morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-27
From: Just past Jug End

To: Sages Ravine Campground
Miles today: 9.0

(Guest entry by Swamp Fox. Rocky is exhausted tonite.)The day dawned dreary, damp, and foggy. We were dry despite the rain last night. Swamp Fox had a miserable night due to bug bites, and the warm, humid conditions. Rocky, on the other hand, slept like a log. After a breakfast of cold cereal we were on the Trail by 7:30 am. We went over Mount Bushnell and then Mount Everett. At the base of the steep climb to the summit of Mount Everett, we took a side trail to Guidler Pond, which is a beautiful glacial lake on the side of the ridge (reminded me of Sunfish Pond in north Jersey). The 600 foot climb to Mount Everett is steep and we were rewarded with no views, as the sun still had not come out. We did meet a gentleman from Chestnut Hill, in Philadelphia, and three women hikers, one of whom had partially thru hiked in 2004. Its fun sharing Trail stories. The skies cleared during our next climb of Race Mountain. The Trail follows a rocky ridge for quite some distance and offers continuous views to the east. During our descent from Race Mountain, decided to end the day at Sages Ravine Camp Site, rather than push on to the next shelter. At Sages Ravine we set up our tent on a wooden platform and had a comfortable place to cook and eat. Rocky fell asleep by 7 pm, while Swamp Fox tended to camp chores. Rocky's right knee and feet continue to be a problem, while Swamp Fox is itching from bug bites. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.
Date: 2006-05-28
From: Sages Ravine Campground

To: Limestone Springs Lean-to site
Miles today: 10.9

Today was a perfect weather day; sunny and a soft breeze most of the day. The day began with a difficult climb up Bear Mountain (2316¢), the highest summit in Connecticut. There was an awesome stone tower at the top. The rest of the day followed with modest ups and downs¢very pleasant. Swamp Fox had wanted to go into Salisbury, CN, but I opted to reduce my pack weight of food and stay on the trail. Dinner was at ¢Billy¢s View¢. Dinner was a mix of Lipton¢s Beans and Rice, with green beans, onion, carrots, and butter. I am a good trail cook (smile). (insert by Swamp Fox¢I definitely agree. I am eating quite well, compared to last year). The hike down to the Limestone Springs Lean-to was steep and bordered by a waterfall and large rocks; very pretty, but hard work. I have 6 blisters and tackled the distance from Billy¢s View in my crocks. I am tucked into my tent, surrounded by attack killer mosquitoes. Life is still good.
Date: 2006-05-29
From: Limestone Springs Lean-to site

To: Sharon Mountain Campsite
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

Today was an ever changing day. We began by climbing up from Limestone Springs Lean-to. You knew you had done something, before even beginning the AT. Onward to Prospect Mountain; then down to the Housatonic River and the Hydroelectric Plant near the Village of Falls River. The river was beautiful. Tall phlox was in bloom along the Trail near the River. There was a trash can near the river, which we didn¢t expect, and we were happy to throw away our small bag of trash.   We went looking for the shower at the hydroelectric plant. I guess I expected an inside shower with privacy. However, the shower was attached to the outside of the building, in plain view of a busy road and boat put-in area. I opted to sponge down as best as I could with a bandana. I took a picture of Swamp Fox showering with his shorts on. Then we were off to lunch at the Mountainside Caf©. I ate too much and had an upset stomach for the climb up Sharon¢s Mountain. There was unexpected Trail Magic hanging from a tree and we each took an orange to have with dinner. Fresh fruit is so appreciated; thank you Trail Angels. There was a car race going on nearby. The roar from that race we had to listen to most of the day. It was so loud that Swamp Fox had to yell to be heard by me, even though we were miles away from the race track. We could see the race track from Hang Glider View. Guess I don¢t see watching cars going around in circles as fun. We also saw our third Ridge Runner since we¢ve been in CN; and our fourth AMC employee. I am unclear why CN gets so much coverage, while fragile alpine environments have no one. Don¢t get me wrong: I am happy to have all kinds of people working to protect the Trail, but I definitely see huge favoritism placed on areas with money. We are spending the night at Sharon Mountain Campsite. We are the only ones here. Fewer hikers are out today with the holiday weekend ending.
Date: 2006-05-30
From: Sharon Mountain Campsite

