morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Wind Gap

To: Delaware water gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: broken clouds

Up at 4:30 with a cold oatmeal b-fast again. We wanted to hike early enough to avoid the heat. The terrain was full of jagged rocks so it was slow going all the way to the water gap. We stopped at the church hostel and dumped our gear then made our way to the pizzaria. I had pizza and beer then had a chocolate milkshake for dessert. Later I had a cheeseburger and fries at the diner. By the end of the day I had 4 milkshakes. I think I was craving them. There were a lot of hikers at the diner. There was: Yoshi, Redbeard, Fortune-cookie, Aloha, Bloody Mess, Hiker-cyclist, and Soft Lipped Swamp Donkey. The rest of the night was spent recovering from dinner. Back at the hostel I met Tinkerbell and hindsfeet. Later, Mountain goat showed up and Dancing Bear and Spook came through.
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Delaware water gap

To: Sunfish Pond
Miles today: 6.1

I slept in today and decided to repack my bag. I dumped everything out again and made some tough decisions on what to keep and what to send home. On the going home list was: The top to my bag(The Brain), my Hammock and straps, Coffee cup (heavy metal), and then I cut more straps of my backpack. It ended up weighing 3.5lbs when I was done. Redbeard and I took a cab into East Stroudsburg in search of some tyvek house wrap that we could use to sleep on. Our search was a failure and we just spent a bunch of money on cab rides. By the time we spent all the money on cab rides we could have bought 150' of tyvek. After resting at the hostel we had dinner and decided to hike out when it cooled off. Me, redbeard, Fortune Cookie, and Superman hiked out around midnight. We crossed the Delaware river and entered New Jersey. We hiked up to Sunfish pondwhere we saw some of the biggest frogs I've ever seen. I couldn't help it so I caught one for a photo op. We stopped for a break underneath a no camping sign, and then promptly fell asleep for the night. It's not really camping if you just lay down and go to sleep right?
Date: 2006-06-21
From: Sunfish Pond

To: Viewpoint at 1306.7
Miles today: 21.1

We woke up when Bloody Mess walked by on the trail. We had a quick Breakfast and hiked to the Mohican Outdoor Center. Fortune Cookie and Bloody Mess hiked on. We had a couple sandwiches and sodas before we moved again. We caught up with FC and BM at a lake. We went swimming and laid out on the rocks at Blue Mountain lake. We hiked on to Brink Rd. Shelter and had dinner. As soon as the sun went down the mosquitos came out. It was really hot and there was no breeze so hiding in the sleeping bag was not an option. I tried putting on my rain jacket but believe it or not they can bite through that too. Red beard and I were fed up so we pack up and night hiked 3 miles up the next mountain and cowboy camped at a vista. There was a great view of the city and the stars were out. Better yet, there were no mosquitos.
Date: 2006-06-22
From: Viewpoint at 1306.7

To: Murray Property secret shelter
Miles today: 22.5

I woke up in time to see the sunrise but instead of hiking, I just went back to sleep. I thought FC and BM would wake us up when they came through but instead they took a picture and kept moving. Apparently, this was comical because when Hiker-Cyclist came through later, he took a picture too. We finally woke up when Neffa and Mountain Goat came through. At the top of the next mountain there was a pavillion. There were some benches there that were just perfect to take a nap on. So we did. We later stopped at high point state park where I guzzled water from the fountain like I just walked out of the sahara desert. While resting on the lawn of the visitors center I noticed a football lodged in the branches of a tree. Redbeard and I threw rocks at it till it came down. We threw the ball for a bit till it was time to go. I couldn't leave it so I took it to the next shelter. I left it at the murray property shelter so maybe some other hikers can enjoy it. The shelter was really nice and even had a shower. Although, it was cold but it felt great. There was a box fan inside that kept us cool and mosquito free.
Date: 2006-06-23
From: Murray Property secret shelter

