morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, unemployment has some advantages. It looks like I will get to scratch an itch that I've have for a while now - to spend some time hiking the AT. My plan is to section hike from the PA-NJ state line to the NY-CT state line, a distance of about 150 miles.  That's not  much when you consider the entire trail stretches some 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, but it will be quite an accomplishment for this out of shape, soon to be 54 year old. I have been doing some weekend hiking on the Horseshoe Trail in PA and a few overnight and long weekend backpacking trips in Michaux State Forest and along the AT in Pennsylvania.  I'm hoping this has gotten me into a decent condition.  The longest I've gone is 18 miles, slack packing it.Usually my trail buddy, Ivy, has been with me, but I don't think it would be wise to take her on this type of trip.  There are the obvious hazards such as skunks, porcupines, rattlesnakes, and bears.  Also, the extra food and water for her would slow me down. And then there's the fact that she doesn't sleep well in the hammock, and when she's not sleeping I'm not sleeping!
Date: 2017-06-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I got my hair buzzed pretty close today.  I'm hoping that I'll be more likely to find any ticks that may have made it onto my head.  I wonder if this will make me a less desirable target for the bloodthirsty little buggers in comparison to the grizzled thru-hikers with 3-4 months of beard and hair growth.  Probably not, but it helps to to think so.I am moving appointments, paying bills, and getting things in order for my two week disappearance.  My wonderful wife and I will be driving from our home in Lancaster, PA to the Delaware Water Gap this Sunday, June 25th.  Will spend the day and then I'll take off on the AT heading north Monday morning.  I plan to return home by train in about two weeks.
Date: 2017-06-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I organized and packed all my gear yesterday.  The base weight of my pack is 33 lbs and my starting food bag weighs 6 lbs.  Water weighs 2.2 lbs / L and I will probably be carrying around 2L of water at any time.  That would make my total weight between something like 38 to 44 lbs. I'm definitely not going ultralight here, but this seems like a reasonable amount of weight from what I've read.My wife Carrie and I drove to Stroudsburg, PA today.  Tomorrow she will drop me off at the PA-NJ border of the AT in Delaware Water Gap and I will begin my two-week odyssey.  It looks like the weather will be beautiful for the start of my hike with sunny or partly sunny conditions with highs between 74 and 84 for the first several days - a nice way to break me in to this thing.
Date: 2017-06-26
From: Deer Head Inn, Delaware Water Gap, PA, mile 1293.6

To: Mohican Outdoor Center, mile 1304.4
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

Oh wow what a day!Carrie drove us to the Church of the Mountain in Delaware Water Gap PA where I strapped on my pack, we said our goodbyes, and I started walking northbound on the Appalachian Trail (AT) around 10:30am.  Crossing the Delaware river was certainly exciting - on a small footpath on the side of the bridge separated by a few feet and a small concrete barrier from the speeding traffic on I80.  An ignominious start to what was a wonderful day  The weather was heavenly - mid 70's with a gentle breeze most of the time and the cotton ball clouds slowly meandering overhead.  Couldn't ask for better hiking weather.I took a video of a beautiful panorama atop Racoon Ridge today but I need to figure out how to upload it to the site, so you'll have to wait for that.I was definitely huffing and puffing thru some of the upgrades but overall it was not exhausting.  I took a lot of breaks.  My feet made it thru the first day without any blisters but my little pinky toes are a bit sore from the pounding the rocks on the trail dished out.I started with 2L's of water and filled and drank another two along the way.  I was still a bit thirsty when I made it into the Mohican Outdoor Center around 6pm.  I had experienced some rocky sections in PA so I kind of knew wat to expect, but I'd say that maybe 75% of the trail today was very rocky.  I don't have my trail legs yet and this type of terrain, in addition to being hard on the body and feet, really broke my pace and slowed me down as I was constantly focusing on where to place my next footfall.  My average pace today (breaks included) was about 1.5 miles per hour - not very impressive but I did make it to my destination without dying!The Mohican Outdoor Center is pretty nice.  I'm glad I decided to stay here tonight.  As I write this I am sitting in a comfy leather couch in the community center which is open all night and has free WiFi.  That's good because AT&T is not giving me any cell coverage here.I decided to spoil myself tonight and eat my premium freeze dried meal for dinner - chicken faita bowl.  Maybe I was just too trail weary to know better but I really liked it!  So it's gonna be Ramen noodles and freez dried lazana (sp?) for the next four nights.  Well it's 10:30pm (well past hiker midnight) and I'm very tired, so I'm heading bank to my hammock for the night.  That's all for today folks!P.S.  I uploaded photos from today to the site so check 'me out if you care to.
Date: 2017-06-27
From: Mohican Outdoor Center, mile 1304.4

