morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-04
From: Delaware Water Gap 

To: Delaware Water Gap 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I woke up early, packed up my clean clothes and the rest of my pack contents, and prepared to leave the Pocono Inn. I also checked the weather. It was going to rain most of the day. Few things are as disheartening for a thru hiker as getting everything clean and dry, and then have rain get everything wet.I decided to check out of the Pocono Inn, have breakfast at the Water Gap Diner, then go go the Church of the Mountain Hostel for the night. There would be no ice for my foot, but my gear and I would stay dry, and I could continue to let my left foot rest.Breakfast at the diner was good, at a good price and with large helpings. It was already drizzling as I left the diner. The hostel was full of hikers and was a beehive of activity. Some hikers were waiting out the rain before leaving and some were taking a zero. Some were trying to arrange shuttles. EVERYONE was doing something. I decided to sit at a table and catch up my paper journal. I also watched and listened, and tried to get to know some of the other hikers. I wrote all afternoon . At one point a very nice gentleman named Jack offered to shuttle hikers, free of charge, to Walmart. I only needed a small bottle of contact solution and asked Jack if he could pick some up for me. I did not want to take a seat in his car that another hiker needing to resupply could use. Jack not only picked up my contact solution, he refused to take any money from me, calling it trail magic. I call Jack a true trail angel and thanked him profusely. It rained most of the day, so I was very glad to be warm and dry. I managed to secure a bunk at the hostel and went to bed early, before most of the other hikers, most of whom were celebrating the 4th of July in various ways, including going to see the local fireworks display, went to bed.The AT is calling. But first I need to wait out the rain in the church hostel.
Date: 2015-07-04
From: Delaware Water Gap 

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I am so sorry for the long gap since the last journal posting, but I have been hiking every day since 7/5/15. While on the trail I do not post. I have limited battery life on my phone, and most times I have no wifi. Although I have a back up battery, it is limited to save pack weight. While on the AT, I try to limit my phone usage to taking pictures, occassionally texting my husband, and emergencies. When in town I try to get my journal entries caught up. I hope everyone understands.A lot has been going on. I finished PA, completed NJ and NY, and I am now in CT. Oh, and I chased a bear! So grab something to drink, find a cozy place to relax, and let's catch up.
Date: 2015-07-05
From: Delaware Water Gap 

To: Stealth Camping Site Near Rattlesnake Swamp Trail
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

I had planned to get an earlier start, but with so many hikers staying at the church hostel, and only 1 small bathroom, getting ready to go was a bit of a challenge.The AT leaves Delaware Water Gap by going past and along some busy highways. I was so glad it was Sunday morning and traffic was light. The weather was also perfect for hiking.The AT crosses into NJ on the long bridge over the Delaware River. I was looking for a big welcome to NJ sign. Instead the border is noted with paint on the sidewalk on the bridge. The AT then passes the DWG National Park Kittatinny Visitor Center. I stopped at the visitors center briefly to get stamps for my AT passport book and for my National Parks passport book. Although the center was not yet open, a very nice ranger brought the stamps out for me.The AT passes through the DWG national park area for a while, which is both good and bad. Where the AT sees a lot of public use it is usually better maintained and MUCH easier to hike. Of course this makes it easier for the thru hikers too. But there is also usually more trash and less adherence to LNT. The trail is more crowded and usually there is a lot of noise - dogs, small children, teenagers, and even adults often make a tremendous amount of unnecessary noise. The well maintained easy trail also gives the general public the false impression that the entire AT is relatively easy. It is NOT! And there is usually a lot more signage, which spoils the intended natural appearance of the AT.Thru hikers tend to stick out from the day hikers, and we usually get attention and lots of questions. I met a nice couple, Jim and Wendy, who asked me several questions and were kind enough to take my picture.The AT skirted around Sunfish Pond, up and over jumbles of small boulders. I stopped to watch 2 chipmunks chase one another over the rocks. What fun they seemed to have, but they had 4 legs and no heavy pack!I stopped for a while at the rocky summit of Kittatinny Mountain. The views from both directions were absolutely beautiful, and the wild blueberries were delicious. I considered spending the night at the Mohican Outdoor Center since I am an AMC member, but I did not want to walk .4 miles off trail one way to get there. Instead I found a wonderful stealth camping site up on the ridge. It was a little grassy flat spot for my tent with a beatiful view of the valley below, a rock which made a perfect bench for taking off my boots and eating dinner, and a nice flat rock for my cook stove. (In the morning I found wild blue berries and black raspberries just outside my tent, so it was like my very own B&B.) I slept very well, with a nice breeze and the occassional fireworks far below in the valley. The AT is calling. I thoroughly enjoyed my day on the trail, especially my stealth camping site.
Date: 2015-07-06
From: Stealth Camping Site Near Rattlesnake Swamp Trail

