morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-06-04
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

start: Delaware Water Gapfinish: Delaware Water Gapmiles: 0.0day: 89Boy, did I sleep good last night.  I feel much better this morning, except that my feet still hurt quite a bit.  Taking a zero today to sit around in this room and do nothing but keep my feet up, ice them, and take ibuprofen.  And eat, to keep my strength up.Goldilocks has moved in, splitting the room with me tonight.  We strolled a couple of doors down to the Water Gap Diner and had a great breakfast.  Afterwards, we went next door to the Farmer's Market, where they make the most fantastic pies.  I bought a coconut custard pie for us to split.  Coconut custard is like root beer.  Can't get it in the south.  We were thinking of seeing a movie today, but the theater is in Stroudsburg and we have no convenient way of getting over there.  So we're just lying around watching movies on TV.  A good day off.
Date: 2005-06-05
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Stealth camp couple miles north Rattlesnake Spring
Miles today: 15.8

start: Delaware Water Gapfinish: Stealth camp couple miles north of Rattlesnake Spring miles: 15.8day: 90The bugs are jumping tonight.  We picked up our detachable netting for our tarps just in time (Palmerton).  You can hear a constant whine of millions of insects in the woods where we're camped.We slept in today, taking full advantage of the nice beds in the motel.  The free contintental breakfast wasn't anything special, so I grabbed an apple for my pack and we went over to the diner for breakfast.  I wish we'd gotten over there a bit sooner.  At 11:00 all the prices on the menu go up.  No kidding!  So I paid a dollar more today for the same breakfast I ate yesterday.We finally got hiking at noon.  I took my time all day so as not to aggravate my bruised feet.  Unfortunately I've also got another problem.  I seem to have pinched a nerve in my left hip a week or so ago, and today it bothered me pretty much, sending pain down my leg with each stride.  I walked through it, but overall I was only able to do about 2 miles an hour.  I really hope it's better tomorrow, as Goldilocks and I both feel the pull of home, only 120 miles away.
Date: 2005-06-06
From: Stealth camp couple miles north Rattlesnake Spring

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 28.6
Weather: clear sky

start: Stealth camp couple miles north of Rattlesnake Springfinish: High Point Shelter miles: 28.6day: 91Welcome to New Jersey, land of the BUGS!  Didn't get much sleep last night, kept waking up to pull some slimy or leggy crawly thing off of me.  I bet there were 100 slugs on my tarp floor and netting, not to mention the spiders, millipedes, etc.  Note to self: don't camp in this grassy spot again.Goldilocks was up at 5:30 (amazing!), tired of the bugs and getting ready to walk.  I hated the bugs but wanted sleep.  Oh well.  We headed out at 6:30, an early start for us.  My hip was hurting a lot right away.  It took about 2 hours to walk through it so it didn't hurt so much.  We didn't find any water that we wanted to drink for the first 13 miles.  It was extremely hot and humid, too.  But we hit a road by 11:00 and went to a bar.  Gyp's Tavern.  Dark and extra-air-conditioned inside.  We had water, sodas, and cheeseburgers at the bar.  I went in the bathroom and washed my shirt out in the sink.  Between the wet shirt and the cool air, it was actually chilly.  Wonderful.  The tavern was on a private lake.  We asked if we could go jump in the water, but were turned down.We left and stood out front to hitch a ride to groceries.  A guy at the gas station said we could try, but no one ever gets a ride.  I miss the south.  But we did get a ride!  A very nice guy from New York City, Al, picked us up.  He was excited to see some thru-hikers and talked to us non-stop on our way to the grocery store.  He said he'd wait and bring us back to the trail.  Fantastic!  He also said if we wanted we could use his cabin to take a couple days off and relax.  He had to go to work, but would be back occasionally.  Normally we'd jump at a great offer like this, but we declined as we're running for home now.  Only a few days away from Connecticut, where I have a refrigerator and a pillow top mattress.  We may have talked Al into coming to The Gathering, as he's planning to hike.  Hope we see him there.While in the bar watching the Weather Channel on TV, we noticed that the regional map they use to show local weather is the same that we're used to seeing at home.  Haven't seen that in a while.The heat broke around 3:00 with a huge thunderstorm.  We left our rain jackets in our packs and took full advantage of the free shower.  Nice and cooling, and it washed some of the salt off our bodies.After the rain stopped, we pretty well dried off, but got drenched again by the water on the hugely overgrown, unmaintained trail.  What a drag.Later, just 1/2 hour before dark, the thunderstorm came back.  We were running, sort of, over lots of nasty rocks to get to the shelter before it poured again.  Goldilocks just made it.  I was a bit too late.  It  was scary seeing the storm come in because we were at the High Point Observation Platform, the highest point in all of New Jersey.  Not my choice in a lightning storm.In the shelter was a ridgerunner and Gunter and Pigpen, who have been ahead of us the whole trip and we finally get to meet.
Date: 2005-06-07
From: High Point Shelter