To: Buttermilk Falls tent site, mile 1314.5
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

I rolled out of the hammock around 8am and didn't hit the trail until 10am. Admittedly I did have an unexpected massive cleanup to do when I added vanilla protein shake powder to my coffee thinking it would be just like creamer. I put on the lid and tried to shake it up but the lid exploded off (yes I was holding it on) and spewed hot coffee and chunky protein bits all over the gear i had scattered on the picnic table. Big mistake. Sigh.I grabbed a bacon and egg sandwich from the Mohican Outdoor Center, grabbed 2L of water, and hit the trail. Very convenient.Except for a brief sprinkle later in the afternoon that didn't really get me wet, the weather was heavenly once again today. The trail was maybe 60% very rocky terrain with the rest either gravel or dirt with scattered rocks.  Most of the day was spent hiking along the ridge lines of several mountains, sometimes with a steep drop off to one side. Saw some wonderful views and flowering plants including wild roses, rohdadendron (sp?), and daisies. I took a break at the Catfish fire lookout tower, and ate lunch siting on top of a big boulder by the trail. After finishing my first 2L of water by the time I to Rattlesnake spring and stocked up on another 6L of water.  I didn't see any rattlesnakes.  The weight of that water may have been part of what sapped some of my energy today, but it was the last spring I would cross today and I didn't what to drink the filtered stream or bog water from the sites ahead of me today.I have developed some blisters, and my feet are sore, but nothing serious. I originally planned to spend the night at Brink Road shelter but my butt was dragging and it was getting late, so I made camp at a tent site called Buttermilk Falls around 6pm.I met a thru hiker at camp this evening named Switchback. He started at Delaware Water Gap today and did 21 miles. He's twice as fast as me - it took me two days to go that far!I ate freeze dried lazangna tonight. I wasn't bad with a little hot sauce!I'm having a great time. That's all for tonight my phone battery is running low. G'nite all!
Date: 2017-06-28
From: Buttermilk Falls tent site, mile 1314.5

To: Green Anderson Shelter, mile 1325
Miles today: 10.5

Not much battery left on my phone so I have to be brief. Woke up at 6am and was on the trail by 8am. Pulled in to the Gren Anderson Shelter around 6pm  - about 1 mile/hour!  There were several ascents and decents today. The views from the peaks were worth the work. The weather today was just heavenly with cool temps and slight breezes. My feet are starting to become blister farms!  Thank god for ibuprofen (called vitamin I out here on the trail).  This also played a role in further slowing me down today. Boy do I stink. I mean like it's bothering me stink!  I took a soapless bird bath from the spring water at the shelter tonight. It felt good but I still stink. I am going to spend the night at an inn tomorrow where I can get a shower ang do some laundryNite y'all.
Date: 2017-06-29
From: Gren Anderson Shelter, mile 1325

To: High Point State Park HQ, mile 1336.3
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

