morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-16
From: 0.5mi S. of Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

I went to bed to the sound of a rain shower last night and woke to the sound of another one this morning. So I waited until it blew over to get up. We've planned short day into Port Clinton today. Frank has been emailing Lisa, a friend of a friend, and she has offered to pick us up in town, feed us and give us a place to stay tonight.Frank took time to make coffee and I contributed a couple of pastries from yesterday's motel breakfast. We were packed and back on the trail at 8:00am and hiked into Port Clinton around noon. The first stop was for a huge hamburger and fries. Then I went over to the outfitter to buy some trail maps and a pair of low gaiters. As I walk along I tend to kick up trash that gets into my low-cut shoes and I have to stop at least a couple of times per day to remove a stick or pebble. I'm hoping the gaiters will solve the problem.Lisa picked us up at 4:00pm and took us over to her place in St. Clair for a shower and a feast of grilled chicken and pork, deviled eggs and a rice dish. Lisa completed the trail in the 90's with a series of section hikes, the longest of which was from Springer Mt to Port Clinton. She writes the outdoor column for the Pottsville Republican newspaper, and is also an avid bowhunter. She had trophies of deer, bear and boar around the house. Also three very friendly dogs.Lisa lives in an neighborhood of closely spaced homes, all of which have front porches directly on the sidewalk. We sat on the porch to eat and several of the neighbors stopped by to say hello and get a look at these "thruhikers." We met Patty and her granddaughter, and Sheila and her family. Sheila is known in the neighborhood for her cooking and she made the delicious deviled eggs and rice dish for us. We sat on the porch until dark, telling hiking stories and answering questions, feeling like we were part of the neighborhood. Thanks to everyone for making us welcome and feeding us well!Lisa offered to pick us up again tomorrow afternoon if we wanted, so we looked at the map and decided to do a big day with light packs. Off to bed at 10:00pm.
Date: 2004-07-17
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: PA Hwy 309
Miles today: 26.7

We were up early and on the trail at 7:15am after a quick stop at McDonalds for breakfast. The trail was good through the Windsor Furnace site, once the location of an iron ore blast furnace. It soon turned to a boulder field at the Pulpit Rock and Pinnacle overlooks. Then to vicious small rocks that stuck up from the trail at all angles.We motored along with light packs over to the Allentown Hiking Club shelter, located behind the caretaker's house. Lisa told us later that the caretaker had completed the trail several years ago after years of section hiking. He spent the night at every shelter along the trail, even if they were just a few miles apart. He'd be gone for months and would come back with another couple of states completed. His trailname was Lazy.Mama's Boy, Keytone and Billy the Kid were at the shelter. We were happy to find a refrigerator stocked with drinks, cookies and ice cream. After a good snack of junk food we were off again. Not far down the trail Frank suddenly stopped, put it in reverse and almost backed over me. In the trail was the biggest rattler that I have ever seen, buzzing away at us. I took a picture (at maximum zoom) and we backed off to let him crawl on his way. We made sure he was headed away from the trail since we had no paper on which to leave a warning to other hikers.Billy the Kid caught up and the three of us rocked on across the rocks over to Hwy 309 for a 26+ mile day. My pack was light but my feet hurt anyway. Lisa and her friend Jim picked us up at the highway, making room for Billy the Kid in the Jeep, and we called in a pizza order on the way down the mountain.We spent the night at Lisa's cousin's house. They left today for a vacation in NC and Lisa is house-sitting for them. We polished off two large pizzas, saved the other one for breakfast, and went to bed at 10:00pm. A long day.
Date: 2004-07-18
From: PA Hwy 309

