morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-10
From: Port Clinton Pavilion 

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I awoke at 5:15 this morning with a terrible stomach ache. I contemplated going to the woods and inducing vomit, but I decided to go to the privy first. I continued to spend the next 45 minutes exporting my demons.        I was able to fall back asleep until 7:00 when everyone woke up for breakfast. Ticks shuttled us to 3C¢s for a solid breakfast. When we arrived back at the pavilion he took our heavy gear and brought it to the next shelter for us.        A mile into the morning we made it to the swimming hole he told us about. There was a 35 foot cliff above the passing river. It was a cold and cloudy morning, which was worsened by an unrelenting wind. We made it up for a couple of jumps, but were quick to head back to our warm clothes.         I was amazed how much more agile I became without a loaded pack. It was easy to jump from rock to rock and I was much more confident that wouldn¢t turn an ankle.        After we ate lunch the girls blazed to the shelter while Shane, Jake and I went to view the Pulpit and Pinnacle views. At the pinnacle we climbed through a cave that extended through the cliff. We spend time exploring the narrow passages and climbed out the ¢chimney¢ an entrance directly above the cave.         Since the two viewpoints were heavily traveled by tourists, the trail was extremely wide and smooth. Jake and I flew down the rest of the trail. We were in a jog when I saw the road and smelled something¢¦. A GRILL? Feed Me was standing next to a truck eating burgers and hotdogs! More trail magic? Bad Influence and Ground Hog had a truck full of good waiting to feed thru-hikers. We housed a few burgers and hot dogs while swapping stories.        The shelter tonight is run by the ATC. It has an enclosed bunkhouse with six bunks, flushing toilet and a solar shower. I passed on the shower since I didn¢t get sweaty today and the fact that the water was freezing cold. I had my fill of cold water this morning! I sat with Grey Eagle as he told military stories from his fighter pilot days. Later I conversed with Firestick and Feed Me about the AT. Tonight: cards and Rummycube.
Date: 2006-06-11
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We started moving at 7:15 this morning. The enclosed shelter protected us from another stiff morning breeze. As a result we moved a little slower and didn¢t leave until 9:30.         The caretaker told us we could find the AT through the tenting area across the street. We started down through there and winded up bushwhacking for ten minutes. Eventually we crossed its path. Shortly after I was stung by some type of flying beast. Initially I wasn¢t sure if it was a dehydration induced attack. We were able to find the mark without the stinger.         The companion told us that this stretch until New Jersey is the rockiest of Pennsylvania. We spend most of the day on boulder fields. Throughout the day I tossed forty smaller rocks from the trail; I call it volunteer trail maintenance. I told Jake the ATC should give merit badges to hikers who toss rocks from the trail. Together we could rid the AT of rocks in Pennsylvania!         For lunch we stopped at the Blue Ridge Bed and Breakfast and ate on their lawn. They were setting up for a band tonight and it was tempting to stay. Night hiking over rocky terrain wasn¢t such an exciting idea though.        I left on my own so I could reach the shelter and begin a new article for the register. It was difficult to follow the trail at times since it crossed long boulder fields. At one point I had to turn around and come back to the last blaze in order to redirect myself.        The shelter is old and rundown. It¢s definitely one of the worst we¢ve come across on the trail. Tomorrow we¢ll attempt to get through the Dead Zone, if the rocks don¢t slow us down and tire us too badly.
Date: 2006-06-12
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Leroy H Smith Shelter
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We awoke at 6:00 as planned. Superman and Granite came in during the night and were sleeping on the ground in front of the shelter. Firestick held out his cell phone and played the Star Wars theme song for us, so we could pump ourselves up for today¢s adventure. We spoke to Superman and Granite for awhile so we didn¢t leave until 8:00.        The morning was pretty rocky but it didn¢t slow us down much. At the shelter we saw that Freeze Out left us a message. He hurt himself on a rock and was going to get back off the trail until yesterday. He told us to hurry and catch him. I hope we¢ll catch him before he gets to far ahead again, but I doubt we will.        When we reached the road at Lehigh Gap we got a great view of the rocky beast of a climb that lied ahead. The climb was virtually straight up and we climbed on top of boulders most of the way. It was a lot of fun ascending up the face of this mountain. We took pictures but they really didn¢t do it justice.        At the top we picked blueberries and followed a road through the dead ridge. Years ago it was a site of a strip mining and the land never recovered. Dead trees lay across the fields of boulders on both sides of the road.        We kept on pace for the big day. I pulled a calf muscle on the mountain climb, but I could hike through it. Fortunately a good number of miles were flat and rock less so the pace helped us out.         Tomorrow I think we¢re going to push to the end of Pennsylvania. Bring on New Jersey!
Date: 2006-06-13
From: Leroy H Smith Shelter

