morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-07-17
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Sharkchow decided to give his dinged up body a rest Wednesday, and took a ¢zero¢ in Delaware Water Gap, PA. Mrs. Sharkchow¢s college mate Christine drove in from New Jersey for a visit and a trip to Walmart in nearby East Stroudsburg. Christine had fun taking pix and video while Sharkchow resupplied at Walmart. The highlight might have been his commercial for Little Debbie Cakes - which he actually doesn¢t eat. But they are famously caloric, so if the need arose¢¦ Then Sharkchow treated her to lunch (not at Walmart) and regaled her with trail stories.¢It was a very nice little break from the trail,¢ he said. Sharkchow is looking forward to walking across the bridge Thursday into New Jersey, the land of his birth. It¢s supposed to rain tonight and into tomorrow, but he¢s eager to get moving again - and out of that claustrophobic church basement. He also needs to teach himself how to hike with those two trekking poles. The pieces of his old lodgepole pine stick are now in Christine¢s custody. She gave him a little llama for good luck. Thank you, Christine, for being a trail angel!Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-18
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Brink Shelter
Miles today: 24.8

Free at last, free at last. First thing this morning, Sharkchow crossed the Delaware River Bridge, and with that, he was out of Pennsylvania and into New Jersey. Did he cheer when he left PA? ¢Everyone did!¢ Sharkchow said. Soon he was crossing the 1,300-mile mark on the AT. There are some rocks in New Jersey, ¢but it¢s 50 times better than in Pennsylvania!¢ He hiked with two other people - a guy named Two Dinners and a woman named Platypus. When they got to the shelter for the night, there was - astonishingly - another hiker named Platypus, this one a man. Sheer coincidence. And neither is from Australia. It rained much of the day, but had stopped by evening. So his wet stuff is on a clothes line, and he¢s changed into dry clothes. He feels good/tired, is sleeping in hammock. It¢s supposed to be wicked hot the next few days, so he thinks he¢ll start walking early. New Jersey is famous for its bears. But so far no sightings. Food is safely in a bear box. Mrs. Sharkchowps. Below is the video our friend Christine took when they went to Walmart to resupply - an infomercial for Little Debbie Honey Buns, though he didn't buy any!
Date: 2019-07-19
From: Brink Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: mist

Sharkchow is in his hammock at High Point Shelter, near the highest point in New Jersey (which isn¢t all that high). What it is is damn hot, with no breeze. ¢It was so hot, my clothes were thoroughly soaked,¢ he said. He took his shirt off three or four times today just to wring it out. Then, in the highlight of the day, he went to the lake at High Point State Park and swam with his clothes on. Because his clothes couldn¢t have gotten more wet. While he was at the lake, a nice lady walked over and offered him a pastry. Another highlight: Seeing a mama bear on the trail, and her two cute cubs scurrying up trees nearby.Then there was the Trail Magic Guy - maybe the most amazing trail magic Sharkchow had ever seen. At 9:30 in the morning, he had coolers full of little sandwiches (ham, muenster, pickles), soft drinks, fresh fruit (pears, apples, peaches, cherries), cookies, Cheezits. Trail Magic Guy is in his 70s, and spends $80 or $90 a day on sustenance for hikers every day in July. He¢s been doing this for years. ¢I¢m wealthy, and I can afford it,¢ he told Sharkchow, who was his first customer of the day. Someday, it will be us out there handing out trail magic. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-20
From: High Point Shelter

To: Pochuck Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: mist

First, one more highlight from yesterday: At High Point Shelter in New Jersey, Sharkchow ran into a Boy Scout troop that was hiking south on the AT. ¢Fifty years ago, I was one of those scouts,¢ he told the troop leaders. ¢So here I am at High Point, where I first had the idea of hiking the AT.¢ (Sharkchow grew up in New Jersey.)One of the leaders asked Sharkchow how far he¢s gone. Then the leader turned to the boys, and said: ¢He¢s just walked over 1,300 miles, and you have just walked four.¢ The troop broke into applause. Today (Saturday), was a two-stage day. First thing in the morning, a 7-mile hike in the New York-New Jersey highlands to Unionville, NY, which sounds like a cute town. Sharkchow hiked with a guy named Wizard (see picture), and they hung out in Unionville for the hot part of the day, including dinner at a pub. Then another 5-plus miles to Pochuck Mountain Shelter in NJ for the night. At some point this evening, it rained. Sharkchow is dry in his hammock. The trail today was nice. As in, not rocky. Life is good. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-21
From: Pochuck Mountain Shelter

