morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-13
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: broken clouds

I'd never seen yellow Lady Slippers before taking this photo...Today's weather was good and my walk was uneventful presenting only a 250' elevation decrease over 5 miles from Tri-County Corner (1,560') to Blue Mtn. Summit (1,360') at PA 309. On the north end of Blue Mtn. (north of Lehigh Gap) there is a toxic waste "Superfund" site. Amidst all the beauty of this trail - a spot totally devastated. The result of a zinc smelter - everything dead! Water sources the past few days have been hard to access as they've been a half mile down off the trail making it difficult.Points of interest along the way: New Tripoli Campsite; The Cliffs; Bear Rocks; Bake Oven Road; Bake Oven Knob (1,560'). This day ended at the same elevation it began. Along with me and Old Graceful, tonight in the shelter, there were 2 new faces: Coyote a woman from Arlington, MA and a young man named Tim who arrived about 9:30 PM. We were already bedded down for the night...Headin'Out and Taggin' Along tented beside the shelter.Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.      - Will Rogers -
Date: 2006-06-14
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Little Gap
Miles today: 12.7

* Editor's note setting the record straight: The copperhead sighted 2 days ago was 18" not 6' (sssssssslight difference in sssssssssize) and Grampa George spoke with Kathryn last night and reports a very perky "chatty" girl. . Today presented some challenging rock climbing -"hand over hand" - quite precarious and all my talk about the "forgiving" PA trail became past tense! Some strenous rock climbing, good weather, mtn. blueberries, 2 bluebirds, a scarlet tanager and a hummingbird made it a "banner" day on the trail.Old Graceful has gone on ahead to keep pace with his CT destination.Headin' Out and Taggin' Along are in Palmerton about 6 miles south of Little Gap.Bill was waiting for me when I stepped off the trail and it was good to see him again. Susan is traveling on business 'til late Thurs. and, depending on whether I spend 2 or 3 nights I may not see her. But, I've met Haley 7 and Grace 5. They played the piano for me before going to bed - a very special treat and they did a great job.Early tomorrow morning Bill's taking me to his business and we're going to try to fabricate the alcohol stove Tricycle made for me by engineering a new pot holder as well tamper with the wind screen to get a hotter flame. Bill will use his engineering skills and I will integrate my science and hopefully between the 2 of us we will succeed to achieve a positive outcome!I also plan to go to the outfitter in Allentown and purchase some light boots, a warm weather sleeping bag and whatever else looks appealing and necessary for the rest of my journey. I'm "living large" - showered, laundered, great dinner, went for ice cream, played pool, called home. Looking forward to renewing a friendship and reminiscing about "what once was" as well as catching up on "what now is"...Life is good.One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.   - Euripides -
Date: 2006-06-15
From: Little Gap

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

Bill and I had a great morning fabricating my stove and hopefully we were successful in our endeavor. He was truly amazed at the stove Tricycle had built for me and, being an engineer, the ¢wheels were going very fast¢ as he assessed and made suggestions for improvement. I can hardly wait to put my new piece of equipment to use and will let you know the results. Busy day doing errands and lucky to have a chauffeur willing to taxi me around!Went to EMS in Allentown and bought new boots and sleeping bag as well as a couple of Mtn. House meals. It was a day of decisions. The sleeping bag is rated to 35 deg. and has a zipper from the neck to the belly. It¢s really not what I wanted, and I¢m not too sure about the partial zipper, but there was no choice and I needed to switch bags, getting rid of my down. Hopefully, ¢bag and boots¢ will serve me well! Stay tuned¢¦ I decided to hike 15.4 miles tomorrow to Wind Gap, but return to spend another night with Bill and Susan (who arrived home late last night ¢ I was already in bed). ...In the morning, Bill will drop me at Little Gap, pick me up at Wind Gap, and return me to Wind Gap Sat. morning. I will hike on to Delaware Water Gap - my last stop in PA leaving another state behind.Sunday I will be in NJ.    "Dreams"   by Langston HughesHold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.
Date: 2006-06-16
From: Little Gap

