morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-21
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: clear sky

The thought of bears stalking the area slipped out of my mind as I drifted off to sleep, and the low temperatures last night, helped me sleep well. I got up early to a chilly morning, packed up and wandered down to the Mohican Center lodge to have a cup of coffee. I was on the trail later than I wanted to be and started out my second day in New Jersey at a brisk pace to try and warm up.I knew I would be seeing bears in NJ, but I did not expect to see another one today after last night's sighting. I happened to be hiking along with my sight focused down on the trail. As I looked up I spotted a good sized bear about 50 yds ahead of me heading southbound on the AT. We both noticed each other at the same time and we each stopped dead in our tracks. We then stared at each other and it seemed as though we were both waiting for the other one to move. Fortunately this bear turned around and started to head northbound. I SLOWLY moved forward on a winding trail, banging my poles together to make sure that bear knew I was coming. He must have run off into the woods, since I never did see him again.As I hiked along this morning, I noticed a subtle change in this NJ trailscape. Unlike in PA, where the ridgeline views are usually obscured by trees, the NJ ridgeline is often open on either side, allowing for some great views east and west. The ridgeline trail also often goes over smooth bedrock so it is important to keep an eye on the blazes. The trail also seems to be taking more small ups and downs, similar to the PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs) found back in GA and NC.The afternoon brought me down to Culvers Gap, where there was suppose to be a place right next to the trail called Joe & Go Cafe. I thought if it wasn't too late I could get something to eat or drink there. Unfortunately by the time I got there, they were closed, so I settled for two 20 oz. bottles of cold iced tea from the vending machine at the nearby gas station. The day had turned hot and somewhat humid so this was a welcome treat. I hiked on for another three miles and settled into Gren Anderson Shelter. I am the only one in the shelter tonight but six other thru hikers are tenting nearby.
Date: 2007-07-24
From: Vernon, NJ - church hostel

To: Cascade Brook - tenting
Miles today: 10.7

Today I had so many little things to do at the hostel and in town that I did not leave until about 1pm. I had been in touch with my wife's brother and his wife earlier and today arranged a meeting with them where the trail crosses Long House Rd., about 7 miles from Vernon, NJ. They are up from Houston, Texas visiting and were in the New Paultz, NY area today. By the time I finally left the hostel and hitched a ride back to the trail, I was concerned that I would not be able to cover the 7 miles and meet them on time.The initial mile or so, proved to be a good climb. I felt good though, and the weather today was very nice, in sharp contrast to yesterday. I was making such good time I decided to make a quick stop at the first shelter and check the register. As I continued on, I noticed the springs and streams were flowing much better, due to yesterday's soaking rain. As I pulled closer to Long House Road, I realized I would be right on time. I reached the road, put my pack down and checked my cell phone for a message. They had just called about a minute or two ago, and said they had reached Long House Road. I dialed their cell phone and my brother-in-law Chris, picked up. As we were discussing our locations, his voice sounded close and I eventually saw him walking down the road around a bend. As he reached me he insisted on carrying my pack to his car. Of course I had absolutely no objections to hoisting it on him and honoring that request. We drove down the road and parked near a lake. We set up some lounge chairs and they brought out a huge sub sandwich and a beer for me. We spent the next 2 hours or so, catching up on the happenings in their lives and my adventures on the trail. My wife Kathy and I meet them every July to camp in the Adirondacks of NY, and I missed them on that trip this year, so I really enjoyed their visit and appreciated the time they spent to go out of their way to meet with me.Eventually they headed home and I continued on. I knew it would probably be too late to reach the next shelter, so I planned to look for a nice place to set up my tent before the sun went down. I eventually found the perfect flat spot right next to a good flowing stream. About a mile before that I ran into "Speaks Little" who decided to camp on the ridge. At this point I also passed from NJ into the state of NY.
Date: 2007-07-25
From: Cascade Brook - tenting

