morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-08
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Stealth Campsite in New Jersey
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: light rain

Beaker and I crossed the New Jersey State line this morning at about 7:30 am.  And, even though Pennsylvania was now behind us, the rocks didn't stop immediately.  I can tell you that at least they weren't as sharp and there seemed to be less of them.  My feet are tired from the day of hiking but they are not nearly as bad as they¢ve been for the past couple of weeks. I'm sure it wasn't only because there were fewer rocks. Soaking and resting my feet yesterday, the antibiotic cream, new socks, and new insoles all played a big part too. Hopefully, my feet will continue to heal and improve over the next few days.So far, New Jersey has been beautiful. Some of that may be due to having a much better attitude because my feet are improving. And, some of it might be because today was just a beautiful day for hiking. But, much of it is because New Jersey is just a beautiful place. I know in the past, I had a preconceived notion that NJ was nothing but factories and industrial areas¢¦but, it¢s not called the "Garden State for nothing. I'd had an opportunity to hike here a few years back and was surprised at how beautiful it was. I'm looking forward to the approximately 80 miles I will hike through NJ over the next few days.New Jersey is also supposed to be the state with the most bear sightings. I've only seen one on my trip so far and it was in the Shenandoah¢s. I hope to safely see a couple more before I'm done. On the other hand, Beaker and I did see at least 4 snakes today. None of them were poisonous, but one did make me jump when it moved within inches of my feet.My picture tonight shows me with Pennsylvania behind me.Tonight, I'm camped on a ridge line. The temperature is supposed to drop down into the mid to upper 40s tonight. But, I'm in my tent, I'm safe, warm, and dry. I'm looking forward to another great (almost rock free) hiking day tomorrow. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-09
From: Stealth Campsite in New Jersey

To: Mashipacong Shelter
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: clear sky

Today, was another beautiful hiking day and Beaker and I were covered 20.5 miles. So far, New Jersey has been a treat. We stopped today for lunch (and a cold beer for me) at a tavern just two-tenths of a mile off the trail.  Although more expensive than eating out of our food bags, these stops provide a nice break from the trail and a nice change to our usual fare. Honestly, you can only eat so much tuna, spam, and peanut butter.Several other hikers were already there, or came in while we were having lunch. Before my hike, I thought the trip would mostly be about the trail itself. About the woods, the animals, the sunrises, and sunsets, etc. While all this is important, I have found my journey to be more about the people on the trail.  I have met so many incredible people and I am humbled to be a part of such a great group of folks. At this stage of the hike, most of the young people (to me, that's anyone less than 30) still on the trail are amazingly smart and dedicated. I have no doubts that the vast majority of them will accomplish great things in their lifetimes. These folks get up early every morning, bandage the blisters on their feet, shovel down oatmeal for the 100th day in a row, and then proceed to hike 25 or even 30 miles before stopping for the evening. I have met a man with a pacemaker who knocks out the miles each day. He is getting everything out of life he possibly can. I've met two individuals with artificial legs, one from above the knee, and are knocking out 20-30 mile days. And, I've met a 12 and 14-year old who might have just set a new record for the youngest two people to complete the 4-state challenge--they hiked 44+ miles in a single day!I've also met some great people hiking on the trail from around the world, too. I am grateful I can count "Friendly Ghost and Beetle" from Denmark, "Dirty Harry" from Australia, "Beast" from Switzerland, "Powerhouse" from Germany, "Froggy" from France, .and many others, as my friends.The trail is about the hike, the snow in the Smokies, the rocks in Pennsylvania, the views from the mountain tops, the bears, the flowers, and the wild ponies. But I think, what I will remember the most, are the people I've met along the way and the adventures we shared.Tonight's picture is of a Wild American Iris. This is one of my favorite flowers. It was very common in my town when I was growing up and always reminds me of warm summer evenings when I was a kid.Tonight, I'm safe, warm, and dry in my tent in New Jersey. Earlier, I heard coyotes, and an owl a moment ago. Even after more than 100 days on the trail, I'm excited about tomorrow's hike, the sights I will see, and the people I will meet. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-10
From: Mashipacong Shelter

