morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-01
From: Camp Road

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: scattered clouds

July 1, 2004 ¢ Camp Road to Delaware Water Gap (southbound slack pack) ¢ 10.5 miles        My friend Michael who lives in New Hope, PA met me at the hotel a little before 8 this morning. We went over to the outfitter and got a shuttle to a road crossing 10 12 miles up the trail and hiked back to town. We had some great views and saw several lakes/ponds on the hike. We had our lunch break at Sunfish Pond in a rock garden of sorts. Had a bench and table! Michael played photographer for the day so I¢ll have to get copies of pictures from him. We had a nice leisurely day. He had a GPS with him which was neat. It tracked distance, average speed as well as speed while in motion, time in motion, and time stopped. At one point, we¢d been hiking for 3 hours and had 2 hours of breaks! Michael pointed out the shrub oak to me as well as a few other plants. We also saw two new ones (which we identified in flower books at the DWG National Recreation Area Information Center and one Michael brought) ¢ the purple flowering raspberry and a jack-in-the-pulpit fruit/seed pod. After showers at the hotel, we headed out in search of dinner. It was quite an adventure. We ended up at the ¢Top of the World Restaurant¢ in a gated community with their own chair lift, though not quite the view you would expect from the top of the world. They did have a herd of stupid deer.
Date: 2004-07-02
From: Camp Road

To: Tent Site
Miles today: 17.0

July 2, 2004 ¢ Camp Road to tent site ¢ 17.0 miles        Michael and I snagged some breakfast at the hotel this morning, bought NJ lottery tickets, I got some cortisone cream for my very itchy but luckily small patch of poison ivy, another set of insoles to try and a travel size hand sanitizer. We checked out the Mohican Outdoor Center, picked up a couple brochures and then I hit the trail. Full, heavy pack today and headed back in the right, northerly, direction. Had a few more views today. I like all the lakes and ponds ¢ reminds me of New England. I stopped in at the Brink Road Shelter late this afternoon for water and had a long break. Also had some cookies, trail magic from the shelter maintainer left in the bear box. I decided to hike a few more miles before calling it a night. I thought the mosquitoes would carry me away before I finished my dinner and hung my bear bag. Now I¢m snug for the night in my tent.
Date: 2004-07-03
From: Tent Site

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

July 3, 2004 ¢ tent site to High Point Shelter ¢ 16.9 miles        Slept late this morning and got moving slowly. Had some more ridge views. Saw a deer this morning and a huge male turkey.   This afternoon I saw a flock of young turkeys. At first I thought they were quail ¢ they were about that size ¢ but they bobbed their heads and they didn¢t have the right coloring. When I saw an adult, it clicked. There were close to 20 youngsters with two adult females. They made quite a rustling in the woods. Lots of chipmunks and squirrels ¢ still no bear. I saw about 6 weekend hikers today and was wondering why it was so quiet. Then I got within 2 miles of High Point State Park and started to see day hikers. I stopped for water at the park headquarters. I made the mistake of asking if there were any good campsites south of High Point Shelter and was told you could only camp at the shelters, not anywhere else. So much for doing a few extra miles today.Took a photo from the observation platform on High Point Mountain. Supposedly you can see New York City from there. Must have been too hazy. There is one other thru hiker here for tonight, K2. After I introduced myself, he said that Hobbes said hello. He¢s probably still a few days behind. New Jersey rocks aren¢t much different from the PA ones, though I think there might be a few more dirt patches between them, unless that¢s just wishful thinking. My feet are complaining just the same. Next shelter in only 12.4 miles and I want to be in Fort Montgomery Wednesday, so I think I¢ll be pushing for the church hostel in Vernon tomorrow. I¢ll need an early start ¢ no more sleeping in ¢ so I think I¢ll stay in the shelter instead of pitching my tent
Date: 2004-07-04
From: High Point Shelter

