morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-28
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: light rain

This morning felt like it was going to be the same old routine. I woke up to the sound of rain and eventually got myself moving. The first hour of hiking was in a steady rain. Then like a miracle the rain slowed, eventually stopped and the sun came out. So for the first time in days I got to hike under blue sunny skies. Of coarse the trail is still under water. It amazes me when I am up on a ridge and water is running past my feet several inches deep. Where does it all keep coming from?Today I passed up three short road walks to food. I am not sure if it¢s because my appetite has not fully recovered from the flu or I was sure by late afternoon it would storm. Either way I arrived at the shelter before 5pm and stayed dry. Today¢s hike was pretty interesting. The climb out of Leigh Gap was a monster rock scramble. Once at the top, the views down onto the swollen Leigh River were amazing. Hiking across the ridge of this mountain was a bit creepy. All of the vegetation on this mountain was wilted or dead due to the zinc refinery in the Leigh Valley. So this entire ridge was open to the sun and it felt great to walk in the sun after all of the recent rain. I recently switched to a sleeveless shirt and I actually got some sun burn on my shoulders today. I also saw my second rattle snake while crossing this ridge.Today was the first time in several weeks that I really felt like hiking the rest of the way to Maine. Not that I have been on the verge of quitting, but there have been recent distractions that left me unfocused. Mentally, I have had a lot going on with the loss of a loved one. The day hikes with my family were great, but put me in the lap of luxury to often. Then I was sick for several days. Then it was the rain. But finally today I had no distractions. (Other than the fact that the trail is still like a creek) I went back to walking with determination and pride. Tomorrow will be 2 months that I have been out here, and life on the A.T. is good!
Date: 2006-06-29
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Church of the Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 20.5

I got an early start today and hit the rocks on my way to Delaware Water Gap. The trail was either a rock scramble or flooded swamp. But I still managed to make decent time and got to town before 2pm. Upon arrival I picked up my mail drop at the post office and then I checked into the hostel. This hostel is really nice but I realized it seemed very full. After talking with some of the other hikers I learned they had been here for 3 or 4 days. The flooding of the Delaware River has sections of the trail leaving town 10 feet under water. I decided to get a shower and then get a bite to eat. After showering, I headed toward the downtown area only to find it completely submerged in water. The signal light hung only several feet above the brown water. I looked with disappointment as I saw the pizza shop and the outfitter underwater. I wondered around a bit and couldn't even find a soda machine. I was starving but didn't want to eat any of my supplies in my mail drop because this food has to get me through the next section of the trail. When I returned to the hostel I learned of the trail magic to come. The members of the church were having their weekly pot luck dinner tonight at 6pm. I found a nice spot to take a nap and then at 6 had an unbelievably awesome meal with perfect deserts to follow. It was great to meet some new hikers and spend time with a few I have recently gotten to know (Jumpstart, Bravefriend, Happy Feet). Later on a few of us went next door to a neat little jazz bar for a few drinks.I do not know what lies ahead tomorrow. I may have to take a zero day. I might hitch a ride past the flooded trail. I am just not sure.I am sure that today marks 2 months I have been out here and I am still excited. I am also sure that today is my 4 year wedding anniversary and I am so lucky to have spent the last four years married to such a wonderful women. I promise her that our 5 year anniversary will be spent together doing something special.
Date: 2006-06-30
From: Church of the Mountain Hostel

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: scattered clouds

The water levels in Delaware Water Gap dropped by about 15 feet by this morning. This meant I only had to walk through knee deep water to cross under I-80 and get back onto the trail. So after breakfast at a cafe, Happy Feet and I made our way out of the Gap. Happy Feet is planning on making it to Vernon, NJ the same day I am and we hike a similar pace. It was nice to hike with him today and get to know him better. The first ten miles into New Jersey went by quickly, although the "so called" PA rocks were still all over the trail. We stopped for lunch at the Mohican Outdoor Center. It was just 1/4 mile off the trail and they had cold sodas and some snack items available. We didn't leave town until almost 11am and we took a long break for lunch so we were left with over 14 miles and not a lot of day light. The afternoon went pretty fast as the terrain continued to be rocky but we walked along some open ridges with nice views. New Jersey seems to be a bit more scenic then PA. Around 6pm the skies started to get dark. In the morning, I forded the flooded roads in my Crocs. So I at this point I had walked about 20 miles and managed to keep my shoes and socks dry for the first time in almost a week. It got darker and the thunder started to get louder and just as Happy Feet and I reached the open ridge the storm hit us full force. The cold rain instantly soaked everything I was wearing in and the last 2 hours of the days hike were done in a style I am getting all to familiar with.Happy Feet is sleeping in a hammock. There is a father and son in the shelter and Jumpstart also just rolled in.
Date: 2006-07-01
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: Murray Property
Miles today: 24.9

