the trail. Once at the hostel, they had a shower and did laundry. Windtalker & Mom, Sleepy the Arab, Rusch Hour, Indiana and Mulligan are also at St. Thomas. The hostel has nice facilities, with cable TV, phone and Internet connections.Tomorrow? Maybe an overnight at Greenwood Lake, NY after Bama¢s official entry into New York State at AT mile marker 1352.1 (only 822.5 miles to Mt. Katahdin!!!!).Bill
Date: 2006-07-15
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: Palisades Interstate Parkway
Miles today: 7.4

After cleaning out the men¢s trash, Fingerboard Shelter was now ready for the usual stinky, dirty thru-hikers (hey, but it¢s OK, they¢re thru-hikers - Grin). In addition to Bama and Little Wing, Windtalker & Mom came in and decided to tent and then another thru-hiker came in who shared the shelter. Update: About 5AM this morning while Bama was packing up, she saw birds flying into the shelter. She thought it was strange for birds to be flying around this early and thought they must have a nest in the shelter. Then she realized that they were not birds, but BATS. About the time she realized they were bats, the unknown hiker next to her jumped up and covered his head. He was afraid that they would attack him and Bama was afraid they would fly into her hair. The guy covered his head in his sleeping bag, Bama put on her hat and kept on packing. This morning Bama and Little Wing took off for Fort Montgomery, NY. On their way up trail, they passed by the William Brien Memorial Shelter (about six miles). It was very bad looking, dirty and trashy. It was very hot - in the 90s - Bama stopped at streams to get water to splash on her to cool off. They headed on to the Palisades Interstate Parkway Visitors Center.Tom, a friend of Little Wing, drove over from Queens (NYC) to meet them at the visitor center and take them to the Palisades Motel on the Hudson River. This area is very near Bear Mountain and the U.S. Military Academy up river at West Point, NY. After baths and a little clean-up for return to civilization, Tom drove Little Wing and Bama into lower Manhattan to his office on the 46th floor. The office conference room is on a corner. From one side you can look down into Ground Zero where the Twin Towers stood, and from the other side you can you can see the Statue of Liberty. I am really jealous.Afterwards, a Chinese dinner at the World Financial Center, little laundry, some food shopping. Bama was impressed by all the people downtown, walking, skating, dancing ¢ activity everywhere. Certainly not like our cities in the South. And funny, she noticed, there weren¢t a lot of overweight people either.Tomorrow, Tom will drop them back off at the Palisades Visitor Center. With any luck, they¢ll make the Graymoor Friary tomorrow evening and sleep under their pavilion.. The next 4-5 days are supposed to be rain free.Bill
Date: 2006-07-18
From: RPH Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: scattered clouds

After the big fais do-do (Cajun for big party/dance) last night, Bama probably slept very well. Enough good things cannot be said about the volunteers who maintain the trail and the Trail Angels.Back to business today and an early start. Bama was thinking about all the maintainers she met and talked with last night and remembered one man trail-named ¢Elvis Trailsley¢ who maintained a section of the AT not very far north of RPH Shelter. Well, about that time, up pops Elvis and he joins Bama and Little Wing to hike his section of the trail with them. He reached the turn-off to his house which is ¢about 400 steps¢ from the AT, and asked the girls to stop in for something to eat or drink. Elvis is retired, but his wife still works ¢ he keeps busy grooming the trail. Bama said their house was to die for, pool, everything and almost on the trail - beautiful.They had some tea and Gatorade and chatted for about a half-hour before the ol¢ time card clock began ticking in Bama¢s head and it was time to get back on the trail. He joined them for the rest of his section and said good-bye as the girls headed off in the green. Thanks, Elvis Trailsley!Still hot and getting hotter. Sweat, sweat, sweat. Ain¢t sweat great? Many lovely vistas and a climb up Stormville Mountain, than back down, than back up Mt. Egbert. I sure hope Bama¢s getting pictures. Then down again to Nuclear Lake. The United Nuclear Corporation had a site near Nuclear Lake for nuclear-fuel testing and research. In 1972 two non-nuclear explosions released plutonium dust in the area and the corporation was forced to close. The National Park Service had all the buildings removed and the area restored. The site is now free of contamination and is perfectly safe, so said the trail maintainers. Some locals want it renamed New Clear Lake to reflect how beautiful the area really is.Well, nuclear or not, Bama and Little Wing decided this was the right time and the right place and they jumped into the lake to cool off (after removing their boots, of course). After a refreshing dip and rinsing off the accumulated salt from hair and clothes from sweating all day, they headed to the Telephone Pioneers Shelter. Coincidently, Bama was a member of the Telephone Pioneers before she retired from BellSouth. Too bad they didn¢t put a phone in the shelter.No one was at the shelter when they arrived. Identity Crisis and Treehouse came up later and managed to convince themselves to go into nearby Pawling, NY. Maybe some others will straggle in later. Ah, cooled off and plenty of room tonight. If Bama and Little Wing begin to glow when it gets dark, the lake was a bad idea. 744.2 miles to Mt. Katahdin!Bill
Date: 2006-07-19
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Hoyt Road - Connecticut border - 10th State
Miles today: 10.2