To: NJ 94 (Vernon, NJ)
Miles today: 18.9

start: High Point Shelterfinish: NJ94 (Vernon, NJ)miles: 18.9day: 92Today was HOT.  The hottest yet.  We're melting.  There was a (hot) breeze most of the day, which helped a bit.  I've been hiking the past two days without a shirt to be able to get the benefit of any slight air movement, but today I got fried, as a good portion of the day was without leaf cover.  Many, many road crossings, a couple of road walks, and some farm fields, tall with uncut hay.  For some reason, even with all the grass, the ticks weren't bad today.  The past few days I've pulled a couple dozen a day off my socks and lower legs.  No more deer ticks, though.Toward the end of the day we went a couple of miles through a marshy nature preserve, all on boardwalks.  Very pretty, and I was glad to be there after the heat of the day.  Saw red-wing blackbirds perched on tall stalks, and a great blue heron.  Earlier in the day we saw a big hawk up close.  He flew by and landed in a tree, then took off again, and only then noticed us and swerved away.We "found" the secret shelter this morning, owned by former thru-hiker Jim Murray.  It's a nice little place, with electrical outlets, an outdoor shower, freshly mown meadows all around, and some of the best well water I've ever tasted.  We talked with Jim for a while as we ate the last of our food.A couple miles further we decided to go into Unionville, NY to pick up some lunch at Horler's General Store.  We made the mistake of trusting the advice of Jim over Wingfoot.  Everyone is always saying trash about Wingfoot, but his data is very, very good in my opinion.  We went into town on a different road, supposedly shorter, but actually longer by over half mile each way.  Oh well.We learned long ago to never rely at face value on information from "civilians".  Apparently this can also apply to former thru-hikers, sometimes.  Everyone means well, but their perceptions of weather, distance, difficulty, etc. are much different than ours.  For instance, we saw a group the other day that was carrying enough water for two whole days!  Like 6 liters each.  That's heavy.  From their perspective they needed this, as they were only covering probably 5 miles per day.  We traveled the 10 miles between water sources in a few hours, and only carried a quart or two.When we arrived at the church hostel this evening we found a whole bunch of hikers.  Gunter and Pigpen, who we expected to see, and also Senor NOBS, Darcy, Mailar, and Vagrant.  Finally I got to meet Mailar.  We were able to set straight all the lies Stumpknocker has been telling about each of us.Mailar loves to cook.  Those guys had only done 6 miles into the hostel and had plenty of time to cook up a fantastic vegetable lasagna with garlic bread, salad, and ice cream with blueberries for dessert.  We walked in, sat down, and started eating.  Our timing was perfect!
Date: 2005-06-11
From: Seven Lakes Dr, N of West Mtn. Shltr (New Milford)

To: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)
Miles today: 0.0

start: Seven Lakes Dr., north of West Mtn. Shelterfinish: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT) (hostel)miles: 0.0day: 96I slept like a dead man last night!  I highly recommend the Simmons Beautyrest pillowtop mattress.  I just wish they made a light version I could bring on the trail.Stewart is very happy I'm home, although he doesn't know it's only temporary.  He came into the bedroom twice this morning to see if I was ready to get up and pay attention to him.I had the breakfast of champions this morning - strawberry shortcake with whipped cream, and IBC root beer.  Then it was time to get my main chore out of the way - installing two air conditioners.  My son Mike helped a lot, and we got the job done in no time.  Now we can cool the house down before the party today.Yep, we're having a little get together of our family and some local hiker friends and their families.  It's good to see them all.  I notice throughout the day that I keep needing to sit down.  And several people mention that while I look good, I appear tired.  Yes, I'm starting to look like some of those "over 40" northbounders I've been seeing in all my years of hiking on the AT in New Hampshire and Maine.  Thin and drawn, no upper body mass, and never able to get enough sleep.  This trail takes a toll on a person.I had a cup of sangria and by the time the get together broke up, I was totally wiped out.  I watched a little TV and then fell asleep.  These zeroes are hard work.  Looking forward to another tomorrow.
Date: 2005-06-12
From: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)

