morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-12
From: George W. Osterbridge Shelter

To: LeRoy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

Wanted to get started at 5:00 am but it was closer to 6:00. Definitely rockier today. Got to the climb out of Lehigh Gap by 6:30 and headed up. The clouds moving through the valley reminded me of the Smokies. Last time I made this climb there were 8 of us I think. This time it was only me. I did have a bunch of fun climbing up to the Palmerton Zinc Smelting Superfund Site. I was able to get back down into the trees before it got too hot. I did lose one of my bandanas on the climb though. Found another water cache and used a couple of quarts out of it. With it being in the low 90¢s I knew I would drink it up. Coming out of Little Gap I had another challenging climb which was also fun. Got here to the shelter early, set up my tent and had oatmeal for dinner. It looks like I am here alone. I guess everyone else kept going. It¢s getting dark so I am off to bed.
Date: 2015-06-13
From: LeRoy Smith Shelter

To: Campsite N. of Kirkridghe Shelter
Miles today: 14.1

Nice slow day. Still plenty of rocks though. Saw a turkey and several chicks as they flew off as I approached. Weather was really nice this morning. As I started to climb out of Wind Gap there was a box of Dunkin Donuts which I had 2. It was another rock scramble near the top which I really enjoy. Next came Wolf Rocks which was also fun. Wish I could have shot some pics but with both batteries low I had to save up. I stopped at the Kirkridge Shelter to get water to take to the campsite .3 up the trail. I really enjoyed camping here last time with a great view of the valley. I arrived at 12:30. I ate lunch, set up camp and finished both books I was reading. A section hiker stopped to camp here also. He gave me a little of his food as he had too much. I did a shakedown of his backpack and I think he will be able to send home about 15 pounds of unneeded gear. We sat by the fire until 10:00 pm and I am now ready for sleep.
Date: 2015-06-14
From: Campsite N. of Kirkridghe Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 6.1

Got to sleep in until 7:00 am this morning. Took my time eating and packing up. Hit the trail at 8:30. Had a quick hike into here as I saw a lot of day hikers heading up the mountain. I got a shower and went and had a pulled pork sandwich with mac n cheese and potato salad. Not sure what I will do for dinner but will eat somewhere. Staying here at the Church of the Mountain Hostel. I also stayed here in 2012. The Ridge Runner, LC, remembered me from 2012 when he thru hiked also. That¢s it for today.
Date: 2015-06-15
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Zero, Zero, Zero. Another zero day to add to my hike. Basic town stuff today. Got my mail drops from Passionflower, home and from Big Agnes. It was like Christmas. After opening all my boxes and taking inventory I caught a shuttle to a Super Walmart in the town next door. When I got back Salty Dog and I went to The Bakery for lunch. I had the hot dog and a slice of apple pie $2.95 special, and egg and cheese sandwich and a birch beer. I then walked to the Pocono Inn to do laundry. They let non-guest thru-hikers do their Landry there. I then went back to the hostel for a little while to sort through my food and to rebag all my stuff with new ziplocks. Once all that was done, Salty Dog ad I went to Zoe¢s Ice Cream to have banana splits. Salty Dog paid for them with a $20 bill he found at a road crossing. I ended up going back an hour later and had another one for dinner. It is full here again tonight as all but 3 of us took a zero today. We also had 6 more people end up in tents or in the shelter out back. Looks like rain again tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-16
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.8

Woke up with most everyone else at 7:00 am. Got packed up and headed out to cloudy skies. First thing was to finish Pennsylvania and enter New Jersey. They finally painted a state line marker on the Delaware River Bridge for us to get photos. It is a large marker painted on the walkway itself. After I crossed that I stopped at the park to put a couple of things away to keep dry. I hiked around Sunfish Pond which is a glacial lake. When I started to hike away from it the sky opened up. It felt really good as it cooled me off. I haven¢t hiked in that much rain in a while. It stopped by the time I got to the road to the Mohican Outdoor Center which is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. I checked the radar for rain and it said it was coming for another couple of rounds. Thistle walked up behind me and asked if I was going to the Center or not. I told her I had to flip my watch, seeing as I didn¢t have a coin handy. Watch face up I stay, watch face down I hike on. It was watch face up so here I am in another hostel. Took a shower and went back to the camp store and had a roast beef sandwich with a bowl of chili. It has rained 3 or 4 more times since I have gotten back to the cabin. Going to go buy a couple of sodas for tonight. I will cook my dinner here in the cabin as it has a full kitchen. Will put in a longer day tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-17
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Brink Shelter
Miles today: 14.0