Happy Feet and I hit the trail about 8am today. It was a beautiful sunny morning and a great morning to be hiking. We took a morning break at a fire tower from which we could see Highpoint State Park. This park was about 16 miles away and later in the day we would hike by the monument we could see. It amazed me to look at the forest between where we stood and where we were headed and think that I am covering more ground than this everyday.Later in the day we stopped at a shelter for lunch and ran into Jumpstart. The three of us hiked together the second half of the day. It really mixes it up to hike with other people. At times you find yourselves in the middle of some odd conversations and just have to laugh. We saw a variety of wildlife today including a turkey hen with her young and several deer including a doe with 2 fawns. Later in the day the heat really took it out of me. We spent a large portion of the day on ridges that were not shaded by trees and my shoulders got even more sun.Tonight I am staying at the secret shelter. It is not an official A.T. shelter but rather a property maintained by a former thru-hiker for hikers. It is really neat. The shelter is a 4 walled building with a sleeping loft. It also has a shower and electricity. I am really thankful to be hiking with Happy Feet or I would have missed this spot. Happy feet thru-hiked in 2004 so he has lots of useful info from his first experience. The only down fall are the donkeys in the field that keep making a hideous noise. Well I need my rest so I can get an early start into Vernon where I will get to see my lovely wife.
Date: 2006-07-02
From: Murray Property

To: Appalachian Motel (Vernon, NJ)
Miles today: 13.5

Today was one of those days where you walk with a purpose, like you¢re on a mission. Roughly 13 miles of swampy, rugged terrain stood between me and my wife and spending time with her in the luxuries of the world. Jumpstart, Happy Feet and I got moving by about 7am and knocked out the first 7 miles in less than 2 hours. Jumpstart carries a pack that ways around 12 lbs and he hikes a lot faster then me. After our break, we continued at this pace and we got to Heaven Hill Farm by about 11am. This was the point where Danielle was meeting us and it was a great place to wait for a ride. Heaven Hill Farm is a farm market (similar to Brown¢s) with homemade treats and ice cream. The three of us drooled as we tried to decided what looked the best. I went with a milkshake, a brownie (it must have weighed a pound) and some apple strudels. Of course this was just a snack before lunch.Danielle arrived just as we finished with our ¢Heavenly¢ treats and we loaded into the car for the short drive into Vernon. We dropped Jumpstart and Happy Feet off at the church hostel and made plans to meet them in the morning for a ride back to the trail. Danielle and I then drove around trying to find the cheapest motel. We learned quickly that a ¢cheap motel¢ and holiday weekend can¢t be combined in the same sentence. So we forked out $90 for a dingy room that reeked of smoke (It did have a cool name though). Then we were off to run errands; groceries, laundry and dinner. I was actually typing this in the laundry mat and now we have arrived at the pizza shop so its time for me to go.
Date: 2006-07-03
From: Appalachian Motel (Vernon, NJ)

To: American Budget Inn Motel (Ardon, NY)
Miles today: 27.2

Goodbye New Jersey and hello New York. That¢s 8 states down and 6 to go. To celebrate hiking through another state, I am enjoying the comforts of a motel room for the second night in a row. Danielle and I met Jumpstart and Happy Feet this morning at Dunkin Donut and after breakfast she dropped us off back at the trail. Should would pick us up at 6pm at NY17 so that meant we had 10 hours to hike 27 miles. The terrain has gotten tougher and I was missing New Jersey with each step. We put Jumpstart out in front and did all we could to try and keep him in sight. We were making great time and even had the chance to hike off the trail a short way to an ice cream stand. That was just what we needed on a 90 degree day. The rocky ups and downs continued all day and when we were about an hour from calling it a day a thunder storm rolled in and soaked us and all that we had. This slowed us a bit because the rocks now felt like a sheet of ice. Eventually we made it to the road where Danielle was waiting for us.Since everything was soaked we decided to take our clothing to the laundry mat and dry it rather than trying to hang things all over the room as we have become accustom to doing in the shelters. Jumpstart, Happy Feet and I all took our turn in the delightfully high pressured shower and the four of us were off to Chilies for some food. It has been great to get to spend time with Danielle in the evening and knock off a big day with some great company. Tomorrow morning I will have to say my goodbyes to Danielle until she comes to pick me up in Maine.
Date: 2006-07-04
From: American Budget Inn Motel (Ardon, NY)

