morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-09
From: Unionville, NJ

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 0.0

This was a really great day! It stormed last night, but we didn¢t get our packs wet because they were under the shelter in the park. We went to the little store, got pastry, water, coffee, and sandwiches for lunch. When we got back to the park, Boy Wonder was packing up and soon left. The days hike went up a little but mostly through bogs with a lot of bogwalks built by volunteers to help hikers make it through the marshy sections. We saw lots of birds. One of the highlights of the day for me was seeing a bluebird up close. I even took a picture, I hope it turns out. One funny spot of the day was when I fell off the bog into the muck. It was good I had my pack cover on and rain pants. We saw a hiker from Alaska, Dewlos and TIV Ed. Dewlos was finishing up last years thru hike and Ed was doing a section on his multi year section hike of the AT. About 2 miles before Vernon, we came to a long boardwalk over marshy land. It was fantastic. There were lots of people walking there and several talked with us about the hike and gave us advice about the area. When we came to RT 94 we went to the farm market .1 from the trail and got some really good ice cream. A kind young man named Chris asked us if we wanted a ride to Vernon, so we didn¢t even need to hitch. He had a really cool car! We thought the hostel at the Episcopal Church wasn¢t open yet, but Chris said we should check, so he took us there. The priest let us stay here. It is a really nice church. They have everything here a hiker could want, shower, Internet access, use of kitchen, and even a TV. It is so nice that the church opens their doors to hikers like this. Believe me, a shower never felt soooooo good. They also have a washer and dryer.
Date: 2004-05-10
From: Vernon, NJ

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: clear sky

We took full advantage of our stay in town. We ate breakfast at Burger King and a big lunch at a restaurant called the Mixing Bowl. We also loaded up with supplies at the A and P grocery store. We finally got ready to leave by 2:30, clean well fed and with fond memories of this trail town. The priest of the church, Steve Steele gave us a ride back to the trail. We really enjoyed talking with him and learning more about his church. It was pretty hot and humid climbing Wawayanda Mountain. We only planned to go as far as this shelter because it is supposed to storm tonight. We can already hear the thunder in the distance. We are in the shelter with two thru hikers, Chainsaw and Drifter. It¢s nice to be here with some other hikers. They are good company. There was a big Thunderstorm after we went to bed. It lasted for hours, loud booms of thunder echoing on the mountains and bright flashes of lightning. It was fun to watch and listen from the shelter knowing we were safe and dry.
Date: 2004-05-11
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

It was a hot humid day, lots of rock climbing. We were both really tired when we came into this shelter last night about dusk. I tried to get us some water but only managed to pump a bottle full from the little spring in the middle of a mucky bog area. My filter kept getting clogged. When I got back, Gary had the tent set up and we both crawled in and went to sleep. No supper tonight. We met A-1, Cactus, Dozer, and their dog, Gus, the manimal on our way here. They are at the shelter. They did 17 miles today after staying at Vernon last night. It helps to be young and have a light pack.
Date: 2004-05-12
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Campsite before E. Mombasha Rd
Miles today: 6.6

It was hot and humid again today. We decided to do fewer miles today because we are both worn out and we need to stop for water and a decent lunch since we didn¢t eat last night. We took it easy in the heat, and had a nice lunch by Fitzgerald Falls Where I pumped water. We are consuming about 2 liters each on these warm days without including the water used for supper or breakfast if we cook. We met two guys from NY on our way to the campsite who gave us some tips about places we should see when we go there in about a week.We had just finished talking with them when we heard thunder in the distance and it started to cloud up. We put on rain gear and increased our hiking speed to get across Buchanan Mountain before the storm came. Shortly after crossing peak, we saw a little campsite and humidly set up the tent. We got it up just in time and took a nice snooze during the rain. About 6:30 I got up to make supper since the rain had stopped. We had a good dinner and put everything away just as the thunder began again. No rain yet, but from the humidity and rumbling, I think it is coming. Hope it cools things down for the hike tomorrow. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I saw a big bear today. It crossed the trail and ran into the woods on the other side going a pretty good pace. I got one really good look at it though. I¢m glad it didn¢t come around the shelter area last night. It would have gotten our food for sure. There was no place there to hang it especially since I was trying to do it in the dark. Tonight I did a proper job of it.
Date: 2004-05-13
From: Campsite before E. Mombasha Rd