What a great place I stayed at last night. It was worth the money. Had breakfast then hit the trail at 7:30. Nice easy pace today. Had a small climb out of the Mohican Outdoor Center and it just leveled out for a while. Finally found a few ripe blueberries. I was able to pick a small handful to eat. There should be plenty in the next week or so. I stopped to get water at Blue Mtn. Lakes Rd and had lunch there. Shortly after leaving there I ran into a doe eating about 10 ft. from me. She was content eating while I watched but as soon as I went for my camera she took off. The mosquitos are coming out in force especially in the wetter areas. I got to the shelter at about 3:30. I hung my tent to dry out some when Croc Rocket arrived. We sat and watched a 6 foot black snake explore the underneath of the shelter before it moved in into the woods. I set up my tent and cooked dinner. I then talked with some other hikers that decided to stay in this shelter. Looks like I will be around Croc Rocket for a few days as we have the same goals for a while. People have been seeing plenty of bears but I still only have the one. Time for bed.
Date: 2015-06-18
From: Brink Shelter

To: Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Got a really late start as it was raining this morning. Hit the trail at 9:30 to foggy conditions. It stayed that way all day. Nice to hike in though as the temps stayed in the 70¢s all day. Still dealing with plenty of rocks. I had my feet go out from under me but luckily I landed square on my pack so no injury there. After that I stopped at the Gren Anderson Shelter for lunch and to get water. I then got to the top of Sunrise Mountain which has a huge pavilion but just kept going as it was too foggy to see any view. I slipped on another rock and went down on my right side but no injury. I knew it wasn¢t my fault this time as I was being very deliberate where I was stepping. These rocks are super slick when wet. I took a snack break at the Mashipong Shelter which has a water cache in the bear box most of the time. I left there to do the last 3 miles to here. It seems to be just me and Croc Rocket here tonight. This shelter is .4 off trail so maybe it will stay quiet. I have my tent set up in the shelter to keep the mosquitos away and to stay dry in case it does rain tonight. Going to sit at High Point Beach for a few hours tomorrow and helpfully summit the highest point in New Jersey before going to the Murray property for the night.
Date: 2015-06-19
From: Rutherford Shelter

To: Murray Property
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Started at 6:00 am. Got to a view point 7 tenths of a mile in and made a wrong turn. I thought I was getting close to High Point when I saw a sign. When I walked up it said Rutherford Shelter. I was disappointed and confused. What I did was I got on a loop trail which used to be the AT. I finally got to High Point State Park around 11:00. I first stopped at their headquarters where they give a free soda to thru hikers. I then went to the beach. I was there an hour before Croc Rocket showed up and we had burgers and friend for lunch. He went on and I stayed until 2:00. I was going to go to the highest point in NJ but I missed the side trail. Caught up to Croc Rocket and we hiked together for a while until he took a break. I continued on to the Murray Property and arrived at 4:30. U got to meet the owner this time before he left. He bought the property after his through hike and converted the ice house into a hiker shelter. He has an outdoor shower, well water and privy. On the property are many Mulberry trees and apple trees. He also has a couple of donkeys which are very friendly. Oyster is here with his dog Nate who now has the trail name Pincushion as he messed with a porcupine and learned about them the hard way. Just as it was getting dark a doe walked up near the porch we were sitting on and was eating mulberries that were on the ground. Looking to do 18 miles tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-20
From: Murray Property