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Sharkchow hiked 23.7 miles Sunday, despite the miserable heat. The strategy: ¢At every substantial stream, take off shirt, rinse, repeat. That sort of invigorated us.¢ The ¢us¢ is Sharkchow and Wizard, with whom he hiked again today. See yesterday¢s post for a picture of Wizard and his colorful tattoos and piercings. He's an ex-Army medic in Afghanistan, then was a park service ranger. Wizard is from Minnesota, so he must be nice. As the picture shows, Wizard is also hiking with a little guitar, and has been busking along the way to help fund the trip. On Sunday, he went to a popular farm stand off the trail and made $6. In the next few days, he¢s going to head into Manhattan to busk - either at Times Square (alongside the Naked Cowboy?) or maybe right there at Grand Central Station. If you see him, please throw in a buck or two. So how does an AT thru-hiker make his/her way into Manhattan without walking a whole lot of extra miles? Why, the Appalachian Trail commuter rail stop. Apparently there¢s also a spot on the AT from which Manhattan is visible. Bear Mountain, says Sharkchow. We demand pictures. Today was kind of exhausting - a lot of climbing to get up onto the ridge, ¢basically on big stones,¢ he said. There was actual rock climbing involved, with rebar ladder rungs embedded in the stone. ¢Doing it with a full pack was challenging,¢ he said. ¢Plus the hot temperature¢¦¢ Was today¢s hike as bad as Pennsylvania? ¢Nothing close,¢ he said. ¢Much better than that.¢ Also helpful: lots of trail magic. At almost every trail head, there were coolers with ice-cold water and soda, and signs saying "For Thru-Hikers."One final moment of zen: They stopped at a farm store that had ¢the best cider donuts.¢ Sharkchow had two, plus Gatorade.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-22
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: broken clouds

Sharkchow crossed into Harriman State Park Monday afternoon, and happened upon a lake, where he took a refreshing dip. Soon after, Mother Nature added her own not entirely welcome refreshment. It started raining - punctuated by thunder and lightning - and didn¢t stop. When Mrs. Sharkchow spoke to him late in the evening, it was still raining steadily and still hot. Boots are soaking wet. Wet boots are bad - ¢they chew your feet to pieces,¢ he says. An addition to Sunday report: He saw his 8th bear of the hike (it was running away). We didn't know he was keeping count. Monday night, he was at the William Brien Memorial Shelter, where he set up his hammock. In the rain. On Tuesday, he will hike over Bear Mountain - elevation 1,305 feet, w/view of Manhattan, but Sharkchow makes no promises. Then he will cross the Hudson River. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-23
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: heavy intensity rain

After an almost-17-mile hike, Sharkchow called late Tuesday from the pavilion at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center in Garrison, NY. He sounded good. The Graymoor center is a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and wanderers, known to care for strangers. And thru-hikers. Was Sharkchow there to atone for sins? ¢I suppose I might be,¢ he said. But really, he was there with a lot of other hikers - most camping in tents in the baseball field. Sharkchow had strung up his hammock between two posts in the open-sided pavilion, which is next to the ball field. Earlier, he had had a cold-water shower, which was ¢fantastic - it was so good!¢ Today he crossed the Hudson River. He also went over the top of Bear Mountain, but the view of Manhattan was a half-mile off-trail, and he didn¢t want to walk the extra steps.Right before Bear Mountain, the AT went right thru a little zoo with the saddest bear he had ever seen, lying there in a pen with some vultures. The guidebook says ¢bear cage is lowest point on AT,¢ and indeed it is, says Sharkchow. His boots are still wet. During today¢s hike, he stopped a few times and took off his boots and socks just to air out his feet. He also crossed the 1,400-mile mark from Springer Mountain. But more important, today he is grateful to the Graymoor center for the accommodations, provided free of charge. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-24
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Sharkchow¢s boots are finally dry. He hiked nearly 19 miles Wednesday, stopping along the way for a swim and hamburgers (plural) at Lake Canopus in Clarence Fahnestock State Park. During that 1.5 hour break, he left his boots and socks out in the sun, and that did the trick.He¢s at RPH Shelter for the night, where hikers sent out for pizza. Domino¢s delivers to the AT?! Not exactly - it was a local pizza place, and the shelter was close to a road. Sharkchow is in good spirits. Mrs. Sharkchowp.s. The pic is from Sunday. Had to share.
Date: 2019-07-25
From: RPH Shelter