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

We stopped in Unionville to resupply and have breakfast at Sarah's Place. Outside of town we passed through a marsh over a mile long boardwalk. A man with two dogs approached me. The dogs weren't on a leash and when I reached over to pet the dog I think my pack scared him. He jumped back a fell over the side of the boardwalk. It was about 6 feet down and full of water and weeds. I felt bad about it but I couldn't do much. The man had to jump down and pick up his dog to get him back on the boardwalk. I apologized and moved on. At a road crossing we noticed storm clouds coming up quick. We ducked into a local business and guess what they had. ICE CREAM! We had ice cream and waited out the downpour. Fortune Cookie let me borrow his phone to call Merrell and explain to them that my shoes were falling apart. Merrell told me that they exchanged shoes for thru-hikers once. Without hesitation they exchanged my shoes and sent a new pair to Kent, CT. At the shelter we hung up FC's tarp over the entrance to try and keep the mosquitos out. Fortunately it worked.
Date: 2006-06-24
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Green Pond Mtn.
Miles today: 23.0

Today we hiked in the rain. It was cold and wet and the ground was sloppy. We decided to cheer ourselves up with more ice cream. Wouldn;t you know it, there was an ice cream shop .1 off the trail. I had a banana split and hiked with no worries. We had lunch at Fitzgerald falls and completed the day with a roller coaster hike of ups and downs. We reached Harriman State park ready to camp but we didn't have any water. Luckily someone left some trail magic at the park entrance. There was enough water there to get us all through the night and the next morning. We found a campsite on top of Green Mtn and I cowboy camped again. I made a fire and set up a clothes line to dry out all our clothes. They dried out but I didn't take them off the line when we went to bed so in the morning they were wet again from the dew.
Date: 2006-06-25
From: Green Pond Mtn.

To: Graymoor Friary Pavillion
Miles today: 23.8

It started raining shortly after we left camp. We hiked through the lemon squeezer and took some pics. Later we stopped at lake Tiorati Circle for a little break. Bloody Mess had a bottle of concentrated soap that spilled in her bag. she washed it all out of her bag at the restrooms but still had some in her shorts liner. When we left the park it started raing again. We were soaked and when Bloody Mess showed up to the next shelter she had bubbles pouring out of her pants and down her legs. If this would have been earlier in the hike we would have had to change her trail name to bubble butt. We hiked on to Bear Mtn and caught a break in the weather. It cleared up for a bit but when we got to the top it poured again. We got a kick out of watching all the tourists run for cover. We all just sat there and took the opportunity to bathe. Not really, We just gathered our things and kept hiking. redbeard and I heard there was a concession stand at the bottom of the mountain. We ran down the mountain in the rain and found the stand. We pigged out and I could feel the eyes of strangers watching us. When the others showed up I didn't feel so bad because they had the same ravenous appetite. We passed through the zoo and through the northern gate off the park. The bear exhibit marked the lowest point on the trail at 124'. This of course meant that we go up now. We said goodbye to Hiker-Cyclist as he left for Fort Montgomery. we hiked on across the Hudson river and up into the clouds. It stopped raining when we got to the friary. The shelter was sponsored by a Friary and they had a cold shower available for us to use. Screams were often heard as a hiker stepped under the shower head. At the Pavillion was: Yoshi, Redbeard, Bloody Mess, Wrongturn, Patches, Tinkerbell, Hidsfeet, Biz, Coyote Beck, Gumby, Sandman, Delicious, Michelle, and Posey Picker.
Date: 2006-06-26
From: Graymoor Friary Pavillion

To: NY52 Danny's Pizzaria
Miles today: 24.0

The day started off with rain, rain, and more rain. My left shoe blew out by the toes and it was constantly filling with mud. I was also catching sticks in between my toes as I walked. We took a break and filled up on snacks and from the sugar rush we hiked fast. Sometimes we even ran and before we knew it we were at the pizzaria by 4:00. Redbeard and I split an 18" pizza and then Had a few more snacks. Bloody Mess showed up and ate too. when we were getting ready to leave, Bloody Mess asked the manager if there was a place for us to camp. He offered the back yard and told us to help ourselves to the water if we needed it. We resupplied at the convenient store and sat around for a while till it was time for bed. I set up my tarp and prepared for the rain. It came shortly after dark. I thought it was ok because it would at least keep the mosquitos away, which it did, but the ants found their way into my bag and kept me company all night.
Date: 2006-06-27
From: NY52 Danny's Pizzaria