To: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)
Miles today: 0.0

start: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)finish: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT) (moosie hostel)miles: 0.0day: 97Another zero at home.  Today was spent being a complete slug.  I hardly got off the sofa.  I really enjoyed all the relaxation, and got to spend some time with my wife.  We ordered BBQ take-out and watched a movie on TV.  My son Mike left for Italy today and Goldilocks was off visiting his girlfriend.  I took Stewie for a short walk early before it got too hot, but otherwise stayed in all day, in the A/C.The dark side to this wonderful, lazy day is that my feet are still hurting all the time.  I've decided to zero again tomorrow and see a doctor about both the feet and hip problems.
Date: 2005-06-13
From: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)

To: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)
Miles today: 0.0

start: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)finish: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT) (moosie hostel)miles: 0.0day: 98I was woken up at 3:00 this morning with aching feet.  I've been taking prescription strength naproxen and tylenol as well, but they still hurt, so I rummaged through a drawer and found some ten year old hydrocodone.  I took one, and hey, they still work!  Within 20 minutes I was feeling droopy and was able to get right back to sleep.  I wasn't even too woozy this morning.I saw an orthopedic specialist about my feet this afternoon, and a chiropractor about my hip.  The main good news is that I don't have any stress fractures.  Bottom line, in both cases, is that while I'm not doing irreparable damage, I can expect to continue to have pain all through the rest of the hike, mitigated only somewhat by the constant ingestion of anti-inflammatory medication.  In both cases one of the primary recommendations is to rest, although the doctors do understand what I'm doing and that it's not a feasible solution.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.  I want to continue, but not with this amount of pain all the time.  I may consider slowing down, taking even more zeroes and doing smaller miles, but that will mean letting Goldilocks go on ahead without me, so it's a tough decision.Goldilocks went to the trailhead today and picked up Kodak and Cotton Joe, who are here at Moosie's Hostel now.  We cooked up some hot dogs for lunch, and we're having steak for dinner.
Date: 2005-06-20
From: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)

To: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)
Miles today: 0.0

start: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)finish: Seven Lakes Dr. (New Milford, CT)miles: 0.0day: 104Picked Tea Break up in Pawling yesterday afternoon. On the way out of town we saw Bones and Search. Rescue wasn't far away, at the town pavilion. After a quick check with Mrs. Moosie ("You want to bring how many hikers home?") we were all on our way to the Moosie Hostel. When we arrived home Mrs. Moosie was out at the grocery store buying all kinds of food. We had marinated London Broil on the grill, salad, green beans, and parsley potatoes. Oh yeah. I've gained 6 pounds back since I've been resting.This is my tenth and last zero before I get out there and hike again. I'm itching to go. I went to the chiropractor this morning and he worked on my hip for the last time until I return triumphant from Maine. Later, my wife advised I ask another doctor if a cortisone shot might also help. Sure, why not. Subtlety in one hand, and a sledgehammer in the other. The good thing about cortisone shots is that they hurt worse than the original problem, so you aren't bothered by your ailment for a day or so...It'll be interesting to see the trail registers tomorrow, as I have no idea of who's where in relation to me. I expect to see a lot of names coming up from the rear that I've never heard of.
Date: 2005-06-21
From: County Road 20, Pawling, NY