To: Wind Gap
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

I called Bonnie about 1:30 from Leroy A. Smith Shelter which was 10.8 miles into my trek today. She filled my in on Kathryn¢s big graduation today at "pre-school"!I¢m walking in my new boots and early into my hike my right foot was feeling mighty sore which caused me some concern! But, I decided to take my boots off every 1.5 hrs. to rest my feet and expose them to the sunlight as I¢ve got a fungus on the tops of both of them which I¢ve been treating without much success. Fungus likes the dark and damp so I¢m on the bright and dry regimen. I¢ll buy some Lamasil or Tinactin, as suggested, and use it twice a day to knock it down. It doesn¢t hurt, but it¢s ugly and bothersome. In the meanwhile ¢natural¢ protocol will have to suffice. And, happily, my right boot is feeling much better. Maybe it was the way it was laced¢¦At any rate, I think it¢s okay. I stretched out and could have fallen asleep, if not careful, as I was trying to ¢kill some time¢ because I only have another 5 miles, which should take me a couple of hours, and Bill¢s not picking me up ¢til 4:30 at Wind Gap. I made myself get up and move on... Sean, Jim and Curt ¢ Happy Father¢s Day - I love you.I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.            - Harry S. Truman -
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: haze

Editor¢s note: Headin¢ Out and Taggin¢ Along spent the night before last in DWG at the Delaware Presbyterian Church of the Mountain Hostel, as did Ol¢ (not Old) Graceful¢¦I¢ve just been made aware of the spelling error and am told he¢s working on the ¢d¢!***********************************************************************Rained off and on today and I was the last hiker across the ridge in a show of ¢light and thunder¢ before the heavy drenching rain!Today I walked 20.9 miles with elevation ranges from 1,565¢ at Catfish Tower to 935¢ at Culvers Gap, US 206 ¢ (630¢ change)¢¦a slight hiccup in topography! Points of interest today: Rattlesnake Spring,(no ssssssnake ssssssightings!) Millbrook-Blairstown Road (1,260¢), Blue Mountain Lakes Road, Buttermilk Falls Trail, Rattlesnake Mountain (1,492¢), Brink Road Shelter, Branchville, Culver Fire Tower and the Gren Anderson Shelter (1,320¢) .3 mi from the AT built in 1958 by the Green Mountain Club.   Water is available from a spring 200¢ beyond the shelter on the blue trail.      The Climb         by Phyllis TrussierA small boy heard the mountain speak"there are secrets on my highest peak;but beware, my boy of the passing time.Wait not too long to start the climb."So quickly come and go the years, and a young man stands below - with fears."Come on - come on," the mountain cussedTime presses on - on climb you must."Now he's busied in middle-aged primeand maybe tomorrow he'll take the climb.Now is too soon - it's raining today;Gone all gone - years are eaten away.An old man looks up - still feeling the lure.Yet, he'll suffer the pain - not climb for the cure.The hair is white - the step is slow.And it's safer and warmer to stay here below.So all too soon the secrets are buriedalong with him and regrets he carried.And it's not for the loss of secrets he cried,But rather because he's never tried.
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Gren Anderson Shelter

To: "Secret" Shelter (ssshhh!)
Miles today: 19.3

Today¢s weather: 89ohi/59olowSunrise: 5:25 AMSunset:   8:34 PMI took a toss; am at a loss and hope my mishap doesn¢t cost¢¦stepped onto an unstable rock and fell and now my shoulder hurts like hell! Two people before me stepped on the same rock ¢ no problem.   I went down hard and am lucky I didn¢t break my ass or worse¢¦keeping my fingers crossed. Today¢s trek ended 1.8 mi shy of Lott Road; Unionville, NY at ¢Secret¢ (ssshhh) Shelter, which is a cabin built and owned by past thru-hiker, Jim Murray. Located a few hundred feet up a road crossing in NJ it boasts a privy, outside and inside showers with hot and cold water. There is a large utility sink, small counter, dryer and a loft that sleeps 4 or 5 inside the shelter.   Also, there is a large lawn on which you may tent. As this is now a public fact, the secret lies in finding it; not in its existence! The location is passed by word of mouth. Reminds me of a fishing spot my son Jim frequented and named ¢Super Secret¢ because of the super fishing and secret location. And, when asked where it was would reply, ¢ If I tell you, it wouldn¢t be a secret, would it?¢ And¢¦it is still!I climbed up 333¢ over 3.5 from Grem Anderson Shelter to the first spot along my way ¢ Sunrise Mountain (1,653¢) and over the ensuing 9.8 mi. to NJ 23 descended 100¢ ¢ no altitude sickness here ¢ and walked the remaining 5 miles to ¢Secret ¢Shelter. (ssshh). Today I passed Crigger Road, Mashipacong Shelter, Deckertown Tpke, Trail to Rutherford Shelter, side trail to High Point Monument (built in 1930 and dedicated to New Jersey's wartime heroes), High Point Shelter, County 519, Gemmer Road and Unionville Road. I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I'll probably be at Bear Mtn. Bridge Saturday or Sunday and I'm about 111 mi. from CT.Can you feel the shadows of the urban world creeping along my trek as I continue to mention places like ¢road¢, ¢monument¢, ¢turnpike¢ ¢ all created by man to mark his territory and commemorate history¢¦   StarsOh wondrous lights   from up aboveIlluminate and glow   your watchful eyesKeep vigil of   all who dwell below. - Bonnie Duane -
Date: 2006-06-21
To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