Another beautiful day in NY state. It was much cooler and breezy on the trail. Bama said this stretch of the AT was very pretty. A short distance from the shelter was the Appalachian Trail railroad crossing that hikers can use to ride into NYC.The trail from here was pretty level and no big hills like yesterday. After the Pawling (NY) trail preserve, they passed the Wiley (Webatuck) Shelter and soon came up on Hoyt Road, a connector to Wingdale, NY where Bama and Little Wing were going to have to find a way to get into the village (3.5 miles) to pick up their mail drops from the post office ¢ remember, it is illegal to hitch hike in New York.Then ¢ a Trail Magical thing happened. A Trail Angel family that lives in nearby Connecticut (they¢re on the state border here) has left out lounge chairs and lots of wonderful Trail Magic. Bama and Little Wing were kicking back and relaxing and having snacks and drinks when the ¢Angel¢ herself appeared. She said her family had started doing this some time ago when a friend of theirs thru-hiked the trail and commented on the kind people and Trail Angels who made the day¢s hike a little nicer. They decided this would be a family project and refill this Magic station twice a day during thru-hiking season.Well, one conversation led to another and Bama and Little Wing found themselves transported into Connecticut on Trail Angel wings for their post office pick-up, lunch, shopping and what ended up an invitation to the family¢s home for the evening with the ever-desired hot bath, laundry, dinner and a dip in the family¢s swimming pool. Ya know, you just have to sit back sometimes and let the kindness and generosity of strangers settle into your soul and ask yourself, ¢What did I do to deserve this?¢ Thanks, Angels! Lovely day, just lovely.Bama and Little Wing will enjoy tonight and be rested for tomorrow ¢ they¢ll need it. After they get back on the trail in Connecticut, the terrain heads UP again with the Ten-Mile Hill and a summit at Indian Rocks. With any luck, they¢ll make the Stewart Hollow Lean-to for the night (in Connecticut and Massachusetts, the ¢shelters¢ are called ¢lean-tos¢). Slowly, but surely, they are headed out of the difficulties of the Mid-Atlantic states and back into the mountains and cooler forests of New England.Bill
Date: 2006-07-20
From: Hoyt Road Crossing

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 11.5

Short and sweet today. After a fabulous evening with the Trail Angel family, the girls were up and at ¢em this morning to get back on the trail but the Trail Angels had different plans. They insisted that Bama and Little Wing stay with them again tonight. I don¢t know who is entertaining whom, but I¢m sure there are some great stories and trail tales being traded by both sides. Wish I were there!After a drop-off back at Hoyt road, Bama and Little Wing hiked the trail toward Kent, CT. Up several large, rocky hills that had been described by other thru-hikers as dangerous, but they were in wet, stormy conditions. Weather today was perfect. No problems. A quick break at Mt Algo Lean-to then on to Kent where they would be picked up again by Mama Trail Angel. Then followed lunch and some more chores and a trip to the outfitters in Kent. Bama is shopping some new boots, but didn¢t find what she wanted.Then back to the misery of a lovely home and family and pool. I¢m telling you, the privations and suffering of these thru-hikers cannot be grasped or understood by the average person (grin). Bama and Little Wing cannot thank these good folks enough.Tomorrow, sure enough, back to the trail and facing three to four days of heavy rain with departing tropical Storm Beryl and an approaching cool front from the Great Lakes guaranteeing rain. It¢ll be hopping from shelter to shelter to have a place to ride out the downpours. Bama will try for Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to tomorrow , a 17 miler.Bama sends sincere and humble thanks to all her supporters and wonderful folks who have encouraged her to complete this life¢s dream of thru-hiking the AT. Katahdin grows nearer . . .Bill
Date: 2006-07-21
From: Kent, CT