To: Church of the Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 20.5

We awoke early again to get a quick start on our day. A mouse knocked on an ant¢s nest onto Granite during the night and continued to eat the eggs all night long. By morning it looked like she was covered in white rice.         We faced some of the rockiest terrain of the trail. One section seemed to go on for miles and it took a toll on our feet. Freeze Out described it well in the next shelter register by writing, ¢you can pretend to be tough and say the rocks weren¢t bad. Don¢t kid yourself, it sucked. I¢m from Pennsylvania and don¢t have one ounce of state pride!¢        The last two miles were more friendly. A construction site rerouted the AT and it eventually put us on an overgrown road. It was a nice break for our tired bodies.        The church hostel was two buildings down from the AT. We showered and went down the street to the pizza joint. It was close to 10,000 degrees in there. We all started to sweat as we ate our food and hurried out. After a quick trip to the gas station we stopped in a bar because we heard a guitarist. He played a great selection of Dispatch, Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson and Coldplay. I couldn¢t have asked for more. We slept in the overflow shelter behind the hostel because it was full.
Date: 2006-06-14
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up at 5:45 this morning because I didn¢t know what time it was. I went to the hostel to grab my watch and couldn¢t believe how early it was. My sleeping bag called me back to bed but it was too bright to fall back asleep.         We went across the street for breakfast before catching a shuttle. in Straugsburg we did a load of laundry and walked around town. Pizza Hut¢s buffet lunch called our names. Next, it was on to the movie theater to watch ¢Cars¢.        At the grocery store I had an interesting interaction with a woman in front of me in line. She had four small children and forgot her checkbook. She counted every dollar in her pocket book and didn¢t have enough. It obviously panicked her. I offered the woman money, but she refused, looking for more singles. She said she¢d go to the bank and come back. I gave her a twenty, which she finally accepted and said she¢d bring me money at the library next door.        At the library next door I found out that Heath got a job at Woolwich middle school. I jumped out of my seat with excitement. It looks like I found myself a roommate for next year. It¢s going to be great.         Outside the library we waited for our shuttle. Just as I thought the woman wouldn¢t come return the money a man approached us. He found out that it was me that gave it to her. It was her husband. He shook my hand, said many kind remarks, gave me a twenty (I actually gave her 14 because she gave me the change) and took my address because she wanted to send me a thank you card. I received great karma for that deed!!        Maverick is back with us tonight. Looks like the trail will be crowded again in the morning.P.S. Nicole painted Jake¢s toenails while I was gone. I shook my head at him as he grinned. ¢Will you blow on these?¢ he asks.
Date: 2006-06-15
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Camp Ken-Etiwa-Pec
Miles today: 17.4