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

While we were packing up eating our breakfast, another thru hiker came by, Ice Cold and his dog, Mister 3000. We will probably see them again since they are getting off the trail soon then back on again. It was another rough day. Lots of climbing, rocks, bugs, and humidity. Our water filter broke so we have to use iodine pills to purify the water. We have been spoiled by the good water we have using the filter. We went through the ¢Lemon Squeezer¢ today. It is a very narrow place in the rocks where a thin person barely fits. We had to have one of us, me, go through first and get up on the top so Gary could lift the packs up to the top where I could grab them. Earlier, we went on a bridge over the New York State Thruway. We finally made it to the shelter where we have our tent set up for the night. We have 14.3 miles to go to get to Fort Montgomery and we need to be there before Sat. at 12 noon to get our bounce box. At the rate we are hiking, we may not make it.NY has been the hardest state so far because of the lack of water, rock climbing, and the bugs. The little stinging gnats leave big welts on me. I guess I am allergic to them. I hike with my bug net on and a long sleeve shirt, but they still find a way to get me.
Date: 2004-05-14
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: Campsite at Seven Lakes Drive
Miles today: 10.1

We got up early and were on the trail by 7AM. It was foggy, but nice and cool to start out the day. We stopped aat Tiorati Circle to get water. This was a good stop even though it was a little off the trail. They also had a soda machine that was working. It had our favorites, mine a Dr. Pepper and Gary's Classic Coke. The first part of the day was pretty easy then we went up a bit before coming to teh Palisodes Parkway to cross it. Someone likened it to playing Frogger where hikers are frogs trying to cross the road.The registry at the Brien Shelter had an entry from Chainsaw that said Drifter had to get off the trail because he was ill. He thought it was too much heat and too many miles. We hope he is ok and back on again soon.We had some good views from Black Mountain. It was a steep climb, but we did it in pretty good time. Just as we were getting ready to camp, we met Little Tree, a 20 year old thru hiker. SHe was going to go over Bear Mountain tonight to camp. We decided to wait until morning and try to get up early enough to make it to Fort Montgomery before the post office closes at noon. It will be nice to get to town again.
Date: 2004-05-16
From: Fort Montgomery

To: Graymoor Friary
Miles today: 6.4

We had a great day for hiking, not humid or buggy. After eating the breakfast at the Holiday Inn and packing up, we stopped on the way to the trail at a little deli for a sandwich and ice cream cone. A guy named Kevin gave us a ride back to the bridge in his big truck. It was so high off the ground I had trouble getting in, a customized Ford F150 with big tires. It was a neat truck and he was really nice to give us a ride. The Bear Mountain Bridge is a long one that goes over the Hudson River. The view as we walked across was fantastic, trains down below, boats, etc.The hike up from the bridge was a little steep but not too bad. When we got to Hemlock campsite, Voice in the Wind was there camed with Ice Cold, taking a day off. We met a southbound hiker named Ghost who gave us information on people we'd met earlier. He's doing Mass. to VA then maybe a flip flop. We also saw a couple, Crinkles and Hubby who are doing a section.The rest of the days trail was pretty easy. WHen we got to Gray moor, there was a soccer game going on at the ball field. The Spanish people had music going and were selling food at a concession stand. We bought some french fries and hot dogs. Nice not to have to eat our noodles. Graymoor is world headquarters for teh Franciscan order. They provide hikers with a place to camp, shower in the warmer months, and even dinner at the monastary during July and August. They have a place called St. Christopher's Inn run by the order ti house homeless men adn help alcoholics and drug addicts. We walked around the grounds before bedtime. It is a beautiful place with large pine trees, gardens, statues, and a great view of the valley with the Hudson flowing through it off in the distance. Gary saw a blue bird through binoculars that anoterh visitor had. We also went in to see the 3 chapels, 2 at the Spiritual Life Center and one at St. CHristophers Inn they are really pretty.
Date: 2004-05-17
From: Graymoor Friary