To: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 17.0

I¢m on my way to our hiking and outdoor club, the Vulcan Trail Association¢s, annual lake party. Bama will be sorely missed.Bama and Little Wing climbed out of Kent, CT and climbed Caleb¢s Peak, then back down where the trail runs parallel to the Housatonic River. Bypassing the Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to, then climbing back up Silver Hill above the town of Cornwall Bridge.They decided not to stay in the town ¢ still refreshed by the wonderful stay with the Trail Angel family ¢ and hiked on to Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to. Just before reaching the shelter, the sky opened up with a torrential downpour that drenched them. It only rained 20 minutes, but that was enough to soak everything. As they approached the shelter ¢ true to its ¢swamp¢ name, the mosquitoes descended. Yuck! Bama has gotten a lot of use of her bug head net.Little Wing decided to tent because of the mosquitoes; Bama stayed in the shelter. Besides Bama and Little Wing, there were four week-end hikers: two tented and two stayed with Bama in the shelter. Bama had just filtered her water for the night and cooked her dinner before the rain returned with a vengeance. Double yuck!Bill
Date: 2006-07-22
From: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to

To: US41 Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: moderate rain

After leaving Pine Swamp, Bama sloshed back to the trail in her wet clothes and gear hiking up a number of large hills (mountains) and then down to Falls Village, CT about lunch time. She and Little Wing went into town to see if there was any places to stay and dry out, but there weren¢t any. They settled for lunch at the Toy Makers Deli along the Housatonic river. It was very good. At 1:30 pm, it began to rain ¢ hard.Later on (still raining), Bama made her planned turn off the trail to go the half-mile to the Limestone Springs Lean-to, but the trail was a wet, extremely steep and slippery downhill drop. After only a short distance, she said the heck with this and turned around to go met Little Wing hiking toward her. They decided it would be a lot better to hike on 4 miles to town of Salisbury, CT rather than face a dangerous, slippery slide down to the shelter and possible flooding, etc. Plus, they had the time to do it. Salisbury is a picturesque and beautiful town (Wingfoot¢s AT guide calls it the quintessential New England town with white-steepled churches and tidy little businesses and town greens ¢ like the ones on the calendars the insurance company sends you). It was still raining hard when they reached town. The good news ¢ there were no bug problems in the rain.They called Maria McCabe, a local widow who opens her house up to thru-hikers. After a short walking tour around the town to find Maria¢s, they got cleaned-up and had a good hot shower. Afterwards, Maria took them to do laundry and get pizza. Bama really like this German native and enjoyed her company.Bama and Little Wing have not seen anyone on the trail they know for a few days and few others. Bama said she wonders if everyone left the trail and didn¢t tell them (grin).Note: One of the best thrills of today was Bama being able to talk with all her "family," the members of the Vulcan Trail Club in Birmingham, AL. As I pointed out yesterday, this was our annual Lake Party Meeting. Bama got to talk to most everyone in the club who were at the lake and it was a very uplifting and positive experience. I know that her "tank is full" from all the encouragement and love she received from her friends. Katahdin can't stop her now!Bill
Date: 2006-07-24
From: Race Brook Falls

