morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-09
From: Wind Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We were up and out of the hotel room at 6 AM. After a nice breakfast at a local diner, we were back on the trail at 8:30. The climb out of town only consisted of a 600 (+) elevation climb and the trail was not that difficult.    I stopped and took a picture of a sign identifying a place called "Lunch Rocks". Lunch Rocks, according to my hand book, indicated that there was only 900 miles away from MT Katahdin.   Finally closing in on the Delaware Water Gap. It was a personal victory and great satisfaction when I stepped in to town. Pennsylvania was finally behind me, the hardest state thus far which also meant that half the states were done as well. From this point on any SOBO (south bounder) I ran in to I advised them simply this. Wear heavier boots from the Delaware Water Gap all the way to Harpers Ferry. Also try not to do too many miles like I did. It wasn't the fact that the trail was tough the entire way, it was a matter of what I called, "collective injuries". Soft trail shoes do not hold up well on top of those stones and rocks on that section of the AT. Once you get to WV send the heavy boots forward or home.    Before leaving home my wife and I discussed the possibility of me going home for a weekend when I got in to New York. We planned to link up near Bear Mountain and let it go at that. Knowing I was 100 miles away, the only thing I planned on doing was to try to reach the Hudson River. At least as close as I could for the weekend of the 16th and 17th of July. We actually planned on meeting on Friday the 15th at Fort Montgomery near the Bear Mountain Bridge. As far as 100 miles in 7 days? No problem, if it was a month or so back in May. Now though I had the heat to contend with.      That night I ended up staying at the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain there in town. A nice place that was close to everything and was right off of the trail. There I met Stitches from MA, he was heading south to Harpers Ferry where he had some summer work lined up. Tophat was there as well but he too was leaving the trail (for a wedding I believe). I also met a young man named Vapors, he was going to stay there with Nimble Foot for a time and the two planned to leave together. Vapors and I ended up hiking together later on up the trail. He was a unique man and we keep in contact with each other to this day.    TICKS, I pulled two ticks off of my body. I have had plenty on me in my past so It did not bother me that they were there, it was the thought of Lime Disease that was on my mind. I know of over twenty cases of lime disease on the trail by the time I finished. One hiker who has visited me here at my home developed the symptoms weeks after he was finished with the AT. I have also been inoculated with a series of shots to prevent "Tick Born Encephalitis", but that did not mean it was able to prevent Lime Disease. My father suffered from this as well.personal note: Happy Birthday Tammy and Ann.
Date: 2005-07-10
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Blue Mountain Lakes Road
Miles today: 18.0

Up early at 5:20. I slept as long as I could and then I slipped out the door without waking anyone else. I walked in to town and waited till the diner opened at 6 AM. I returned to the Church, showered and was back on the trail by 8 AM.    Going through the Delaware Water Gap, crossing interstate 80 on the bridge, it was interesting to note the terrain in the area. Most Gaps are called Gaps because the are slices in the mountains allowing the river to run through it (no exception here). This was indeed another one of those areas, like Harpers Ferry, that must be filled with history. Travel west must have made quite the impact on this little piece of real estate. The Gap is narrow and only a sliver of land allows travel to happen.    I was caught of guard on just how beautiful this part of New Jersey was. I saw views of the Delaware River, different bodies of water, Cranberry farms and much more. My family originally came from New Jersey (Jersey City). I only new of the east coast of this state and the situation there (Interstate 95 , the large land fills and the industrial parks). Never before would I have imagined the beauty that is western New Jersey. Truly a diamond in the rough.   At Sunfish pond, just north of the gap, I took a nice long break on the rocks along the shore. Shortly thereafter I got on top of the ridge line that followed the Delaware River, I could not believe the views. The elevation was not that high, around 1500 feet. Because the elevation was lower, you could see more of the land. Most of the time, further south, everything was covered with the haze that comes with the heat and humidity that blankets the land this time of year.    I ended up that evening just past The Blue Mountain Lakes road. There was a hand pump there and the water was clean and plentiful. I was hiking with Vapors at this time (he caught up to me after I took my break at the pond). We were looking for the YMCA camp in the area but never found it. We separated (he stayed by the road) and we spent the night in two different locations. I hated doing wasted miles and we did about three of them that evening.
Date: 2005-07-14
From: Pinwheel's Vista