To: Ten mile river lean-to
Miles today: 24.5

We left around 7:00 and it was pouring down. The locals, once again thought we were nuts for wanting to hike in this. To prepare, I took off my rain jacket and put it in my bag so it wouldn't get wet. Backwards huh? It was too hot to wear while hiking so I just suffered till I warmed up. Once we reached Nuclear Lake it cleared up and the sun came out. Yes, I said Nuclear! It's some old waste dump that the government says is all cleaned up now. We dried out our clothes and gear in the sun and relaxed by the lake. When we got to NY22 we found a hot dog stand on the side of the road. We couldn't resist. Two dogs,chips, and two sodas. Hey, this hiking stuff is hard work! A few miles later we ran into some great trail magic. I had some carrot cake and a pasta salad that was delicious. After that Redbeard and I caught up with Bloody Mess and hiked together. We ran into Biz and hiked with her too.. We all passed the New York-Connecticut border together. We had a full house at the ten mile lean-to. We had a light show put on for us by the lightning bugs in the field in front of the shelter. What a show!
Date: 2006-06-28
From: Ten mile river lean-to

To: Silver Hill Campsite
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: light rain

Shortly after we left camp it started raining again. We hiked into Kent Ct. and were ready to give in and get an expensive hotel room. Fortunately for our wallets they weren't open till 11:00. It was only 8:00 so we got breakfast and traied to stay dry. I checked the P.O. for my shoes but they hadn't showed up yet. I filled out a paper that would forward my package to Williamstown Ma. I resupplied and stopped at the outfitters to get some duct tape and tape my shoe back together. By the time the hotel opened, I had dried out and was ready to hike again. We could no longer justify spending the money for a room so we packed up and hit the trail. The tape held for a while, but we were walking through soggy trails frequented by cows. Often! We made our best of the boggy trail and hiked to Stewart Hollow Shelter. I met Cosmic Punchline there and we talked for a bit. We decided to move on to the next site. There was a nice long river walk then a steep ascent to a pavillion with two picnic tables. We arrived at dark and made dinner quickly. Biz set up her tent in the grass, Redbeard slept on the 2' wide rail that line the pavillion and Bloddy Mess and I each slept on a picnic table. The mosquitos came out in full force so I moved deep into my bag to avoid them. Two boy scouts stayed up in their tent talking and laughing all night and between them and the mosquitos I wasn't going to get any sleep. I snapped sometime around midnight. I shouted at the boyscouts,"Get his phone number" and they quickly quieted down. As for the mosquitos, I just had to put up with them.
Date: 2006-06-29
From: Silver Hill Campsite

To: Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: light rain

We woke up and had breakfast and discussed the events during the night. Biz packed up early and left. Shortly after she left the skies turned dark and the thunder and rain came. We decided to wait it out so we didn't start the day off in the rain. After we left camp we hiked in the mud and muck till we came to Guinea Brook. Brook, HA! It was a flash flood. A torrent of water. I saw where the trail led down some rock steps into the water and out the other side. There was no way I was going through that wall of water. We walked upstream till we found a way across. One by one with our pack belts unbuckled we walked, shimmied, scooted across the tree. We all made it across safely without incident and continued in the mud. We came to a hydro-electric plant where the water was dammed and diverted to the plant. There was so much water coming over the falls that all the locals were coming out to see it. Some local kayakers came out to take advantage of all the water. We sat and watched for a while then pressed on. After we left the falls we were rained on some more. We decided to walk into Salisbury, CT to get a burger and do some night-hiking. We walked up to the White Hart Inn and Restaurant and thought we might be a bit under-dressed. We asked for a table anyway and sat outside on the porch so we wouldn't offend anyone. We were greeted with questions from some ladies sitting next to us. They were interested in our hike and wanted to help. They offered us a place at a cabin on the lake where we could swim, kayak, and just relax. All we had to do was chop some wood. It sounded like a great deal. They gave us some time to talk it over while they left for ice cream. In the mean time, Redbeard met a man in the restaurant that asked about the trip. After he came back to the table the man came over and gave us two keys to a hotel room. He bought us a room for the night and said, "Don't worry about a thing, it's on me". We were blown away by this gesture. Of course, we took him up on his offer and enjoyed a night at the hotel. As we left, another man at the bar offered to buy us some drinks. We sat and had a few and enjoyed the company of some of the locals. Thanks guys for supporting our adventure and putting up with us for the night. Great times, great people.
Date: 2006-06-30
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Homes Rd. (Stealth Camp)
Miles today: 25.0