To: Fahnestock State Park Campground
Miles today: 11.8

I forgot to mention in yesterday's journal that we got some really unexpected trail magic. We crossed the road US9 and saw what looked like a semi-abandoned filling station with some u-haul trucks outside. There was a soda machine there, so we decided to look at it to see if it worked. No luck, btu as we walked back toward the road, a friendly voice said, "Are you looking for a soda? I'll give you an ice tea if you tell us your story." This was a very welcome invitation. Our benefactor was a hiker and a chemist. He had hiked several sections and would like to do the whole trail. He and his wife were so nice to stop their car just to give a couple thirsty hikers a COLD can of ice tea-AH!Well, back to today. We ate breakfast then walked back up to the monestary to take a picture of the view from the top. Having just visited West Point one couldn't fail to notice the contrast. West Point with its statues of generals and its trophy commons. Graymoor with the images of St. Francis, Jesus, and Mary. One campus dedicated to military power and the study of war, the other compassion and love. We got on the trail at a decent time and made good progress. it wasn't a particularly easy or hard day. A little warm, btu not really buggy. We got to NY301 abotu 5:30 and got a hitch to the campground. It looked like it might rain, ut so far it hasn't. We had a pleasant evening around the campfire thanks to a piece of wood left by weekend campers at our site. I also got a nice hot shower.
Date: 2004-05-18
From: Fahnestock State Park Campground

To: Campsite after Hosner Mountain Road
Miles today: 10.5

It was foggy and misty when I woke up a little before 7AM. I decided to go back to sleep, just for half an hour. This was nto a good idea because I slept in until 8 which gave us a late start for the day. We were lucky to get a hitch from a nice Irishman named Mike. He was on his way to work but stopped for us anyway.Today's trail was not bad, just the usual ups and downs. We did not see anoterh person all day. We stopped at the PPH shelter for a break and saw that Ice Cold and Voice in the Wind had been there earlier. They must have passed us while we were at the state park. We had planned to do a couple of more miles, decided to take advantage of a decent campstite not knowing if there would be one a little further on. Despite the misty start, the sun came out in the afternoon.
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Campsite after Hosner Mountain Road

To: County 20 West Dover Rd. Pawling, NY
Miles today: 13.8

Today was a good day for eating while getting in some miles. it rained again last night, but we still got packed up about 7:30. There is a deli about 3 miles from where we were camped that is only .4 off the trail. That provided motivation for a quick start to teh day. After we spent a little time at the deli we met two other hikers on their way there, Crusty and Max. Crusty has done all the AT up to this point. He just got on at Bear Mountain to hike to ME. He did the rest of the trail over te past 2 years. Max is just doing a section with him. The trail was pretty easy today and nto too hot or buggy. Pretty soon, we were overtaken by Drifter and Chainsaw. They had doen some 0 days because of Drifter's illnesses after too many miles (26) in too much heat. We ate supper at a little hot do stand .2 off the trail. It was in a school bus that had been fixed up to serve food. The hot dogs were really good! When we got to the shelter it as pterry full of hikers, Crusty, Max, Chainsaw, Drifter, Ice COld and Voice in the Wind are all staying there along with teh two dogs, Wild One and Mr. 3000. We had planned to put up the tent, but the tent sites were not very good. This encouraged us to hike to the road and hitch into Pawling where they let hikers camp free in their park. A really nice lady gave us a ride in. We also met a nice yound man at teh park named Jeremy. He's from Cincinnati, OH and graduated from Otterbein College. He is a music teacher like our daughter, Kristen.Tomorrow we will ride the train into NY City. We are both looking forward to some time off the trail, since we haven't had a zeri day since we've been back this year.
Date: 2004-05-20
From: County 20 West Dover Rd. Pawling, NY