To: PA Hwy 248 (Palmerton, PA)
Miles today: 13.6

After a breakfast of cold pizza we all piled into the Jeep and Lisa and Jim dropped us off at Hwy 309 at 8:00am. Thanks again to Lisa for taking such good care of us!The rain was falling already as we strapped on our packs and set off. The trail turned into a boulder field as we approached The Cliffs. How to describe this? Imagine a jumble of boulders the size of refrigerators. Now imagine that they are covered in large patches with lichen. Imagine that they are wet and slippery. Imagine that you have 30# on your back as you navigate them. Now you can imagine what I said as I slipped and banged my knee on one of them. Deep scratches in the skin and a large hard knot below my kneecap. Fortunately nothing was broken or chipped and the mobility of my leg wasn't affected. And I didn't even cry (much).After that I was doubly careful. On we went over the rocks and boulders in a steady rain. We were glad to make it down to Hwy 248 where a very nice local lady and her son gave us a ride into Palmerton. We planned to get a room for two nights and take the day off tomorrow to resupply and catch up on things. Unfortunately the only hotel in town had no rooms left. As we discussed other options the man next to us at the bar (where you rent the hotel rooms) offered to let us spend the night in a vacant apartment of his. We agreed to take a look and piled into the back of his pickup for a quick ride around the block to it (in the rain). He told us that the previous tenant had moved out the week before and dropped us off. When we got inside we discovered that some of the tenant's stuff was still there - like a TV, dishes, videotapes. Didn't look like he was through moving. Nevertheless we took a hot shower and changed to dry clothes. Then we decided that this wasn't the place to spend a night - a little too dicey. Back to the bar for chili and to ponder other options. Another bar patron offered his cell phone for us to use, since there wasn't a phone in the place. We tried for a rental car but everything was closed on a Sunday evening. We finally decided that our best option was one night in the free hostel run by the town in the basement of the old municipal building, and on to Wind Gap tomorrow. We took our packs over there, grabbed a couple of top bunks (all the bottom ones being taken), put the clothes in to wash at the laundromat and went next door to the diner for a real meal.Then it was back to the hostel for wrapup chores and to hang my wet tarp and rain jacket in the boiler room to dry. We got a nice surprise when the volunteer fire department band started their Sunday evening concert upstairs! After the concert I made a call home and went to bed and to sleep with the lights still on. Not so many miles today, but a full day nevertheless. Still raining.
Date: 2004-07-19
From: PA Hwy 248 (Palmerton, PA)

To: PA Hwy 33 (Wind Gap, PA)
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: light rain

Up early this morning, packed and stopped by the diner for a good hot breakfast. We then hiked out of town and took the alternate trail that took us up the mountain but around the EPA Superfund site - an entire mountain slope that is mostly devoid of plant life because of pollution from a zinc smelter in town. The prevailing winds carried most of the plant emissions onto the mountain which killed all the plant life, leaving a moonscape of bare rocks. Pregnant women and small children are advised not to go there, but someone has determined that there is no risk to thruhikers. We decided to take the alternate trail that at least avoids the bare face. We were soon up into the fog and the affected area. The mountain looked blasted - dead trees and stunted growth. I hauled up plenty of water to avoid having to take any from "Metallica" spring.The rain had stopped overnight but my shoes got soaked walking through the wet grass on the way out of town. Up on the ridge there was nothing to be seen because of the fog. And no opportunity to look. The trail was very rocky most of the day and got worse as we moved up the trail. It was a day of watching the trail and your shoetops as each foot placement was made. My dogs were barking by the end of the day and it felt like a blister was forming on the sole of one - probably from being wet and the constant pounding by the rocks.We finally reached the road to Wind Gap and walked a half mile to a convenience store for some ice cream. Frank sweet-talked a gentleman into giving us a ride to the hotel a mile down the way. We checked in, showered and went over to the nearby diner for a big pot roast meal, then back to the hotel and to bed. We're taking a zero tomorrow to resupply and rest up for the rocks ahead - described by Baltimore Jack as "heinous." Guess today was just a warmup.
Date: 2004-07-20
From: PA Hwy 33 (Wind Gap, PA)