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Wow, today was a long hard day on the trail. I am starting to see a pattern when I reach a town, 1) I eat too much junk food, 2) I drink too much coffee, 3) I don't get enough sleep. The day or two after, I feel lousy and usually have a tough day hiking. My new resolution: 1) eat complex carbs in town (more fruit, vegetables, grains), 2) drink less coffee (can't give it up completely), and stick to the usual hiker bedtime if possible (usually 8:30pm).I'd have to say that the terrain today was also quite challenging. New York introduced me to the AT here, with an assortment of plenty of PUDS, rock climbing, and some scattered rocky strolls. On the good side, there were also a lot of open ridge walks and great views. Sometime before lunch I came upon Fitzgerald Falls, a high cascading waterfall, which started as one stream and split into two on the way down. I was tempted to stop for lunch but it was early and I wanted to hike more miles. I was interested in reaching a place called Mombasha High Point, where supposedly there is a view of the New York City skyline. For some reason, I must have missed it, and never did see this view. The day was becoming hot and humid, and I was moving slower and slower. During the course of the afternoon, I ran into "Speaks Little" a number of times, who seems to be hiking separately from "Gypsy Spirit" again. We discussed destination options for the day. He was shooting for Lake Tiorati where there was a public beach and restrooms. He was planning to "stealth camp" there. I was hoping to join him but also considered the shelter about a mile before that.As the afternoon wore on I reachd the overpass which crosses the NY Thruway. This is also the southern boundary of Harriman State Park. Even though it was late in the day and I was bushed, I could not help but admire the area the trail passed in the park. The forest at the lower elevation was dark and kind of had that mysterious quality. As I hiked up, the higher spots were open and bright with a nice spacing of trees. There was also a lot of grassy terrain and large rock formations. One interesting rock formation famous on the trail, was the "Lemon Squeezer". It was basically a very narrow passage the trail passed through, barely wide enough to squeeze through. I've lost some weight on this trip, but I still wasn't quite skinny enough to get through this without a lot of scrapes. But I made it.It was getting dark and I finally arrived at Fingerboard Shelter. I had to decide quickly if I would stay or push on another mile to the Lake Tiorati site. I was reluctant to stay because the water source was a 1 mile round trip. I made the decision to stay however when I saw a half full gallon jug of water at the shelter, a previous hiker had left. That was just enough to cook, clean up a bit, and quench my thirst. So here I am, very tired, but happy to be here. I'm gazing at a full moon and watching the light of fireflies flicker in the distance. All is well again.
Date: 2007-07-27
From: Graymoor Friary

To: Shenandoah Tenting Area
Miles today: 17.6

Today was an all around great day hiking on the AT. I started out in a non-hurried mode, slowly taking down the tent and having breakfast. I took the time to make a cup of coffee today and as I drank it, I talked with Nice Enuff (from Minnesota) about his future plans after he finishes his thru hike. I started out at 8:15, leaving the Graymoor property to pick up where I left the trail yesterday. It initially looked like it would rain this morning but then the sun came out. I hiked well in the morning along some very nice, mostly flat trail cushioned by forest duff. I was very happy the trail was a little easier today, which gave my feet a break, and was much needed after the last two days of rough terrain and ups and downs. Whenever the trail crossed a road or passed through a field, I could feel the heat and humidity of the day. However, in the woods, it was relatively cool and at times a refreshing breeze was blowing. The forest acts as a natural air conditioner, and is all I have to keep me cool on the trail.There were quite a few red raspberry bushes on either side of the trail today, and I made sure I stopped at each one to pick and eat handfulls of this sweet and delicious berry. At noon I stopped after passing Dennytown Rd. I sat along an old rock wall on the edge of the woods and a nearby field and enjoyed a longer than usual lunch in the cool shade. I was amazed that I was not being bothered by any bugs, whereas they were chasing me along the trail most of the morning. In the afternoon the day became increasingly hotter and I reached NY Rt. 301. Less than a mile to the right was Clarence Fahnestock State Park. Lake Canopus, which is a part of this park was adjacent to Rt. 301 and in plain site. I had thought about hitching a ride to the park in search of a cold drink, but instead, crossed the road and continued on the trail. I had made up my mind to take a swim in the lake to cool down. I bushwacked a short distance from the trail to the shore of the lake, took off my boots and socks and jumped in. This was the first swim I've taken all summer, and after hiking 12 hot miles, it felt like I died and went to heaven. I left my shirt on so I could give it and my shorts a good rinsing. I enjoyed that luxury for as long as I could, but eventually had to move on.After that swim I really felt good and the next 6 miles to the Shenandoah campsite was a breeze. This is sort of an unusual campsite, with a picnic table and a sort of carport shelter protecting it. After eating dinner, I decided not to set up my tent but sleep under this shelter. Just before I went to bed, a good thunderstorm blew in and I realized with the wind and rain, I had better sleep on the picnic table rather then the concrete pad under the shelter, which was getting wet from the rain. The thunderstorms continued on and off through the night and sleep was sporadic. A great day on the trail.
Date: 2007-07-29
From: NY55