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was like a hiking holiday. The weather and the trail were perfect. We started out at about 7:15 but stopped at the High Pointe State Park Visitor¢s Center. The park stamped my AT Passport and provided us with a free soft drink.  We then spent about 45 minutes charging our electronics before heading out again.After leaving the Visitor's Center, we came to an observation tower where we could view the obelisk honoring all past military members. It¢s located atop the highest point in New Jersey. We then decided to leave the AT trail and hike up to the memorial and climb the 291 steps to the top of the tower. What a phenomenal view at the top.After returning to the trail, we continued about 3 miles until we came upon two of my friends from Upstate New York, both named Sue, who came down to geocache the area and perform Trail Magic. It was wonderful to see them and their Trail Magic was perfect. By this time, it was mid-afternoon and we still had about 5 miles to go before we would reach Unionville where we planned to resupply and camp for the evening. My friends were going to meet us for dinner at a restaurant in town later in the day.When we arrived in town, we learned there was no shower available and decided to take the girls up on their offer to give us a ride to a hotel. The hotel they were staying didn¢t have any more rooms available but we were able to find a room in a hotel just down the road. They also ran us to Walmart to resupply and to get our laundry cleaned.Even though we only ended up walking about 13.5 miles today, I consider it an excellent day. I visited and shared dinner with four friends (Beaker was there and Sitting Bull caught up and joined us for dinner too), showered, did my laundry, and settled down in a nice hotel for the night. My friends will pick us up in the morning and drop us off at the trail. It was almost a perfect day!My picture tonight is of Sue and Sue, my two friends (AKA ¢the Sues¢). Thank you so much for everything. It was a wonderful day.Tonight, I'm safe, warm, and dry, and spending the night in a hotel in Ramsey, New Jersey. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-11
From: Unionville, NY

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

It was another nice day for hiking today, except the temperature got up to 91 degrees. When it gets this hot it is almost impossible to drink enough water and very easy to get dehydrated. And, though I may be suffering from some dehydration, we were pretty lucky in finding areas to resupply.One of the things we try to do before starting the day and each time we stop and refill is to ¢camel-up¢. Meaning we drink about a liter of water before starting the hiking day and at least a liter at each refill. Although some hikers only carry one liter of water to save on weight, Beaker and I usually carry two. Today we started with two. We received trail magic at about 9:00 am when we found a cooler of iced soda at a road crossing. Soda isn't nearly as good as water for hydration but it is at least wet, cool, and the sugar helps to energize you too. Around 11:00 am we were able to refill our water supply and camel-up again at a vacant home owned by the ATC. They keep the outside hose bib in service just for the hikers. At about 2:30 pm, we stopped at a farmer¢s market right off the trail at a road crossing. Not only did we get a chance to refill our water bottles, but I also had two Gatorades (Beaker and I also had a scoop of black raspberry ice cream). We rested in the shade at the farmer's market for about 30 minutes before tackling the boardwalk across the swamp and the nearly 1,000 ft. climb back up into the hills. Finally, after setting up our sleeping areas for the night, we made a 0.4-mile hike to a nearby park¢s visitor center and refilled once again. We also used the facility to wash our shirts out for tomorrow. It isn't always this easy to refill your water supply and most of the time, we filter water from springs and streams. But on days as hot as today was, easy is not only nice, it's essential.Even as hot as it was today, we still managed to hike 17.5 miles. Tomorrow is supposed to be just as hot. Hopefully, we can hike another 17.Tonight, I'm safe, dry, and a little warmer than I want to be. But, I'm sleeping in my tent and I'm sure the temperature will start to cool down soon. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-12
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Primitive Campsite Near Little Dam Lake
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I received an email today from one of you recommending the Bellvale Farms Creamery. I thought it was funny coincidence that at the time I received the e-mail, I was drinking a chocolate shake at none other than the Bellvale Farms Creamery! It was delicious and I followed it up with one of their signature root beers. It was in the 90s here again today. We reached the creamery right at noon, ate our lunch, and enjoyed our drinks with it. It was a nice break and chance to cool down.We hiked about 17.5 miles today and we are camping at a primitive campsite alongside the trail near Little Dam Lake. Clean, clear water was difficult to find today and we needed a lot of it because of the temperature. Luckily, we were able to refill at the creamery, and then again at a road crossing just before reaching our campsite. A wonderful trail angel had left about 12 gallons of water at the road crossing and the jugs were still cool when we came across them. I was worried about having enough water but it ended up that we were able to drink our fill and then refill our containers before moving on. Tomorrow is supposed to be nearly as hot as it was today. Hopefully, finding water won't be a problem.We made it all the way through New Jersey without seeing a single bear.  New Jersey is where they are supposed to be the thickest. But even though I didn't see any bears, I did see more snakes, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, frogs, etc., than any other state we¢ve traveled through so far. Maybe we'll see another bear in New York. Tonight, I'm safe, dry, and too warm in my tent. But, I'm not complaining, at least it isn't raining! Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-13
From: Primitive Campsite Near Little Dam Lake