Today began as any other and then¢¦The mosquitoes are the worst I¢ve ever encountered ¢ BIG, bad, biting!Lots of swamp to muddle thru!The gypsy moths have done tremendous damage to the trees in this area - the leaves are gone!I sampled wild strawberries and blackberries ¢ blackberries were bitter, but the strawberries werent¢ bad!Rain is forecast for the next 10 days and includes isolated and scattered t-storms!There are lots of bear in this area ¢ the most densly populated area of the trail...Because of the ¢*@!*@!¢ mosquitoes, sleeping in the shelter without a net would be brutal¢¦ Trump¢s in the shelter (and it¢s not Donald)! I¢m tenting, in the field surrounding Wawayanda Shelter, along with Yahtze (Plymouth, MA), Posey Picker (very interesting retired college professor who is now an organic farmer and a Shaker furniture craftsman), Caterpillar (new face) and Tofurky who¢s in a hammock. My tent is 100 yds away from the others as we are in the flight path of an airport and the planes are loud and busy (the footprints of "civilization" continue to slowly creep into my peaceful, serene surroundings...)My rationale for placing my tent "away" from the flight path: "the better for sleeping my dear!" BUT¢¦I called Bonnie at 10:30 from from my tent to report in and had to hang up quickly. WHY? Because there was a bear outside the perimeter of my tent crashing around in the woods! Mmm...eaten by mosquitoes or a bear¢¦sleeping may not be an option! If this is my last journal entry, it¢s been a great journey!Today¢s geography: NJ 284 (420¢); Oil City Road; Wallkill River; Lake Wallkill Road (Liberty Corners Road); Pohuck Mtn. Shelter; Pochuck Mtn. (800¢); Glenwood, NJ; County 565; County 517; Pochuck Creek footbridge; Canal Rd.; Vernon, NJ; NJ 94; Wawayanda Mtn. (1,340¢); New Milford, NY; Barrett Road; Iron Mtn. Rd. Bridge; Wawayanda Road; Wawayanda Shelter (1,200¢) Sussex, NJ. I¢m psyched - Sean, Lyndsey and Jack are going to meet me at the Bear Mountain Zoo noon on Saturday!If you go out in the woods todayYou're sure of a big surprise.If you go out in the woods todayYou'd better go in disguise.For every bear that ever there wasWill gather there for certain, becauseToday's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.If you go out in the woods today,You'd better not go alone.It's lovely out in the woods today,But safer to stay at home.For every bear that ever there wasWill gather there for certain, becauseToday's the day the teddy bears have their picnicEvery teddy bear, that's been goodIs sure of a treat todayThere's lots of wonderful things to eatAnd wonderful games to playBeneath the trees, where nobody seesThey'll hide and seek as long as they pleaseToday's the day the teddy bears have their picnic¢¦            Teddy Bears Picnic- John W. Bratton and James B. Kennedy-
Date: 2006-06-22
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: West Mombasha Road
Miles today: 17.0

OK here¢s the deal: The bear stayed on the periphery of the Wawayanda Shelter/tenting area and showed no interest in me or my trailmates. The night passed without incident and I¢m glad to report a happy ending to what I imagined to be far more exciting than   the reality. When I hastily hung up on Bonnie, there was much crashing and smashing about outside my tent. Evidently, it was just ¢Smokey¢ out for an evening stroll!   I was chastised for not calling home the next morning to report all was well ¢men are from Mars; women are from ¢Venus¢; I¢m in the doghouse!My left shoulder, though sore, seems to be fine and I have full range of motion which is a good prognosticator! Today I trudged 17 miles through what¢s quickly becoming the ¢metro¢ portion of the AT as I trek into more densely populated areas and observe my surroundings.Today¢s geography: Warwick Tpke (1,140¢); Long House Road (Brady Road); Long House Creek; NY/NJ State line at Hewitt, NJ; State Line Trail; Prospect Rock (1,433¢); NY 17A at Bellvale, NY; Eastern Pinnacles (1,294¢); Cat Rocks; Wildcat Shelter; Lakes Road (680¢); Fitzgerald Falls; Mombasha High Point (1,280¢) and West Mombasha Road where I pitched my tent for the night. Total elev. change over 17 miles: 243¢Familiar Face: Posey Picker   The bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountainThe bear went over the mountain, to see what he could see.And all that he could see, and all that he could seeWas the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountainThe other side of the mountain, was all that he could see.And, I stayed in my tent! Why tempt fate?
Date: 2006-06-23
From: West Mombasha Road

