morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-14
From: Newark DE

To: Crater Lake NJ
Miles today: 5.0

My Dad came to hike with me for 2 days. We parked Dad's car at Delaware Water Gap and got a taxi to the trail in NJ. From there we would hike south back to DWG. I told the cab company I would give the driver directions. We got a little lost, which made me a little anxious but the cab driver was freaking out being so far out in the boonies. We stopped to ask this guy working in his yard and he said we could go thru his property and bushwhack 2 miles up the mountain to the AT. So we got out there and started up. I stopped at a crest to wait for my Dad and he never showed up. I yelled and blew my whistle. I figured the only reason he wouldn't answer was that he wasn't conscious. So I retraced our steps, yelling and blowing my whistle, until I got to the house. The woman there, Judy, let me use her phone to call 911. They put me in touch with the rangers who found my dad on the AT. Thanks for your help rangers and Judy!We met up near the Brink Road Shelter and went there to have lunch. By this time it was 1530 and we were 7 miles north of where we expected to be. So now we were looking at a 3 day trip. However we wanted to get some miles in so the next day wouldn't be so long. So, we went until it started getting dark and camped near Crater Lake, which was really pretty. We had a bullfrog serenading us all night.
Date: 2007-06-15
From: Crater Lake NJ

To: Mohican Outdoor Center NJ
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We had a very pleasant day of hiking. There were blueberry bushes with fresh berries. We went up the Catfish Fire Tower and got a 360 view. There were some buildings but a lot of untouchedareas. It was hard to believe we were in the most densely populated state.We got to the Mohican Outdoor Center and rented a cabin and got huge sandwiches. I was worried because I only brought 2 days of food but I found the answer for dinner in the hiker's box - easy mac and cheese. Then we got some peanut butter crackers for breakfast. All I had for lunch was pepperoni so I got cheese sandwiches that I could add pepperoni to. It kind of blew the minds of the guys at the lodge - the first guy kept asking "so all you want is cheese and bread" then the next guy kept asking him the same thing, and so on. That night we had a whippoorwill going on outside the cabin - very maddening.
Date: 2007-06-16
From: Mohican Outdoor Center NJ

To: Newton NJ
Miles today: 10.5

Today started out very pleasant but got a little hot by the time we reached Sunfish Pond, which is a glacial pond created by the last ice age. A few miles later, we heard rumbling but couldn't believe it was thunder - it was breezy, low humidity, clear skies. Slowly everything changed and we started to believe it was thunder. It poured for about 30 minutes. Then eventually it was sunny again. We were trying to find the AT from a parking lot and then it started to get ominous again. We went to the DWG visitor center and they were hearing from another part of the park that there was 35 mph winds and hail, so we decided to stay put for a while. I was looking around and they had the previous edition of the NJ and NY maps. It turns out it was the visitor center's opening day. The old center was damaged in flooding in 2005 and had been closed for a year and a half. So these must have been hanging around from then - but I grabbed them up. The rain stopped and we walked along I-80 into DWG, where we had left Dad's car 2 days ago. I had reserved a hotel room in Newton NJ near where I am getting back on the trail so I would have a place where faxes could be sent to me. Dad and I had a yummy dinner at the Italian restaurant next door - I had shrimp and asparagas risotto. Tomorrow it's back to hiking alone and heading north again.
Date: 2007-06-17
From: Newton NJ