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was another very hot day with the temperature breaking records at about 95 degrees. To add insult to injury, water was difficult to come by again today. We only managed about 12.5 official trail miles and a 0.6-mile side trip to a state park. We were able to refill our containers at the park but, because of concerns about availability of water at our campsite, we also filled our backup containers and carried them the last 4.5 miles to the campsite. The added weight took its toll and slowed us down even more.I'm sure I drank at least 1.5 gals of water today. While we were at the state park, we hit the vending machines and I drank two 20-oz bottles of Gatorade and two Cokes. I still feel like I haven't had enough to drink. Just after setting up camp, a thunderstorm blew in. It didn't drop much rain but it really helped to lower the temperature. We should be able to sleep tonight better than the last two nights were. As I'm typing this, I can still hear thunder off in the distance and see an occasional flash of lightning. I hope the storm is soon over but the coolness remains.The last three days have been basically a rock scramble. Some of the climbs have been difficult and one earlier today was slightly dangerous. The trail split with a sign and arrow offering "The Easy Way". But the white blazes marking the AT were the other way. Beaker and I stayed on the AT following the white blazes. At one climb, it took almost a leap of faith for me to get up to the next level. Believe me, a 35lb pack on your back makes it a whole different ball game. Even though we both safely made it to the top, we learned later that a young friend of ours wasn't so lucky. He fell at the exact location, bounced, and fell to the next level down. Luckily, he wasn't too badly injured. It could have been very serious and even fatal. He received a puncture wound to his leg. Beaker is a paramedic and was able to perform some first aid when we met him at the shelter. However, he will still require a trip to a doctor tomorrow. Tonight, I'm tired and still thirsty, but I'm safe, dry, and still a little too warm. Tomorrow is supposed to be much cooler with a high in the upper 70s. I can't wait! At some point, somewhere tomorrow, we need to resupply. Both of us are down to our last breakfast and lunch but I'll worry about that in the morning. For now, goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-14
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Stony Point Center
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Beaker and I did a ¢nero¢ today after 10.2 miles. We reached the Bear Mountain Bridge after passing through the zoo and the lowest point on the AT (114 feet above sea level) at about noon. We were picked up by our shuttle to the Stony Point Center (our quarters for the evening) about 20 mins later.The hike this morning was wonderful, even if the black flies were dive bombing us for the first mile. I've never understood why insects seem to try so hard to fly into your mouth, up your nose, and into your ears. The temperature, although still warm, was at least 10 degrees cooler than yesterday, and more importantly, the humidity was way down. I passed the 1400-mile point today!I said the hiking was great; I didn't say it wasn't challenging. This morning was another adventure in rock scrambling. There were also several hundred stone steps to climb and descend. I knew we were going to reach the lowest elevation of the entire trail today, and as usual, I hadn't studied the topography like I should have, so after the first assent, I expected it to be all downhill from there. Unfortunately, we ended up climbing and descending three more times before finally reaching the area near the zoo. I'm not complaining, the weather was nice, I was feeling good, my food bag was almost empty making for a light pack...and we were headed to town! Showers, clean clothes, and town food were just a few miles ahead. I nearly skipped down the trail.The only real low point of the day was the zoo. After waiting and watching for months to see bears on the trail, the two bears in their pen were just sad. I wanted to find a way to let them out, to return back to the woods where they belong. Who knows, maybe the bears are happy there. Their food comes easy, and is probably more nutritiously sound than what they get in the wild. They are protected against sickness and disease (and hunters) and will probably live longer in captivity than they would in the wild...but, I'd still rather see them free.After we arrived our quarters for the night, we asked the lady at the desk about food shopping for our resupply. She told us there was a grocery store about a mile away and we could probably get a volunteer to give us a ride there, but would have to walk back. I had my doubts about it being a mile away and sadly, I was right. It seems most really can't determine accurate distances and five minutes away in a vehicle can be five miles away on foot. And no, just because we hike every day doesn¢t mean we want to hike extra miles to the grocery store. We did catch a ride to the store and it was about a three-mile walk back. On a good note...the grocery was located right next to a great little pizza place. We stopped there first for a couple of slices. The walk back wasn't bad¢¦the weather was still nice and Beaker is good company.Tonight, I'm safe, clean, and dry. Tomorrow morning at 6:30 am. we will head back to the trail and start our day by crossing the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-15
From: Stony Point Center