To: Brink Shelter
Miles today: 12.8

The sunrise was great. I packed quickly and headed up the trail. I ate my breakfast (oatmeal) when I stopped for water. Just .5 miles later I came upon some wonderful trail magic and ate again. A local hiking club provided hotdogs, hamburgers, fresh fruit, and lots of other goodies. Thru hikers LOVE trail magic, whether it is just a cold drink left in a cooler along the trail, or hotdogs and hamburgers with all the fixins. It is a nice surprise and it is especially nice that someone is thinking of us.The rest of the day was a little tough. Knats pestered my eyes, and flies & mosquitoes attacked the rest of my body, especially my ears. There was a long relatively flat stretch of trail along an old dirt road. Then the trail went back into the woods and became rocky. The trail repeatedly went up and down over rocky outcroppings, and at one point went almost straight up a rock cliff. I was able to crawl up the cliff via cracks in the rock - not an easy feat with a full heavy pack and my fear of heights. I considered camping at a campsite listed in the AT guide, but the area was really buggy. There were also warning signs about bear activities, including a handwritten note left by thru hikers who watched a pair of bears try to pluck their bear bags out of a tree just a few nights before. Although I was tired, I hiked 4 more miles to the shelter.During the day I saw a large snake coiled neatly next to the,trail, several hen turkeys, and an adorable tiny rabbit.I was very glad when I reached the shelter, the first one in NJ. It was a relatively new shelter, beautifully built, and still smelled of fresh cut pine. It had a good water source and nice privy. All the shelters in NJ had bear boxes, which were greatly appreciated. Unfortunately the NJ shelters were also all located near roads, which may make them easier to take care of, but makes thru hikers very nervous. We are warned not to camp near roads for our own safety.The AT is calling. I was hoping NJ would be easier than PA. I am so tired of the rocks!!
Date: 2015-07-07
From: Brink Shelter