To: NY55
Miles today: 0.0

My brother and I traveled to the local EMS today and I was able to pick out a pair of trail shoes that I hope will be OK for the remainder of this hike. They were not exactly what I wanted, but are very similar to the first pair I had, which performed well for the first 700 miles. I also got a haircut and went for a swim earlier in his pool.The rest of the day was spent just relaxing and resting my body. I am finding that when I take a zero day or more, my ankles and feet swell up pretty bad. I'm not sure why that is happening but it is annoying. There is no ankle or foot pain. As soon as I resume hiking, this swelling goes away. I think I may need to hydrate more during these zero days. Anyone have an explanation for this?John cooked up a fantastic steak dinner in the evening and my sister-in-law, Keli, was super about offering me all kinds of food and drink. I called my wife to see what her plans were regarding her travels home, and she said she could stop by on the way home. My sister Trish also came over. We all had a good time getting together this evening, and these late nights are messing up my thru hiker bed time cycle, but who cares!Planning to head out on to the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2007-07-30
From: NY55

To: NY55
Miles today: 0.0

Believe it or not, I am taking another zero day at my brother's house. We had discussed today's weather report from the night before. Sporadic thunder showers were predicted all afternoon. I was concered about breaking in a new pair of shoes in the rain. I figured wet feet and stiff shoes may be a bad combination and could create some nasty blisters.So when I got up this morning I decided to zero today too. I felt guilty about that, as this will set me back a bit, but I tried to get that out of my mind and at least enjoy the day. As it turned out, it was warm and sunny all day, and no rain ever materialized. I used the time to catch up on my journal which was 7 days behind, and I went for a walk in my new shoes with my 2 nieces.I gladly treated my brother and his family to dinner tonight for all of their kindness and hospitality over the last few days, and we had an early celebration of my nieces' 9th birthday.Need to get back on the trail bright and early tomorrow!
Date: 2007-07-31
From: NY55

To: Schaghticoke Mtn. Campsite
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: clear sky

