morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-12
To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 15.7

During the night I noticed that the water in the toilet bowl was a dark brown color. I turned on the faucet and the water has the same dark color. Friday night was a big night for the bar and two young men came rented a room next to me. I surmised that there was excessive water consumption and the source was at the bottom, I assumed a holding tank. Fortunately, I had filled my camel back and bottles earlier in the evening. We woke up early, ate another hearty breakfast and were ready for our shuttle. I asked Ken about the water and he confirmed my suspicion, the spring was a slow source and the water always turns brown when the holding tank is low. He said the water was safe to drink but it looked awful. Ken dropped us at Lehigh Gap and this time we climbed the north side out of the gap. It was very steep, Gerda elected to take the winter bypass trail and avoid the steep ascent. Allison and I took our time and successfully climbed it without too much trouble. Gerda was waiting for us at the top. At this time, I became aware that Gerda had filled her water bladder that morning and had the bad water. Every time she drank it she vomited. I made her empty her container and Allison and I shared with her. The problem was that the next water source was at the shelter almost 16 miles away. The hike at the top was pitiful, it was through the Palmerton Superfund Site. All the trees and vegetation had been killed by a release of Zinc and Lead products from a nearby factory. The site was slowing being reclaimed. I was surprised to see numerous Aspen trees in the area and I assume they liked the acidic soil. There were patches of tall grass otherwise nothing. The sun was bearing down on us and that was not good with our limited water. The trail continued to be rocky but by late afternoon we arrived at Leroy Smith Shelter. I was absolutely out of water and the ladies also. The first thing that we did was go to the water source, and thankfully, it was clean with a good flow. We drank a liter and filled our containers. We ate dinner and planned an early bedtime when a young man came into the shelter. He stared in South Florida thus hiked all of FL and AL and took the Pinhoti Trail to Springer Mtn. We were in awe. He was averaging 30 miles per day. I gave him extra food and he was appreciative.
Date: 2012-05-13
To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Mothers Day! We packed up and were on the trail early for a 13.8 mile hike to Kirkridge Shelter. The first thing that I did was call my wife to wish her a Happy Mothers Day. This is a bitter sweet day for us. Our oldest daughter died at age 16 so naturally there is some remorse that she is not still with us and the natural "What If' questions if she were still living. I am sorry that I am not home to comfort Kay. We have one living daughter and two grandchildren and they are a true blessing. They are the ones who gave me the name "papadoc". It was along day. The trail was miserable. For miles we hiked on a rocky trail filled with sharp rocks that dug into the bottoms of our boots. One had to constantly watch the ground to find a spot to plant our feet & always on a rock. If you looked up, then you would risk tripping and falling or twisting your ankle. It was tiresome. We arrived at Kirkridge Shelter at 3:30. It was a large shelter, relatively new and clean. The water source was a faucet behind the shelter. Rain is in the forecast but it was dry today. Tomorrow we go into Delaware Gap to stay at a hostel and plan to take a zero day on Tuesday.
Date: 2012-05-14
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Church of the Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Kirkridge Shelter was a good stop. It rained most of the night and we were dry and comfortable in this new and clean shelter. I did have a spider or some type of large insect crawl on my face last night but I quickly brushed it off. It was also nice to get water from the faucet and not to have to treat it. We were on the trail early excited about arriving at the Hostel in Delaware Gap. We plan a zero day on Tuesday and look forward to rest and plenty of good food. It was a short hike today and the trail was not bad, a few rocks but easy compared to the last few days. We passed Eureka Stream with a small but nonetheless beautiful water fall. There was a steep descent down to Delaware Gap but overall it was a nice walk through the woods today. We found the Hostel without too much difficulty and found only one person present and he appeared to be a homeless man posing as a hiker. Several more hikers came in shortly and we ended up with 7 which was a full house. The Hostel was nice but had a strong musty smell which I think was coming from the carpet. The shower was separate from the bath room and was great-plenty of hot water and they furnished towels. The minister dropped by and was friendly. He took the homeless man out, bought him food and a few supplies. He stated he was leaving in the afternoon but changed his mind because of the weather. We ate dinner at the Sycamore Grill and it was delicious. I had a tasty salad and pork tenderloin. We went back to the hostel visited with the other hikers and them went to sleep.
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Church of the Mountain Hostel