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I had high hopes of getting lots of miles in today, but it did not work out that way. I got a late start. The trail was rough - rocky with lots of ups and downs. And then it started to drizzle. The AT frequently goes up and over ridges that have exposed veins of smooth rock. I suppose the folks who layed out the trail felt the rock veins would provide some nice views and a durable trail surface. Unfortunatetly the rock has been polished smooth by the elements and hikers' boots. If the rock vein is relatively level but dry, it is usually easy to walk over. But if the rock vein is slanted and wet, it can be slick as ice.The rain stopped and the sun came out, but the rock veins were still wet and treacherous.   I was carefully picking my way over a slanted one when my feet went out from under me and I fell. I actually saw my right foot fly up in front of me as I came down hard on the rock on my left forearm, left butt cheek, and left ankle. Fortunately my pack protected my head and back. A quick assessment revealed no blood and no broken bones. But I was sore and shaken up. I knew I was very lucky that I was not seriously injured.I took a long lunch break at the Culver Fire Tower.   There was a nice picnic table and a beautiful view. All was perfect until a noisy group of day hiking teenagers showed up. Then a couple backpacking for 3 days came through. They were carrying heavy car camping gear, using nap sacks instead of backpacks, and said they carried enough water for all 3 days. Apparently they did not consider collecting and treating water along the trail. They looked like miserable pack mules.Another rain storm was approaching. I intended to wait out the storm at the Gren Anderson shelter and then move on. But I was growing more sore from the fall, and the storm lasted longer than expected. So I called it a day.The shelter was very nice with a good water source and bear box. But again it was located very close to a road. The AT is calling. I just hope the injuries from the fall are all superficial and I can continue to heed the call.
Date: 2015-07-08
From: Gren Anderson Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I was a little stiff and sore when I woke up, but otherwise I was fine. As hard as I fell yesterday, my injuries could have been so much worse. I was lucky.The hike up Sunrise Mountain was relatively easy. The old picnic pavilion there was very well built. I took a short break to enjoy the view and adire rhe structure. I was told by a fellow thru hiker that years ago some thru hikers found a man who committed suicide there by hanging himself. What a terrible situation. I was glad I was there on an uneventful beautiful morning.The trail was relatively easy and soon I was at the Mashipacong shelter, which has no water source nearby. Instead caretakers leave water for hikers in the bear box.The trail became rocker with more steep ups and downs. I skipped the next shelter (Rutherford) which was .4 miles off the AT. As I was resting before the next steep climb a group of 24 "counselors in training" came by. The had outdated gear, were extremely noisy, and were totally unaware of LNT. (I later found out they had no tents or any way to treat their water. Whatever camp they were going to work for basically threw them onto the AT ill prepared and made them fend for themselves. Shame on that camp!!)I stopped at the High Point State Park Headquarters and discovered that the friends of the park treat thru hikers to a cold soft drink. TRAIL MAGIC!! Thank you so much!I continued up the AT and climbed the wooden observation tower. Then I walked .3 miles one way down to the beach along the lake to the concessions area. I had ice cream, a burger, a Gatorade, fries, and onion rings. The food was not good, the portions were small, and the prices were high. Actually I think I was overcharged. I ate the ice cream while I was waiting for the rest of my food. I was carefully watching the weather. A storm was coming and I wanted to be in the shelter before it hit. So when the rest of my food was ready I tried to eat it as quickly as possible so I could move on to the shelter. Unfortunately several people stopped by to talk with me as I was trying to stuff my face. Of course they had the same old questions. Where did you start? When did you start? Where are you headed? When will you finish? I hated to be rude, but i explained to them that i was trying to beat the storm. Fortunately, after stuffing myself, I did not have far to go to the shelter.The AT is calling. I LOVE being able to eat whatever I want!! Being a dirty, sweaty, stinky thru hiker does have a few advantages!!
Date: 2015-07-10
From: Pochuck Mountain Shelter

To: Wawayanda. Shelter
Miles today: 11.5

As with most situations in life, there is a particular etiquette that is followed. The same is true on the AT at shelters. If a picnic table is provided, it is to be used by everyone staying in or near the shelter. Hikers use it to make and eat their meals, then clear out so others can use the space. It is NOT a place to put packs or store your gear.Last night and again this morning a guy with a large family took over the picnic table. His behavior really surprised and disappointed me because he and his family have been thru hiking for several months and he should have known better. Initially the trail was relatively easy. There were climbs, but nothing too strenuous. I found a cooler with trail magic, but it was all beer. It was too early in the day, and I had too far left to hike for beer, so I passed.The AT then passed through a swamp via a VERY long and VERY elaborate boardwalk. There was also a suspension bridge over a small river. It was all beautifully done.At a road crossing near Vernon, NJ, I stopped at Haven Hill Farm, where I gorged on Diet Coke, ice cream, fresh cherries, and macaroni salad. What a hiker feast!!! I was also able to charge my phone and get water.Several hikers went into Vernon to stay at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel. I decided to go on to the next shelter, which was not an easy task on a very full stomach. I had to climb what is known as the "stairway to heaven", which is basically a very rocky climb up a mountain - and it seemed to go on forever.I was very glad when I finally made it to the shelter, which had no nearby water source. Several hikers, including a very nice father and son pair from Alabama (Super Slider and Jolly) decided to keep going. I decided to stay. To save water, I ate left over cherries rather than a dehydrated meal for dinner.The AT is calling. I am looking forward to finishing NJ tomorrow!
Date: 2015-07-12
From: NY 17A/Bellville NY

