morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-07-02
From: Port Clinton

To: Port Clinton Pavilion Camp Site
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today started with best intentions. We overnighted in Hamburg PA to resupply food,  take a shower and do the laundry after two days of rainy hiking. Our plan was to hit the trail a little after 12 and get  a good five or six hours of hiking.  But... Hamburg is home to the largest Cabela's in the world and who could pass up a visit there?  A quick tour and lunch at their restaurant took us to 2 p.m. Then we got stuck at Walmart...again. It happens every time we go to Walmart. There's  everything we need there but it's always hard to get away because of the constant debate between what I need and what I'm willing to carry. Then we had to listen to Steve the Angry Shuttle Driver tell us how hates every single person in Hamburg and that he has challenged half of them to a fist fight. Steve is 72 years old but it doesn't seem to slow him down. Finally we get back to the trail in Port Clinton at about 3:30 and we notice that rain is rolling in. Then we find out about the Port Clinton Volunteer Fire Department and social club that serves really cheap beer to members and guests. Somehow we get in as guests of people we never met and drink beer while waiting for the rain to pass over. The fact that it never did rain is not germane because it's always better safe than sorry. About 8:30 we trekked backwards on the trail to a free tenting spot and called it a night. So our good intentions turned into a negative mileage day - but it was fun and we got to meet some really nice locals. Port Clinton is a little slice of Americana full of good friendly people and is the only place I've ever seen a functioning soda machine set up in someone's front yard. Tomorrow we actually plan to hike...but you never know what might happen.
Date: 2017-07-03
From: Port Clinton Pavilion Camp Site

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: few clouds

Today was a full day of sleepwalking. The trail is a little more rocky but for short sections. And we're walking the flat ridges of short mountains so there is little elevation gain or loss.We did clb up to Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle but other than that I have to say that today was pretty boring. Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and I need to find something fun to do.
Date: 2017-07-04
From: Eckville Shelter

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

The rocks earned their reputation today - big ones, small ones, pointy ones, whatever.  And it made for a long walk. Halfway through the day Chilli Dog worked out a ride to town followed by a ride back to the trail so we cold climb up to Bake Oven Knob to watch fireworks.But to make it happen we all had yo be at the trailhead at the same time. So I took off walking and did the last ten or so miles non-stop. I can do it when I have to, especially if it means dinner at McDonald's instead of some dehydrated stuff out of my food bag.We made it into town and back to the trail. The trail to the Knob was nothing but big boulders and as we a]roaches the Knob it got real dark. We climbed the last few hundred yards up the boulders with or headlamps on trying our best not to kill ourselves. At the Knob we were joined by about 50 locals and we all found a rock or a hard place to watch fireworks. We saw fireworks shows from four ot five different towns, including Allentown but the distance was so great that the fireworks were very small and hard to see. A lot of work for little gain!After the show we continued up the boulders to the shelter and it was packed so on we went in the pitch dark until we found a reasonable spot to pitch a tent.We made long miles, climbed dangerous rocks and almost got to see some fireworks - Happy 4th of July.
Date: 2017-07-05
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Mile 1263 Campsite
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

The rocks turned on us big time and my feet are in shreds. But other than that...Started the day with not too bad of a walk. I walked over the top of a mountain that covered the tunnel that has Interstate 476 running through it. Even with all the traffic the mountain top was quiet and serene.The trail di]ed down to the Lehigh River and I climbed the other side of the gap. The clmbing was very steep and near the tip it turned into slabs of rock almost vertical in places and the hike turned not a climb. Trekking poles were no help and I had to climb with both hands and feet up 100 yards and across a long tricky bolder field for another 3 or 4 hundred yards. It's one of the sections that draw curses and other evil thoughts and many hikers felt.like the climb was almost too dangerous. One slop and it would have been a trip to the hospital.As a reward we ended the day at the Blue Mountain Resort, a ski resort about half a mile off the trail. We had a beer and dinner there and walked back to the trail. Again it was late and we found ourselves clmbing a older field in the dark. And again I was questioning my judgement - clmbing in the dark with a couple of beers in me. I promised never to do it again. We'll see how long that lasts.To top things off we also walked around a superfund site - a clean up of an old zinc mining area.We also made the choice to go to the resort because water is getting scarce on the trail. PA consists of long, flat ridge walking and there are no rivers, creeks, streams or springs that cut across the ridges. And the low elevation doesn't allow a lot of water to accumulate in any one place. Already we've had two days where we walked 12 miles without water. On a hot, sweaty day that's a long way.
Date: 2017-07-06
From: Mile 1263 Campsite