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: clear sky

Sharkchow hiked 25.7 miles Thursday and got to Wiley Shelter in eastern Dutchess County, NY, near the Connecticut border. Along the way, he passed the Appalachian Trail RR Station, but wasn¢t tempted to hop on. He also ran into one of the guys who had been hiking with Chris from Sweden. Chris apparently had to leave the trail, due to either illness or injury. But now he¢s in Spain. Maybe he¢s hiking the Camino de Santiago.Sharkchow reports that he is covered in deet to repel mosquitoes and ticks. But a bee got him today. He hasn¢t seen any ticks since that one in Virginia.The hiking has become quite civilized - some rocks, but ¢it¢s a very nice trail,¢ he says. Friday morning he¢ll cross into Connecticut, the 10th state on the trail NOBO. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-26
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Karen's hiker hostel near Kent, CT
Miles today: 12.8

Sharkchow checked in Friday night from Karen's hiker hostel just outside Kent, Connecticut. He had hiked 12.8 miles, hitchhiked into Kent, picked up the resupply package we had mailed him at the Kent post office, had lunch, did laundry. ¢I¢m at a beautiful hiker hostel out on the river, a fantastic place,¢ Sharkchow said in a voicemail. Mrs. Sharkchow is in Chicago for her nephew¢s wedding, and missed his call. A quick search on Kent, CT, reveals a trail town that is a combination of ¢the unwashed and the upper crust,¢ according to a NYT article from 2008. Fun read. Sharkchow will get dropped off at the trail Saturday morning. He didn¢t point out that he crossed the two-thirds point (mile 1,460) on the AT Friday. But we will.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-27
From: Karen's hiker hostel near Kent, CT

To: Pine Swamp Brook Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

Sharkchow checked in Saturday morning while walking along the Housatonic River after leaving Kent, CT. You know it¢s an easy hike when he¢s willing to walk-and-talk. He had also just had trail magic, always a spirit-booster: Gatorade, cheeseburger (grilled right there on the trail), watermelon.He filled us in a bit more on Friday. Karen¢s hostel, where he stayed Friday night, cost $30 - a great deal for $$$ NW Connecticut. (Karen¢s is one of those secret hostels, referenced only on the Gut Hooks AT app.) With him in the bunkhouse were two other thru-hikers: Ironman, a 79-year-old gent from Birmingham, England; and Scout, a woman in her 20s from Indiana, with her dog Atticus (get it?) Mrs. Sharkchow, walking along Lake Michigan in Chicago, double-checked to make sure she heard right - a 79-year-old is thru-hiking the AT? Yes, and it¢s his first time. Now the rest of us have no excuses. Saturday evening, Sharkchow left a voicemail and reported he had hiked 17 miles that day to Pine Swamp Brook Shelter.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-28
From: Pine Swamp Brook Shelter

To: Sages Ravine campsite
Miles today: 22.3

And with that, Sharkchow has crossed the 1,500-mile mark and is almost out of Connecticut and into Massachusetts. He hiked 22.3 miles Sunday to the Sages Ravine campsite, and is doing fine. The picture to the left shows what the AT looks like, at least in this exact spot in Connecticut, on this day. Click on photo for bigger, more detailed view. Highlight of the day: ¢There¢s a skunk on the trail, and I just saw a porcupine really close to camp,¢ Sharkchow said. ¢All kinds of exciting stuff is happening.¢ Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-29
From: Sages Ravine campsite