To: Ardent Valley Road/Tiorati Circle
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

My buddy Gail has the best timing. She slack packed me in GA and again in NC through tough portions of the AT, and here she was again slack packing me over a tough stretch of NY. Actually this time she hiked with me, her husband took care of the slack packing logistics. All day long we were up and down mountain, and climbing up and down large rocks. I was so grateful that I was not carrying a full pack.We skipped the Wildcat shelter because it it was .2 miles off the AT. Fitzgerald Falls was absolutely beautiful. We ran into Super Slider and Jolly there collecting water. Across from the falls is a great stealth camping site. How fun that would have been to camp with a view of the water falls!Mombasha. High Point was one long climb up rocks, and then a long climb down the other side. It seemed as if the AT just took us up and down mountains and to exposed rock outcroppings to climb over and over again just to torture us. It was hot and humid, and I kept having to stop to get water, or to unload water.In the afternoon we reached the Lemon Squeezer. With just day packs we had no problems making it thru the rock slot. I am not sure what I would have done with a bulky full pack.The real problem came right after the Lemon Squeezer - it was a high rock formation that initially looked impossible for us to get over. Gail had a great idea of using a section of log as a ladder, but she still needed help getting over the rocks. I still had no idea how I was going over the rocks. Then a young limber couple came along. Once again they were up and over the rocks in seconds, and they graciously helped Gail and I get over the rocks too. No blue blazing for us!! Us two old broads made it!!By the end of the day we were both exhausted, sore, and very glad to see Dan hiking in towards us.I had reservations at the Holiday Inn Express in Ft. Montgomery, where I also had a resupply box waiting for me. We had dinner at a little tavern near West Point and then crashed.The AT is calling. Thank God for good friends and slack packing.
Date: 2015-07-13
From: Ardent Valley Road/Tiorati Circle

To: Bear Mountain Recreation Area
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: light rain

We got up and started early. We knew it would be another hot day. The first part of the day was up and down, but thankfully we did not have any rocky climbs like the previous 2 days.We stopped briefly at the William Brien Memorial Shelter, which had an unreliable water supply and was also in very bad shape. We skipped the West Mountain Shelter, which was .6 miles off the AT.We were both dreading Bear Mountain , which we expected to be a tough rocky climb up and over. To our great surprise we found beautifully done stone steps up the mountain and down most of the other side. While on top of the mountain we visited the Perkins Memorial Tower. We also got a couple of cold drinks from a vending machine thanks to the generosity of a very nice man. I asked him if he could give me change for a $5 bill. He did not have 5 ones, so he just gave us two one dollar bills. Dan met us at the top and hiked down the mountain with us. We were all relieved to find the steps. I later learned from a local trail maintainer that the steps on Bear Mountain were installed within the last 7 years. I guess in some ways it is good I did not attempt this thru hike 30 years ago.We had dinner at a small family diner near West Point, and then again crashed at the Holiday Inn Express in Ft. Montgomery. The AT is calling. Tomorrow I answer the call - but with a full pack again.
Date: 2015-07-15
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