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 18.9

July 4, 2004 ¢ High Point Shelter to Vernon, New Jersey ¢ 18.9 milesUp early and early start this morning. Crossed a lot of farm land, active and overgrown. Saw lots of wildlife too. Deer, beaver, ground hog, flock of turkeys, and the usual chipmunks and squirrels. Crossed 19 roads, walked through the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, and through the Pochuck Swamp. The swamp walk is a recent relocation. It has boardwalks the whole way and a suspension bridge. Had a lot of trouble with my feet today. About 3 12 miles out I changed into my camp shoes and hobbled along. Just before the suspension bridge I met Josh and Sandra. Josh is the son of the Rector at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Vernon and the home of the hostel I was headed for! They offered me a ride and I hiked with them the rest of the way. It was a wonderful stroke of luck to meet them. Trail magic at its best. Thanks Josh and Sandra ¢ good luck with the wedding planning. Jiffy and Switchback were here when I arrived. They¢d slack packed today. Pokey came in later. Sanguine is also here, along with K2, Mississippi Mule and Wicomico. I might have to see if I can arrange a slack pack for tomorrow. Had a great shower, working on laundry. Get to sleep on the rug in the basement of the parish hall. I¢m looking forward to it.
Date: 2004-07-05
From: Vernon, NJ

To: Vernon, NJ - Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

July 5, 2004 ¢ Zero Day at the Hostel ¢ 0 miles        Feet hurt all night and were still throbbing this morning so I decided to take the day off. I read a MAD magazine, did the Sunday crossword puzzle, organized my gear and tried to find anything I could do without. Lightened my food bag a bit and started reading Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Date: 2004-07-06
From: NY17A

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 15.2

July 6, 2004 ¢ Southbound Slack Pack ¢ NY 17A to Vernon ¢ 15.2 miles        Got a ride to the trailhead with Butch Cassidy and two other hikers he¢d been shuttling for a few days. It was a quiet day. Didn¢t see many other hikers along the way. Did have a few views. Water was scarce so I was glad I was slack packing and had left town with 2 12 quarts. Just before getting back to the road I met NRChi. Hadn¢t seen him since the Shenandoahs. We had a nice chat and he recommended the farmers market 0.1 miles up the road, for fruit and snacks. At the trailhead parking lot I met Leki-less and a friend of his. I only knew him from reading his entries in the shelter registers. The three of us walked down to the farmers market and I got some plums and cherries to munch on. I got a ride back to the hostel with one of the staff and his girlfriend. I tried so hard to remember their names ¢¦.. Had another shower when I got back and did a load of laundry and settled in to finish my book.
Date: 2004-07-07
From: NY17A

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: few clouds

July 7, 2004 ¢ NY 17A to Fingerboard Shelter ¢ 16.4 miles        Got a ride back up to 17A from a local taxi service. Had a few more views where you¢re supposed to be able to see NYC, but I didn¢t have any luck. Walked by a lot of dry or almost dry streams today. I¢m sure Fitzgerald Falls is much more spectacular in the spring. Crossed the New York Thruway today on an overpass and headed into Harriman State Park. There was a neat stone canal of sorts at the outlet to Island Pond. Curious what it might have been used for.   Did a lot of rock scrambles today ¢ one even has a name ¢ Lemon Squeezer.   Wish I¢d had someone to take my picture as I shimmied through. The photo alone won¢t do it justice. So far I¢m alone at the shelter. NRChi stopped in ¢ first person I¢ve seen all day. He said there are a dozen or more camp kids headed this way. He¢s doing big miles to try to catch up with some friends. It will be really fun to read the ATC Newsletter in the spring with the names of all the people who finish the AT in 2004. I hope I recognize lots of names. Nothing new on the wildlife or plant life fronts. Harriman had its share of stupid deer and some very friendly chipmunks. Forecast was for some rain tonight and I seem to sleep late when I¢m in my tent (that¢s a good thing) so I¢m in the shelter tonight ¢ just so as the bugs don¢t get nasty.
Date: 2004-07-09
From: Fort Montgomery

To: Tent Site
Miles today: 17.4

July 9, 2004 ¢ Fort Montgomery to tent site ¢ 17.4 milesIt was cooler today and there was a breeze, but it was still steamy. Walked across the Hudson River this morning on the Bear Mountain Bridge and back up into the hills. Just before crossing Route 9 I cam upon some much needed bottled water left by a trail angel. During my break I met a family of 5 from New Brunswick who are doing part of the trail. They started in DWG on June 24 and are headed to New Hampshire. They have six weeks. They¢ve also hiked part of Southern Virginia and the Shenandoahs. Bumped into them at lunch and an afternoon break too. Hiked through the grounds of the Graymoor Friary today. They¢ve hosted thru hikers for decades. You can camp or use a shelter at the ball field and there is water and a cold shower. I¢m sorry to have missed staying there, especially since they also serve dinner! I¢m probably a mile to a mile and a half from where I¢d hoped to get today, but I couldn¢t pass up this beautiful camping spot. There is a fire ring and matted grass. I¢m sure the deer and other critters like it as well. Went past the 1400 mile mark today.
Date: 2004-07-10
From: Tent Site