To: Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Tonight, Beaker and I are with about 12 other hikers camping at Clarence Fahnestock State Park. Not only did we get a chance to take a hot shower, but a local Italian restaurant delivers here. Instead of my usual pizza, I had a garden salad and shrimp scampi and linguine. It was phenomenal! Well, almost as good as my New York Italian wife's. I also carried a can of beer with me from a deli at a road crossing where we had stopped this morning to eat. I cooled it down in a sink of cold well water. I'm really loving this portion of the hike. There seems to be restaurants or delis at every road crossing. I think I might actually be in danger of gaining weight...I hope it continues all the way to Maine!My hiking friend "Ramsey Bolton" was joined on the trail today by a high school buddy. They will hike together for the next few days. Usually, unless you already have a trail name, it takes a few days to "earn" your name. Keeping up with a thru-hiker is tough. Especially after we've been on the trail for a couple of months and have gotten our trail legs. It took Ramsey's friend about 5 minutes to get his name. He is now known as ¢Reek¢.I met a flip flopper a few days ago who started at Harper's Ferry heading North. We saw her again today at a road crossing hoping to catch a ride to town for medical care. Her thighs were so chafed she had been bleeding. She wrapped her legs with gauze and then used duct tape to hold it in place. Her feet were in a similar condition. Chafing out here is no joke. It can be debilitating and can end your hike. I've been very lucky and haven't had a problem but I always carry medication just in case. I have given some of it to three other hikers who could barely continue to walk.  If you ever decide to make a long hike, I recommend you be prepared.My picture tonight is of one of the hundreds of stone walls I have seen on my hike so far. Some of these walls have been here for hundreds of years. Further south, we passed through Civil War battlefields and now, through American Revolution battlefields. I can't help but imagine young soldiers returning fire upon their enemy from behind these exact same stones.  There is a lot of history along the trail. Some of it is as old as our nation and some goes back even further to times when only Native Americans lived here. I was lucky enough to recently pass through Beck County, Pennsylvania. It was the home of one of my earliest European ancestors who lived in what would become the United States. He fought in the American Revolution and was married to a Native American. I can trace my family directly back to them. It was exciting to walk through the area.Tonight, I'm safe, warm, and dry in my tent. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-16
From: Clarence Fahnestock State Park