Rumors flew around about a pie eating challenge. Apparently at the bar last night Jake, Mowgli, Superman and Feed Me decided to initiate the 1st Delaware Pie Gap Challenge. Jake wrote down the competition rules for future use and they went to the bakery to buy their pies. What ensued was a total pie eating frenzy. Feed Me made several hilarious and over confident comments. He ate a huge breakfast beforehand and brought donuts for desert! Jake won the competition, because Superman wasn¢t able to get the crust off the bottom of the pan. Oh yeah, they couldn¢t use their hands.         Karen the pastor sent the news to the ATC that a new competition had been born. Superman cursed about his defeat, blaming it on his sticky crust. The complaint had merit; he led the entire time until the end.         It was 11:00 before we left. It was already hot. The sun baked out skin as we crossed the Delaware River. The six miles to Sunfish Pond were smooth and fast. We could barely notice that we climbed 1000 over three miles.         I hiked on my own for most of the afternoon. Here were a few news stations on the radio so I listened for a long time. It felt great to actually have a clue about what was going on in the world. Oh yeah, a Yankees game was on too. A-Rod and Bernie Williams hit a home run in the seventh, but they were still losing! Yahoo!         The road to the YMCA camp was close to a mile long. There are two cabins for thru-hikers directly on the lake. I threw on Nicole¢s extra shorts so I could take a dip before bed. Those were some short shorts!         Nicole mentioned her parents might get a cabin for a few nights in Salisbury Connecticut. If it works out we may slack pack for three or four days. Sounds like a great time. I hope it works out.
Date: 2006-06-16
From: Camp Ken-Etiwa-Pec

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: light rain

By six the sun was already hot. After I got ready I decided to take a dip. Team Canada told me our shelter at 18 miles had no water. As a group we decided to turn over 19 into 13. Since we were at a beautiful summer camp we spent the entire morning there. We swam for awhile, played beach volleyball and swam again. We never left until 11:00 and had a great time.         It was really hot by 11. The entire day was spent on a ridge without tree coverage. At the shelter we got our first dosage of mosquito hell. We hurried though our lunches so we could get moving ASAP.        In the afternoon I listened to the National Public Radio. The programs were very interesting and I enjoyed them more than music. I caught the end of a history speaker, a science debate and world news.         At the road crossing we decided to take a break. The owner from Joe to Go yelled at us for sitting next to the store. We were intending on going in! He said, ¢If you got hit by a car you¢d sue me wouldn¢t you?!¢ in an angry tone. We had no problem moving on after meeting that jerk. We moved down to the tavern for some snacks and a couple of pitchers. The view onto the lake was beautiful.         At 6:00 we left to finish the last three miles of the day. I pushed on to far after the shelter sign and went an extra .6 before noticing. I wasn¢t happy about that. At the shelter we pitched the tarp after some guys wouldn¢t make room. It was so rocky that I pulled it down and announced we were moving in.         It¢s so buggy right now that I think dealing with them will be my biggest challenge of the trip. I¢ve got to do it though, I can¢t let mosquitoes stop me after coming 1300 miles.
Date: 2006-06-17
From: Gren Anderson Shelter

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 20.0

The mosquitos weren¢t as bad by morning. We could cook and break camp much more comfortably. Today we started hitting more bumps than usual. I don¢t believe the climbs reached more than a hundred feet, but they were continual throughout much of the morning.        At snack I made a trip to the shelters privy. It was the nicest I¢ve seen on the trail. It was completely made by a manufacturer and the composting was powered by a solar panel. That¢s a lot of money for a pooper! Shane, Ryan and Jake barricaded the door with the picnic table. I patiently sat waiting for them to get bored and move it. I didn¢t want to give them the satisfaction of me opening the door and being stuck. Besides, it was the best privy on the AT! They asked me to poke my head out for a photo and then moved it.         At lunch we stopped at High Point State Park and said goodbye to Team Canada. I finally reached Heath about our roommate situation as well. As we ate the clouds lifted and the temperature seemed to jump ten degrees.        In the afternoon we stopped at the secret shelter on Goldsmith Road to take a shower. The shelter was constructed by a private land owner who wanted to help hikers. It is a fully enclosed heated building with hot water outdoors and indoor shower. It was awesome!        In town we hit the grocery store to re-supply for three days. The small town store hurt the wallet. We needed to get creative to figure out lunches and breakfasts due to the limited options. Afterwards we went to the local tavern for dinner. It turned out to be an expensive layover.        Tonight we¢re staying on the property of gentleman that saw us on the road. He gave us the key to his garage and said we could also sleep in the lawn. The town park was the other option, but lights are on all night. I think I¢ll sleep well tonight.        It¢s supposed to be 95 degrees tomorrow. I¢m not sure how quickly we can escape because a few people want to eat breakfast at the diner before we leave. I¢ll keep my fingers crossed.
Date: 2006-06-18
From: Unionville, NY