To: NY City
Miles today: 0.0

We walked to twon after packin up and ordered a big breakfast sandwich at the deli before boarding the train for New York City. To our surprise someone had paid for our breakfast! Thanks :-) Riding the transit system in New York was a great experience. Fortunately, we had helpful New Yorkers at every crisis to point us in the proper direction. They saw New Yorkers aren't friendly, but we have found this not to be true. People went out of their way to help us find ours. The train dropped us off at Grand Central Station which is areally awesome building. We wandered around it a bit then got a tour info. book and hunted up a cheap (for Manhatten) hotel over a cup of coffee at McDonalds. we found the Park Savoy, not fancy, but clean and close to Central Park. After checking in, we went off to explore the Big City starting with the lovely churches on 5th Ave. We went into St. Thomas Episcopal first and were awed by it, then we went into St. Patrick's which is fantastic! We spent quite a while just meditating in this gorgeous building and looking at the stained glass carvings, alter, statues, etc.After that, we took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked across it and back. What a wonderous structure, especially for the time it was built. It was great to look down the river and see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was also sad to look at the skyline and nto see the twin towers. That is where we went next, to see the place where these magnificent buildings one stood, and to remember with great sadness all who lost their lives and whose lives were changed forever on Sept. 11th.We ended our day in Manhatten with a BIG steak inner at Knicker-bockers in Greenwich Village after we walked through Washington Square.WHat a big change from our usual days on the AT. From the quiet peaceful mountains to the loud, fast moving streets of New York CIty. Oh, I forgot that we went through Times Square. Thaty was as much a contrast for our eyes as the streets and subways were for our ears. In the mountains everyting is earlthy colored and green with a splash of brighter colors like red or yellow flowers or the bright blue or red of a bird. In Times Square there are not only bright colors, but flashing lights, a huge smoking bowl of soup, etc. It was quite interesting to go suddenly from one environment to the other.
Date: 2004-05-21
From: NY City

To: Pawling, NY
Miles today: 0.0

We packed up and ate a big breakfast from McDonalds then hopped aboard the subway to teh Bronx Zoo. We weren't quite sure what to do with the packs while we were in the zoo, but some nice girls at the entrance agreed to let us keep them in their stroller shed and keep an eye on them for us. The zoo was really neat, especially the gorrilla exhibit. They are behind plexiglass and in a natural environment. The male even came right up to the glass and interacted with the visitors. He seemed to enjoy the human children especially the gorilla babies were playing tag and wrestleing while the mothers rested in the grass. There were also good exhibits of tigers, lions, bears, etc. I hope my pictures came out. After the train and with a few transfers and a lot of help from kindly New Yorkers giving us directions and information, we were back in Pawling. We stopped at the local bar for supper and I sang Kareoke for teh first time. A Janis Joplin song "Me and My Bobby McGee" It was a good way to end our last 0 day. We hiked the distance to the park and put up our tent in the dark, happy and content. Thanks Pawling for a place to stay!
Date: 2004-05-22
From: Pawling, NY

To: Wiley SHelter Campsite
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: light rain

We took our time getting started today, ate breakfast, did laundry, got supplies, ate a good lunch at Chris's Deli, called home, picked up mail, our new filter from Campmoor (Thanks Jay and Kristen), sent mail and e-mail, etc. We got a nice couple about 2:30 PM and hiked to the shelter with a stop along the way at a little road-side hot dog stand. We got to the shelter at dusk where the boy scouts and some members of the AMC were already camped. We enjoyed the company of the scouts and their fire.
Date: 2004-05-23
From: Wiley SHelter Campsite

To: Schaghticoke Mountain
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We got a late start today, but had breakfast and filtered water. The new filter works great. We had a little of everything on the trail today, a nice walk by Ten Mile River as it splashed over big boulders in its path, then a pretty pine forest and finally up Schaghticoke Mountain with a good view from Indian Rocks. Just as we got to the campsite, it started to thunder. We rushed through supper and got some more water, but it still hasn't rained and it quit thundering.
Date: 2004-05-24
From: Schaghticoke Mountain

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 3.3

We hadn¢t planned to stay in Kent, Ct., but it rained last night and drizzled a bit while we were eating lunch in Kent. The clothes could use a laundry and we could use a shower, so here we are staying at the Fife and Drum for the night. It is a really nice place to stay, cozy room, nice restaurant and bar. The laundry and Post office are across the street and there is an outfitter where I can get some new gaiters. It¢s also a chance to catch up on the news from home via some phone calls and news in general via the TV.Kent is a really pretty town with lots of interesting shops and places to eat.
Date: 2004-05-25
From: Kent, CT