To: NY17 and Arden Valley Road
Miles today: 25.9
Weather: moderate rain

Up and gone by 7:10 this morning. It was an overcast day and it looked like rain from the git go. Last evenings sunset was indeed outstanding. Quite a few locals were there on the ridge to also enjoy the sight. They all left just before the sun went down. Probably to make sure they were back at their cars before dark.    At 8:58 I saw my 19th Black Bear. I noted that he was a good sized one. I heard it snap a twig and saw it about 100 yards off to my right. It stood there for a moment and then ran in to the woods. I would not see another bear, not including the one in the Bear Mountain Zoo, until Massachusetts.   I learned from a log book that a fellow thru-hiker by the name of Pack Mule, was killed by a train just outside of Duncannon, PA. No details were given and I am not sure what happened even to this day. I was sorry to hear of such a thing. The second death on the trail that I heard about involving a thru-hiker. A NOBO was also killed out side of Franklin, NC. He was hit by a car. There were two other deaths that I heard about as well, both suicides (one by hanging and one by gun). I hope I am wrong on this but, this is what I have been told, read and heard about.   I ran in to Vapors and we walked together for a while. I heard him give a little "yahoo" kind of a yell and I new it must have meant one thing, he was at the NJ/NY border. Indeed that was what it was and that was where he was. We took pictures of each other. A nice mile stone indeed, as mentioned NY is my home state.   It turned out to be a very long day. The terrain was tough and the weather was hot and humid. Water was an issue and by the end of the day because I was out. The streams and springs I passed did not look healthy enough to drink. I planned on making it to NY 17, hitching in to Southfields, NY to get a room (from there I planned on calling my wife) It was getting dark and I was concerned that I would not get a ride if it was to late. Just before I got to road there were about a dozen water bottles left by some Trail Angels. I was so happy to find them there. Trail Magic indeed and it was not over yet. When I got to the road and for the first time ever on the trail (for me) there was a pay phone under a street light (and the phone worked).   What a relief that I was able to call my wife to plan the next days link up with out having to hitch or walk the 2.7 miles to town. Afterward I walked back to the water bottles (about 25 yards) and settled in for the night. NY 17 is a noisy highway and it was busy almost all night long.
Date: 2005-07-18
From: Bear Mountain Park

To: Greymoor Friary
Miles today: 6.7

I got a ride from my brother Dave this morning and he drove me to town (I live about 25 miles away). My brother lives near me and was on his way to work, he dropped me off at my fathers house. My father was bringing me back to the trail as I hoped. We drove to the Post Office first in Fort Montgomery. My new Pack was there and I switched them both out. I mailed the old one back to the Osprey headquaters as pre-planed. As we were about to leave we came upon a fellow hiker "The Mad Chapper". He spent the night in town and needed a ride to the trail. My father had no problem in doing a little trail magic and dropped him off where he needed to go. We then went to the Bear Mountain Park entrance. We were going to walk the park together but when we got there I would guess about 100 grade school students were lined up and waiting to enter the Zoo. We decided to part right there in the parking lot instead.   I was hiking again by noon and by the time I got through the Zoo and across the Hudson River I was soaked. It was so hot and Humid I could not believe it, I also could not wait to get under the shade of the trees. I did not go far, only a total of 6.7 miles this day. It was interesting to look to the west and see the Military Academy at West Point. I was stationed there for three years when I first joined the Army. Not a bad place to be assighned except I do not recommend it as a younger person. It would have been a great place to go as an older soldier. Not much goes on there, at least when I was younger, it was really quiet and mellow.   I ended up at the Greymoor Friary and though I did not plan on staying, the thunder clouds over head changed my mind. It started to rain so hard that the water was running down the roads like a stream. Other hikers there all had familiar faces, exactly what I predicted. My time off put me with people I walked past back down the trail. Those under the pavilion and out of the rain were, Mad Chapper (Paramis, NJ), Paparazi (Marion, VA), Ramblin Man and his son Corporal (upstate NY), Buffalo Bob (Alaida OH) and later Nimble Foot showed up. We all moved to the larger pavilion later that day and set up our tents on top of the picnic tables there.    The Friars offered a meal for a donation so we all took them up on there invite. Two cheeseburgers, noodle salad, chips and sweet tea. Good food and friends, I was glad to be back on the trail again.
Date: 2005-07-19
From: Greymoor Friary