To: Waywayanda Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: light rain

Was out on the trail a little after 6:00 am. I arrived at the Horlers Store in Unionville, NY at 7:00. Cat Napper was sitting out front when I arrived so I sat and talked with him as I ate my breakfast sandwich and washed it down with a pint of half and half. Got to resupply and headed back to the trail. I next came to the Wallkill Reserve which is a nice flat walk around a marshland. Got a pic of a couple of swans enjoying the area. I stopped at a vacant house which I believe in owned by the ATC and got water before making the climb up to Pochuck Mt. Shelter. I had lunch and moved on. I walked through the Pochuck Swamp which has a boardwalk 9 tenths of a mile long and a suspension bridge over Pochuck Creek. It was raining lightly and made the walk very comfortable. Next came a steep 1,000 foot climb. The top part of the climb is known as The Stairway to Heaven. I was very tired by the time I got to the top. I got to the shelter here at 4:30. Was talking to a young woman who said she started a thru hike in 2012. I asked her her name and I know who she was as soon as she said it. Kinda hard to forget a name like Whistle Tits. We did a lot of catching up and it was almost 10:00 pm before I got back here to my tent. I will be hitting some hard terrain tomorrow so I better get some sleep.
Date: 2015-06-21
From: Waywayanda Shelter

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

First day of summer. That means Happy Hiking Naked Day. I kept my clothes on at first as I was entering a park but just before I reached the New Jersey/New York state line I stripped down to hike naked into New York. 8 states down, 6 to go. Got dressed and headed down the trail. New York welcomed me with some real challenging climbs and descents. I ended up falling/sliding down a boulder as they are slick when wet. I reached Prospect Rock which is the highest point of the AT in New York. From here I could see several of the taller buildings in New York City. There is a flag flying from this point also. There is a place where we climb an aluminum ladder which is secured to the rock. When I got just past that I stopped for lunch and dried out my tent. The afternoon was great. I dried out most of the rocks so I could go a little faster. There are some nice views from the eastern Pinnacles. You can see Cat Rocks from there. I watched as a hiker went over them. Cat Rocks are cool. There are some deep crevasses between the rock that we need to step over. Before I got to these places I went to the Bellvale Farms Ice Cream Shop. This place stays busy. I finally got in and had a quart of ice cream to hold me over until dinner as the hot dog stand was closed. It started to rain shortly after getting set up but stopped before I went to bed. Will be another challenging day tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-22
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: clear sky

Another 6:00 am start. Another challenging day. It was a great morning with the temps real pleasant. The first point of interest was Fitzgerald Falls. Nice small set of falls which the climb was right next to them. I then followed the stream for a while. Shortly after that my right knee started giving me problems and I had to deal with it all day. The climbs and descents were steep. Every time I would stop for a couple of minutes my knee would scream when I started again but wasn¢t bad as long as I stayed moving. Luckily there were plenty of water caches left by trail angels in gallon jugs at some of the road crossings. That made it so much easier for me. I entered Harriman State Park and of course there was a steep climb right off the bat. This is also home to the Lemon Squeezer which is a very tight passage between two huge slabs of stone. I got through that then had to scale the 9¢ wall. Got here to the shelter at 1:30 and started looking for the spring which is said to be unreliable. With my knee I didn¢t want to walk a mile round trip for lake water. I finally found it, which wasn¢t easy, after 15 minutes of searching. It was buried in leaves which means no one had found it in a while. I had to let the silt settle down and skim the floaties off the top. It flows slowly but the water is good. So far I am the only one here but it is only 5:30, will have to see if anyone else shows.
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: West Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and at it by 7:00 am. Much easier terrain today. Met a few more deer today. They are pretty tame here in Harriman State Park. With my knee still bothering me I didn¢t stop much. I was walking past a boulder when I looked where my hiking pole was and I saw a snake recoiling behind the boulder. It was a Timber Rattlesnake. I did a little dance trying to distance my feet away from it. I stopped to watch to see if it would move on and it did. It sure got my heart pounding. Shortly after that I ran into Oyster and talked with him for a bit, I then headed to the Visitors Center on the Palisades Parkway to get water and a soda. I was hoping that Roy would meet me there but I didn¢t hear from him so I did the mile and a half to this shelter. They say you can see the NYC Skyline from here but with the cloud cover and impending storms I only see the Hudson River below and rain in the distance. This shelter is .6 off trail but the hike is easy and hopefully the view will be great if the clouds clear tonight or in the morning.
Date: 2015-06-24
From: West Mountain Shelter