To: Connecticut Route 4, near Cornwall Bridge
Miles today: 8.3

(Guest entry by Swamp Fox)Today¢s trail generally rode a ridge on the west side of the Housatonic River. The trail was faster in the morning, and the climbs were not particularly steep. We met our first northbound thru hiker just before the Pine Swamp Brook lean-to. He was ¢Guns of Jesus¢, an extremely fit looking young man, who had left Springer Mountain in Georgia on February 15. We stopped for lunch where the Trail crosses Carse Brook, and loaded up with water for the afternoon. We were both sluggish in the afternoon, due to the heat. We had decided that we would end our hike at Connecticut Route 4, but it was not an easy afternoon. The climbs, though not long, seemed endless. The heat didn¢t help. Just before we got to Route 4, we had to cross Guinea Brook. This was a very treacherous crossing on stepping stones. I think in any other state there would have been a footbridge. When we got to Route 4, we had to hitch 0.7 mile to US Route 7, then north on Route 7 for about 40 miles to Great Barrington, MA. We expected a difficult time, given the general unfriendliness towards hikers in this affluent area. We got to Route 4 at 5 pm, and were pleasantly surprised to get a ride immediately from a dump truck down to Route 7. We got two other rides from a woman having knee surgery the next day, and then a carpenter/teacher and were back at our car by 6:20 pm. After dinner at the Mexican restaurant in Great Barrington, we were on our way home for a few days. We¢ll be back on the Trail at Delaware Water Gap in a few days. Hope it¢s cooler.
Date: 2006-06-03
From: home

To: Church of the Mountain Hostel, Delaware Water Gap,
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

(Guest entry by Swamp Fox)After a few days at home, we¢re back to the Trail. We bused from Concord, NH to Stroudsburg, PA in about 9 hours. It was a one mile walk to the Church of the Mountain hostel. There are about a dozen hikers here tonight. Dinner was at the Delaware Water Gap Diner that we enjoyed so much at the end of our April hike (see journal entry for April 24, 2006). The hostel was full so we stayed in a shelter behind the Church. We enjoyed talking to the other hikers at the hostel: Mango, Blue Mound, Tree Girl, Two Shoes, Riverside, among others. Tomorrow we plan to hike to Mohican Outdoor Center. Here we go again!
Date: 2006-06-04
From: Church of the Mountain Hostel, Delaware Water Gap,

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

I enjoyed the Trail today. (Guest insert by Swamp Fox: Happy __th Birthday, Rocky!) Everyone from the hostel seemed to scatter. Some went to Church services, some zeroed, some slack packed, some hiked 20 miles and there were those of us who hiked ten miles. It was neat watching everyone enjoy their own hike. We stopped for lunch at Sunfish Pond. We chatted with two day hikers for the longest time about our favorite diners. I also enjoyed feeding the fish. They would race for the small pieces of bagel I dropped in the water. Awesome time had by all. Later in the hike I saw a red tailed hawk in a tree near me. I love hawks and really enjoyed that. Many hikers saw bears, but I didn¢t see any. I did see a black water snake that was neat to watch. Swamp Fox took a fall up on the ridge. I got him Advil and convinced him to rest. I enjoyed the nap on the ridge more than he did. (Guest insert by Swamp Fox: I don¢t need no stinkin¢ nap) We hiked on and ran into two of Swamp Fox¢s friends and former co-worker near Mohican Outdoor Center: Wright and Alice Seneres. Although they didn¢t know it was my 44th birthday, they made it special. They brought us dinner and cupcakes for desert that were out of this world. Two terrific Trail Angels¢thank you. We visited, ate, showered, and slept in a dry bunk, as it rained the evening away. I¢m happy for a dry spot and good friends.
Date: 2006-06-05
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Buttermilk Falls Trail
Miles today: 10.2

We started hiking late for us, leaving Mohican Outdoor Center around 9:10 am. Breakfast was left over dinner¢yummy. We encountered a woman we met yesterday hiking with two other women. She said that she was ill from eating curry, and asked us to let the other women know. We hiked on to Catfish Fire Tower, and then on to Beaver Pond outlet, where we found one of the other two women. She (Ragamuffin) hiked back and got her friend shuttled to a motel. We met another man who has been hiking the AT from Mount Greylock, MA to Georgia and back and forth since 2002 or 2003. He was on his way back home to Worcester, MA. Blue Mound caught up with us and I enjoyed talking with him until just past the Buttermilk Falls Trail, where Swamp Fox and I are tented for the night. The caterpillers are chewing so loudly that you can hear them. The tent is covered with bugs, but we are safe except for a few ticks we picked off and cut in half.Nite all.
Date: 2006-06-06
From: Buttermilk Falls Trail