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: haze

Up and gone by 7:45. It was obvious that it was going to be another hot day. Today I hiked with Ramblin Man and Corporal. Ramblin Man was a thru-hiker (class of 04) and knew a lot about the trail and the things to come (especially water sources).    We stopped at the Denny Town Road water point (mile 1403.4) to try to get some water. The water pump at the building there was considered seasonal and it twas the season. Unfortunately, according to the repair man working there, lightning struck nearby and burned the pump out (it was electric).   When we got to NY 301 he suggested that we head to the Clarence Fahnestock State Park. According to the guide it was only .8 miles down the road. It was nearing mid day and I figured why not. There was a concession stand there, swimming and showers. Most of all it was a good clean source of water. Once again water was an issue, there was plenty of surface water however, it just did not look good for the most part. I noticed the trail went around the lake and I asked Ramblin Man if there was a side trail to the beach (instead of hiking the road I figured to hike the trail and get closer). He said he could not remember so I went with the crowd and walked the road to the park. I should have trusted my instincts and walked the trail. There was a side trail and it could have saved the 1.6 miles of road walking.   At the park we met up with all from the night before (minus nimble foot) and were joined by a few other hikers. The food was fair and a little costly however, it was food. The showers were great and the water clean. A nice place to spend "the heat of the day" at. On the way back to where I left the trail it started to rain. There was a pavilion near by and we all headed for some cover. The rain was a blessing in disguise because it cooled off the day nicely.   I ended up staying at the RPH shelter that evening. There I met a hiker by the name of FIDO. FIDO, a rather quiet man, received his trail name from a friend of his many years ago when he was in college. His friend was an ROTC student and FIDO was in fact an acronym. I surprised him by knowing what it meant and he told me I was the first person to know so. In the military I spent two years in the 82nd Airborne Division as a Paratrooper and it was something familiar to all who were there. In my opinion a perfect trail name. FIDO stood for "F**K it, Drive on"!      At the RPH shelter there was water there. A hand pump that worked well however, the water was so rusty it was unpleasant to say the least. Needless to say I left without any water the next day. Aqui-Mira was not the type of water purification system that took out particles. If I had a coffee filter with me I could have pre filtered the water. This was however the only place where the water was so contaminated with rust that it would need such drastic measures to clean it. Other wells along the trail, and there were many, did not have such a problem. Also I was told by other hikers later on that I could have pumped it clean (or at least cleaner).
Date: 2005-07-20
From: RPH Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: few clouds

Up and gone by 7:30 this morning. The terrain finally started to become a pleasure once again to hike on.    I moved until I came upon NY 52 and took a right towards a store called "The Mountain Top Market". It was only .4 miles off the trail and I needed to call home to make arrangements for the next weekends pick up. Since I was so close to home I figured that I would take another weekend off the trail and spend it with the family. It worked out fine because by the end of the week the heat was really taking its toll. The time off was great for resting and recovering the body. The plan was for my wife to pick me up at the Post Office at West Cornwall in Connecticut.   The market made a great breakfast sandwich and next door to the market was a pizzeria that made excellent NY style pizza. It was again hot and humid so this was perfect for taking a break on the trail. The tent was drying out back and the belly was full. Water was available from a hose spigot nearby and many other hikers were doing the same as I.   Later on in the evening I took a nice long break at a place called the Nuclear Lake Outlet. The name made me wonder what the heck might be in the water but, the area was beautiful. I went swimming in the lake and dried out some clothing I rinsed in the water. Reluctantly I left the lake and moved on to the Telephone Pioneers Shelter. A nice place with water nearby. Not a big day for miles but, a great day to be on the trail (no rain). I was attempting to stick to my new plan of doing less miles per day.   I did a little trail maintenance at the shelter. A tree blew over and laid across the trail. I used a "Bow Saw" that was at the shelter and cut away as much as I could. This cleared a path allowing hikers to use the trail again. Most were walking around the "Blow Down" causing damage to the terrain and risking injuries. Later I found exactly what I was looking for at the shelter, a fleece blanket and it was the right color (black). I guess one good deed deserved another or rather, it was a payment for my efforts. It was discarded and obviously left behind (many items were left in such a manner). I took it home and washed it clean. I carried it for the rest of the trail.
Date: 2005-07-27
From: Mile 1979

To: Race Mountain
Miles today: 17.2

Up and gone today by 7:28. A couple of good sized hills to climb today. In fact Bear Mountain goes up in elevation to a total of 2316 feet above sea level. First Mountain in a long time to go over two thousand feet.    I stopped to take a picture of the open field in front of me. It was a nice view and I could imagine how the trail ran along the top of the ridge lines in front of me, (it is exactly what it did). I passed an interesting geologic formation called the "Giants Thumb" (1265 feet). It looked just like the name would imagine it to be. As if a thumb was sticking out of the ground. Not a good picture but there is one filed with my log photos. 99.9% of my photos were taken with disposable cameras (as I wrote before), sometimes you get good ones and some times you did not.    I met two "week long" hikers at a stream where I was taking a break for lunch (mile 1487.6). They were from Minnesota and their trail names were Blaze and Tug Boat. Two nice people who drove two cars here to do this section. They parked one down south and then both rode in one car to their stepping off point up north. A nice way to do a section. I remember passing both the two cars (Minnesota plates made me guess they were their cars). They were nice people to sit and talk to.   Soon after I met up with my friend Gozar and we walked together for a while. He was clean shaven as well as I. He also picked up a couple of new shirts for the trail. He, of course, kept the business casual look he was so famous for. He admitted that I was right when I told him that his other shirt was a bit stained. That perhaps it was beyond ever getting clean again. If I know Gozar he did not throw the shirt away, he probably kept it as a souvenir.   We stopped at Bear Mountain and Gozar took my picture (it is on file). We were both only .6 miles away from leaving Connecticut which meant we went through 10 states so far. It was hot still however, there was a break in the high humidity (thank God). Walking was not so bad and Massachusetts looked promising (as I entered our 11th state). I went on about four miles further and stopped just short of the Race Mountain Summit. According to the last log book I read (back at the Brassie Brook Lean-to I believe), Dandylion was only a half of a day ahead of me. That was the closest I believe I came to ever catching him again on the trail. Gozar did not come with me to the summit so I knew he and Skywalker were now behind me. I haven't seen Skywalker since a long way back down the trail (in Virginia).
Date: 2005-07-29
From: East Mountain (Mile 1512)