I was up about 6:15 this morning at my brother's house and I could smell the coffee brewing. I poured some coffee, and Keli put that huge fruit platter in front of me one more time. I will miss this fresh fruit when I get back on the trail. It was tough breaking away from such great hospitality, but if I'm going to make it to Katahdin I need to start hiking north again. John drove me to the NY Rt 55 trailhead after I made sure I had all my gear in the car.I have to tell you, saying goodbye to my little brother at the trail head was tough. I love all my 12 brothers and sisters dearly, but John is a little special since his birth after my mom married my step father, was a real catylist towards bringing two diferent families closer together. But these goodbyes are always temporary and I knew that we'd be sharing more good times soon.As I hiked up the trail I could see him waiting there to make sure I got off to a good start. It was interesting hiking this section to the CT border. I hiked it in 2000 once with Dan and Luke Gardiner, neighbors of ours, who both thru hiked the AT then. It was a moderately easy hike and I passed Nuclear Lake, a beautiful spot to spend some time.Arriving in CT was a real milestone for me since this is my home state. I have hiked the 50 miles of trail winding through CT, and some of it many times, so this was really cool to now be doing it on my thru hike!In the afternoon, I reached a small CT town called Bulls Bridge, very close to Kent. I walked about .5 down the road and through a covered bridge (something of a New England landmark). There was a small country store nearby and a bought a cup of coffee. The Bulls Bridge Inn is also located here and I had to take a picture of it since my niece Rebecca is dating the owners son. Rebecca, I've never met him before, but he must not have been there today, since I did not see any young men worthy of dating you.I soon returned to the trail and wrapped up a long day by pulling into the Schaghticoke Mtn. Campsite. It was late, so I hustled to get my tent set up and dinner cooked before it got too dark. The bugs are biting, so I'm off to my tent.It's good to be in Connecticut.
Date: 2007-08-01
From: Schaghticoke Mtn. Campsite

To: Caesar Brook Campsite
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: few clouds

I had a great night sleep last night. I really needed it. At my brother's house, I slept 3 nights in the most comfortable bed in the house, yet did not sleep as well as I did last night on the ground and on my Z-Rest pad. I guess, after three and a half months, my body is use to sleeping on the ground.It was about a 3 mile hike to CT341 this morning. I walked the half mile or so into Kent, CT. My first stop was the bakery in town where I had a large coffee and a blueberry scone. I sat at a table on the patio in front of the bakery and made some phone calls as I sipped coffee and ate the scone. I later walked over to the outfitter to try and purchase a bite valve for my Camelback water bladder, which I lost either this morning or last night. Unfortunately they did not have it. The loss is not an emergency and I can wait until I reach another outfitter. I looked at the boots while I was there and was glad my brother talked me into purchasing a new pair of boots in Danbury, CT, rather then wait till I reached Kent. The Kent outfitter did not have much of a selection of boots or anything else for that matter. I'm real happy with how my boots are performing so far, and I feel I'll be able to go the rest of the way with them.When I got back on the trail I met a southbound hiker. We talked for a while and I thought he looked very familiar. Then it dawned on me that he was Jedi, a thru hiker I met back in Maryland. He was off the trail briefly then, and provided some trail magic by cooking beakfast for hikers passing through Gathling State Park. He has flip flopped and is hiking back to Maryland now.After I passed an area today called "St. Johns Ledges", I hiked down about 100 or so rock steps built by trail maintainers to make it easier to pass this very steep area. I was glad I was going down, but my knees were screaming for relief on the way down. I don't envy the south bounders who need to climb these steps.In the afternoon, a long section of the trail stretched along the Housatonic River. This was easy walking and I ended up eating lunch on the river bank and soaking my feet in the river. The Housatonic River is a beatiful river, but I have heard the water is not fit for drinking, so I did not use any of it. I was originally going to try and reach Pine Swamp Lean-To, but decided to pull up 3 miles short at the Caesar Brook campsite. It's just me here tonight. Dinner is eaten, and the food bag hung, and I'm about ready to nod off. Good night all.
Date: 2007-08-04
From: Hemlocks Lean-To