To: West Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Hot, humid and damp walking today, and even though it was early in my trek, I was very grateful for the ¢trail magic¢ NY 17 (4.9 mi), and again at Arden Valley Rd. (10.4 mi) from my starting point. The kindred spirit of this trip is something I¢ve not experienced in any of my other ¢worldly¢ travels. The bond between past and present trail walkers is deep and moving as those who have experienced it will attest¢¦ New Face: Aloha (female)Familiar Face: Posey PickerNew Ground: Buchanan Mtn. (1,142¢) East Mombasha Road; Little Dam Lake; Orange Tpk.; Arden Mtn. (1,180¢); Southfields, NY; NY 17 at Arden; NY State Thruway (560¢); Arden Valley Road; Island Pond Outlet; Lemon Squeezer (beware BIG BUTTS!); Surebridge Mtn.; Fingerboard Shelter; Arden Valley Road (1,196¢); Seven Lakes Drive; Goshen Mtn.; Wm Brien Memorial Shelter; Black Mtn. (1,160¢); Palisades Interstate Pkwy (680¢); Beechy Bottom Rock; Trail to West Mtn. Shelter.Stopped along the way today and took a refreshing swim. The heat is tough, but I¢ve got a BIG reward on the horizon and I need to cover the miles between here and Bear Mtn. by noon tomorrow because Sean, Lyndsey and Jack are going to meet me.3.2 miles to Sean, Lyndsey and Jack¢¦No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?         - Lee Iaccoca -
Date: 2006-06-24
From: West Mountain Shelter

To: Bear Mountain
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: mist

Arrived Bear Mtn. 11:00 AM ¢ in plenty of time and sat in peace and quiet waiting. Sean, Lyndsey and Jack arrived on schedule and Lyndsey recognized me right away. Jack, on the other hand, didn¢t want to come near the picnic table where I was waiting because the sight of me frightened him! Eventually it all sorted itself out and we had a great day and night. We couldn¢t go to the Bear Mtn. Zoo because of the rainy weather and a picnic was out of the question. Sean suggested I go back to CT and spend the night. It was good to see Monica and Alexsandra. I played with the kids, Sean took me to get some food supplies, we had a delicious meal, I spoke briefly with Bonnie and I hit the wall! Was in bed by 8:30.   Tomorrow it¢s back to Bear Mtn. and on to CT (this time on foot!)I¢m a lucky man¢¦ The Children¢s Hour   by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowBetween the dark and the daylight,When the night is beginning to lower,Comes a pause in the day's occupations,That is known as the Children's Hour.I hear in the chamber above meThe patter of little feet,The sound of a door that is opened,And voices soft and sweet.From my study I see in the lamplight,Descending the broad hall stair,Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,And Edith with golden hair.A whisper, and then a silence:Yet I know by their merry eyesThey are plotting and planning togetherTo take me by surprise.A sudden rush from the stairway,A sudden raid from the hall!By three doors left unguardedThey enter my castle wall!They climb up into my turretO'er the arms and back of my chair;If I try to escape, they surround me;They seem to be everywhere.They almost devour me with kisses,Their arms about me entwine,Till I think of the Bishop of BingenIn his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!Do you think, o blue-eyed banditti,Because you have scaled the wall,Such an old mustache as I amIs not a match for you all!I have you fast in my fortress,And will not let you depart,But put you down into the dungeonIn the round-tower of my heart.And there will I keep you forever,Yes, forever and a day,Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,And moulder in dust away!
Date: 2006-06-25
From: Bear Mountain