To: Tyringham, MA
Miles today: 15.7

Up and gone by 7:24. I slept in a little and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise. (what a cool and pleasant morning).    I ran in to English Bob at the next shelter (Tom Leonard Lean-to). We talked for a little while. I found out he is from Dorset in England. I took his picture then and there. It was a nice shelter but there was trash (old food) everywhere. It must have been someone's "good idea" to leave it behind. The mice were in to most of it so what I could save I did and the rest I carried out of the woods.    The terrain was nice to walk through. I came upon the first of many bog bridges yet to come. Most bog bridges are of simple construction. Take a long log and cut it down the middle, flip it so the flat side is up and tack it down to two smaller logs to keep the wood above the water. Bog bridges usually mean swamps, swamps usually mean Beavers. I took a nice photo of another beaver dam (I got this thing about beaver dams) and put it into my photo log,   The trail meandered through some beautiful low lands past a Shaker Farm, a nice stream and through a section of an Indian Reservation. I had plenty of time and arrived again before my wife showed up. I hitched into Tyringham and waited for about a half an hour before she arrived. This time it was easier to find me then the last. She came by way of interstate MA 90 and the town was right of the interstate (perhaps ten miles if that). My guide book showed that I had only 53 miles, or three days, left to do in this state.   I decided earlier to come off the trail in Tyrington for one reason only. I wanted to line my self up for when I returned. Upper Goose Pond Cabin was ahead and I wanted to spend the night there so I figured I would Nero that day (about 7 miles). Why? It was quite simple, they were famous for there blueberry pancakes and I wanted some. That is what I call "The Pulse of the Trail".
Date: 2005-08-02
From: Tyringham, MA

To: Upper Goose Pond
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Back on the trail and walking by 12:50 PM. My father brought me back to the trail. We had a great ride up here. I bought him lunch before he left as well. It was a private memory that I will hold close for the rest of my life. The AT brings out more trail magic then meets the eye. At home I spent more quality time with the family. I even got a chance to take a bicycle ride with my son (pictures posted) and we had a chance to talk to each other. All in all a good trip home.   It was a short walk and soon I pulled in to the Upper Goose Pond Cabin. I set up my tent on a wooden tent platform (got to love a free standing tent). I went to the pond a took a dip in the cool water. It felt good to soak my feet for a while as I made my days journal entry. The plan was a go for pancakes in the morning. The caretaker was even going to provide fresh perked coffee. All this for a pre set donation amount of only 5 dollars. It was so good to be back on the trail.    Knowing that there was not going to be any more time visits home for the weekend, I felt something I did not feel ever before while on the AT, I felt homesick. I was at the point that my commitment to finish the trail outweighed my desire to go home by only a fraction of an amount. I bet if I had a bad day, like horrible weather or an injury, I would have possibly left the trail. I am so glad my experience at the Cabin went well.    I read the log and evidently there are a few friends that are just ahead of me (Roamer, Camel and many others). I looked forward to see them all again.    I met a SOBO named Spud who gave me a warning, he said that Dalton, a city ahead on the trail, was a black hole for hikers. He said that they make you feel so comfortable there that you do not want to leave. Dalton was just 20 (+) miles away and he recommended that I look up Rob at the "Gas Station".    Trail talk at the cabin reported that the terrain in Maine will not let you do big mile days. That even though it wasn't to mountainous it was difficult. The word was that there are a lot of MUDS to contend with (Mindless ups and downs). He also said that the terrain in the 100 mile wilderness seemed easier then the rest of Maine. Hard to believe that there was less then 650 miles to go. I figured I would be done with the trail between the second and third week in September.   I borrowed a book from the cabin and settled in for the evening. I read a few of the book's short stories and set my alarm in preparation for the next days breakfast. Food was to be served at 7 AM and I did not want to be late.