To: PA Hwy 33 (Wind Gap, PA)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was uneventful. I slept late, got up, hobbled around the room enough to warm up my feet, and went over to the diner for the "Hungry Man's Breakfast" - pancakes, eggs, bacon, home fries, toast and coffee. Then over to the laundromat to wash and dry clothes. Back to the room for a short nap then over to the shopping center, with a stop for ice cream to eat on the way.I stopped at a hair salon for a haircut by Helen, who spoke with a pronounced accent. As we talked I learned that she was originally from Azerbaijan (spelling?) but it became so dangerous there that her family moved to Russia. She was a national champion ping-pong player in Russia. She emigrated to the US in the early 90's, the first of her family to do so. Her name was Yelena, but she changed it to Helen because people had trouble pronouncing it. You never know whom you'll meet. I thanked her for a good haircut, not noticing that one sideburn was a quarter inch higher than the other until I got back to the room. Oh well, I'm not a fashion statement on the trail, and hair grows back.Over to the grocery store for supplies and back to the room, with a short detour through Burger King on the way. Another nap and then Frank and I went over to the Smokehouse for a good dinner. Back on the trail tomorrow and through the rest of PA over the "heinous" rocks. I'll think about those tomorrow.
Date: 2004-07-21
From: PA Hwy 33 (Wind Gap, PA)

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Frank and I went back over to the diner for breakfast, checked out of the motel and soon caught a hitch back to the trail from a gentleman on his way to work. And of course the first job was to climb up out of the gap. The trail was as rocky as yesterday and got worse until it turned into a river of rocks running through the woods. Truly "heinous." This lasted for several miles until we reached the boulders of Wolf Rocks which mark the southernmost limit of glacial action along the AT during the last Ice Age. I had joked all morning that we would have smooth sailing beyond Wolf Rocks since the glaciers would have ground off the rocks. And sure enough, the trail got much better just beyond. For a while.We were caught by my friend Doc just before Wolf Rocks. We stopped at Kirkbridge shelter for snacks, then it was on to Mt Minsi with an overlook of the Delaware River, the border between PA and NJ. We made the long descent down to town, stopped at the bakery for ice cream, then walked on down to the Ramada Inn to check in. After a shower the three of us went down to the pizza place and put down a large pizza. Then back to the hotel for journal updates and off to bed. Leaving PA tomorrow.The last part of the trail through PA has been tough because of the rocks and I'm glad to get out of the state. However, the hospitality of people in PA has been superb, easily matching that of folks farther south. Thanks again, especially to Dave and Lisa!
Date: 2004-07-22
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Camp Road (Mohican Outdoor Center)
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

We planned a short day today to give us time for a stop at the Post Office and to give our feet a break from the pounding of the rocks yesterday. We left the hotel late and stopped back by the bakery for coffee and pastries. Then a stop at the PO where I mailed back a memory card of pictures. We left town and crossed the Delaware River on the walkway along I-80, pushed along by the walls of air from the eighteen wheelers roaring by a few feet away. A brief stop at the National Recreation Area visitor center for water and then back on the trail, climbing out of the gap. Starting on a new state today.We stopped for a bit to jaw with a group of kids on a summer camp backpacking trip. Told them that we eat snakes and such. Frank proclaimed that he wasn't afraid of bears; he uses his food bag for a pillow. Good fun. I also stopped for a short conversation with two women out for a day hike. One was a trail maintainer who has climbed Mt Katahdin.We hiked around Sunfish Pond, the southernmost glacial pond on the AT. The trail turned very rocky again for the last part of today's hike, so I guess we haven't seen the last of the rocks. Arrived at the Mohican Outdoor Center about 3:00pm. The MOC is an old boy scout camp that is now owned by the National Park Service and run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. We paid for a bunk and bought a deli sandwich. Then a shower, laundry, another sandwich and time to work on my journals. One of the camp staff brought by some fresh corn and Frank boiled it - delicious. We're the only two in an eight person bunk room. Off to sleep with the fan blowing cool air across my bunk.
Date: 2004-07-23
From: Camp Road (Mohican Outdoor Center)