To: Church of the Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I slept ok last night. With 7 people in a close confined space, one is aware of the slightest movement- I am a light sleeper. We ate a hearty breakfast at the local diner. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, hash brown potatoes and toast with a good cup of coffee. Our plans were for a day of leisure. First, we went to the library and were able to get on a computer to send and receive a few emails. Afterward, we took a local tour on a trolley which was fun but also informative about the area both historical and physical. Not much activity today.
Date: 2012-05-16
From: Church of the Mountain Hostel

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.7

we woke at 5:30 in order to get an early start. We elected to cook at the Hostel in order to save time. Crossing the Delaware Bridge was scary, being only 2-3 feet from the I-80 traffic was an eye opener. There was a small concrete barrier between us and the traffic but the trucks appeared to be on top of us. The Kitatinny Visitors Center was closed so we moved on down the road to the trail. There was a 1200 foot climb over 3 to 4 miles, so not too bad. The trail was good early but soon became rocky but NJ is not quite as bad as PA. Sunfish Pond was just as beautiful as advertised, although we did not see any fish. The trail around the pond was rough but soon became more hiker friendly. We arrived at the Mohican Outdoor Center at 1pm and checked in. The deli was open so we had a sandwich before going to our rooms. The Black Oak Lodge was assigned to us. It was a large dorm like building with about 14 rooms with double bunk beds, It had a large well equipped kitchen, a large lounge and 3 bathrooms. I stayed on one wing with my own bath and the ladies stayed on the other side. Allison washed her clothes, no laundry, and was hanging them out on the back porch to dry. I heard a loud scream and ran to Allison. Two large Black Snakes about 6 feet long had entered the hall and she was trapped. We encouraged her to get into a nearby room and Gerda and I used brooms to sweep and herd the snakes out the back door. Needless to say, Allison did not prop the door open again. Another hiker, Bomber, came in and stayed in a room close to me. He was nice and we enjoyed talking with him. We cooked our dinner at the lodge, no restaurants are close, but were able to use the kitchen stove and utensils. A hot shower, good food and a comfortable bed means a good nights sleep. We have a slack pack scheduled for tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-17
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 17.6

I had a great night, woke refreshed and ready to hike. I had pre arranged a shuttle with Mike Dalton to take us to US 206 and we would slack pack south back to the MOC. Mike was a delightful person and we enjoyed our conversation with him. He dropped us off at US 206 at a Bagel Shop, of course, we had to take time for a snack. The hike back to the cabin was 18 miles and even with our light packs, it was very tiresome. It was interesting to note the closer we got to the cabin the rocks became more of a nuisance. We arrived at the cabin at 5:30, took our showers and prepared dinner. My feet are sore with numerous blisters from the rocks but overall I am holding up well. Mike will pick us up early in the morning and take us back to US 206 to continue our trek north.
Date: 2012-05-18
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: High Point Country Inn
Miles today: 14.3

We had another great night at the Mohican Outdoor Center. I highly recommend stopping at this cabin. After a wonderful night of sleeping we packed up for our shuttle. Our packs were heavy after our resupply. Mike was on time promptly at 7am & shuttled us back to US 206. We saw a bear beside the road during our shuttle. Fortunately, we were in the car. Mike let us out at the same Bagel Shop. I had an egg and ham bagel. I did not realize that he had cut the sandwich in half, immediately half of it fell on the floor. I was sick, at least I ate the good half with a hot cup of coffee. The trail was across the street and we were on our way. Yes, immediately we ran into rocks-it is frustrating. I have always heard and read about the Rocks in this area and they are for real! The Culver Fire Tower was adjacent to the trail but we did not climb it. At the top of Sunrise Mtn was a huge pavilion with benches and panoramic views that were outstanding. We took a short break to enjoy the serenity. Finally, we got back to the trail and continued to our destination an Inn at NJ 23. We passed several shelters one with no water source and arrived at the High Point Visitors Center on NJ 23. We called the High Point Country Inn and soon our shuttle arrived to pick us up. The rooms were just ok. We had pizza delivered and it was good. The ladies wanted to do another slack pack the following day so I made the arrangements. Life can be good.
Date: 2012-05-19
From: High Point Country Inn