To: Stealth Camping Near View of Lake
Miles today: 13.8

It was wonderful sleeping under the pavillion with no rain fly. I had plenty of air circulation without the pesky mosquitoes.   I got up and out on the trail fairly quickly. The trail was up and down all day with plenty of rocks, but no rocky climbs. The weather was hot and humid, and water, at least good water, was scarce. The AWOL AT guide showed plenty of water sources. But most of the water sources were unattractive or non-existent. Some smelled bad. Others were nothing more than wet leaves with occasional puddles. And others either had an oily sheen from pollution or a weird red or tannic color, or were dry.The heat and humidity, together with the rocks and lack of reliable water, took its toll on me. I ran into some trail maintainers and asked them about the water situation. They were done for the day and graciously gave me their left over water.At one of the road crossings, thankfully, water was available at a spigot. I started to carry an extra bottle of water just to make sure I would not run out. Of course the extra water adds to my already heavy pack weight.The AT goes near Clarence Fahnestock State Park. Some kind day hikers gave me fresh cherries. I had planned to make it to a tenting area about 4 miles further, but my left foot was bothering me, and I was coming up on a rocky climb, so I looked for a flat spot and pitched my tent. To conserve water I skipped making dinner and ate the cherries. Since I did not know whether bears respect state lines, I quickly and carefully hung my bear bag.At about 3 a.m. something woke me. The wind was really blowing, and my imagination was running wild with all the different noises in the woods. I peeked out of my tent. The bear bag was fine. I shined my head lamp all around the tent and saw nothing. I blew my whistle, once, very loudly. I heard nothing run off. I went back to sleep.The AT is calling. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day with plenty of water.
Date: 2015-07-16
From: Stealth Camping Near View of Lake

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

I got up and packed quickly. The rocky climb was not all that bad in the cool of the morning and after a good night's sleep. I made it to the Shenandoah Tenting Area. I was sorry I did not push harder to make it last night. The land and a boarded up building was once used as a vacation property by a firefighter. There was a pump for water - but the water still needed to be filtered. There was also a privy, picnic table, and fire ring. The caretaker was there cutting the grass and making repairs. He said Super Slider and Jolly had spent the night. Sorry I missed them. I filled up on water, ate my breakfast (oatmeal), and then moved on.I took another break at the Ralphs Peak Hiker Cabin. Again there was a pump for water, which needed to be filtered. There were also bunks, a nice privy, and the opportunity to dispose of garbage. Someone put in a nice flower garden. This shelter was incredibly nice, especially compared to some of the other NY shelters I have seen.The trail and weather today were wonderful. And there were plenty of rock walls for me to admire. At one point the AT was on what appeared to be a rock wall. The AT was actually probably on an old railroad bed.Morgan Stewart shelter was a bit of a disappointment after the RPH shelter. But at least it had a good water source. There were only a handful of hikers there, all of whom tented. I had the shelter to myself, so I set up my tent without the fly inside the shelter. There was a lovely fire in the firepit, which I enjoyed while eatting my dinner.The AT is calling. I wish everyday could be like today - but then I would not have great stories to tell later.
Date: 2015-07-19
From: Ten Mile River Shelter

To: Stealth Camping at Thayer Brook
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: few clouds

For some reason I got a late start. Initially I thought I was in for a pleasant day. The AT crossed over the Ned Anderson Memorial Bridge and followed the Ten Mile River for a while. The view was beautiful. Unfortunately it did not last.I thought going further north the weather would get cooler. I was SO wrong. The temperature, without taking into consideration the humidity, was over 90°. The humidity was ridiculous. The sweat dripped off my arms and face. Every inch of clothing on my body was soaking wet. i have lost more weight, and my clothes are pretty loose on me. I was chafing in places I have never chafed before. The bugs were terrible. The black knats attacked my eyes. Mosquitoes and flies attacked the rest of my body, especially my ears. And the trail was rocky and steep, both up and down. It really aggravated my left foot. The Ridge Runner warned me that CT does not believe in switchbacks. I was convinced she was right. And I was carrying extra water.The AT crossed back into NY, then returned to CT. Late in the afternoon I reached Thayer Brook. The shelter was only 1 mile away, but required a climb. I had enough for the day. So I found a nice flat spot, pitched my tent, collected some water, made my dinner, hung my bear bag, and went to bed exhausted. The AT is calling. I hope the rest of New England is easier than CT, but I suspect that will not be the case.