It was hard to get out of bed this morning. We were going to get up early but instead we slept in and enjoyed the comforts of a hotel. We decided we would hike late to make up for the late start. We stopped at Bear Mountain and enjoyed the views. We passed the CT-MA border and had some great views. We witnessed a rock slide just off the trail and watched it take out a tree. We hit Everett Mt. at sundown and had to hike down the north side in the dark. I fell twice hiking down and that only makes three times for the whole trip. We ended up sleeping on the side of the trail when we got tired.
Date: 2006-07-01
From: Homes Rd.

To: Blotz Rd
Miles today: 38.8

We awoke to Bloody Mess walking through our camp. She took a picture of us sleeping comfortably on the ground. We talked with her for a bit then she kept hiking. Shortly after she hiked up the hill, a coyote came running down the mountain side. He ran just beside our camp and didn't even notice us until he was right in front of our campsite. We were still sitting in our bags when he came through. We hiked with Bloody Mess to the upper goose pond trail. We intended to stay but when we got to the trail Redbeard decided he wanted to go on. We needed to make up some miles in order to meet his friend.
Date: 2006-07-02
From: Blotz Rd. 

To: MA2, State Rd. Williamstown
Miles today: 29.7

Our first stop of the day was in Dalton. We picked up some lunch at a sub shop and refueled at the gas station with some ice cream. We hiked on to the next town of Cheshire where there was another ice cream stand. We met Snapper there and we talked with her for a bit. We ran into C-Ram and hiked with him to the base of Mt. Greylock where his parents were doing trail magic. We didn't stay long because it was another 6 mile up Greylock. When we got to the top, the cabin was full and the skies were turning grey. We visited the observation tower, had a snack and decided to night hike down to Williamstown. It was a long and slippery hike down the North side of the mountain, but we made it in one piece. We walked to the Redwood Motel and saved a buck by sleeping in the grass behind the building.
Date: 2006-07-03
From: MA2, State Rd. Williamstown

To: Williamstown
Miles today: 0.0

We were up by 6:00 and craving some of the pastries we saw in the window at the grocery store the night before. We had breakfast at the grocery store while Redbeard tried to contact his buddy to pick us up for the 4th of July and go to Cape Cod. We were supposed to be picked up at 9:00AM but something came up and he couldn't make it. We went downtown to get my new shoes. I ordered some new ones from Merrell since the old ones wore out. The shoes were being forwarded from Kent CT. since I beat them there. However, they were not at the post office. I called Kent's Post Office and wouldn't you know it, they didn't forward them. I asked them to send them forward to Bennington Vt. instead. Because I was sure they would be at the PO I went ahead and threw them away the night before. Yeah, I know stupid, but I couldn't get another mile out of them. We had some ice cream on the front steps of the shop and were talking about where to camp for the night when a man and his daughter came up and asked us about our hike. After talking with them for a while he offered to let us shower at his house and camp in his backyard in his family sized tent. We quickly settled in and got some mosquito free rest.
Date: 2006-07-04
From: Williamstown

To: Williamstown
Miles today: 0.0

We were invited in for breakfast. We had scrambled eggs with fresh vegetables, toast, OJ, coffee, and fresh fruit. Wow, what a feast! I was very thankful for the breakfast. Their kindness meant a lot to us. Bob gave us a ride back to town and invited us back for a cookout this evening if we decided to stay. We thanked him and said goodbye. We watched the local 4th of July parade, had some coffe from the shop then left to do some laundry. We met another man that does a lot of hiking. He offered to give us a ride to Wal-mart since we needed to resupply and I needed some shoes. I bought a $23.00 pair of sneakers to get me to Bennington VT. He gave us a ride back and we bought him a coffee and sat around for a little while. Redbeard and I decided to stay another night since we were going to take off anyway. I picked up a carrot cake and headed back to Bob and Tina's House. We joined Bob, Tina, and Tyra for a cookout and then Tyra taught us how to play lacrosse. Its a lot tougher than it looks. They then treated us to a minor league baseball game and some fireworks. We were rained on during the fireworks show but we still thoroughly enjoyed it.
Date: 2006-07-05
From: Williamstown