To: Tom Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: mist

¢It was very hot today. All my stuff is soaking wet from sweat.¢ Sharkchow sounded pretty exhausted Monday evening after hiking 21 miles, including a lot of climbing. He¢s at Tom Leonard Shelter in Great Barrington, Mass. Water is an issue, and as the day wore on, he reached an ¢emergency level¢ of H20. Then trail magic appeared - at just the right time. ¢It bailed me out, because it was so hot and there¢s not a lot of good water around here,¢ he said. A local church does trail magic at that particular spot on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They grill hamburgers right there on the trail, and have coolers full of water and iced tea. Sharchow had two hamburgers and all the liquid he could guzzle. ¢I¢m not sure I could have made it to this shelter without the trail magic,¢ he said, gratefully. Sharkchow also told a story from Sunday in Salisbury, CT. He was at a cemetery that lets people use their hose - a source of nice cold water - and noticed a man and a woman sitting on a bench. Later, he saw them at the Sages Ravine campsite. Turns out the man was Joe, a former newspaper reporter whom Sharkchow had met way back at Neel Gap in Georgia. ¢I thought you might be Sharkchow,¢ Joe said, ¢but you didn¢t have that walking stick.¢ (Insert sad emoji, as Sharkchow remembers his broken lodgepole pine stick.)Still, this little reunion with Joe is a reminder that you can take time off from the trail, then come back and still run into people you¢ve met before. Because a lot of thru-hikers take time off, for one reason or another. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-30
From: Tom Leonard Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Sharkchow put in 21.3 miles Tuesday just so he could reach the Upper Goose Pond Cabin in southwestern Massachusetts, a ¢fantastic place¢ (his words) run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. It sounds like a veritable resort, at least by thru-hiker standards. He grabbed a spot in the bunkhouse, and in the morning, they will make pancakes. But the main motivator to get there was the pond. As soon as Sharkchow arrived, he jumped in - fully clothed, sans boots and socks. When we spoke, everything was hanging up on a line and already pretty much dry. ¢It was very hot today,¢ Sharkchow said. ¢I arrived soaking wet, and it felt great to rinse off.¢ Bottom line: pond = shower. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-31
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Tom Levardi's porch in Dalton, Mass. 
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Sharkchow describes him as ¢the most famous trail angel of all time.¢ His name is Tom Levardi, he lives just off the AT in Dalton, Mass., and ¢he¢s just the nicest guy.¢ He lets thru-hikers camp in his yard, fill water bottles from his spigot, and charge their devices on a power strip he puts out for them. Levardi, a lifelong hiker, has been doing this for almost 40 years, according to the Berkshire Eagle. On Wednesday, there were four or five tents in his yard - plus Sharkchow¢s hammock, strung between two posts on Levardi¢s porch. Sharkchow also went to see the famous Cookie Lady of Dalton, but alas, she wasn¢t there. As her name suggests, she bakes cookies for hikers (and lets them use her spigot), and has been doing this for decades. Another shoo-in for the Trail Angel Hall of Fame. While there, Sharkchow met a thru-hiker from Maine who had just returned to the trail after a five-week break. He had left the trail in Palmerton, PA - close to Hamburg, where Sharkchow had to be rescued in June - and was told by a doctor that he had multiple fractures in his feet. He had been wearing trail runners (kind of like sneakers), and was now wearing proper hiking boots. But sadly, it wasn¢t working, and he was waiting to be picked up to go home. Sharkchow¢s feet seem to be holding up, and he¢s looking forward to the ¢big show¢ - crossing into Vermont and the beauty of northern New England¢s mountains. He insists he¢ll take those states a bit more slowly and actually enjoy the scenery. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-08-01
From: Tom Levardi's porch in Dalton, Mass. 

To: Bascom Lodge, Mount Greylock
Miles today: 17.2

Sharkchow hiked Thursday to the top of Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts at 3,491 feet. There, he checked into Bascom Lodge, where there¢s a bunkroom for thru-hikers for $40 a night. There¢s also a 93-foot lighthouse-shaped memorial up there - the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower - which Sharkchow said is ¢very cool.¢As soon as he arrived, he took a shower, rinsed out his clothes, and laid them out on stones to dry. In the evening, he sprang for the three-course dinner in the dining room, inquiring first as to any dress code. Jacket and tie not required, thankfully. But we¢re guessing that a lack of shower would have been a deal-breaker. At dinner, Sharkchow had ¢beef something-or-other, very fancy,¢ salad, homemade bread, and a baked peach with sherbet and blueberries. There was a group of cyclists there; the other diners had driven up. Sharkchow was the only thru-hiker in the dining room, and was peppered with questions. One diner asked, what has been your favorite thing on the trail so far? ¢Getting picked up by my wife,¢ he said.On Friday, Sharkchow will cross into Vermont, at last. ¢The part of the trail I really, really want to hike is Vermont through Maine,¢ he said. ¢That hike starts tomorrow.¢ He loves the scent of the pine trees. Also, the low humidity and cool breeze - ¢but hopefully not too cold.¢ Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-08-02
From: Bascom Lodge, Mount Greylock