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

Today was a 15 mile day with only two possible water spots. Both were dry, so over lunch our small group agreed we would have to walk the mile into Wind Gap to get our water bottles filled.It was another long rocky day and we got there at early evening. We stopped at Detzi's Tavern a long established family business run nw by three brothers.We ate and then decided not to go back to the trail because it was getting dark so we asked John Detzi if he knew of anywhere in town we could camp. He volunteered the field behind the Tavern and said naked yourself at home. After saidetting up camp we wentalked back in and brother Joe peppered us with trail questions the entire evening in between his bar tending duties.It was a great evening with new friends and great conversation with the locals. Everyone agrees that it's these kind of experiences that make the trail an incredible event. Detzi's Tavern is a piece of Americana and I was glad for the time I spent there.
Date: 2017-07-07
From: Wind Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

So I did a really stupid thing last night. When John Denzi offered the lawn behind his tavern as a place to tent we rushed out set up camp. I found a perfectly level spot next to a big old tree and got everything set up.We enjoyed the evening with Joe and made it to our tents before the rain started. It rain pretty steady all night long and when I woke up I found that my rent was pitched in the middle of a 30 by 30 pond in about three inches of water. My level spot turned out to be the low spot on the property and I was sleeping right in the middle of it. Thank goodness for well made tents with bathtub bottoms. I was able to keep everything dry but it was tricky getting everything pulled out still dry.When it came to taking down the tent all I could do was wade in and start pulling tent pegs. And all the while there was still a steady rain.Joe Detzi saved the day a bit by inviting us into the Tavern for free hot coffee and breakfast sandwiches. We sat in the dark because the place was closed and enjoyed the coffee and breakfast and more good conversation with Joe. If you're ever in Wind Gap, PA stop at Detzi's - they are some of the best people on earth!Still no water so we carried extra water to get through the last 15 miles of Pennsylvania. Rocks were still bad, a final reminder that a flat hike isn't always an easy hike. But now we're done with PA and after a well earned day off we'll be on to New Jersey.
Date: 2017-07-08
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Deer Head Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I usually don't post on zero days but yesterday was worth a quick note. We stayed at the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap and met up with some of Foggy's family.His mother, sister, aunt and cousin came to visit and brought all the fixings for a great cookout. We spent the entire day on the back veranda of the Inn and fed ourselves and another couple dozen or so through hikers. It was great fun, great food and great company. Many thanks to Foggy's family for making a very restful day happen.Later in the evening we were able to sit on the front veranda and listen to the music of the Bob Dorough quartet. Turns out that Bob Dorough is the guy who wrote many of the School House Rock songs back in the 80s (remember Conjunction Junction?). At 93 years he's still playing and he even did some of his School House Rock stuff just for fun.Only on the Appalachian Trail....!Today it's off to New Jersey and into New York within the week.
Date: 2017-07-09
From: Deer Head Inn

To: Catfish Fire Tower
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

We got a late start today, which is typical of the day after a zero day. We stayed for breakfast and that takes time and getting out of the hotel room takes more time and before you know it its noon - which is when we left today. A quick walk over the Delaware River along side Interstate 80 put us in New Jersey. Seven states down and seven to go. We're only half way through the number of states but the next four should be done in the next three weeks. Fairly easy walk today with the last several miles over big and small rocks - leftovers from Pennsylvania,  I  guess. We also crossed the 1300 mile mark today along side Sunfish Pond, a beautiful large pond nestled in the trees of New Jersey.  We ended our day camping at the base of an old fire tower with great views to the east and west. For some reason I wasn't expecting New Jersey to be as beautiful as it is. So far I've been impressed.
Date: 2017-07-10
From: Catfish Fire Tower

To: Culver Fire tower
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: few clouds

The more I see of this part of new Jersey, the more I like it.  The hills and mountains roll so there are not a lot of steep climbs and the pace is pretty good.  There are still some Pennsylvania rock remnants but they're much shorter and not nearly as prevalent.  My ankles and feet are thankful for that.We hiked today from one fire tower to another.  Fire towers are great places to camp because the land around the tower is generally flat, well manicures and the tower offers a great place to hang a bear bag.  Too bad there aren't more of them on the trail.  Yesterday's sunset, moon rise and this morning's sun rise were spectacular.My only experience with New Jersey before this trip is the part around New York City, very industril, big cities and not what I would call pretty.  This section cures me of that idea about New Jersey and I know now why they call it the Garden State.  There are many ponds and lakes along the way and it's not uncommon to walk up on a pond covered with water lillies in bloom.  New Jersey is a relatively short section of the trail but it's one that I'll remember for a while.
Date: 2017-07-11
From: Culver Fire tower