To: Hemlock Spring Campsite
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up in the middle of the night to pee and the sky was clear. I could see the lights of MYC. It was spectacular. The view this morning was also pretty clear but the lights at night were the best. Yesterday¢s miles and today¢s miles I did in one day in 2012. It was the worst night I had on the trail with being tired, hot and dehydrated. Got no sleep here then. This time the temps were cooler and I am in no hurry so much more enjoyable. I got ahold of Roy and Teri last night and they met me after I climbed Bear Mtn. I spent about 45 minutes on top of Bear Mountain drinking a soda and climbing the tower. I got to the bottom of the mountain at 10:00 and sat in the park for a few minutes until I went to the Bear Mt Inn to charge my phone. They have a couple of restaurants and the Hiker Caf© where I sat and had 2 hot dogs and a chocolate shake while I waited on Roy and Teri to show up. We sat and talked for a while then went to the car to drop my pack so we could walk down to the lake for a few minutes. They were great trail angels as they brought me a sandwich and plenty of goodies. They even gave me some money to help me along the way. Thank you Roy and Teri. It will go a long way. It also made my day to see the two of you. I got here to the campsite and Cat Nap was already here set up. I set up and then went and visited with a couple of overnight hikers until just after dark. Only plan on doing 4.2 miles tomorrow to give my knees a break, take a much needed shower and charge my phone batteries. Will stop at the Appalachian Market for breakfast and a small resupply, then stay at the Gray moor Spiritual Life Center.
Date: 2015-06-25
From: Hemlock Spring Campsite

To: Graymoor Spiritual Center
Miles today: 4.2

It¢s my 4 month anniversary. Hard to believe. The start of my hike seems so long ago. I tried to sleep in but it was a no go. Packed up and went to the market to have breakfast. Bought a few snacks to get me through the next 3 days. Cat Nap was already there along with a couple of other hikers. I left there and got here by 10:15. I took a cold shower (no hot water here), hand washed my clothes (no soap) and set my tent out to dry. Might zero here as tomorrow looks like a lot of rain. Just me and Cat Nap here right now. Think I will take a nap. Got a little nap in and people have started to arrive. Among them is Croc Rocket and Whistle Tits. Ordered a pizza for dinner and got caught up with them about the last few days. Knee bothering me so I think I will stay here until Sunday or Monday. Calling for rain Saturday and Sunday. Will wait and see.
Date: 2015-06-26
From: Graymoor Spiritual Center

To: Graymoor Spiritual Center
Miles today: 0.0

Still here. Everyone left this morning except for Cat Napper and myself. Been quiet all day. Cat Napper went to the store and brought me back lunch. He has helped me a lot. Listening to the church bells is really relaxing. They play on and off all day. Ordered dinner again tonight from the Appalachian Market. Knee still troublesome. Definitely will get a lot of rain tomorrow. Should stay dry here in the pavilion.
Date: 2015-06-27
To: Graymoor Spiritual Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Same morning as yesterday. A Southbound section hiker, Mosey, came in early. Good thing too. Also in early were Sir, his wife and their daughter Sister Em. They all set up with us in the pavilion before it started to rain. After the rain started Mama Bear and her 3 cubs came in and set up also. Found out Mama Bear is from Naples so we will catch up on our hikes when we get back. The twins will be 2,000 milers before they even start school. In the end we have 7 tents with 11 people under the pavilion and 2 more set up outside. We had another feast delivered from the Appalachian Market and all of our tummies are feeling really good. I have an extra sandwich for lunch tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-28
From: Graymoor Spiritual Center