To: Nuclear Lake tent site
Miles today: 21.3

July 10, 2004 ¢ tenting to tenting (near Nuclear Lake) ¢ 21.3 milesBig day today in more ways than one. Hiked up above Canopus Lake this morning and over Shenandoah Mountain. There was a flag painted on the rocks at the top. I got to the RPH Shelter about 11. There was a work crew camped there and they were feeding thru hikers! I¢d just had a snack but managed to eat a pancake, a dozen cherries, blueberries and an apple, Gatorade, and a ginger ale. I met a few of the maintainers. One was from Casco Maine and worked at Point Sebago in the early 80s and one was the guy who built the mid-point marker for the trail. I also met Wicked Lobster, Dragon Slayer, Patrick the Soul Brother and Sam (a friend of Patrick¢s). Also I found out that Wicked Lobster is the guy who wrote the review of the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 for the 2004 backpacker gear guide!! Pretty cool to meet the guy who introduced me to my perfect tent. And he grew up in Hanover! On one of my breaks this afternoon when I was massaging my feet, Longshot came by and said hi. He¢s from Miami and just got back on the trail from a visit with family and grandkids and is having a little trouble getting back into the ¢trail life¢. We all bumped into each other again on Mt. Egbert and sat and chatted and enjoyed the view. At the shelter Wicked Lobster, Dragon Slayer, Patrick and Sam were talking about moving on. Longshot thought he might too. That would have left me alone there with two weekenders and a guy who made me a bit uncomfortable. Looked like he might have been homeless. So I hiked out with the crew. Longshot and I hiked together for the next 4 miles or so. Found some great camping by Nuclear Lake. The other four joined us a bit later after a side trip for beer at Route 55. Didn¢t pitch my tent until about 8:30 and this is the first night in a long time I¢ve written in my journal by head lamp. It¢s been fun to have company today.
Date: 2004-07-11
From: Nuclear Lake tent site

To: Ten Mile River Campsite
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: scattered clouds

July 11, 2004 ¢ Nuclear Lake to Ten Mile River Campsite ¢ 16.2 milesGot a picture first thing this morning of our little tent city by the lake. I left Longshot, Dragon Slayer, Wicked Lobster, Patrick and Sam still sleeping. Walked by the Dover Oak this morning. It has a larger circumference than the Keffer Oak back in Virginia. It¢s hard to imaging a forest where the majority of the trees were that big. Crossed the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. They have a stop just for the AT that goes to Grand Central Station. Went by the Gate of Heaven this afternoon and had a really long break at the Wiley Shelter. Talked to Sanguine for a while. I¢d met her a few times before. The latest time at a hostel in Vernon the first night I was there. I laid my tent fly out to dry, - it had a lot of condensation on it this morning. I had a mini-coke and an apple, left over from trail magic, ate my lunch and had a nap! When I was getting ready to head out I met Gandalf and Glimi whose names I had seen in the registers. I hiked another 4 miles to the next shelter and then another 0.1 to the camping area near the river. It¢s a great little spot and I might leave the fly off tonight. There are two tents of weekenders here and so far I¢ve been joined by Flip-Flop and Longshot. I expect several more will roll in later. Head for Kent, Connecticut tomorrow to resupply and meet an old college friend. The trail loops back into NY tomorrow for 2.3 miles so I can¢t check that state off quite yet, but I¢m in New England!!! I wish I¢d gotten my trail name because I had Hobbit feet. I¢m paying for the long hike yesterday with pangs of pain. Did get to rinse off in the river and soak my feet for a bit. That felt good.
Date: 2004-07-12
From: Ten Mile River Campsite

To: Kent, Connecticut
Miles today: 8.6

July 12, 2004 ¢ Campsite to Kent, CT ¢ 8.6 milesI was up and moving this morning by about 7:30. Could see the Ten Mile River for the first few miles. Crossed back into NY and went over the Schaghticoke Mountain. Had a few views along the way. Crossed back into CT and went over a PUD. Up 400 feet and back down ¢ no views ¢ the knob didn¢t even have a name. Hit the road to Kent a little after 11 and caught up with Sanguine. She¢d been camped about 5 miles before town. We decided to split a room. Ended up at the Fife and Drum. Got my mail drop from the post office, shared some cookies Sanguine¢s mom sent, showered and went to the Laundromat, pharmacy and grocery store. I watched some TV and then met my friend Tim from Hartford for dinner. We had a very nice dinner ¢ thanks to my town dress I was appropriately attired ¢ and caught up some. It¢s raining now ¢ an Inn is a good place to be when the weather turns. We really need the rain though. Many of the smaller creeks are dry and small plants are wilty. Hope to sleep late and will try to wait out the weather in the morning before heading on.
Date: 2004-07-13
From: Kent, Connecticut