To: Morgan Stewart Memorial Shelter 
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

Tonight, we are camping at the Morgan Stewart Memorial Shelter with at least 20 other hikers and folks continue to arrive. This is the most people I've seen at a shelter since Georgia.I believe there several reasons for the crowd. About half the people here are flip floppers and have only been on the trail since Harper's Ferry or even more recently. Two couples here tonight have only been on the trail for three days. I believe another reason for the crowd is due to the lack of shelters and suitable campsites nearby. Today, we only did 14 miles. If we had wanted to go to the next shelter, it would have been a 25-mile day. We can do it, we have in the past, but 25 miles a day is more than we, or most people, want to do.The final reason is due to the lack of quality water. The streams here have not been the crystal-clear water we¢re had up to now. Most are at least tannin stained to a tea color and some are much worse and/or have a high sodium, metal taste. This shelter has a hand pump. The water, although still slightly metallic in taste, is clear and without an odor.Several of our friends are here tonight too. We hadn't seen Sitting Bull for about the last five days; it's always nice to see him. Hoops just arrived as I've been typing this entry. She was off the trail for 5 days to register for school. Moonshine and Chipmunk are here as well. I don't believe they are a couple but they hike together. Shananaguy and his nieces, Pluck and Sillyspilly, are here too. It's always nice to see and catch up with friends out here.My picture tonight is of Canapus Lake in Clarence Fahnestock State Park. We stayed there last night. It started to lightly rain today at around noon and has been raining since. But I'm safe, warm, and dry in the shelter tonight. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-17
From: Morgan Stewart Memorial Shelter 

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light rain

It was a nice day of hiking today. It was a little warm but cloud cover kept it from being too bad. Beaker and I managed to knock out 16.6 miles (and 1.4 unofficial miles to a deli at lunch).During the day, we passed the "Dover Oak". It is the largest tree on the Appalachian Trail. It is impressive and easily six feet in diameter.We also passed Nuclear Lake (my picture for today). In 1972, there was a small explosion in a nuclear research center testing bomb grade plutonium and uranium near the lake. The independent research lab denied any radioactive material was released but the government found that to be false. It revoked the center's license and a massive cleanup took place in 1975. Locals were still concerned for years afterwards (and some still are) but the government came back in 1995 and certified the area as clean. The area is absolutely beautiful but camping and swimming is still not allowed.This afternoon they were calling for rain and thunderstorms ae expected tonight. So far we¢ve been lucky and the rain has held off or missed us. But they are calling for rain the next few days, too. We will just have to wait and see.Even if it rains tonight, I am safe, warm, and dry in the Wiley Shelter. We are only a couple of miles from the Connecticut border and will leave New York behind us tomorrow. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-06-18
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: moderate rain

It was a grueling hiking day today. It rained off and on most of the morning but never heavy enough to soak us.  The humidity must have been nearly 100 percent. The rain stopped in the afternoon and the humidity remained high. I must have drank and sweat two gallons of water today.It began to rain again soon after reaching our campsite and is still raining as I type this. It is supposed to rain throughout the night and they are calling for two inches of rain tomorrow. It sounds like it's going to be a wet day.On a good note, we did cross into Connecticut this morning--my 10th state. The trail in Connecticut is only about 51 miles long so we should hit Massachusetts in just a couple of days.We also met a friend of Beaker's today at a road crossing who was doing Trail Magic. He had fried chicken and lemonade--it was great!Even with the heat and rough terrain today, we were able to knock out 19.5 miles. I'm not sure how far we will be able to hike in the rain tomorrow.Regardless of what tomorrow brings, tonight I'm safe, warm, and dry. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.