To: High Point Country Inn
Miles today: 14.1

Despite the room not being great, I did sleep good last night Ron, the manager, agreed to shuttle us to Liberty Corners Rd for us to slack pack south to the Inn. The first portion was hiking through a huge field called the Walkill Reserve. We passed the Walkill River and across Lott Road which led to Unionville. There were a number of roads and streams and soon we descended down to the High Point Visitors Center. But, first we stopped at a wooden platform that overlooked the High Point Monument which is the high point in NJ. Ron picked us up at the visitors center and carried us back to the Inn for another quit evening. The slack pack was 14.1 miles and was nice.
Date: 2012-05-20
From: High Point Country Inn

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

As promised, Ron shuttled us back to Liberty Corner Road to begin hiking north again with our usual full packs. First was a steep climb up Pochuck Mtn. It was tough, but the trail on the crest was easy walking for 7 to 8 miles. We stopped at Heaven Hill Farm on NJ 94 for lunch. We were disappointed, there was really not any food, only ice cream and cokes. We did eat the cream and took a break, there were a lot of people at and around the farm. After the break was a 1000 foot ascent up the side of the Mtn. There was no cover from the hot sun and we were being scorched. Finally, we arrived at the crest and cover of trees which helped. Several people told us that there was a large Copperhead Snake at the top of the trail but we never saw it. The remainder of the trail was pleasant. We arrived at Wawayanda Shelter late in the afternoon and were the only hikers present at that time. Tomorrow we will enter into NY and will stay at Anton's on the Lake followed by a zero day. Only one more week left for this section
Date: 2012-05-21
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Anton's on the Lake
Miles today: 15.8

The Wawayanda shelter was nice. Two men came in about dinner time. One was a Psychiatrist, he used his hammock. The other stayed with us in the shelter. We had a pleasant visit with them. Unfortunately, the gentleman in the shelter was a heavy snorer and at 11pm I left the shelter and with the aid of my headlamp pitched my tent. It was a wise move and I slept well. Today our destination will be Anton's on the Lake and we will enter another state, NY. It will be about a 16 mile hike in the rain. I did see a large Black Bear cross the trail 30 yards in front of me. He ignored me and was in a hurry to clear the area. With the rain coming down hard, I had my camera packed thus no pictures. The rain was steady all day and I could feel the rain water sloshing around in my boots. Nine miles into the hike we carefully climbed Prospect Rock, not easy in the rain, and had a good view of Greenwood Lake which was our destination. We passed the NJ/NY state line and continued towards highway 17A . It was tedious to climb the various boulders and rock outcroppings with their surfaces being very slippery. At last we arrived at 17A and called Mack, manager of Anton's, for our pick up. He was busy and sent a taxi which was fine. We did not want to stand in the rain for a prolonged period of time. Without activity, we started to quickly become chilled. The taxi arrived and we regretted climbing into his clean vehicle with our soaked, dirty clothes, boots and packs. We gave him a generous tip to clean his car for the mess we made. Mack was not at the Motel but left us a note and had our rooms unlocked. It was nice to get out of the wet clothes, take a hot shower and put on dry clothes. Soon we went up the street to Murphy's Tavern for a late lunch and beer. The ladies wanted to browse around the small town but my feet were so blistered I decided to go back to my room and rest them. Later, Allison and Gerda arrived with wine, cheese and some other goodies, so we decided to skip dinner, since we had a late lunch, and enjoy the party atmosphere looking outside the windows and watching the rain fall on the lake. A Peaceful scene.
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Anton's on the Lake