To: Kent, Connecticut - Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

July 13, 2004 ¢ ZERO Day        Woke up to grey skies and rain. Sanguine and I both had thoughts of staying another night so it was a pretty easy decision. One more night in a bed with a feather comforter and pillow. I suppose if it wasn¢t so comfy it would have been easier to leave. Laid around til 10 and then went to the library to check e-mail and look at pictures on my journal. Had lunch at a local diner and watched TV the rest of the afternoon ¢ ole movies and sitcom repeats and a little weather channel. Had dinner at the pizza place and am still vegging.   Kent has ¢Art Dogs¢ on display. Like Chicago¢s cows or Providence¢s Mr. Potato Heads. There are about 60 of them displayed in the front windows of businesses up and down main street. They¢ll all be auctioned off for charity eventually. Some of them are really decorated nicely ¢ others just make me shrug. That¢s modern art for you. Thanks to Ann and Larry and David for dropping me notes. It¢s nice to hear how folks are doing back ¢home¢. More Law & Order reruns tonight and then another attempt to leave the comforts of town tomorrow morning.
Date: 2004-07-14
From: Kent, Connecticut

To: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 17.0

July 14, 2004 ¢ Kent, CT to Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to ¢ 17.0 miles        Another gray morning, but I did make myself get moving. I left the Inn about 7:30 and walked back to the trailhead. Had a steep but fairly short climb back into the hills and had some nice views back into the valley. Had a steep rock climb back down to the Housatonic River and followed that for almost 5 miles. Then there were a bunch more ups and downs and no views. I was moving a bit slow today but I got here. I saw Tailwind who I¢d met at the hostel in Vernon, NJ. Met Waterloo and Machine. Bumped into Lobster, Slayer and Patrick when I got to the shelter ¢ they were headed on. I seriously thought about hiking a few more miles to a campsite but I lost my motivation the longer I sat here. There is no water there and with everyone else headed there it¢s apt to be crowded. I¢m going to opt for the shelter and mosquitoes to make myself get going in the morning. My choices for tomorrow night are a shelter 12.3 miles away, a campsite with no water 16.4 miles away, or another shelter 19.8 miles away. Also have a 10 mile stretch with no water source. Could be a long day. There is supposed to be some trail catering at a side trail about 6 miles out tomorrow, but it doesn¢t start until 11. Hopefully I¢ll be 2 miles past there before it starts. My food bag is so heavy right now I can¢t justify eating anything that doesn¢t lighten it up. Saw lots of Indian Pipes today. Some of them are getting ready to bloom. More turkeys, toads and snakes - nothing very exciting.         Only 705.5 miles to go. One section hiker is tented nearby and another thru hiker, Buick, also set up his tent. He¢s a rising Sophomore at McGill University ¢ started the trail May 1 and plans to finish by August 20th!! Not sure how some of the high speed hikers can enjoy themselves. They barely have time to slow down and enjoy the views.
Date: 2004-07-15
From: Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to

To: Riga Lean-to
Miles today: 20.2

July 15, 2004 ¢ Pine Swamp Brook to Riga Lean-to ¢ 20.2 miles        Got a good start this morning. Rained good last night ¢ it was loud on the tin roof and I needed my ear plugs. Started seeing signs for the trail magic early. I ended up hitting it just about when I would have stopped for lunch. It was a great lunch break! Yogurt, fruit salad, salad, donut, hot dog, baked beans, kilbasa, Ringdings, root beer. It was hosted by Privy and Walkie-Talkie who thru-hiked in 1997. Their friends Betsy and George were helping. We ended up with quite a crew of hikers there: Tyson, Flip-Flop, Machine, Waterloo, Patrick, Lobster, Slayer, Buick, Loon and Tailwind. All the good eats and the long break must have been good for me ¢ I did the next 4 miles in under an hour and a half! Chatted with Slayer for the rest of the way to the Salisbury Road. The quick pace to the road meant I still had a good chance of making the shelter. Went up over Lions Head ¢ it was starting to rain, but I hit the shelter before the worst of it and I¢m still dry. I was joined by Flip-Flop and a group of 6 kids and 2 counselors from a local camp. Five will be in a tent. The counselors and one camper will be with us. Tailwind and Buick hiked on. Waterloo, Machine and Tyson are tenting. The counselors brought a ¢bag¢ of wine and are sharing ?.   All in all a very good day. Have a great view from the shelter. I¢m looking forward to the sunrise. Oh, and there was a rainbow today / this evening, out over the valley in front of the shelter.
Date: 2004-07-16
From: Riga Lean-to