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

I kept waking up every twenty minutes after 5:30. The grocery store didn¢t open until 7, so I wanted to be able to sleep as much as possible and be packed by then. We didn¢t roll in until 7:40, but I did enjoy the sleep.         After eating on the post office curb I used Ryan¢s cell phone to call dad and wish him a happy father¢s day. They offered to send me things with Nicole¢s Parents when they come to see us.         Nicole, Jake and I hit the trail by 8:40 and it was already steaming hot. A thick haze covered the country side. Unfortunately the trail gods presented us with road and bog walking. I felt like I was baking under the sun. Good think the temperature only reached 93 degrees instead of the predicted 95¢¦.        During snack I gave my first attempt at tree swinging. It¢s when you climb a thin tree until it bends and brings you back to the ground. The trees always go back to their original position, so I don¢t think it causes harm.        We finally reached the mile long boardwalk that we heard about. It zig zagged through a marsh. Halfway across we came to a squirrel sitting on the railing. It was obvious that we scared it, because it desperately tried to decide what to do. It attempted to leap to a small branch of a tree five feet away. It missed and crashed down through the marsh vegetation. If I had pulled out my camera and video taped it, it would have easily made a home video show.         At the road crossing to Vernan we walked to a Farmers market to wait out to the heat. The store clerks said we could hang out in the back with the picnic tables and umbrellas. We¢ve been here for over two hours now and it doesn¢t feel any cooler.         We finally left a 7, after I called mom and dad, Tanner and Johnson family. The climb was brutal. I was glad we waited to push on. The sky grew darker and darker as we hiked. We were close, so we didn¢t pull our headlamps out to illuminate the path.         Upon arrival I went to a ranger station with Shane to get water. When I got back I didn¢t even want to eat; I just wanted to go to bed. I finally did because I needed time to cool off.        I was too hot to sleep. I left the shelter twice after 11. I couldn¢t cool down. The mosquitoes were so thick that you needed to cover yourself but it made it to hot to sleep. I finally gathered my sleeping gear and set up on top of the picnic table. It was cooler but the bugs kept me from relaxing. I dosed off a few times and even rolled off the table and hit the ground at one point. It wasn¢t a good night.
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

At 5:15 I woke up and decided to move to the shelter since I was being eaten alive on the table. To my surprise, Nicole, Des and Ryan were all wide eyed and staring at me. They couldn¢t sleep with the mosquitoes either. Nicole and I packed our things and went to the Ranger Station hoping they wouldn¢t be so bad there. I called home and asked them to send my tent down with Nicole¢s parents when they visit next Friday. It means three pounds extra weight, but we need to be able to sleep. At 7 we went back to the shelter to eat breakfast. We were exhausted. While everyone packed she tried to sleep on the table while I relaxed in Jake¢s hammock.We finally departed at 9:30 and made out way through more swamps. It was another 90 degree morning. At four miles we ate snack at the New York State line. By then it was very hot. We scrambled over boulders on the ridge and the sun sucked away our energy. I ran out of water three miles before lunch and I grew dizzy from dehydration. At the road crossing we came upon trail magic. Someone left six gallons of water. It was just what I needed. Jake, Nicole and I drank a gallon in four minutes. We then pushed on to the ice cream shop down the road.It turned out to be another great spot to relax. We ate lunch, used the water spigot to wash off, ate ice cream and once again waited for it to cool off. As I made it to the shelter the sky grew dark. Thunder rumbled and became more and more frequent. I set up the tarp inside the shelter for bug protection. It looked ugly, but it should have worked. Just after it started to rain. Mad Dog and Pilgrim showed up so we had to take down the tents¢¦. Then they left to set up their tents¢¦ so we set ours back up.
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: light rain