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Our group of four talked about making a big day into Unionville.  For me it would be my second longest mileage day on the trail but I was game to give it a try.  I got a bit of a late start because I slept in another hour but even leaving at 8:30 I still made the 21 miles by a little after six p.m.  That included only a brief stop for lunch and I pounded through both the morning and afternoon without any stops except to refill the water bottle.Unfortunately, only Chilli Dog and I made it.  Foggy and Barrel got hung up along the way at the High Point Lake Beach area and decided not to push into town.  I skipped the beach area and its concession stand - the problem with concession stands is that they are an easy place to get stuck for an extra hour or two.  I thought it best, for my 21 mile quest, to skip it.Slept in the town park behind the town playground.  The town provided a free tenting area with a port-a-potty and a spigot for water.  Within a block or so is a small store that has a deli and across the street is a pizza place - everything you need for a brief stop.On the way to Unionville I passed through High Point Park.  It's named High Point Park because a monument sits on top of the highest point in New Jersey.  The trail meandered within a few hundred yards of the monument, a tall stone obelisk, much like the Washington Monument.  I looked for a side trail to see if I could get close but I must have missed it.  Was able to get a picture or two to remember the event.We'll see if the group splitting up has any long term effect on our small band of four.  Chilli and I decided to push on tomorrow and hope the others can catch up.
Date: 2017-07-12
From: Unionville, NY

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Chilli and I decided to start late out of Unionville to give the other two a better chance to catch up to us.  We left about 12:30 with the goal to get to near Vernon, NJ just at the base of a place called the Staircase to Heaven.We found out about a hot dog stand that gets good reviews very near the trail in Vernon.  The stand provides good food and a water source, so we made it the goal.  Somehow, I left Chilli behind and didn't see him until the end of the day.  that's unusual because he walks much faster than I do.  The first part of the walk was flat, sunny and hot.  We had a long stretch walking around the Wallkill National Wildlife Reserve; that section ended our walk in the sun when we left the Reserve and went back into the forest.Later in the day I walked a long - about a mile - section of boardwalk through a swampy area with observation posts set up.  the birds were very active but I didn't see any other wildlife in the swamp.  The boardwalk made for fast hiking and I was right on schedule to hit the hot dog stand before it closed at 6 p.m.I got to the stand about 5:15 to see a bright white sign posting the stand's new hours - 11 to 4.  I was out of luck; and there was no apparent water source.  I was faced with walking up and over the Staircase to Heaven for another three miles to get to water, which would have meant I would be setting up the tent and cooking probably around 8 p.m.  With no water to cook dinner and no food from the hot dog stand and no will to climb to heaven I did an immediate cave and set to heck with this and started walking the 1.3 miles to a motel.  I was fortunate that someone picked me up almost immediately and within 15 minutes I was sitting in my hotel room pondering a hot shower.Chilli showed up later and texted and he was able to get to the motel to share the room with me.  He brought along Crocs (a guy with that trail name, not the brand of shoe) who was in our same situation so the three of us shared the room.  Foggy and Barrel were nowhere to be found.  Turns out they stopped short again and would try to catch us the next day.What a day!
Date: 2017-07-16
From: Greenwood Lake, NY

To: Little Dam Lake
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Chilli and I took two zero days at Greenwood Lake. The first was to let Barrel and Foggy catch up and the second to allow them a day of rest. My body is feeling tired and a little beat up so the extra day was certainly needed.We had hiked on and off with Moonbeam for the last couple of weeks and yesterday she had to leave the trail. She was on leave from work and her time was running out so she decided it was time to go. We all had a great time watching her reunite with her dog who she had not seen for four months. We're sorry to see Moonbeam go.We stayed the night at Little Dam Lake. Unlike Greenwood Lake it's not a resort town but instead an overgrown, swampy pond in the middle.of nowhere. The mosquitoes were intense so I cooked a quick dinner and climbed into the tent for the night.
Date: 2017-07-17
From: Little Dam Lake

To: West Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

The hike today was marked by the Lemon Squeezer a long, tight gap between two gigantic boulders. As you walk through the path gets tighter and tighter until you and your pack get squeezed pretty good. The guidebook recommends removing packs but I took the challenge of getting through with my pack still on. It was a struggle but I made it.After the squeezer there was an almost vertical climb up some smaller boulders but the trail provided some relief with a small sign that said Easy Way. We all took the easy way - we're tired, what did you expect?Our destination - West Mountain Shelter - was a tough 0.6 mes off the trail bit Foggy and I decided to go anyway because at night there is a view of the Manhattan sky line off to the East. We arrived just before a brief thunderstorm but after it cleared and after night fell we were not disappointed with a view of lights stretching across the horizon. I'll upload a picture, although it doesn't do justice to the scene. Earlier in the day we went a little out of our way to have lunch at a state park beach because we could get pop and ice cream out of a vending machine. Chilli and Barrel stayed a little longer than me and Foggy and we didn't see them for the rest of the day.We got  to cross the Palisades Parkway at rush hour which turned into a game of Frogger. It was a little scary because after walking for four and a half months all traffic seems to move at about 90 miles an hour (some cars probably were).I had a little bit of a serendipitous piece of luck today as I sat eating lunch at a waterfall. My mother was born in Monroe NY, a place I've never visited. I wondered whether the trail goes near Monroe, and today I found out.  I checked my phone during lunch and my weather widget said I was in Monroe. I took a screen shot and I'll share it with my siblings later.
Date: 2017-07-18
From: West Mountain Shelter