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: clear sky

Sharkchow crossed into Vermont Friday, and thus began the Long Trail portion of the trek. The Long Trail and the AT coincide for 105 miles, and Sharkchow has done 10 miles. He also passed the 1,600-mile mark on the AT, a mile and a half before crossing from Massachusetts into Vermont. ¢Vermont is somewhat different,¢ he said cryptically. ¢I suspect when I get higher, it will be much different.¢Meaning ¢¦ what? ¢More alpine,¢ he finally said. Mount Greylock reminded him of the White Mountains, where he¢s done a lot of hiking. At the top of the mountain, the trees were smaller; if the mountain had been any taller, he would have been above treeline, he said.  It¢s starting to get a little cool, at least at night. As of 11 pm Friday, in Bennington, VT (6 miles away), it was 63 degrees. Perfect sleeping weather. During the day, while doing his usual 20 miles or so, he¢s still getting plenty sweaty.Another great perk of being in northern New England is getting delicious water out of the streams. ¢But you have to be careful not to get water out of beaver ponds,¢ he says. The picture above is a beaver pond in Vermont along the AT. You can see a little dam in there - a pile of sticks along the far shore - if you look closely. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-08-03
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Between Friday, Sharkchow¢s first day in Vermont, and Saturday the forest terrain changed substantially. The first day was lowland, very dense. The second day, Saturday, was mostly climbing - not as dense, more trees. ¢It was just kind of a walk in the woods,¢ Sharkchow said, an inadvertent (we¢re sure) reference to a funny book about hiking the AT that he did not appreciate. Because, in fact, Bill Bryson didn¢t really hike the AT, he sampled it on and off for a total of 870 miles. Any rain? A little bit, Sharkchow said, ¢but it doesn¢t count.¢ He hiked 18.7 miles Saturday, and is in his hammock at Kid Gore Shelter. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-08-04
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Spruce Peak Shelter
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: overcast clouds

On Sunday, Sharkchow climbed Stratton Mountain, which is a well-known Vermont ski resort. But more important, it¢s the summit on which Benton McKaye was inspired to propose creation of the AT, according to the AWOL guidebook. Some hikers take the gondola down to the resort for lunch. Not Sharkchow; he wanted to get to Spruce Peak Shelter by the end of the day. So he just hiked down the other side of the mountain. As it was, he went longer than he wanted (22.9 miles) so he could reach that shelter. Here¢s another thing about the AT in Vermont: It can get muddy. And there¢s a ton of mud there now, but it¢s not a problem.¢It hasn¢t really rained here for a few weeks, so the mud is the consistency of bread dough,¢ says Sharkchow. Still, he avoids stepping on it, and goes rock to rock. It¢s also getting cold at night - ¢very nice,¢ he says. Tonight it¢s going down into the 50s. A final note: Sharkchow embarked on this journey four months ago, April 4. During that time, he has taken two breaks (adding up to about 30 days), plus several zeros. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-08-05
From: Spruce Peak Shelter

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: clear sky

Cell connection was bad Monday night, so we just spoke briefly. Sharkchow is at Little Rock Pond Shelter (outside the shelter, as usual, in his hammock) near Danby, VT.¢Terrific place,¢ he said. When he arrived, he took a dip in the pond. It's always nice to ¢shower¢ before ¢bed¢ after a 22.6-mile hike. ¢It¢s going to be cold tonight,¢ Sharkchow said. End of call. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-08-06
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: few clouds

Sharkchow hiked 19.7 miles Tuesday, and is in his hammock at Governor Clement Shelter in Shrewsbury, VT. He sent a bunch of pix - including this cool one at left. What¢s with all the rocks? ¢People just stack rocks,¢ he said. Why? ¢I don¢t know, they just do that.¢ Maybe trail volunteers do that to clear a path for the hikers. Anything to avoid a rerun of Pennsylvania.  Sharkchow also mentioned that he¢s been camping the past two days with a nice guy named Pork Rind from Bethesda, Md., a retired government contractor. Mrs. Sharkchow