I can't believe how wonderful the weather has been so far. The nice cool breezes continued today with sunny skies and more beautiful views. I saw a glimpse of a bear today - my first! as I was walking the trail I heard what sounded like a falling tree branch and looked in that direction to see a black bear about 100 feet from the trail fleeing at top speed. Cool!  I hope I get to see more. I did see several deer along the way and various colorful wild flowers. Today's section of the trail went up and down several mountains. There where a couple of particularly steep decents which where murder on my feet. There where some relatively rock-free portions of trail but the rocky parts made up for the with a vengeance. Ouch, ouch ouch!I stopped for lunch at Mashipacong Shelter - an older shelter with no water source. A group of thru hikers stopped while I was there and some of then were out of water.  The hadnt stopped for water at the last water sources we past on the trail. I can't say I blame them. They weren't much better then fetid puddles.  I gave one of guys a half liter of water - I started out with 4.5L of nice spring water from the Gren Anderson Shelter. As I was leaving another thru-hiker arrived and went straight for the bear box (a bear box is a steel container that a bear can't open.  Hikers put anything that smells remotely edible in the bear box). Inside there were two huge jugs of water!  They call that trail magic. By mid afternoon my feet were definitely not happy. Its good that I had arranged to spend the night at a motel near the High Point State park trailhead.  I was out of gas and very sore when I drug my butt up to the park HQ building, sucked down a bottle of water from the drinking fountain and called my ride to the High Point Country Inn. After getting my room I donned my rain gear and the nice folks at this motel did all my dirty laundry for $7!  Believe me it was not giving off a pleasant aroma, to put it mildly.   I took a nice hot shower and ate a pizza I had delivered to my room. Im not going to be able to continue without making some adjustments. My feet are just not gonna put up with it.
Date: 2017-06-30
To: Taking a zero
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

When I woke up this morning I knew I needed to take a day to rest. I hobbled down to the motel office and and extended my stay for another day. I soaked for an hour in a hot bath, nursed my blisters, and went back to bed for a few hours. If i am going to continue I need to swap out my boots for a more ergonomic pair of trail running shoes. The toe box in my boots is too narrow for my wide feet and that is causing most of my problems. It so happens that one of the thru hikers I met yesterday was wairing a pair of shoes like I hadn't seen before - the toe box didn't narrow at the end of the shoe but was shaped more like a pair of Crocs. I needed to get those shoes!They were made by Altra.  I rented a car, got a ride to the rental place, and was off to the nearest REI Store about 70 minutes away. REI had Altra trail runners, called Superior 3.0's,  they are far lighter then my boots and may only last several hundred miles but that would be more than sufficient for me. And,they don't kill my feet when standing on an incline, at least in the store. I got some low cut gaiters (gaiters are cuffs to keep stones from getting into your shoes) too. I hope these will improve my hiking experience. I find out tomorrow when I hit the trail!
Date: 2017-07-01
From: High Point State Park HQ, mile 1336.3

To: High Point Shelter, mile 1338
Miles today: 1.7

I woke up around 8:30 am this morning and my feet were feeling better. I took the rental car to Unionville NY to pick up my mail drop at the post office there. I had gathered up some stuff I think I can live without to send back home (including my boots). It weighed in at 12lbs at the PO. Whoohoo!  That's 12lbs I don't have to carry around on the trail!I returned the rental car and got a taxi back to High Point State Park HQ. I strapped on my packed and took a few steps when I realized I didn't have my trekking poles!  I remembered that I left them by the door of the motel room and called the hotel. The nice folks at High Point Country Inn drove them out to me at the park and I was finally ready to hit the trail around 2:30pm.I planned on a very short hike today (this is called a nearo on the trail) to take it easy on my feet and test out my new trail runners. I started out a little gimpy mostly from sore foot muscles that were overcompensating for my earlier foot pain.  These seemed to work themselves out and by the time I reached the shelter they were not much of a problem.I did pass the highest point in the state of NJ today - the aptly named High Point mountain.I am writing this lazing away in my hammock listening to the babbling stream here at the shelter - just wonderful!They say we may get a thunderstorm this evening. That would be cool!
Date: 2017-07-02
From: High Point Shelter, mile 1338