To: CT 55 (New Milford, CT)
Miles today: 10.0

start: County Road 20, Pawling, NY (skipped 46.7 miles from Seven Lakes Dr.)finish: Just south of CT 55 in the trailhead parking area (New Milford, CT)miles: 10.0day: 105Yes, I hiked today, finally. And yes, I'm back home for the night. I'm so easy to distract.We all got out of the house today late. Didn't get to the Pawling trailhead by the Dover Oak until about 1:45. I decided to hike from there, as it cut down the miles I've temporarily skipped to 46.7, and I got to hike with my friends. We started by seeing if we could completely encircle the Dover Oak with five people's outstretched arms. We could, but not by too much. Huge old tree!Right before Mrs. Moosie left, she mentioned that she didn't have much going on today, and that she could slack our packs up to Rt. 55. Well, I don't slack, just as a rule, and Mrs. Moosie forgot that, I guess. She was doing it to help me start out easy. But you should have seen the looks on the other guys faces. Immediate interest. So we set out, with me, the "injured one", being the only one with a pack. No, I won't carry all your water bottles. During the hike Tea Break asked me if I had any toilet paper. I said I saw him with some earlier in the day, packing up. He quietly reminded me that he had some, but that it was in his pack, not with him. Hah, hah. It would be cheaper to wipe with $20 bills. My TP's price just went up.When we arrived at the car, Mrs. Moosie was waiting. Rescue and Bones had cruised quickly, and Tea Break and Search had hiked more slowly with me. We drank some of the cold stuff Mrs. Moosie had brought. Tea Break immediately sat in the van and said "I'm ready to go". Oh crap, someone had to bring it up. The end result was that Tea Break and I got in the van and went back home for the night. I mean, it's only 8 miles away! I wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity to be lazy. We belatedly offered Search (and Rescue, too) to come and stay, as Search said he wasn't feeling too well. When he brought it up, I took a good look and realized he looked very tired. All worn out. We tried to convince him to come back with us, but I think he didn't want to impose, and didn't want to delay his brother. Mrs. Moosie made sure he had all her phone numbers and hopefully he'll call to get picked up and rest a while if he needs to.I was pleased to see in a register today that I'm only half a day behind Cocoa Bean and Terrapin. I haven't seen Terrapin since Franklin, NC.So, I was a big thru-hiker today and did a whole 10 miles. It was good to be hiking, and the hip and feet held up very well. Tomorrow morning will really tell, though. We'll be hiking pretty early tomorrow, and if I feel well, I'll shoot for 20 miles to somewhere near Silver Hill.
Date: 2005-06-22
From: CT 55 (New Milford, CT)

To: Stealth camp 1 mile so. Stewart Hollow Brook Lean
Miles today: 17.0

start: CT 55finish: Stealth camp 1 mile south of Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to miles: 17.0day: 107Today is the first time I've camped since before Vernon, NJ.  It feels good to be back in the woods.  This is also the first time I've ever used my new quilt instead of the 30 degree down Western Mountaineering bag I've been using.  It was way too hot, and because it's down, was constantly soaking up moisture in the humid air.  The quilt is a simple design using 0.8 DWR ripstop nylon for both inner and outer faces, and 0.4" Primaloft fill.  I chose Primaloft because it's a lot easier to sew, and so I can get under it when soaking wet and hopefully everything will be dry by morning.  The quilt weighs 21.3 oz., which is about 5 oz. less than my sleeping bag.  I suspect it'll be comfortable down to 45 degrees.I hiked with Tea Break today.  Mrs. Moosie drove us to the trailhead.  The first thing we did was put on rain gear because it was starting to rain.  Then we took Stewie (the bulldog) for a short walk.  We said goodbyes and took some pictures, and started hiking around 10:00.I've been hiking slower than I used to.  Around 2.5 mph.  I'm careful to tread lightly on the old feet, and to avoid flexing the hip muscles in odd ways.  The cortisone shot seems to have helped a lot.We hiked 11 miles and went into Kent for sodas and a rest sitting in little chairs near the sidewalk, shaded by an umbrella, watching the world go by.  We saw Streetfighter and Turtle at the trailhead.  I hadn't met them before.I was feeling pretty good until early evening.  On the way down from St. John's Ledges my feet started complaining, and my energy flagged.  I saw this nice hemlock grove near the river and called it home.  Tea Break moved on to the shelter, as he doesn't have a tent right now.  I'll hook up with him in the morning and we'll probably go into Cornwall for breakfast.It feels good to be back out here.
Date: 2005-06-23
From: Stealth camp 1 mile so. Stewart Hollow Brook Lean