To: US Hwy 206 (Culver's Gap, NJ)
Miles today: 17.9

We were out of the Mohican Center at 6:45am under cloudy skies and a promise of rain by the weatherman. Not much of note today in the way of scenery. We passed a pretty beaver pond covered with water lilies. Most of the hiking was along the ridgeline in somewhat open areas of small scrub oak and grass. We stopped for a break and a deer walked up. We sat still and watched it try to figure out what we were. It carefully came closer until about 50 feet away, then snorted and took off with a flash of white tail.We stopped for lunch and Frank proclaimed that he had found the perfect spot for a nap - leaning back on his pack with his feet propped up on a rock. Just as he got comfortable the first drops of rain came and ended the nap before it started. The rest of the day was spent slogging along in the wet.We finally came out at Hwy 206 and hiked down to Gyp's Tavern for a big cheeseburger. We struck up a conversation with a couple of friends at the bar who are interested in hiking the trail. They offered a ride down to the motel and we piled in the back of their pickup for the hitch. The motel had no laundry, but lady at the desk offered to dry our clothes for us in the motel dryer, so we dropped them off and went across the road for dinner at an Italian restaurant. We have dry clothes and damp shoes to start the day tomorrow.
Date: 2004-07-24
From: US Hwy 206 (Culver's Gap, NJ)

To: Murray Property
Miles today: 21.3

Frank and I have been joking about the tendency of some thruhikers to see themselves as special and deserving of more respect than they sometimes get. For instance, I've heard several hikers complain about not getting a hitch into town or back to the trail, implying that there is something wrong with the ungrateful drivers who won't pick up a thruhiker. Yesterday we finally got the recognition that we deserve. The two men who gave us a hitch toasted us as "Real Men." At last someone with a true perception of how special we are! We're all puffed up today with our own importance.But that didn't help us get back to the trail. We've been hiking along the NJ/NY border and the motel is in NY where hitching is illegal. The road didn't have any place for cars to pull over anyway. So us real men shouldered our packs and hiked the two miles back to the trail. Uphill. Grumbling as we went. And nothing was open for breakfast. On the positive side it was a clear and crisp day, perfect for hiking.Our first stop was at the Culver fire tower where we found backpacks stashed under the picnic table and food tied to the tower. The mystery was solved when I climbed the tower and saw a tent pitched a short distance away. Guess there was no room in the tent for the packs.We pushed on over a rocky trail with lots of short ups and downs, stopping for lunch at the Mashipacong shelter. At the picnic pavilion near High Point a day hiker told us "When you get back to GA, be sure to tell them that there's more to NJ than just a turnpike!" So I'm passing along the message here since I won't be going back to GA. We hiked past the High Point Monument, marking the highest point in NJ. Near the High Point State Park Headquarters we came upon a cooler with cold drinks that were very welcome since the day had turned hot. Then a refill on water at the HQ.I took advantage of being in the NY radio area to tune in the Yankees - Red Sox baseball game on an AM station. This was the one where a brawl erupted early in the game when A-Rod got hit by a pitch. The seventh inning lasted over an hour and we reached the shelter before the end of the game. The BoSox finally won.We hiked late today and in the late afternoon came up a wild turkey hen with chicks, several deer and a couple of rabbits. The most wildlife that I've seen in a while. The afternoon hiking led along fields of wildflowers and crossed fences on stiles. A nice change from the woods.We reached the Murray property just before sunset. Jim Murray, alumni thruhiker, has a "secret shelter" for thruhikers only, complete with hot shower, bunkhouse, privy and dishwashing sink. Another recognition of how special we are! Woohoo! A half dozen other hikers were already there. I set up my tarp on the grass, took a shower and ate. Then off to sleep, interrupted a couple of times by the hellacious braying of a couple of donkeys in the pasture next to me. What a racket! Hasn't anyone told them that we special people need our sleep?
Date: 2004-07-25
From: Murray Property