To: On Trail, after crossing two stone walls, after Gr
Miles today: 14.5

Today we had both good and bad. We were up and on the Trail at 7:16 am. The Trail was enjoyable with great views and the company of other hikers. I reminded everyone I ran into about the deli at the Trail named Joe & Go. (Guest insert by Swamp Fox: Joe & Go is at the location of the old Worthington Bakery that was a Trail institution). I had been dreaming of going there for two days. We hiked at a good pace and were at the door of Joe & Go at 12:30. I was psyched. I reached to go in and there was a balding, overweight, middle aged man blocking the door. He looked at me and said he was closing and locked the door. Many other hikers had already eaten there. I was so hurt I almost cried. The other hikers told me sorry. I was shocked to have a breakfast and lunch deli close at 12:30. After getting a grip, Swamp Fox and I went to Gyp¢s Tavern. The burgers and fries were good. Afterwards we walked back to the Trail passing Joe & Go. The Open sign was brightly lit and a customer was exiting the door with a drink in his hand. I was even more hurt then and cried part way up the Trail for having been treated so poorly. When I arrived at our night stop, Gren Anderson shelter, I just wanted to keep going. We walked on and tented by the Trail. The views were nice at Sunrise Mountain. We had dinner there in the pavilion.
Date: 2006-06-07
From: On Trail, after crossing two stone walls, after Gr

To:  NJ Route 23 (High Point State Park HQ)
Miles today: 7.5

(Guest entry by Swamp Fox)We had a light rain last night, but we were able to pack during a break in the rain. We were on the Trail at 8:00 am. It was a grey day, and shortly the rain began. We reached Mashipacong Shelter by 10 am, and admired the pre-fabricated outhouse there. This was the first time we ever saw a pre-fab outhouse on the Trail. The rain increased in intensity as the morning wore on. We saw two beautiful fawns along the Trail. By the time we reached the High Point State Park HQ, at 12:30, we were quite chilled. The temperature was 57 degrees. At the Park HQ we decided to go to a nearby motel, rather than hike to the next shelter. The Park staff was quite helpful in helping us arrange a ride to the motel. It took awhile, but we had a chance to warm up while waiting for our ride. The hand warmers in the bathrooms were excellent. At the motel we waited a couple of hours for our room to be ready, and we got a spaghetti meal from the woman who ran the place. There was a fireplace in the waiting area, which was warming and drying. We chatted with an older couple, currently living in Mantua, NJ, who knew the history of this part of NJ. Rocky also enjoyed talking with a builder who was staying there. This motel is pricy, but at least we are clean and dry again.
Date: 2006-06-08
From:  NJ Route 23 (High Point State Park HQ)

To: Pochuck Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

Today was rain for most of the day. There were no views. The Trail was well maintained. We crossed through woods, over fields, across swamps, through game preserves, and over roads. We couldn¢t see the High Point monument (highest point in NJ) because of the weather. We found the Murray ¢secret shelter¢. How awesome and kind of Mr. Murray to provide this for hikers. Swampy and I enjoyed our break here. Then on we went to Unionville, NY. I wore my rain jacket and hand covers, making this walk in the rain much better than yesterday. (Guest insert by Swamp Fox: I don¢t need no stinkin¢ rain jacket. Smile.) At Unionville, we looked in at the ¢hostel¢ at the Back Track Inn, and decided to move on. We had burgers and pizza there. Then on to Sara¢s Soda Shop for a banana split. The ice cream was so yummy. Sara is so friendly and provides great service. (Guest insert by Swamp Fox: The 50¢s d©cor and soda fountain brought back memories of my mis-spent youth in Philadelphia.)After eating and resupplying at Horler¢s General Store, we were off working on the 5 miles to Pochuck Mountain Shelter. Three other women are here sharing the shelter. I had seen them on and off down the Trail. Nice time to visit. (Guest insert by Swamp Fox: I am in the unusual situation of being the only male in a shelter with four women. In view of some of the conversation among them, I feel like an eavesdropper at a slumber party or the women¢s locker room. We thought we were going to stay in the Back Track Inn ¢hostel¢ which was really storage racks for bunks in a storage room. But there was no door and after I got into an argument coming out of the men¢s room, it was time to move on. As we started the last half mile climb to the shelter, it started raining like hell, but we¢re dry and happy now.)
Date: 2006-06-09
From: Pochuck Mountain Shelter