To: Graymoor Spiritual Center
Miles today: 0.0

The rain started at 1:00 PM yesterday and continued until 3:00 pm today. Everyone left in a misty rain this morning. Forgot to mention the scout troop that showed up late in the afternoon and after trying to set up in the rain called it quits and called for rides home. It was quite the to-do with everyone in the pavilion with all the tents. A couple of people arrived early today and more kept coming this afternoon. More people set up outside as the rain had stopped until about 7:00 pm. Luckily we had already got out delivery from the market and had eaten dinner. Black Bear is here with her husband Bruce which I hadn¢t seen since Virginia. It has just gotten dark and am hearing blasts which I think are coming from West Point. Knee not 100% but will leave tomorrow and see how it holds up. If not, will have to take more time off and maybe flip flop. That means I will go to Maine and hike south to where I stopped down here. Time will tell.
Date: 2015-06-29
From: Graymoor Spiritual Center

To: Clarence Fahnestock S.P.
Miles today: 13.8

Left about 8:30. Knee still bothersome. First mile or so wasn¢t bad. Then it started to bother me again. Not a whole lot to see so I just kept moving slow. When I got to the Clarence Fahnestock State Park I ordered a couple of burgers and tater tots. I then decided to join Warten and map out here. There are 3 free campsites for us thru-hikers. Black Bear and her husband Bruce are here also. Will do another short day tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-30
From: Clarence Fahnestock S.P.

To: NY52, Stormville, NY
Miles today: 10.0

Painful hike today. Took it slow and rested a couple of times. Stopped at the RP4 shelter for a break. There was a message for me saying that they had my bandana that I lost back at the Superfund climb. When I got to NY52 Bruce was there and he gave me a ride to the Mountaintop Market Deli where they let us tent behind the deli for free. I have decided to take 2 weeks off to see if my knee issue gets any better. Will take a taxi to Beacon NY to get a rental car tomorrow. Will slowly head to my cousin Sheila¢s house in Massachusetts doing trail magic along the way until I arrive there on the 6th
Date: 2015-07-01
From: NY52, Stormville, NY

To: NY52
Miles today: 0.0

Got my rental car and headed to Cornwall Bridge where I got a motel room. I had lunch and went to the trail head to see I anyone could use a ride into town where I ran into Maps and Moxie. I dropped them off at the deli then went back to my room to get a shower. Tomorrow I will get some snacks and fruit to give out at the trail head.
Date: 2015-07-03
From: NY52

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Did some magic at the Cornwall Bridge trail head in the morning then headed towards Salisbury. After giving a couple of hikers a ride into town I ran into Croc Rocket and talked with him for a while. I then went back to the trail head to sit and give out more magic. Kyle, Margaret. Shadow Fox and Teah showed up pretty late and I was able to set them up. A little later a SOBO came through and it turned out to be L-Dog who I met in 2012. It was great to see him again. I am actually staying in the car tonight here at the trail head. Hope I don¢t have any problems with the law for staying here.
Date: 2015-07-04
From: NY52

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Happy 4th of July! It has been pretty quiet as I believe most everyone is off the trail for the holiday. I picked up Ironman Bill, Just Pete and Silverback. Took them to the hostel and then into Great Bollington where they met up with some friends. Another quiet day at the trailhead. Going to head to Dalton tomorrow and see about giving out magic in that area.
Date: 2015-07-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Went to the Tryingham trail head and gave out a lot of magic. Ran into people from the day before and met new people. I then went into Dalton to get dinner where I ran into Bad Hiker. He told me that a few hikers were going to Applebee¢s for dinner with Tom Levardi who lets hikers tent in his backyard for free. Got to have dinner with Copperhead who I hadn¢t seen in a while. We watched the women¢s soccer championship. It was great to see the US win it. Tom said I could park my car at his house and sleep in it there. Will get to my cousin¢s house tomorrow.
Date: 2015-08-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

After spending a couple of weeks with my cousin Sheila and her boyfriend Don along with doing trail magic I went to Kannapolis, NC to visit my friends Dolly and Robbie. I spent two weeks there then headed to Marion, VA to get back to the trail at the Partnership Shelter. After 3 days I hiked 7 miles north to the Chatfield Shelter to see how my leg was doing and it seems to be okay. 3 days later I went back to Partnership Shelter, stayed 3 days there then 2 days in Marion. Will leave in the morning to head back to New York and the AT. I will have to see how I hold up after 6 weeks off trail. Won¢t finish but hope to get Massachusetts done if not Vermont also.