To: Rutherford Shelter NJ
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

My Dad and I went to Dunkin Donuts for Father's Day breakfast and then he dropped me off at the trail near Brink Shelter. The morning went thru some really woodsy wood- I'm sure there's a more ecological term but there were really tall trees with a dirt path and not much on the forest floor. After almost 4 miles I came to a road and there was a deli, Joe to Go, right next to the trail. I guess this is the beginning of what is called the deli-to-deli section of the hike. Wish I did not have such a full food bag. I did have a Mountain Dew and ice cream bar while sitting outside in the shade. I glanced at the headlines of the Sunday paper and there was a story on gypsy moth caterpillars. It turns out there is a word for caterpillar poop - frass. I've been hearing this constant sound for a few weeks but today when I heard it I could say to myself "I hear frass dropping." The day started getting really hot. I stopped at the Gren Anderson shelter for some shade and read about a bunch of bear encounters. There was one where the hiker said he had to fend off a bear with a trekking pole and the bear snapped it like a toothpick. Sounded made up, but with that and the story, also in the Sunday paper, about a dog killed by a bear, I was making a ton of noise while hiking so I wouldn't startle a bear. Butterflies have shown interest in my bright floral gaiters, but today I had a hummingbird fluttering around my ankles while sitting at the pavilion on Sunrise Mountain. I met Trashbag and Rodeo Clown who said they were slackpacking basically all of NJ. They would drive to spot and hike south and during the day trade keys with a couple doing the same thing hiking north. I met the other couple later but forget their names. The last 9 miles of today had no water sources. In the afternoon, there were more rocks with scrubby underbrush. I heard this wierd POINK! sound, and my first thought was "Is someone playing a gameboy in the bushes?" But it was the clucking from a flock of turkeys. I met the ridge runner at the shelter before this one and he warned me that this shelter was a little funky but it was too late for me to go to the one beyond this. Also I don't think I would have had the energy - the heat took it out of me. This shelter is really low to the ground but the space between the floor and the ground is inhabited by wasps. It is near Lake Rutherford but faces a field with shoulder high weeds. The main thing it has going for it is the impressive frog serenade from the lake.
Date: 2007-06-18
From: Rutherord Shelter NJ

To: Secret Shelter NJ
Miles today: 9.6

I planned to take it easy today. First I went to Lake Marcia in High Point State Park. I had breakfast at the picnic tables and took a shower in the bathhouse. While I was waiting for them to open the bathhouse, I saw a great blue heron in the lake. I then just slogged along till I got here. The ranger said the rocks would disappear after High Point and today there were pastures and dirt paths. This guy built a cabin on his property for thru-hikers to use - has running water, heat and electricity. I took a nap in the loft - with an electric fan! My nap was interrupted several times by the donkeys braying - it was very alarming the 1st couple of times. I was thinking about pushing on after the heat of the day passed, but couldn't quite leave. I've been wiped out by the heat which also kills my appetite. I made dinner last night but could only eat a few bites and I can't eat during the day at all. Tonite I ate a huge dinner and hopefully with that and the restful day today I'll have more energy tomorrow. Johnny Mud stopped by for a shower but had to get to town because he was out of food. A humming bird came by while I was typing this and checked out my red food bag and my wine-colored bandanna that was hanging on the line - guess they really are attracted to the color red. Had a really awesome shower (2nd of the day), rinsed out clothes, and applied all my goo - desitin for the heat rash, ivarest for the poison ivy, neosporin for the scratches and scrapes, and arnica gel for the swollen feet. Hope the donkeys dont bray all nite - they do have to sleep sometime, right?
Date: 2007-06-19
From: Secret Shelter NJ

To: Wawayanda Shelter NJ
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: haze

I wanted to start at 5 today but didn't get going until 0545. There was a lot of swampland with boardwalks today. Also the trail went thru a wildlife refuge that was a marsh. Several white swans were there. There were holes in the path - I couldn't figure out who made them. Then when I saw turtles in them I figured it must have been the turtles. In the woods later, there were blackberries on the ground and I looked up and found the tree they grew in - yummy! I thought blackberries grew on vines like raspberries but I found then in a tree. I went up Pochuck Mountain well prepared with water - but there was a cooler the trail angels had set up with water and other goodies. Big news - saw my second bear! He was right in the path and didn't notice me until I yelled and did the trying look big thing. He did run away but he had to think about it for a second. Also I did the no-no of making eye contact - but I mainly was trying to see what he would do. I made it to my decision point on Rte 94 - stay in Vernon at the hostel or push on. I went to the Heaven Hill farm market in view of the trail and got a tomato pie, a couple of tomatoes, and a root beer float. I rested in the shade a while and decided to go on. Ugh - up 1000 feet in 93 degree heat. It took me an hour and a half. Then 5.5 miles to the shelter. It was starting to look stormy but so far so good. There are 9 other hikers - so nice to have company. Dad - remember those 2 guys we met who saw a bear who was reluctant to move out of the way? They re here. Only 4 more miles in New Jersey!
Date: 2007-06-20
From: Wanayanda Shelter NJ