To: NJ Hwy 94 (Vernon, NJ)
Miles today: 13.6

We were up early, aided by the donkey alarm clock, and were gone by 6:30am for a quick hike over to Unionville, NY and Horler's General Store for coffee, pastries and resupply of groceries. We reviewed our hiking plan and made some changes. A problem in this area is that many of the shelters don't have water sources. And NJ has one bear per square mile in this area. So we're avoiding camping for the most part. We decided to strike for Vernon, NJ and called to make room reservations.We crossed the Walkill River and walked for a couple of miles around the Walkill National Wildlife Preserve, a former sod farm that is now covered in wildflowers. Met several birdwatchers out with their binoculars. We stopped at the Pochuck shelter for a break and met Red B, a long section hiker who started a southbound thruhike three years ago, only to turn his ankle badly when coming out of Maine. He's going up to Gorham, NH to finish up the trail. He went to the shelter privy and while there spied a mother bear and two cubs. By the time he got back to the shelter for his camera they were gone. "Who thinks to take their camera to the privy?" he said. Michael and Nitro hiked in. I last saw him back near Rattling Run in PA and thought he was well ahead. Looks like love is slowing his pace.We moved on through boulder strewn woods, past old stone walls and up Pochuck Mt, with lots of ups and downs. Getting in shape for the Green Mts of Vermont. Then it was back down into a valley and across the "drowned lands", a former glacial lake that has silted in to form a cattail filled swamp. The trail across the swamp was on a two-mile raised wooden walkway and crossed Pochuck Creek on a long suspension bridge. I met a gentleman with his two sons on the bridge, and got popped on the leg by a wasp just as I went by them. "See, Jimmy, they're thruhikers who walked all the way up from Georgia!" With such recognition of how special I am, I couldn't cry in front of the kids over a little wasp sting! So I smiled through my clenched teeth, blinked back the tears, stifled back a swear word and walked on down to get some sting medicine from Frank. Whew! It's tough to be special sometimes!From there we hiked on to NJ Hwy 94 and over to the Heaven Hill Farm store for fruit and ice cream. Then started the 1.5mi walk down to the Apppalachian Motel. A short ways later a gentleman walked around his house and offered us a ride to town. We gladly accepted his generous offer and were soon checked in. After cleaning up we walked down to the nearest restaurant for dinner and then back to the motel for another bear-safe night.
Date: 2004-07-26
From: NJ Hwy 94 (Vernon, NJ)

To: NY Hwy 17A (Greenwood Lake, NY)
Miles today: 15.2

We got a ride from the motel owner this morning, who dropped us off at the trail on his way to work. He emigrated from India 13 years ago, penniless, to a low-wage job at a pharmaceutical plant, moving up through hard work. He bought the motel a few years ago after the former owner went bankrupt. The motel shows his pride of ownership - very well kept and clean, with an AAA recomendation. The American dream being realized.We were back on the trail before 7:00am for the steep climb up Wawayanda Mt. During a lunch stop at the Wawayanda shelter, Calamity came in. He's section hiking up to CT. The privy at this shelter was interesting - just a seat on a plywood box with a picket screen in front. Very open and breezy.The trail led through nice woods with numerous beech and birch trees. The white-bark birch trees have appeared just within the past few days. The trail turned rugged as it progressed along the ridgeline. Not far past Bearfort Mt we crossed from NJ into NY. One section of the trail shortly afterward required hand over fist climbing to the next high point. We spied a tent in the trail on the rocks, probably dropped by Calamity. He was going to Wildcat shelter and we were stopping short of there, so we didn't pick it up. Rooney Tunes caught us just beyond, and after we talked he went back to pick up the tent and take it on. Hope it gets back to Calamity as rain is predicted for tomorrow.On over the rocks and finally a hike into Greenwood Lakes where we checked into the Linden Motel. We plan a zero day tomorrow, to rest a bit and dodge the heavy rain predicted for the area tomorrow. After a quick tour of the town we had dinner at a small italian restaurant. I had a huge calzone, taking half of it back to the room. I stopped by the convenience store for a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream to top off the day. Ready for a rest.
Date: 2004-07-27
From: NY Hwy 17A (Greenwood Lake,NY)

To: NY Hwy 17A (Greenwood Lake,NY)
Miles today: 0.0

I slept late (past 6:00am), had the leftover calzone for breakfast, and did my laundry. The predicted rain started early and I was glad to be off the slick boulders today. I walked around town in the drizzle to buy supplies, drop mail at the Post Office, and catch up on email at the library. Lunch was a pizza, and my drink had "FREE COKE" printed inside the lid. Bonus!Frank and I took a look at the weather forecast - more heavy rain through tomorrow. We decided to stay another day since the hike ahead is over very rugged terrain. Don't want to risk a fall on the slick boulders this late in the hike.I left the library late and walked back through the rain for crab cakes at the diner. Then to the room to read (a rare luxury) and watch some of the Democratic convention.