To: Graymoor Friary
Miles today: 9.0

How could I forget to mention the "trail magic" of Tofurky and her Dad yesterday?Happy Birthday, Bonnie!*****************************************************************************Monica cooked me a delicious hiker's breakfast before sending me on my way with Sean who dropped me back at Bear Mtn. early morning and I was back on the trail after my brief, but full visit in CT.   As I walked, I found myself thinking about slowing the pace and saving my energy as today¢s trek included several hills ¢ a reminder of what¢s ahead and in store as I continue north bound. I must work on my stamina¢¦11:00 AM I arrived today¢s destination: the Graymoor Friary where, since the early 70s, The Brothers at the Friary who once fed thru-hikers, now offer a place to sleep in the baseball field shelter, pavilion or a place to tent on the lawn. Ground covered before my arrival at Old West Point Road, Graymoor Friary included: Bear Mtn Inn, Trailside Museum and Zoo, Fort Montgomery, NY, Bear Mountain Bridge, NY 9D, Camp Smith Trail, Anthony¢s Nose (700¢), Hemlock Springs Campsite, South Mountain Pass (Manitou Rd.), Peekskill, NY, US 9 NY 403 400¢).Familiar Face: Posey PickerNew Faces: Michelle (from NYC)            Wrong Turn (Georgia)Details of this day:High: 73o/Low: 68oSunrise: 5:24 AMSunset:   8:32 PMMoon:   Waning CrescentThe waning crescent Moon is a thin sliver of a thing which is seen to rise just a few hours before sunrise. You will not see the Moon in this phase anytime before midnight. In this phase, the Moon leads the Sun across the sky by a little bit all through the day. Once the Sun does rise, it is just about impossible to see such a faint thing as the waning crescent Moon in a daylit sky. Less than 1/2 of the Moon's illuminated surface can be seen from Earth. Each day the crescent appears a little thinner. The day was mist-filled with light rain that turned to heavy rain by nightfall. And, the shelter, at the ball field, which was early accommodations for 4 occupants, became filled with about 13 people and several others went to the overflow area.¢Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.¢                     - Frank Lloyd Wright -
Date: 2006-06-26
From: Graymoor Friary

To: Fahnestock State Park
Miles today: 11.8

Michelle took Wrong Turn (GA) home to NYC with her today and is going to show him how to get from NYC to Boston where he plans to visit an uncle. They took the metro ¢ imagine...the knife of transportation ripping through nature¢s canvas!******************************************************Today¢s geography was easy. I climbed Denning Hill (900¢); crossed Old Albany Post Road, Chapman Road, Canopus Hill (420¢); South Highland Road; Dennytown Road; Sunk Mine Road (800¢) and arrived Fahnestock where thru-hikers are welcome free of charge and treated to hot showers ¢ a great treat - Patches said, it¢s the best shower he¢s ever had (and he probably feels that way with every hot shower!)The weather today is lousy ¢ wet! However, a brief ¢rain-free¢window presented around 5:00 and allowed for good drying of clothing as there¢s a cool wind. The mosquitoes are still droning all around and wanting to bite (the better to eat you my dear!)I¢m cooking dinner and taking it easy¢¦will probably plan my next maildrop which may be Dalton, MA, but could be later depending on timing.Ol¢ Graceful is here with me giving his toes some TLC.All¢s well where I am¢¦Happiness is not a matter of events; it depends upon the tides of the mind.      - Alice Meynell -
Date: 2006-06-27
From: Fahnestock State Park

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 16.0

I never mentioned the very special card Lyndsey made for me before I headed back to Bear Mtn. after spending a wonderful overnight with Sean, Monica, Lyndsey, Jack and Alex. I¢ve carried it with me and will send it home to become part of my Appalachian Trail Scrapbook¢¦ Weather continues wet and warm. Fahnestock State Park is behind me as I cross over NY 301, at Canopus Lake and continue on to Shenandoah Mtn. (1,282¢), Long Hill Road, Shenandoah Tenting Area, Hortontown Road, RPH Shelter (350¢), Taconic State Parkway, Hosner Mtn. Road, Sstormville, NY, NY 52 (800¢) Stormville Mtn. Road, I-84, Mt. Egbert (1,329¢) and finally arrive Morgan Stewart Shelter. Mosquitoes continue to plague but my beard acts as a natural defense. And the droning dance continues in and around my head, eyes, ears, legs and arms ¢ I keep telling myself I can tolerate anything for a short time, but there is no mosquito etiquette and these unwelcome companions have no intention of leaving¢¦they¢ve come to suck my blood!Rain, rain go away and take the *%#@ mosquitoes with you!Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.- Theodore Rooselvelt ¢