To: Beartown Road, MA
Miles today: 22.1

I have a challenging day ahead of me. I plan to meet a friend at his cabin in Otis, MA, which is very close to where the trail passes in Tyringham, MA. It will be challenging since I need to cover 26 miles. My friend Joe, who provided all the great trail magic last night will help me out again by transporting most of my gear to my destination and thereby allowing me to slack pack.Joe said he slept well last night but noticed the buzzing sound of a cloud of mosquitoes. He soon realized that he had left the coolers filled with dry ice, right under his hammock, which explained the mosquito problem. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide is what attracts mosquitoes. Joe promptly moved the coolers after making this discovery. I got a laugh from that. Sounds like a great way to keep mosquitoes away. Just be sure to place the dry ice far away from you!After loading most of my gear in Joe's pack I took off. Having a much lighter pack was fantastic, and helped me move along quickly today. I did not take many breaks and only snacked lightly along the way. This probably explained why I started to crash towards the end of the day. It was hot and at about 19 miles I had little energy left. When I reached Benedict Pond I spotted an unusual sight on the trail and I thought I was hallucinating. I saw a bottle of gatorade. I picked it up and realized it was real. I assumed it was some trail magic and since the seal was unbroken, I opened it and eagerly drank it down. Going a little further, I spotted a sign on a tree indicating that 2 thru hikers, who I know, were having a picnic with their familes (all from MA) and were inviting other thru hikers to join. I hustled a short distance down a side trail to see what this was about and was amazed at what I found.There were tables loaded with food and coolers full of cold drinks. There must have been close to 100 family members who came to say hello to these 2 thru hikers. 2 other thru hikers in addition to myself, had joined the party, and we were offered a bounty of hospitality. I ate and drank to restore my energy for the remainder of my hike and thanked these 2 thru hikers and their familes for some wonderful trail magic, which came just as I needed it.By this time however I knew it would be tough to cover the remaining distance and arrive at a reasonable hour so I worked out another plan. I called my friend Jim and asked if he would not mind picking me up at Beartown Rd., about 4 miles down the trail. He agreed, and I proceeded to fly down the trail to get there by 7pm. I was feeling quite energetic now, and had no problem meeting Jim and his son, at the trailhead.We went back to Jim's cabin where my wife Kathy and sister Trish were waiting. Jim's son and his family have also joined us. Jim prepared a fantastic meal of home made bread and potato soup, and after taking a shower we all sat down and enjoyed this meal and a great night of conversation together.Lot's of Trail Magic coming my way lately!
Date: 2007-08-05
From: Beartown Road, MA

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

Jim, Trish, and I awoke one by one and congregated at the dining room table drinking coffee and having a light breakfast. Kathy joined us a little later. This is the real pleasure of visiting Jim's cabin. It has a magical quality to bring people together in a real nice setting. It sits on a wooded ridge just above the Tyringham valley, somewhat isolated but always accessible.Eventually we packed up and left at about 10:30. Kathy is driving me back to Beartown Rd. where I left off yesterday. My sister Trish is following us to see me off. When we arrived at the trail head, I started to get my gear ready and put my boots on. I was also looking through a big rubbermaid container filled with food re-supply items to supplement my supplies. At that moment a thru hiker named "Nice" and then "Suess" came down to the road from the trail. I know them both. They were also followed a bit later by a couple of section hikers. Kathy and Trish immediately went into "trail angel mode" and started asking all of these hikers if they wanted anything to eat or drink. Of course they said yes, and I just stood back with a smile on my face and watched Kathy and Trish pass out all kinds of food and drink. After they had re-supplied these guys for probably the next 3 days they continued up the trail and I lingered on to say goodbye to Kathy and Trish.I then started hiking north, and by then it was about 12:30. I wasn't going too far, and my destination would be the Upper Goose Pond Cabin which is owned and operated by the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club). The hike was basically uneventful and took me back towards Jim's cabin.After the trail passed Tyringham Rd. there was a long hard climb, which after much sweating and work, leveled off and stayed that way for a while. By about 6pm, I reached the side trail to the cabin and hiked the last half mile to it. A few hikers were already there and more showed up later. This cabin is large and fully enclosed with plenty of bunk space on the second floor. It has a kitchen and a small living room with a stone fireplace. There is also a covered porch in front. There is no doubt about it, this place is homey and I am looking forward to my night stay here. I did not get a chance to take a swim in the lake this evening but maybe tomorrow. On top of all this, the caretaker makes blueberry pancakes and coffee for breakfast tomorrow.