To: Anton's on the Lake
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is a planned slack pack and tomorrow will be a zero day, thus we shall have three nights at Anton's. Mack shuttled us to Arden Road and we plan to hike south to 17A and he would pick us up again. It was raining today but not as heavy as yesterday. After a short distance we climbed Arden Mtn with numerous PUDS( Pointless Ups and Downs) before and after. There were several areas that it was best to scoot down the rocks on our buts, we could not find adequate footing. The first 3 miles took us 2 hours to traverse. However we continued to persevere. At Lake Road a mutiny occurred! The ladies decided to call Mack for a pick up and go back to the motel for a shower and to enjoy the wine and cheese they had purchased the previous day. I was invited to go with them but being macho I decided to continue the hike. It was 5 more miles to the pick up at 17A. I crossed Cat Rocks, I almost was not able to climb up to the ridge-it was like ice. Shortly after the Cat Rocks was Eastern Pinnacles. I had the same difficulty in climbing to the ridge in the wet slippery conditions. I read later there was a bypass trail west of the rocks but I did not see it and was not looking at the guide book because of the rain. At one point I slipped and slid 5 feet face down. The next two miles were beautiful, easy walking and pleasant. I called Mack and he picked me up at 17A. I was back at my room at 3:30,cleaned up and we went to Murphy's Tavern for dinner. I had a steak and salad which was tasty. After dinner, I packed a box with my cold weather gear to send home.
Date: 2012-05-23
From: Anton's on the Lake

To: Anton's on the Lake
Miles today: 0.0

Today will be a zero day to let our bodies rest and simply lie around. We elected to eat a trail breakfast in our rooms. At 10am we went to the library to check our emails and to send a few. Lunch was at the local caf©, I had a cheese and bacon sandwich which was wonderful. After lunch the ladies went back to the library and I returned to my room. It was cloudy but no rain today. I stopped at the bakery but it was not open, a big disappointment. I listened to an audio tape on my iPod for several hours. We went back to Murphy's Tavern for dinner. Overall, a placid day but that is good.
Date: 2012-05-24
From: Anton's on the Lake

To: West Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 8.0

After three nights at Anton's it was time to move on up the trail. Mack agreed to shuttle us back to Lake Road, we waited and finally, I went to his room and woke him up. It will be a short hike today, about 8 miles to West Mtn Shelter. Initially the trail was easy with a gentle climb. We stopped for a break at William Brien Shelter for a break. It was an old shelter, built in 1933 and was in terrible shape. The floor was rotten, dirty with trash both in around the shelter. We were glad that we were not spending the night here but it gave us concern about the condition of West Mtn Shelter. There was a steep climb up Black Mtn and on a good day one can see the New York City sky line. Of course, it was raining-not heavy but enough to negate any views. Soon we approached the Palisades Parkway which is a busy four line highway that feeds into NYC. The early am and late pm traffic is primarily commuters from the city and they warn it is difficult and dangerous to cross at those times. We crossed mid day and had no problem. The guide book warns re possible water shortage at the shelter so we filled up our containers at Beechy Bottom Brook and carried it the last mile. The blue blaze to the shelter was 0.6 miles and there were several small steams with good flow but we did not know at the time. West Mtn Shelter was built in 1928 and looked like it. Our fears were confirmed. The walls were ok but it had several leaks in the roof and two huge holes in the floor which previous hikers had tried to fill with rocks. The AT Companion warned that in the recent past, a Rattlesnake had been living in the shelter and to be careful. He could easily be under the floor. Needless to say, we set up our tents. We all have TarpTents made by Henry Shire. Mine is the Notch and I like it. I previously used a single Huba Tent. The Notch weighs 26 ounces and has been fine with all the raining that we have received. We had an early dinner, for convenience I eat Mtn House Meals, and went to bed early; and yes it was raining.
Date: 2012-05-25
From: West Mtn Shelter

To: Greymoore Spiritual Center
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