To: Lott Rd (to Unionville NY), mile 1345.1
Miles today: 7.1

What a great day!I woke up around 8 am to see the group of weekend campers near me had almost finished breaking camp. Man I am so glad I have these ear plugs for sleeping - thanks for the idea Thomas, A.k.A "the Canadian Puddleduck".I was just a bit gimpy this morning as I hit the trail but once I started moving I felt pretty good. It was another wonderful morning, the weather was a little warmer but not unpleasant, and cool breezes were still to be found. The trail got easier today. There weren't many rocky sections. Portions skirted farms and pastures giving me the chance to pick and eat the few ripe blackberries I could find on the bushes I passed. I ate lunch while sitting on a large rock and soaking my feet in the cool running waters of a little stream.  It's a tough life.Other sections of the trail went through wet and boggy areas.  In these places the trail maintainers created boardwalks which turned what might have been a muddy slog into a joy to walk.I encountered many old stacked stone walls running through the woods, decaying reminders that the woods I walk now were not always here. Much of the Eastern woodlands had been cut and cleared in earlier times, and where I was walking may have been farm or pastureland in a bygone era. Since then the woods have returned, but not as they once were. The old growth trees are all gone now and the narrow ribbon of woodland can't support the ecosystem that once ruled here long ago.  But enough of that whiny crap.It was a heavenly day by any measure. I did a short day today to give my feet time to rebound and to further get comfortable with my new shoes. I think this is gonna work. I made camp in the town of Unionville, 0.3 miles from the trail. This is the second time I've been here. I picked up my mail drop and sent home my boots from the PO here on Friday. The town let's hikers camp for free in the community park and provides water and bathroom facilities. After I made camp I spent an hour or so just sitting on a park bench. (No, not "eyeing little girls with bad intent", but to dry out my sweat soaked clothing).  For dinner I had two excellent slices of pizza from Anabels Pizza across from the park. I went up the street and sat on The porch of Horlers Grocery store charging my phone and eating a pint of Ben and Jerries ice cream. Man this is ruffing it!Well that's about it for tonight.
Date: 2017-07-03
From: Lott Rd (to Unionville NY), mile 1345.1

To: County Rd 517 (to Pochuck Valley Farm), mile 1354.5
Miles today: 9.4

I woke up around 8 am in the Unionville community park, broke camp, filled up on water from their municipal building spigot, and headed to Horlers corner store where I sat on the front porch drinking my coffee and chowing down on a blueberry muffin while charging my phone and power cell. I didn't get back to the trail until around 10 am.The weather today was once again fabulous!  The trail was easy going until Pochuck Mt - gentle inclines and rock-free trail. I past through several pastures and walked more board walks. I even got to sample more wild blackberries and mulberries. I got to experience my first trail magic today from a guy who was giving hikers passing his home free cold drinks!  Wonderful. The trail passed through the Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge this morning. It was quite beautiful. Soon after starting the ascent of Pochuck Mt I took the side trail to top off my water supply at an abandoned house owned by the park service.  They keep the water on so hikers can get potable water from an outside spigot on the property. This is nice because there is no water source at the Pochuck Mt shelter near the summit. I took a break and ate lunch at the Pochuck shelter. I gabbed with two older guys - Stan the Man who was heading south and Turtle Man who I met earlier in Unionville NY. He was heading north like me but was going to stop for the day at this shelter because his feet were bothering him. I finished my lunch of cheese crackers and a cliff bar and headed out to finish the climb to the summit. There were several more mountains to climb and descend along the route before I hit my planned stop for the day. The trail from this point on was kind of rocky for the most part but my feet held up well.I decided to camp at Pochuck Vally Farm which was a 1.1 mile walk along a road to reach.  In addition to the farm there is a market and deli on the property.  The owners are generous and allow hikers to stay for free on the property and provide water and bathroom facilities.I wandered about the place looking for a spot to sling up my hammock but finally gave up and jury-rigged something with the hammock on the ground.I had a lazagna dinner (freeze dried meal) and face timed with Carrie. I'm bushed. Nite ya'll.
Date: 2017-07-04
From: County Rd 517 (to Pochuck Valley Farm), mile 1354.5