To: NJ Route 94, Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 6.5

What a nice day. We planned a light day to resupply and rest. We were the last out of the shelter and hiked sluggishly. When we reached County Route 517, we paused on the board walk and took a long break. I loved this section. The swamp we crossed on the board walk was beautiful. The sun was out. I enjoyed the weather for the first time in days.   On we went after chatting with some locals to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church hostel. One man we met gave us his snack food, which he had packed in his car. Yummy and thanks. The St. Thomas Episcopal Church hostel is clean, spacious, and has a great kitchen. Sox is here as well. She is from Texas, and started the Trail in 2004. She also has a Trailjournal.   We planned a meal together with her. Spaghetti, sauce, garlic bread, salad, strawberries and ice cream. Awesome time had by all. (Guest insert by Swamp Fox: Did you notice in these journals that Rocky constantly talks about food?) I almost forgot to mention that we finally saw the High Point monument from the viewpoint on Pochuck Mountain
Date: 2006-06-10
From: NJ Route 94, Vernon, NJ

To: South of Ernest Walter Trail, after stream crossin
Miles today: 8.6

(Guest entry by Swamp Fox, as Rocky is already cozily wrapped in her sleeping bag.)This was a leisurely morning. We had breakfast with Sox at the Mixing Bowl Restaurant, next door to the hostel. A Trail Angel by the name of Butch Cassidy shuttled us to the Trail. Thanks, Butch, for your help and the gift of water. The first climb was up Wayawanda Mountain. It was quite steep and warmed us up on a cold morning. The stair case trail work was excellent. Part way up the mountain, Rocky realized that Swamp Fox had left the cheese in the hostel refrigerator. (Swamp Fox don¢t need no stinkin¢ cheese.) However, Rocky asked a local couple, who were day hiking, to retrieve the cheese for us and meet us at Barrett Road, the next road crossing. Rocky has amazing persuasive powers, and a hell of lot of nerve, so they graciously agreed and shortly after we reached Barrett Road they were there with our cheese. Rocky was very happy. This road crossing ended up being our lunch stop, and we next proceeded to Wayawanda shelter, where Sox was spending the night. As it was early afternoon, we wanted to get closer to tomorrow night¢s stop, Wildcat shelter. We met Butch Cassidy again, as he was hiking south from Warwick Turnpike with water for other hikers. He gave Rocky half a deli sandwich, which Rocky loved. Food again.We eventually made camp on the west side of Bearfoot Mountain. It looks like a cold night ahead. Dinner included our first wild Chicken of the Woods mushroom. Rocky has a thing for wild mushrooms, but I¢m still alive. Today we really appreciated the kindness of all the Trail Angels who helped us today, and during this segment of our Thru Hike.Swamp Fox
Date: 2006-06-11
From: South of Ernest Walter Trail, after stream crossin

To: Tent site, off Trail after Allis Trail intersectio
Miles today: 11.7

The early part of the day involved a lot of rock ledge walking. It was slow going and involved using all four limbs. Welcome to New York! The views were awesome of Greenwood Lake for what seemed like miles. We arrived at NY Route 17A at 12:15, just in time to have a banana split for lunch at Bellvale Farms. Swamp Fox¢s hiker appetite has kicked in and we questioned if we packed enough food for this leg of our hike. Sox joined us at Bellvale Farms. The ice cream was delish. We walked on and had dinner at Wildcat Shelter. We decided to do a few more miles after dinner, so we can try to have time to get into Southfields, NY for lunch tomorrow. The Fitzgerald Falls were beautiful, but the lower trail was flooded and difficult to pass. Erosion was a problem for the heavily used trails. We climbed part way up to Mombasha High Point and tented by the Trail. It is still very cold: 45 degrees in the morning.
Date: 2006-06-12
From: Tent site, off Trail after Allis Trail intersectio