To: Tom Leonard Lean-to
Miles today: 16.2

This morning Bama made her planned, tough climb up Mt. Everett but was treated with Trail Magic, but not the kind you eat or drink. After passing thru fog on her way up, she arrived to find clear sky and a beautiful blanket of clouds completely covering the lower elevations below her as far as the eye could see. But visible were the tops of the nearby mountains - Bear Mountain, Mt. Bushnell, Mt. Wilcox, Race Mt. and others. Bama said they looked like little green islands on a white sea, with wonderful colors of the sunrise mixed in. Breathtaking is sort of an overused word, but she said this really was. She had to stop hiking just to sit and enjoy it. Thanks, God!Little Wing came up and the two of them sat and watched a little while longer before negotiating the very steep trail downward ¢ about a drop of 2,000 vertical feet. They came up on Jug Road and were treated to more Trail Magic, this time the kind you eat. Windtalker and Mom¢s parents were waiting on them with nice conversation and delicious apples, Bama¢s favorite fruit. The girls headed off after a visit and the Trail Angels waited for Windtalker and Mom to show up. Thanks, Guys!After more really wicked rocks, Bama and Little Wing encountered lots of swampy areas and also farm lands - they got it all today! Lunchtime break was at US Hwy 7 at a nearby roadside nursery and fruit stand called the Corn Crib. We had heard that they served meals, but alas, no cooked food service. Bama had to make do with fresh fruit, beef jerky, ice cream, chocolate milk and soft drinks. As a tease, the trail got really nice again, along side the Housatonic River ¢ Bama said a real walk in the park ¢ then fun over and up they went again on the *%#! Rocks and boulders.Bama ran into Kilgore Trout and it was good to see him again. He warned Little Wing and her about the mosquito alley they were headed into. Bama has also started seeing more SOBOs and met Goat and Stretch who left Mt. Katahdin on June 5th. Later she also met Bird Nut and Pyro. The number of SOBOs are picking up and the number of NOBOs are dropping off as attrition sets in and NOBOs have left the trail for one reason or another. The SOBOs will be very helpful in describing the trail and tricks and treats to experience behind them. So far she¢s seen about seven. Bama also heard trail talk that three of their hiking friends were diagnosed with Lyme disease and were being treated with antibiotics, but fortunately still on the trail. Another had broken his foot on the rocks and had to be transported out. Bummer!They reached Tom Leonard Shelter and it was nice! Loft, bunks, plenty of room and roof out over a picnic table and nobody there but them. As Kilgore Trout said, the mosquities were TERRIBLE! Bama and Little Wing said they would entertain themselves by slapping and killing mosquitoes until they were tired of it and then try go to bed. It should be cool with a low of 58*, so maybe that will slow down the bug attacks.Bill
Date: 2006-07-26
From: Tyringham, MA

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

Happy 4th Month on the trail anniversary, Bama! Her accumulated state AT mileage is at end of the journal entry.Bama got a good night¢s rest at the Tyringham pavilion ¢ finally! She was in her tent so there were no mosquito problems and the music from the stream and the absence of nocturnal critters allowed her to sleep. She and Little Wing didn¢t leave town until 7:30 am. They hit the trail and headed off to Upper Goose Pond, about 8 miles away.Arriving about noon, no one was at the cabin. The hikers from the night before had moved on and the caretaker was gone. The breakfast dishes had been washed and were in the drying rack outside. Upper Goose Pond Cabin is owned by the National Park Service and managed by Appalachian Mountain Club ¢ Berkshire Chapter volunteers. Located on the AT in the southwest corner of Massachusetts, in the heart of the Berkshires, Upper Goose Pond is exclusively for thru-hikers and section hikers of the AT.It¢s open Memorial Day through Labor Day and spring and fall weekends only. It includes a cabin with six double-bunks, four tent platforms, kitchen with four-burner propane stove and oven, covered porch, privy, and a caretaker Memorial Day through Labor Day. The caretaker also offers a pancake breakfast for a $3.00 donation. No reservations. No dogs inside and must be leashed outside. For information, contact Linda Cysz, 125 Laurel St., Lee, MA 02138, (413-243-0245), or Debbie Klaber at 212-942-6910. Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is America's oldest nonprofit conservation and recreation organization.Bama and Little Wing took advantage of the solitude to jump into the lake (pond) and soak up the cool water and rinse out some of the accumulated salt. They read and relaxed until 3:45 pm when the caretaker, Deborah, showed up. Since the cabin has no potable water source of its own, the caretaker must fetch water from a spring across the pond. Bama volunteered to paddle a canoe with her to get the night¢s and next morning¢s water supply. Bama said that it was fun and she enjoyed getting back into a canoe. It¢s been a while since we have been able to get out on the water with our Birmingham hiking club.Later on, ol¢ buds Rusch Hour, Identity Crisis, Indiana, Treehouse & Slick B showed up. Bama said there was also a section-hiking couple, Sunshine and Lost & Found, who have almost completed the entire AT one section at a time ¢ a respected alternative to thru-hiking, especially for working folk who can¢t take six months off.Tomorrow, fresh blueberry pancakes for breakfast.BillState AT mileage so far:GA-75 milesNC & TN-374 milesVA-544 milesWV-2.4 milesMD-41 milesPA-232 milesNJ-74 milesNY-88 milesCT-52 milesMA-90 miles