It rained most of the night but I was comfortable in my tent and slept well. We were up early and on the trail shortly after 7am. It will be a 13 mile hike to Greymoore Spiritual Center. The weather was lousy, misty ,windy and extreme fog. The trail led up to the summit of West Mtn, no views. After a short descent we climbed Bear Mtn. Normally the trail goes to the summit but there was a blue blaze for bad weather. The ladies did not relish any more rock and boulder climbing in the rain so we decided to take the blue blaze bypass. The fog was so bad there would not have been any views. I think there were 1000 steps down to the Bear Mtn Recreation Area. We are indebted to all the volunteers who built the steps. The picnic area overlooked Hessian Lake so we took a long break for snacks. It was 10 am, lunch was not available at Bear Mtn Inn till 12 noon, besides we were nasty from the rain and mud, so we skipped it. The crossing of the Hudson River on Bear Mtn Bridge was nice. Such a historical area; West Point Academy is only a few miles away and the famous Sing Sing Prison was a few miles "up the river". After crossing the river we climbed Anthony's Nose on a good trail, passed Hemlock Springs Campsite. The deli at Appalachian Market was immediately off the trail. I had a Gatorade and Banana Nut Bread for a snack. I purchased a Honey Turkey sandwich for dinner. We arrived at the ballpark and pavilion of Greymoore at 2pm. Shortly prior to the Greymoore Center there was a boardwalk. I went 5 to 6 feet and hit a slippery spot and took a hard fall. My pack saved me from significant injury but I broke both of my hiking poles. This was a concern for two reasons, I depended on the poles to help me hike and they also were the poles that I have to use for my Tarptent. I used duck tape and was able to make them sturdy enough to support the tent, otherwise I would have been in trouble. The pavilion was nice, clean and had electric lights. We had a leisure dinner and retired early No rain today.
Date: 2012-05-26
From: Greymoore Spiritual Center

To: Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

All was well last night at Greymoore. We ate breakfast and was on the trail early for a 13 mile hike to Fahnestock State Park. No rain last night or this morning but it will be a hot day. The terrain was fairly flat so we did not expect any problems. We took a break at Old Albany Post Road by a beautifully landscaped home. I did not feel well and needed the break. I was concerned re indigestion or some type of discomfort in my chest. I was also having a few irregular heart beats. It was hot and I am prone to dehydration so I tried to keep hydrated. I sweat more than most folks. We continued our hike towards the park. I was ok but knew that something was nor quite right with my body. We took a break on a dirt road about one mile from the park. I sat on a rock to drink water. I felt unusually tired. A moment later Gerda and Allison were calling my name, I had fallen off the rock and was on the ground. Gerda had been watching me and thought that I dozed off to sleep and fell but Allison thought I had passed out. I woke quickly and was alert and aware of my surroundings immediately. As fortune would have it, a young man in a jeep drove up the dirt road and inquired re my status He offered and we accepted a ride to the state park. At the office I purchase a liter of Gatorade and drank it and felt much better. We asked for a tent site but because of Memorial Day weekend they were absolutely sold out and nothing was available. The option to keep hiking was not feasible till my status was clarified. The ranger suggested a motel a few miles down the road and that was the only and probably best option. He called a cab and we went to the motel and checked in. By this time I was feeling normal. I may have had an arrhythmia of my heart or it could have been dehydration. I took a nap and we ate dinner across the street and were going to make a decision re continuing the hike later that evening.I had a similar episode at home last year while doing a strenuous hike on a hot day. I sat on a rock, I did not fall but woke up lying on my back. I did not know how long that I was out. My urine was very dark and scanty suggesting dehydration. I was evaluated extensively by my cardiologist with a Thallium Stress Test and was fine. I will go in for a follow up when I get home.
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Clarence Fahnestock State Park

To: Cold Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We made a decision last night not to continue hiking. Allison and Gerda were adamant that we should stop and I reluctantly agreed that it was the most prudent option. The town of Cold Town was close to the motel so we called a taxi and spent the day touring the community. It was located on the Hudson River and was beautiful plus we were able to eat good food frequently. Another night at the motel and then we would make arrangements to go to the B&B in Pawling where we had reservation. We were only one day short of our intended itinerary so that's is not too bad.