To: Silver Hill Campsite
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We started today with a good breakfast at Caralee¢s Restaurant and a visit to the library to get e-mail. We saw 3 thruhikers in town, Rusty, and Dusty, a couple around 50 and a young man named Flash who is only 16. Later we ran into a section hiker, 4 Leaf Clover who hiked with us off and on during the day. We were passed by Flash later in the day then passed him just before the campsite.He was feeling sick and heading for a road to hitch back to town. Everyone here is concerned about him. He needs new shoes and hasn¢t been having an easy time of it lately. He said he was going home to VT. When we saw him in town then he changed his mind and hiked. I sure hope he made it back to town and is headed home.There are a lot of people camped here tonight 3 section hikers one named 10 thumbs and the Captain and Mike.Four Leaf Clover, John, from ATC whose trail name is Apprentice Goat, and his father Rostilion. Two thru-hikers, Pickle and Peanut, and us. The hike was pretty easy, 5 miles of it was flat along the river , a very pretty walk! It is feeling like rain again.
Date: 2004-05-26
From: Silver Hill Campsite

To: Belter's Campsite
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

There was a lot of up and down today, but it was cloudy and cool which made it easier. It did drizzle a bit, but not a full scale rain. We saw some really pretty views and went through a lot of full pine forests.Tonight we are camped with 4 leaf clover, Bob, (Rastilion), Captain, 10 thumbs, and Mike. There are also 11 students from Princeton camped close by. They are planning to bring incoming freshman for a hike on the AT and are testing it out. It¢s nice sleeping weather tonight, and we are in bed early.
Date: 2004-05-27
From: Belter's Campsite

To: Plateau Campsite
Miles today: 11.2

It rained last night, but this was an easy day of hiking with stops in two towns. First, after 3 miles, we stopped in Falls Village to get breakfast at the Toy Maker¢s Caf©. We each had a sweet potato, waffle, eggs, sausage, toast, and coffee. It was great! Falls Village is a really pretty little town named for a great waterfall that provides power for a hydroelectric plant. We saw Captain, Mike, and 4 leaf Clover in town. Ten Thumbs was at the hydroelectric plant resting his blisters. (He has five of them.) He caught up to Bob drying out his stuff on some rocks where there was a nice view. We hiked 8 more miles to Salisbury, CT, where we picked up our mail drop. Our new tent poles weren¢t there yet.While we were at the post office, a nice lady named Sarah asked if she could help us with a place to stay, meal, anything. We really needed to get our laundry done, so she took us 2 miles to the next town to the coin laundry where we ate pizza while the landry was running. Then Sarah picked us up and drove us to the trail where it was a .2 mile hike to a campsite where Mike, Captain, Ten Thumbs, and John (Apprentice Goat) were already camped. We had hopes of getting an early start in the morning. We were in bed about 2 hours when the rain began and continued all night.
Date: 2004-05-28
From: Plateau Campsite

To: Salisbury, Ct
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Forget the early start to Mass.! When I woke up about 6AM it was still raining. It finally let up a little, just water dripping from the trees, so I got up, got the water boiling for coffee and we began the packing up. We¢d just finished the coffee when the rain began again, not a little but buckets. We did a hurried job of finishing the packing, but our gear was really wet, and the rain was even coming through our rain gear. Everything was muddy and wet. We decided hiking up big mountains with nice views and down Sages Ravine a rocky steep decent was not a smart plan for the day. There was a nice White Hart Inn in Salisbury calling us to come back to town. When we got there wet and muddy, we found Captain, Ten Thumbs, Mike, and Four Leaf Clover eating breakfast at the Inn. We got a room at the Inn for the night, then joined them while our room was being cleaned. Captain bought our breakfast which was much appreciated! We spent the day enjoying the comforts of town, sending e-mail, eating, and drying everything out. Tomorrow we will try again for an early start to Mass.!Oh, one good thing about staying another day was that the tent poles got to the post office today, and we let the post office know we were in town so they didn¢t forward them up the trail. So, now we have our new poles! Thanks Mountain Hardware!