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The morning was rough. We were on the Trail by 7:48 am. We arrived at Mombasha High Point quickly. We might have seen the top of the Empire State Building, way off in New York City.   As we hiked on we came to Arden Mountain. This was a huge boulder climb up and down. The way down to NY Route 17 was brutal. It was a rock slide with no trail maintenance. There were white blazes, but the rest of the Trail was completely uncared for. At Route 17, we attempted to get a ride for 30 minutes. Then we started walking and hitching towards Southfields, NY. After about half a mile we were picked up by an Army reservist. (Guest insert by Swamp Fox: But he comes from a family of Marines.) We thanked him endlessly. He brought us to a deli, the Corner Deli/Pizzeria, 1.8 miles down the road from the Trail. The owners and the woman helping them were so good to us. We ate like we hadn¢t seen food in months. Then we got a ride back to the Trail from the woman helping at the Deli. We were grateful for all the help. The last 4.4 miles of the Trail up to Fingerboard Shelter was much improved trail conditions. Harriman State Park is beautiful. Enroute to the shelter we passed through the Lemon Squeeze. This is a narrow cleft in a large rock formation. The rock walls were very cool, compared to the air temperature. I barely got through. However, Swamp Fox got his lemons squeezed and had to take a water bottle off his pack to get through.   Sox is here in the shelter with us again, as well as one other hiker. The shelter is stone¢very beautiful. We saw a lot of snakes today and one lizard. The lizard was about 4 inches long. His body was brown, with a blue tail. I tried to get a picture, but he was too fast.
Date: 2006-06-13
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: West Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: broken clouds

(Guest entry by Swamp Fox)We planned a short day today, so we didn¢t rush through the morning chores. We were last out of the shelter, after Sox and another young man had left. The Trail continued through an almost park-like setting¢rolling hills, with grassy ground cover and few trees. There was little under story. The weather continued clear, and not oppressively hot, all day. At the first road crossing, we met a young couple out looking for a day hike. They asked where the trail with the white blazes went. They were a bit surprised when we told them ¢Georgia¢. Later we chatted with an architect, who was section hiking. We stopped for lunch at the Brien shelter. Then we napped for three hours. As we left the shelter, we met three day hikers. We talked with one of them, a young woman from Poland. Later in the day the Trail took us over Black Mountain, from which we could see the tall buildings in New York City, 35 miles away. We crossed the Palisades Parkway by dodging traffic. After the Parkway crossing, we stopped at a stream to fill 3 one liter bottles for tonight¢s dinner and tomorrow¢s breakfast. Then came a steep climb up to West Mountain shelter. This was an exhausting climb for Rocky, and we were quite happy to see Sox again at the shelter. The shelter is on the mountain top, and is oriented to face the New York City skyline. We could see the lights of the City as the sun went down. There was a loud whippoorwill near the shelter which became quite annoying, after the initial novelty wore off. Other than that, it¢s quite peaceful up here, with an almost full moon. Swamp Fox
Date: 2006-06-14
From: West Mountain Shelter

To: Route 9D, at east end of Bear Mountain Bridge
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: scattered clouds

(Guest entry by Swamp Fox)We bid Sox a tearful goodbye as we don¢t expect to see her again. Today is our last day of this segment of our hike, while Sox is hiking to Dalton, MA, as this section of her AT Hike. We did quite well at food planning for this segment, as after breakfast the only food left was two slices of bread, a serving of peanut butter, and a bag of M&M¢s. The only climb of significance today was of Bear Mountain. We expected to find food concessions and a water fountain there. However, the tower and buildings were ¢closed for renovation¢, and there was no one in sight.We finished the last of our food and had a Coke from the soft drink machine that was operating and started down the mountain. We passed the Bear Mountain Inn (also closed for renovation) and the recreation facilities around Hessian Lake. After crossing Route 9W, the Trail passes through the Trailside Zoo, which houses a number of animals who had been orphaned or injured. At the bear cage, we passed the lowest point on the Trail, 120 feet about sea level. The Trailside Zoo is next to the Bear Mountain Bridge, so we figured we might as well cross the Hudson River and reach Route 9D on the east side so we don¢t have to cross the Hudson River again on our next hike segment. After we crossed back to the west side of the Bridge, we encountered Sox again. We had another tearful goodbye. We had to wait quite a few hours for our ride home, so we wanted to go to the M&R Deli for more food. This time we hitched a ride in seconds after getting to Route 9W. Eventually there were about a dozen hikers at the M&R Deli. Some went to a nearby motel and some continued on to the Graymoor Friary on the east side of the River. We ate dinner at nearby Richie¢s Restaurant, and then sat at a street corner waiting for our ride home.   Swamp Fox