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

The mosquitos were bad last night so only Grasshoper and I were in the shelter. Thunderstorm hit shortly after dark - it was raining ridiculously hard. It was still rainy this morning but cleared up and turned into a beautiful day. I thought this would be an easy day based on the elevation profile - no big ups and downs. However, there were some significant you have to be kidding me sections of sheer rock faces and break-your-neck scrambles. But although I weaved on the NJ/NY border yesterday, I left NJ for good today. There was a wooden ladder that had been put up to get up a rock face. I've been listening to The Places in Between, a memoir of Rory Stewart's walk thru Afganistan in 2002 (3 months after 9/11). Read by the author - really absorbing. I had to do an extra 3.2 mile round trip to pick up a mail drop in Bellvale, NY. The PO was a corner of the general store - very cute. They were all really nice there - I got a tuna sandwich and an iced coffee. The walk back to the trail was all up hill but made easier by 2 spots with blackberry trees and the Bellvale Farms Creamery where I had ice cream. I met Stand By Me and Partner who were slack packing. I'm in the shelter with the 2 brothers from Massachussetts. Not sure about tomorrow - the weather should be nice but the next 2 shelters at 15 and 20 miles have no water. Also it has been a week since I did laundry so I'm debating a few options.
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Wildcat Shelter NY

To: ETA Camp
Miles today: 9.9

I didn't sleep well at all last nite. I think it was a combination of the iced coffee and the coffee ice cream that had espresso beans in it. The hike was harder than I expected, although if I had read more carefully I would have noticed that it said Agony Grind in parentheses next to Arden Mountain. There was a lot of having to find handholds and toe holds and throwing my trekking poles either above or below me. I finished The Places in Between and started The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay. It takes place in the early 19th century - the beginning is in London but I think the main characters get sent to Australia as criminals.As far as my destination, there is a camp (called Education Through Adventure leadership camp) that will pick up hikers so that's what I did. The camp is at Upper Twin Lake. I started to set up my tent and decided to spring for a cabin. Later there was a thunderstorm so I was glad I did. I made 2 dinners to cut down on weight and to keep my energy up. Also awesome hot shower.
Date: 2007-06-22
From: ETA Camp

To: ETA Camp
Miles today: 0.0

I got up at 0530 and was starting to get packed up. I met Numbers outside the bathroom and he said he and Butterfly Mama had slackpacked to Bear Mountain the day before. So I started thinking about slack packing south from there for the day. Over breakfast, we arranged a shuttle into town for laundry. That was a big relief because it doesn¢t look like I¢ll have laundry opportunities until Connecticut and that would be too long. Once at the laundromat, I started thinking of a zero day. One of my gaiters got stuck in the dryer and I had to cut off the hook to retrieve it so I had to sew it back on. I went to Walmart and got a few things including a Stuart Woods book - $6.97. When we got back, I put on all of my now clean clothes because although it was sunny, it was windy. Shortly after, Numbers and Butterfly Mama decided to zero as well. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading - I read 2 pages and then fell asleep. (Lei Lani - you know what I mean). Tomorrow I plan to slack pack south from Bear Mountain.
Date: 2007-06-23
From: ETA Camp