To: Graymoor Friary Pavilion
Miles today: 24.9

I woke up today next to Danielle for the last time until my hike is over. Getting an early start out of a motel is next to impossible. My goal was to be hiking no later than 9am so I could make it through the zoo before it closed. That's right I said zoo. After going over Bear Mountain the trail runs through a Wildlife center with caged animals. My guidebook indicates that the zoo closes at 5pm so even with a slightly later start I knew I was in good shape.New York has been very challenging. But it has also been very beautiful. Today I saw about 8 deer including one very large buck with a nice rack. After some ups and downs I finally got to Bear Mountain summit by about 3:30. I ran into Jumpstart and we headed down the mountain. Jumpstart, Happy Feet and I didn't hike together for real long today before finding our own pace and hiking alone. When Jumpstart and I reached the bottom of the mountain, it felt as if we had walked into Central Park. The picnic and swimming areas were overflowing with people. We maneuvered through the masses as we followed the A.T. through the park. We arrived at the gate of the zoo just before 4:30 to find it locked. My guidebook was incorrect and the zoo closed at 4:30 and not 5. Although I was there before 4:30 but I was told they closed early because of the thunder storms. So rather than walk the .1 miles through the zoo, I had to road walk about .5 mile to get around to the other side of the zoo. Jumpstart had to stay behind to pickup his mail drop in the morning.The last 6 miles of the day went slow. I did cross the Hudson River on a cool suspension bridge but other than that is was not real exciting. I am staying about 1/4 mile off the trail at Graymoor Friary. It is a picnic pavilion that is offered up to hikers as a shelter. There is running water here so it makes it a nice spot to stay. As it turns dark the sound of fireworks is filling the night. Happy Fourth of July!
Date: 2006-07-05
From: Graymoor Friary Pavilion

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 27.9
Weather: light rain

I woke up not feeling very rested between the fireworks and the mosquitos. But I had big miles to do so I got myself moving. Just as I finished going through my morning routine the rain started to fall. So I hit the trail under a steady rain. About 6 miles into the morning I slipped on some wet rocks and suffered the nastiest fall of my hike. My feet went out from under me and then I landed on my wrist and my knee. The big bruise on my wrist is no big deal but my knee is giving me some problems. It is very painful to go downhill almost to the point of not being able to bend my leg. I just hope that by morning it feels better and not worse. The fall was also detrimental to my gear. It resulted in a bent trekking pole and a broken LCD screen on the borrowed digital camera. I eventually made my way to a pizza shop 1/2 mile off the trail which helped to raise my spirits. Chill (a thru-hiker) got to the pizza shop shortly after I did and we hiked the rest of the evening together to the shelter. There are about 6 other thru-hikers tenting by the shelter and I think I know why. The mosquito¢s are back again tonight so I am going to put some bug spray on and call it a night
Date: 2006-07-06
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Ten Mile River Lean-To
Miles today: 20.6

I wasn't to sure how the day would go after I woke up and found that my knee had swollen to the size of a softball. I got a slow start and each step hurt worse than the last. Chill had left just before me and I caught him after a bit and hiked on past. But when I came to a downhill I was moving so slow he caught back up to me. He is almost 50 and he hikes a little slower than my normal pace. I decided it would be best for my knee to hike slower the rest of the day. It made it nicer on my knee and it turned out to be a fun day to spend with a neat guy.We passed the Dover Oak, which is a very old, very large tree. Then we came to the Appalachian Trail Station. This is a stop on the Metro which goes to NYC. Our next surprise came when crossing a state road and we spotted a hot dog stand less than a quarter mile down the road. It just seemed odd to see a stand like this in the middle of a rural New York road. Our only complaints were with the high prices. Then about 5 miles from the shelter we came across some trail magic. There was some cold juice and some candy which was great to get me through the last few miles of the day.Today was a physical struggle, but I am now into Connecticut and that means 5 states to go.
Date: 2006-07-07
From: Ten Mile River Lean-To

To: Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 15.7

An early start got me into the town of Kent, CT by about 10am. I had a lot of errands to take care of so I logistically planned my way around town to minimize my walking. My knee is definitely improving but it still has a long way to go. Unfortunately my new gimpy hiking style has resulted in a new blister.My first stop in town was at the outfitter. They fixed my bent trekking pole at no cost (I am glad I bought Leki's) and I also purchased a new food bag. Then it was off to a diner for eggs and bacon. Kent is a neat little town with a main street shopping area. After breakfast, I went to the grocery store where I bought much more food than I need to get to my next re supply. I found a nice shaded bench to repackage my things and gave Danielle a call. Chill passed by on his way to the store and we decided to go to a pizza shop for lunch. (This was about 3 hours after my big breakfast)After all the town fun it was back to the trail for 7 more miles with a full gut and pack on a sore knee. I eventually made it to the shelter and was to full to mess with making dinner.I want to congratulate Chris and Monique on the birth of my new nephew that was still nameless when I spoke with Danielle today. Maybe she can update the name (Jackson Christopher Patton).
Date: 2006-07-08
From: Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to