To: Wawayanda Shelter, mile 1361.9
Miles today: 7.5

Woke up this morning with a strange looking rash, mostly on my right arm. It looks like hell but doesn't hurt or itch. Most likely I put my hammock on the ground last night in some sort of poison and then rubbed against it thru the mosquito mesh. I packed up, changed into my fresh set of clothes, and headed to the Pochuck Valley Farm store where I dined on banana bread and coffee. By 9:30 am I was off to huff the 1.1 miles down the road and back to the trail. I don't know how I continue to luck out on the weather but today was another pleasant one with low humidity and highes in the low 80's.The first part of the trail today took me over an elevated boardwalk through marshlands.  Pretty cool, and some good views could be had.The climb up Wawayanda mountain was the biggest all-at-once ascent thus far. It was entirely rocks and boulders all the way up. In places the trail had rocks stacked to form crude stairs. I stopped to filter water at a small spring about half way up. There were many tourists making the trek up the trail to the summit. I showed a passing group of young kids how I collect water from the spring and filter it. They were mesmerized.It was a long haul to the top and I made sure I signed the logbook before moving on. Thankfully the trail down the other side was much easier going. I met an older guy hiking the same direction as me today. He was a font of advice about backpacking the trail. We enjoyed a "trail magic" ice cold soda from a cooler some kind person had left at a road crossing the trail.I got to my destination for the day - Wawayanda Shelter a little after 3 pm.  I ate a late lunch and sat and talked with some other hikers staying the night.After dinner I shared a cigar with a few of the guys here tonite and passed out sparklers to celebrate the 4th of July. A great night! Here's hoping it doesn't decide to rain tonite - I'm going "topless" with my hammock tonight to fall asleep star gazing.
Date: 2017-07-05
From: Wawayanda Shelter, mile 1361.9

To: Wildcat Shelter, mile 1374.1
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

I had a quick breakfast and hit the trail around 8am today. I started out feeling a little sluggish and stopped about an hour in to make and drink a cup of coffee. That put just the pep in my step I was looking for. I spend most of the day catching up with or passing by one of the guys on the trail named Turtle Man (who I first encountered back in Unionville).  He was heading to a lake resort town along the trail to catch up with some of the others I'd met at the Wawayander Shelter.I ate lunch and filtered water from a spring along the way. There was a good deal of rock scrabbling with ascents and descents today.  My butt was dragging by late afternoon when I knew I needed a plan other than heading straight through to my destination. As luck would have it there was a supposedly awesome hotdog stand not far from the trail about 3 miles from where I planned to stay the night.  It was pretty motivational to think of those hotdogs as I slogged the last few miles to the roadside stand. It was closed!  Just then a hiker couple was heading back to the trail and told me of the creamery just down the road a little bit further. The Bellvale Creamery was a really nice place that provides free phone charging and water to hikers. They only sold ice cream. Seriously nothing but ice cream. Being my mothers son that did not present any problem for me!  I had one large waffle cone with coconut and salted Carmel and another with cookies and cream and Bellvale bog flavors. Dinner of champions!  I FaceTimed with Carrie, signed  their hiker logbook, and got advice on a shortcut back to the trail from a nice guy who was who was interested in my hike despite my sweaty trail stank.I was rejuvenated but the last few miles to the shelter were still pretty hard. There was some more adrenaline inducing rock climbs and high outcrops to be scaled. Cats rocks was pretty cool. Still can't believe I did it!I had some trouble with the side trail to Wildcat shelter.  My GPS app (Guthook) was showing a trail that wasn't marked as the shelter. There were many confusing intersections and dead ends. I finally got frustrated with the situation and the dying light and just bushwhacked thru the woods in the general direction of the shelter. I saw some campfires ahead and finally found it around 8pm.  I setup my hammock squeezed my stuff into the bearbox and hit the hay.I had forgotten to take my electrolyte supplement and had some killer leg cramps for about an hour. I'll never do that again!