To: ETA Camp
Miles today: 18.2

I got dropped off with Numbers and Butterfly Mama to Bear Mountain Inn. They went north; I went south. I was slack packing (no camping stuff - just stuff for the day). It was much less strenuous but I was surprised that I really didn¢t go any faster. There was alot of up and down ¢ Four mountains - Bear, Goshen, Black and Surebridge. Of course, the AT had to go over every hillock and down into every gully in between. I ran across a trail maintenance crew putting in new stone steps up Bear Mountain. There is major relocations planned but it seems that they have let the regular blazing go until that¢s done. In the section between West Mountain shelter and the last 3 miles of the day I spent about 10 minutes of every hour trying to find a darn white blaze. Two miles before I ended there was a spot called the Lemon Squeezer. Numbers said it was hard to get thru and he started to feel claustrophobic. When I got there I was disappointed - for someone my size without a full pack. It was no obstacle - just an archway I didn¢t even have to duck for. The big challenge was crossing Palisades Parkway - a 4 lane highway with crazed NYC drivers out to the country for the weekend. At about the last mile I saw a young guy coming up the hill with a case of beer in bottles on his shoulder. He had sat down to rest when I came up to him. He asked me if I had seen his friends (with what I¢m guessing was a Russian accent). I had seen a bunch of tents near island pond. But that took me about an hour to walk from and it was getting close to sun down. I figure though that since he had the beer his friends would make sure he got there safely. I got back to the camp and Sal made me dinner - hot dogs, beans, macaroni salad. Then a hot shower and I was ready for bed.
Date: 2007-06-24
From: ETA Camp

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: clear sky

Leo, the guy that¢s been shuttling the hikers, has his graduation today, so they weren¢t sure how they were going to get me back to the trail. So I figured it would be a low mile day. Also, I had heard about this place and kind of wanted to stay here. So I sat in the sun at the camp desperately trying to finish my hardback book. I still hadn¢t finished by the time they dropped me off at Bear Mountain Inn, so I sat on a bench by Hessian lake until I finished. Then I went to the food court (the AT actually goes to the food court - I wonder who got the kickback for that) and got a burger and a coke. I felt totally unbalanced with a full pack. I¢m not sure if I would slack pack again just for that reason. The Franciscan monastery lets hikers stay at their ball park. They had a welcoming sign and the blue blazed trail to the field was copiously blazed. If the AT could only be so well blazed. There is a covered pavilion, a sink, picnic tables, Porta-potties, a clothesline and a shower. Really you couldn¢t ask for anything more (except the shower has no hot water and I¢m not that brave.) I¢m here with Johnny Mud, his wife who is joining him for a week, Iceman, and a couple from San Francisco area that are doing a 2 week section.
Date: 2007-06-25
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

To: Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Miles today: 11.9

Last night I set up my sleeping bag on one of the picnic tables much to the amusement of the other hikers, who set up there tents. It was a little buggy, but I didn¢t have all the condensation they had from setting up the tents on a grass field. Plus, I got to see the night sky - usually I¢m in a shelter or under the tree canopy so I don¢t see any stars. Today was back to hot and muggy. The trail was unremarkable. In fact early in the day I got accidentally off the trail and got back on southbound. It didn¢t seem quite right but when I tried to remember what it was like before I got off it, I had absolutely no recollection. I had to use my compass to figure it out. At 1630, I was 6 miles from my intended campsite but only a mile from this park and the lure of a shower was too tempting. They let at hikers stay free so I am in a car camping site. I can hear traffic on the Taconic state parkway which I can see from my tent. Kind of like being next to a babbling brook, except totally different. Tomorrow is supposed to be super hot - hope to get an early start.
Date: 2007-06-26
From: Clarence Fahnestock State Park