I slept amazingly last night. It probably wasn¢t better than most, but it felt great after the mayhem involved during the previous night. We faced some very rocky climbs today. I lost a pole several times while trying to navigate over boulders. They slow you down a considerable amount, but they are very fun. Jake picked up a big stick and I suggested he use it as a blind man¢s cane. He continued to walk close to a half a mile with his eyes closed. Soon after Nicole tried her luck with it. It was funny, but I took of because we were only moving 12 mph. Granite and I walked ahead and she told me a lot about Bar Harbor. It sounds like an area I¢ll have to explore more often. There are great outdoor recreation possibilities I could utilize for next years adventure camp. Oh yeah, we found a great waterfall today called Fitzgerald Falls. Jake and I jumped in and did some climbing under the gushing water. It was great fun. After lunch we went to a beach. There were vending machines and sodas available as well. Some groups competed with their sound systems so the music was both deafening and annoying. It is hard to believe that people would be so inconsiderate and ruin others attempts at a peaceful day in the park. When we were getting ready to leave Patty-O, a trail angel, introduced himself and invited us to his truck of trail magic. We hung out and spoke to him for quite some time. He grilled us hot dogs and gave some of the others a shot. It seems as though he¢s met most of the hikers that came through in the last few years. We left the park at 7:30. The sun began to set, but we arrived before dark. We¢re excited to get the zero day tomorrow and get into another town.
Date: 2006-06-21
From: William Brien Shelter

To: Greymour Spirtual Center Shelter
Miles today: 15.4

More rocky climbs today. They are actually very fun. I think I¢ve said that before, but they are. Forget the switchback, bring us to the top and let us run down. They do take more of a toll on your body though.Bear Mountain was the highlight of today. We were expecting a horrific climb, but it was actually quite easy. We even got half a mile of road walk. At the top we ran into Peacemaker, Pilgrim, Mad Dog and Beer Can. Beer Can actually mentioned he was given John Olszwoka¢s name as a reference for his Ph.D. program, small world. At the top of Bear we could faintly se the New York City skyline. It was difficult to make out, but it was interesting nevertheless.         At the bottom of Bear we entered the zoo. It only had animals native to New York, but it was definitely a new sight to see. The lowest point on the AT, 124 feet, was outside of the bear exhibit.         Out of the zoo we actually crossed the Hudson River thinking it was the way to Fort Montgomery. We needed to re-cross it and walk close to a mile to reach the Post Office. We decided to carry for two days and re-supply when we meet Nicole¢s Parents. The supermarket was two more miles down the road so everyone could re-supply off our left overs. For lunch we ate J+M Deli. The sandwiches were huge and the parking lot provided a great spot to relax in the shade. Shane actually me the grandmother of one of his hometown friends inside the store.        We hitched back to the trail because the road would have been hot under the sun. Eventually a West Point professor picked us up. She was an interesting woman to work at West Point. She wanted to hike the AT and wanted out of the military because she disagreed with the Iraq war.        Five miles later we arrived at the road crossing to the shelter. A man in a truck picked Ryan and I up and brought us to the shelter. It has a covered picnic area, privies and a cold water shower¢¦.with soap! Soap is an amazing luxury to a stinky hiker¢s body!        Two more days until we meet Nicole¢s Parents. I¢m excited.
Date: 2006-06-22
From: Greymour Spirtual Center Shelter

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

We crossed the 1400 mile marker today. For some reason it seems as though New York missed the memo about trail maintenance. It is really overgrown and some of the blazes haven¢t been painted in years. Yada, yada, yada, we made it to the shelter. A father-son boy scout outing set up at the shelter. Jake, Des and I swam in the creek to rinse off. Everyone ordered pizza and we played Uno while we waited for the delivery. We were able to setup the tarp so it had great ventilation. The low is only supposed to be 72, so sleeping will be warm.