To: Graymoor Spiritual Center
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

Passed 1400 miles today and the 800 mIles to go mark. The walk also took us through Bear Mountain State Park a very busy tourist site along the trail. Even with the crowds it's worth the trip because the park has a concession stand. I had two Nathan's All Beef hotdogs, chips and a Pepsi. Much better than the tuna fish or peanut butter sandwich I would have had.The Park is also the site of the AT zoo. The zoo is a rehab facility for local animals but includes some that are too damaged to be returned to the wild.  We saw a three legged fox, a good example of a permanent zoo resident. After leaving the park we immediately crossed the Hudson River and keptoving north.We stayed that night at Graymoor Spiritual Center, a retirement facility for Franciscan friars and sisters.  The grounds included two cemeteries - one for the friars and one for the nuns and many memorials. It also includes a large recreational area that the Center allows hikers to use for tenting.The guidebook said showers are available and indeed there was a shower. Cold water only which made for an invigorating chance  to clean up a bit.Later that night Barrel and Foggy caught up to us so our gang of four was together again.The day was marked by the steady sounds of explosions in the morning and a lot of gunfire in the afternoon. Turns out we were hiking near West Point and there must have been some training going on.  We also saw a stream of official looking helicopters all day - not the green military ones but blue and white ones that flew very fast. We must have been walking along the path of an air taxi service. So much for the sense of hiking in the wilderness. Most of the day was spent within an area about 40 miles from New York City so I guess it's to be expected
Date: 2017-07-19
From: Graymoor Spiritual Center

To: Fahnestock State Park
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: few clouds

Fahnestock State Park was a mere 0.2 miles off the trail and offered free tenting to through hikers and a grill at the park beach. It was a no-brainer!Turns.out the lake was having an algae bloom so the beach was shut down and the grill closed down early.  Foggy and Chilli walked faster than me and got to the grill in time. Lucky for me Chilli bought me a cheese burger so I got something to eat. We met a team of four young people tenting at the park, using it as a base camp for their work. The four worked for the state of New York  and we're in the middle of doing a census of invasive species in several NY state parks. We enjoyed the evening with a few beers and heard their stories about the work they were doing to identify and sometimes remove the invasive species. We were still tenting in the woods but it was a nice break from our usual routine. And they shared their dinner with us!  The next morning Tyler gave us a ride back to the trail which saved a long walk and many minutes.
Date: 2017-07-20
From: Fahnestock State Park

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was just a long walk with not a lot of interesting stuff along the way.We crossed Shenandoah Mountain  which is noteworthy because it has an unofficial monument to 9-11 on top. Years ago someone painted an American flag at the peak, including a slogan that has worn away and is now unreadable.  The flag is very faded and will likely be unrecognizable in a few years.We also crossed paths with a deli and.I enjoyed a large sub sandwich, half.I ate for lunch and half I packed put for dinner.Got to the shelter just as a thunderstorm hit but got set up in time. I enjoyed my sandwich and some other snacks in my tent and waited out the rain.We're in a section now where water is supplied at the shelters by pumps. The water still has to be treated but we know it will be abindant, which means we won't have to carry it from another spot for a while.Walled by the RPH shelter, seemingly the nicest shelter on the trail. It loops like a small house and is clean and spacious inside. Has a front and back door and even has large posts in the ground next to it the hammockers. Didn't stay there but I would certainly would have stayed there if the timing was right.
Date: 2017-07-21
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

Hit another deli along the way, same routine,  half a sub for lunch and half for dinner.  An entry in a log book made mention of this area's many near trail delis and referred to it as deli blazing, an apt description of planning your hike based on access to the delis.On top of the Deli we had trail magic early. I sat at the base of.the largest tree on the trail, another AT landmark, and had a banana, crunchy Cheetohs, Gatorade and a Coke before moving on. It's simply not possible to eat too much on the trail.Right before the Deli I crossed the great OkeeNewYorkee swamp on a long boardwalk (I made the name up if you hadn't figured that out). Along the Boardwalk were two Adirondack chairs. The one to the north was labeled Maine, the one to the south, Georgia. It seems there are reminders all along the way.Right after the swamp I crossed the Appalachian Trail railroad station. If only I knew I could have taken the train!!!After the Deli I started up the mountain bMIy myself, passed what I called the Weasley house and later an ent (hobbit reference ) that looked like it came out of a Tim Burton movie. Made it to the shelter around six, enjoyed the other half of my sub,chatted a bit with other hikers and went to bed on time.  The others in my group were nowhere to be found. At about midnight they showed up.