To: Falls Village hydroelectric plant
Miles today: 19.1

start: Stealth camp 1 mile south of Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-tofinish: Falls Village hydroelectric plant miles: 19.1day: 108Last night's campsite was great.  There's nothing better than camping in a pine forest.  When I woke, I ate some scones and an apple for breakfast, and then packed up and started walking, following the trail along the Housatonic River.  The river was beautiful in the early morning light.I soon arrived at the nearby shelter, and saw lots of thru-hikers there: Tea Break, Search, Rescue, Cocoa Bean, Colonel, and Cap'n Crunch.  The last two I'd never met before.  I also heard Snail was there, but had left early.I hiked on, chatting with Cocoa Bean and Tea Break.  It was good to see Cocoa, aka Spider Bait.  I hadn't seen her since the Shenandoahs.On reaching rt. 4, Tea Break and I easily hitched into Baird's store for a breakfast sandwich and a soda.  It was a bit harder coming back, but eventually we got a ride in the back of a pickup.  We saw Bones walking down the road the other way and yelled to him, but I don't think he knew we were hikers.After hiking a bunch more, Tea Break and I went swimming in the Housatonic near the rt. 112 crossing.  It was kind of cold, but sure felt good to clean the sweat off.A little further we walked off trail to a restaurant only to find it closed.  We talked to a fellow living next door and he offered us water.  It turns out his name is Stretch and he hiked the AT three times in the 60s and 70s.  He's a huge guy, 7 feet tall.  It was fun talking to him while we filled our water bottles.Our plan was to go to Rand's View and camp, but my hip had done enough miles, so we just hiked to Falls Village and went in for dinner at the Falls Village Inn.  Great burger, salad, fries and dessert.After all that, and a beer, I strolled back to the trailhead in the dark and am camping on the mowed grass sort of near the hydro plant.  We aim to get an early start tomorrow.
Date: 2005-06-24
From: Falls Village hydroelectric plant

To: Bivouac on Mt. Bushnell
Miles today: 22.9

start: Falls Village hydroelectric plantfinish: Bivouac on Mt. Bushnell (no tarp)miles: 22.9day: 109Wow, what an awesome day of hiking.  Tea Break and I tried for an early start but failed.  After we hiked less than a mile to Great Falls and dried our dewy gear on the huge rock slabs it was almost 9:00 am.  Hiking in the heat of the day again.  We climbed Prospect Mountain and passed Rand's View, where the trail hugs the edge of a high sloping meadow.  From here we could see the whole range north of Salisbury that we'd be traversing later in the day.  We hoofed it into Salisbury where we had tasty but very overpriced little sandwiches and sodas.  Salisbury appears to be the quintessential New England town, but it's not really for normal people, as the signs of vast wealth are everywhere.  I was glad to get in the woods again.We had a good pace climbing Bear, Race, and Everett Mountains, with many great views.  It's great to be back in the mountains again, where hot, hard climbs are rewarded with breathtaking views and cool, clean air.As I've hiked the last few days, and my body is performing OK, I'm having fun again.  Part of this may be due to having the pressure taken off by not having to keep up with very fast Goldilocks.  I really enjoyed hiking with him, and I'm glad I was able to keep up for so long, but it wore me out.  Another reason fun has returned is that I'm back in real mountains, in a landscape with some character.  It hasn't seemed this way since before the Shenandoah.  I'm really looking forward to the northern section of the trail.We got to Hemlock Shelter around 8:30 pm, and shelterless Tea Break called it home.  I moved on a bit and set up my tarp.  Unfortunately the mosquitoes were out by the thousands.  And I discovered my tarp's removable netting allows the beasties in between the velcro patches where the netting meets the tarp.  I was sweating to death in my Frogg Togg top (hood up) and my quilt.  There were more mosquitoes inside than out, so I hurriedly finished my dinner and packed up and hiked on a mile to Mt. Bushnell.  I thought that if I could stay in a breezy area the bugs would be kept down.  I laid my Thermarest out on a flat rock outcrop and lay there with a perfect view of the valley and the rising moon, hazy and orange.  As I tried to drift off to sleep, the mosquitoes returned with a vengeance.  It was a horrible, long sleepless night.  I must have killed a thousand mosquitoes.  I tried lying under my quilt and wrapping my Frogg Togg top completely around my head, neck, and face, and sweating myself to sleep.  But at least one mosquito would always find its way in and I'd jump, curse and swat.  I noticed that they were more active within a foot of the ground, probably because of the wind.  So I could stand all night and just get my ankles bitten.  Hmm, can't get to sleep that way either...Finally, around 4:00 am, I gave up and hiked on.  See tomorrow's entry...