To: Limestone Springs (Tent)
Miles today: 22.3

Connecticut has definitely been a re-introduction to the ups and downs of the A.T. The climbs are not all that long but they really take there toll on a hot day. After 70 days on the trail, I have also had to start to deal with the monotony of the thru-hike. I enjoy hiking, but you reach a point when you start to think of other things you could be doing. But I do realize those other things will be there waiting for me and in just over a month I can spend the rest of my life doing them. (I am talking little things, showering, wearing clean clothes, etc)I ran into Jumpstart again today. I saw him in Kent and he was planning on doing a 24 hour challenge or something like that. I guess he started hiking at 12am and after about 2 hours of that he realized he didn't want to hike all through the night so he just cowboy camped right along the trail. So it was a surprise to me to see him this morning about a 1/2 mile from the shelter where I stayed.Later in the day, Jumpstart came by me while I was having lunch by a stream. He was planning on going to a cafe about .2 from the trail. Not long after Chill came along and he was pretty excited about the cafe as well. I had eaten a ton for lunch, but Chill offered to buy me a drink so the three of us ended up at the Mountainside Cafe. It was a neat place that actually had cabin rentals as well. Apparently we are in the Berkshires which seem to be a high end vacation area.After the cafe stop, the rest of the evening flew by and before I knew it I had reached the trail to the shelter. The Limestone Springs Lean-to is a half a mile off the A.T. It was even worse when I realized the half mile was straight downhill. I finally made it down to the shelter to find out that it was full of section hikers. There were some tent sites next to the shelter but I decided to hike back up the mountain and tent close to the trail so I wouldn't have the climb in the morning. Chill and Jumpstart are also tenting nearby.A quick knee update - it is still slowing me down but it will not stop me from reaching Katahdin.
Date: 2006-07-09
From: Limestone Springs (Tent)

To: Great Barrington, MA (Monument Mountain Motel)
Miles today: 25.5
Weather: few clouds

Welcome to Mosquito-chusetts! That's right another state behind me and four to go. This state has been beautiful so far. The afternoon was spent walking next to a movie-like brook (The north terminology is slightly different with brooks and lean-tos rather than streams and shelters) Later in the day Race Mountain took me up over 2,000 feet for the first time since Virginia. The views of the Berkshires and the large estates were visible all afternoon from this mountain.The day also included a monster climb up Mt. Everett. It was nearly 1,000 ft in less then a mile on a rock face. Eventually I met up with Chill and Jumpstart and we were planning on camping just outside of Great Barrington and then taking a nero day tomorrow. As we came down off the ridge to lower elevations the mosquitoes started to become a problem. Before we knew it there were hundreds of these worthless critters attacking us. I used my trekking poles to try to swat them away but I still suffered dozens of bites. We made the decision it would be unbearable to try and stop to set up a tent. We pushed on to the road and got a hitch into town rather easily. This town is spread out and it will make getting things done a bit of a challenge. I haven't decided if I will stay a second night or if I will hike out tomorrow after taking care of laundry, etc. I also have an infection or irritation in my eye that may require some attention. Will I stay or will I go? Not sure. But I will enjoy my night in a bed tonight.
Date: 2006-07-10
From: Great Barrington, MA (Monument Mountain Motel)

To: Great Barrington, MA (Monument Mountain Motel)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Well I thought it was in my best interest to take the day off and try and let my body rest as I prepare to take on the final 667 miles of the trail. I used the day to get laundry done, re supply and lay in the hotel room icing my knee. I have eaten lots of food in the last 24 hours and tomorrow morning it will be back on the A.T. bright and early for a big day. I am hoping to finish in about 5 weeks which means this will probably be my final day of rest. Jumpstart decided to hike out today so Chill and I are splitting the room tonight.
Date: 2006-07-11
From: Great Barrington, MA (Monument Mountain Motel)

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 27.5
Weather: haze

The day off yesterday was exactly what I needed. I felt better today, both mentally and physically then I have in a while. For the last week or so I have been focusing way too much of my time on negative thoughts. I have felt sorry for myself because my knee hurt and I felt like I was going into a countdown mode just marking off the days until Katahdin. But today was different. I remembered how lucky I was to have the chance to attempt a thru-hike. I also thought about the fact that from now on I am hiking into land which is all new to me. I was only in Massachusetts once before and have never been north of here. Rather than countdown the days until my trip is over I will count my blessings each day I am able to continue on north to my goal.I am staying at an awesome shelter tonight. It is a two-story cabin next to a huge pond. There is a gas stove but no electricity or plumbing. When I got here, I was greeted by Jumpstart and many others. We went swimming in the pond and had a good time hanging out. The rumor is that the caretaker here often makes pancakes for the hikers in the morning. I will wake excited about the possibilities of what tomorrow may bring.