To: Hubbard Brook 
Miles today: 15.6

July 16, 2004 ¢ Riga to Hubbard Brook ¢ 15.6 miles        Had a slow day today. The sunrise wasn¢t very good. There were too many clouds when I looked about 5:15. I went back to sleep until after 7! Finally hit the trail about 8:30. From the shelter it was just over 2 miles to the summit of Bear Mountain. First time over 2000 feet since Virginia. It¢s the tallest mountain in Connecticut. I met 2 day hikers at the top. The son works for IBM and lives in Cary (NC)! They took my picture looking down into the valley to the east. Crossed the CT/MA border without fanfare ¢ no sign or marker or anything. Got to walk next to the brook in Sages Ravine for a while ¢ that was nice. Then it was back up and over Race Mountain ¢ great views ¢ and then over Mt. Everett (2602¢). Bear Mountain and Race were more gradual on the way up and very steep on the way down. Mt. Everett was reversed. The steep downs slow me down a lot. I had to use the butt method several times today and also turned around and stepped down backward. I started out today at 1600 feet and ended up at 600 feet so I lost 1000 feet more than I gained. That¢s a lot more elevation change than we¢ve had in a long time. And of course my knees and feet don¢t like the downs very much. Found a good place to put my tent near the brook after I crossed MA41. The resident beaver isn¢t real happy with me. He¢s been over there thumping his tail on the water since I arrived. It took me 9 12 hours to hike the 15.6 miles today. I did take some long breaks for views and the streams, but the pace is definitely slowed by the steep descents. I¢ll need to keep an eye on the profiles and adjust my mileage estimates. Besides hitting Massachusetts today, I also passed the 1500 mile mark! Only 670 miles to go.
Date: 2004-07-17
From: Hubbard Brook 

To: Mt. Wilcox South 
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: scattered clouds

July 17, 2004 ¢ Hubbard Brook to Mt. Wilcox South ¢ 13.7 miles        I was very ambitious when I woke up this morning. What little was left vanished when a south bounder started a fire in the fire pit here to dry out some gear and chase away the bugs. I¢m currently smoking my shoes and have been chatting with McGruff and Dances with Moose ¢ they¢re both southbound. We¢ve also been joined by Paisley (who carries a French horn!). I passed the Shay¢s Rebellion Monument first thing this morning and crossed the Housatonic River again. Climbed up over East Mountain ¢ had a few views. Took a long lunch break at Tom Leonard Lean-to and let my feet dry out. Then the real debate about where I was headed started. 5.3 or 7.1 to shelters, or 11.2 to a campsite. The campsite would let me hit Dalton Monday if I did another near 20 day tomorrow. Had a nice break near Benedict Pond and debated taking a swim, but with the cloud cover I wasn¢t sure I¢d dry out. Met two day hikers there ¢ they said the forecast for tonight was rain. I figured I¢d end up tenting anyway, it being the weekend and all. On top of ¢the Ledges¢ I bumped into Jim and Art again, the day hikers. Jim offered me some trail mix. I hesitated because I have so much food in my bag, but I accepted and sat and had a snack with them and chatted. They both live in Connecticut and were out to hike a section of the AT. Jim finished section hiking Connecticut last year and is working on Massachusetts now. They got some unsolicited tips about using hiking poles and we headed up the trail. I stopped into Mt. Wilcox South Lean-to for water and to check the register and I¢m still here. Heard water is scarce at the next shelter and it took a minute but I found the spring here. Also heard great things about the Goose Pond Cabin 15.8 miles from here and rumors of pancake breakfasts. I can have a swim there too ?. Oh, saw a fawn this morning. It was very curious about me and watched for a while as I broke camp. It ran off when I shook out my tent fly. Also saw what I think was a copperhead. It was on one of the bog bridges and slipped into the water when I got close. I¢ll have to find a picture in a reptile book to be sure. For my musical friends, I¢ve had Bugler¢s Holiday stuck in my head for two days. Fire did the trick. Socks and shoes are dry.