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

Today we had to get back on the trail and do some hiking. Tina gave us a ride to the grocery store so we could pick up a few things before we left. Bob, Tina , and Tyra, thank you so much for your hospitality and kindness. We had a wonderful time getting to know you. After b-fast we crossed the Hoosi river and headed up the hill. We passed the MA-VT border today. Another one down. At the top of the first mountain we stopped for a break. There was some cooler air coming up from the rocks so we sat down and before we knew it we had taken a two hour nap. When I got up I noticed Garter snakes all over the rocks. Everywhere! I was just glad they weren't rattlesnakes. We hiked on for a fairly short day.
Date: 2006-07-06
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Bennington VT. "The Vortex"
Miles today: 4.3

We were supposed to get up early enough to catch a shuttle to town but instead we slept in and had to hitch-hike it. I was finally able to pick up my new shoes after chasing them half way across the northeast. We stopped at the gas station on our way out. I talked with the cashier for a while about our trip when a lady came in and asked who Redbeard was. When I told her it was Redbeard she said well you must be Yoshi. I looked at her funny and she said some other hikers stayed at their house the night before and said we were headed this way. She invited us to stop by for a bit. Her name is Arla and she let me use her computer to update some pictures since I couldn't do it at the library. We met Chris a little later and they invited us to stay. Some other hikers were staying there too. There was Bluebird and her dog Jasmine and Red-B and his dog LP. LP stands for low profile. He is a daschund and loves to hike the trail. We stayed the night and had a great time. We dubbed it the "vortex" because we couldn't leave.
Date: 2006-07-08
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Bromley Mtn shelter
Miles today: 27.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I used my bug net last night because they were so bad. It worked great and I was able to sleep comfortably. Redbeard, on the other hand looked like he had the chicken pox on his head. There were some great views at the top of the Stratton Mtn. observation tower. After a long day of hiking we decided to hitch the short distance into town for a quick dinner then keep going. We found Hiker-Cyclist in town then hitched back out and stayed at the Bromley Mtn Shelter.
Date: 2006-07-09
From: Bromley Mtn shelter

To: Greenwall Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: broken clouds

Redbeard woke up early this morning and was unusually ready to hike. We hike to the top of Bromley Mountain and enjoyed the views from the observation tower. We looked around a little bit and discovered that the warming hut was open and had a working telephone. I took advantage of this and made a few phone calls while Redbeard and Hiker-cyclist took another nap. Afterwards we couldn't resist the photo opportunites on the ski lift chairs. We hiked on and later in the day took a cold dip in the Big Branch creek. It was nice to feel clean again. I know we still stunk but I felt better. I fought the bugs again at the shelter untill I got in my bug net. I was glad I had it mailed out to me.
Date: 2006-07-10
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Rutland, VT.
Miles today: 25.2

We finally got moving around 8:00. A little late for such a long day ahead. We stopped in Clarendon VT at the whistle stop cafe and had some breakfast. Our next stop was at gould brook where we took another dip in the frigid waters. We hiked up to Killington Peak which was from 860' to 3,900'. It was a long hikeand at the top Redbeard said we might not make it to the hotel in time to pick up his package. we weren't sure what time they closed so we started running down the trail. We ran far, fast. 6 miles in 1 hour and 15 minutes. We had a lot of fun and arrived in plenty of time to pick up his package. It turned out that packages were held at the bar. Yeah, we had a drink. but then we ordered food too. Hiker-cyclist showed up and we caught the bus to Rutland. We decided to stay at a hostel called the Twelve Tribes Back Home Again Hostel. We got settled in and walked arounf town a bit. I finally got to talk to Redbeard's mom! hahaha