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

I set my alarm for 4 but it was really foggy and overcast so it was hard to get going. I met Iceman and he had also stayed at the Fahnestock Park but they had put him in area 70. I don¢t know if I got put in with the car campers because I arrived later in the day or I talked to a nicer guy, but it worked out. Today was HOT - got in the mid-90s and super humid. I was barely going a mile an hour. I got to the RPH shelter and there were sodas and apples in a cooler left by Bluebird. Iceman is still being treated for Lyme disease and hates the heat so he decided to call it a day. I went on because there was a deli 5 miles away and I wanted to get lunch there - I didn¢t make it until almost 1630 so it ended being more like dinner. I met my first south-bounders today. One told me his favorite parts have been Maine and New Hampshire which are the parts I¢m really looking forward to. When I finally got to that deli John Knee Mud and his wife Companera were there.
Date: 2007-06-27
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter, NY
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Hot as heck. Hiking today was bearable because I had chosen to do low miles. After about 4 miles I came upon cold Gatorade - hit the spot. After that was a swim in Nuclear Lake. This lake was used by a nuclear fuels research facility until 1972 and is supposed to be uncontaminated. I got to this shelter at 1330. There was severe heat predicted followed by severe thunderstorms and hailstorms. Since I¢ve been moving so slow in the heat, I wasn¢t sure if I could make it the 9 miles to the next shelter before all hail broke loose - ha, ha. The stream here is dry but I got water from a puddle upstream. Frogs were jumping in and out of the puddle which is kind of grossing me out but I try not to think about it when I¢m drinking. It is almost 7 pm and no sign of thunderstorms yet.
Date: 2007-06-28
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Ten Mile River Lean-to, CT
Miles today: 12.8

Last night there was a thunderstorm, but not until 2100 I was wishing I had gone on. However, this morning it was pleasant and overcast and I went thru a lot of pastures that I knew would be miserable in the direct sun for the first 3 miles, my mantra was DE-LI! DE-LI! until I made it to Tony¢s Deli for a breakfast sandwich and coffee. Then I continued thru more farmlands and a nature preserve. I went to the Wiley Shelter for lunch and figured I could make it to the shelter right before Kent, CT - for my first 20 mile day. The trail veers briefly into Connecticut to go up ten mile hill but then goes back into New York to go up Shanticoke Mountain before leaving New York for good. So I got past Ten Mile River which looked really inviting, but I heard the call of DE-LI! DE-LI! Again and went to a deli for a meatball sub and some gatorade. So I was right on time and feeling good and started up Shanticoke Mountain when the skies blackened and thunder could be heard. After my false alarm I was hoping it would go off in another direction but then it started pouring. So I came back to this shelter, by which time the storm had passed. So I¢ve struck out with my thunderstorm gamble 2 days in a row. I¢m at the shelter with the ridge runner who says there is now a coin laundry in Kent, which has cheered me up considerably. It¢s been a week since I did laundry and it was looking like I wouldn¢t have a chance until Massachussetts. Looks like tomorrow with be a doing chores in town day
Date: 2007-06-29
From: Ten Mile River lean to

To: Mt Algo lean to
Miles today: 8.4

The night in the Ten Mile River lean to was amazing. The shelter looks onto a field ringed with forest. There were a jillion fireflies - it was like fairy fireworks. The climb over Schaghticoke Mountain took me forever - I was really dragging. I got into Kent just as the post office was closing for lunch, so I had to do everything in kind of weird order. I met Nancy from Washington who also started in Harpers Ferry. I got dressed in my Tyvek groundcloth and poncho and threw everything in the washer and went to the grocery to pick up lunch. I kind of got impulsive and bought broccoli and nut salad, potato salad, a pint of tomatoes and a quart of buttermilk. I saw the Muds at the laundromat and they left me detergent. Componera was on her way back home. I went to the PO when it opened and all they gave me was a letter - but then they found my maildrop. Mahalo nui loa, Leigh, for sending the card and pics! Puuwai teamates - it was so nice to get your good wishes and see your smiling faces. I was almost bawling in the Kent laundromat. I finished my laundry and did my errands and was trying to get back on the trail to get to the next shelter 7 miles away. I got back to the trail, looked up at the next mountain, tentatively started across the pasture, and decided to go back to the shelter 0.3 miles away. Got there, set up my tent, got water, hung up my food bag, and pretty much went to bed not long after. I was awake long enough to see the Massachussetts brothers arrive. They had stayed in Kent the night before. Joe said he took 4 showers in that one nights stay. I asked him how many showers it took for him to get clean and he said 4.