morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-09
From: Harpers Ferry, WV (Behind Comfort Inn) 

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: moderate rain

A rainy day with Shakes to see the Washington Monument.The first encounter with Red and Sunshine. Well, we saw them yesterday when we crossed paths on the AT going south for the day. But this evening, Matt said Hi to them at the shelter while they were getting water. Little did we know......
Date: 2010-06-10
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Devils Racecource Shelter
Miles today: 13.1

"WATER"Many people ask us what we do about water while we are on the trail; Do we carry gallons of it? Do we drink from lakes? How do we treat it? etc.Well, in several cases, we'll treat with our filter pump from our water sources (lakes, streams, rivers, etc.) but if we are away from farms and towns, up high, and have a spring come directly from the ground, we'll drink it straight.We both don't like the thought of chemical treatments day in and day out so we go with the MSR HYPERFLO FILTER.Also, the amount we carry depends on temperature, difficulty of terrain, and distance between sources. No need to carry more weight than we need!One neat observation is the type of vegetation around water sources affects the color of the water.mmmmm......brown tinged water.......
Date: 2010-06-11
From: Devils Racecource Shelter

To: Bailey Spring
Miles today: 8.3

Welcome to Pennsylvania!Brand new shoes for me! Over 1,200 miles on my merrells. It's due time for them to retire.Drank lunch at the Biker Bar. Bikers aren't that scary. Just a bunch of middle aged Dads, a day off from work and in their play clothes.
Date: 2010-06-13
From: Quary Gap Road

To: Pine Grove SP
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today we hit the 2009 AT midpoint!                        HALF GALLON CHALLENGE:At the halfway point is located a store that sells hikers a half gallon of ice cream in which you must eat it all to win a minnie wooden spoon that you can show off to people.You can try to beat the current year's record time and to beat the all time speed record. The average time is 30-40 minutes. I DIDN'T PARTICIPATE but had two scoops of cotton candy ice cream. Matt completed it in 1.5 hours! (He left to go to the bathroom part way and many of us think that should have been an automatic disqualification. In his defense, he said he had to pee.) Of all flavors, he chose Cherry Jubilee and needless to say, his poop was red for 2 days. BUT, he won a spoon. That's all that matters.
Date: 2010-06-14
From: Pine Grove SP

To: Just North of Pine Grove SP
Miles today: 2.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Decided there was no rush today, so Shakes, Matt and I just hung out on the beach all day only leaving to visit the AT museum which was small but interesting. I believe we went swimming before all the screaming children came, people watched during the peak hours, then went swimming again when the screaming children left.
Date: 2010-07-16
From: Just North of Mombasha High Point

To: In front of the lake in Bear Mountain SP
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: haze

Essentially today we lake hopped and spent the night in a playground. Andy and Royce slept right on the actually play pen. Good news is, park ranger did see us (we made eye contact) and we weren¢t kicked out.Other good news: I recorded a group of gangsters in a heated dispute over who makes more money, Jay Z or P Diddy. I was so sure punches would be thrown, but I was wrong. I think they settled it with Lady Gaga.
Date: 2010-07-17
From: In front of the lake in Bear Mountain SP

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light intensity drizzle

Sequence of EventsAndy and Royce feed obese squirrel.Walk into town and loiter where the AC¢s are.Go to local pool where we watch six dramatic life saves courtesy of the trigger happy life guards.Walk through local zoo with local wildlife.Hike on the lowest point on the entire AT: Bear Mountain Bridge, over the Hudson River.Walk on an alternate path and too far, ending in us have to walk two miles down a busy road or hitch. Hitching is illegal in New York.We decide to hitch.I stand on the side of the road and the three boys sit way back.First car stops.Boys swarm in.Man looks surprised.Man looks confused.Man looks unimpressed.We all cram in and go to Graymore.We meet ¢Stares-A-Lot¢ and are stared at for the reminder of the evening.
Date: 2010-07-18
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

To: ShenandoahTenting Area
Miles today: 17.5

Sequence of EventsStarted the hiking day with great progress.Took a break at the road with water source.Andy inherits Porque Norte the thru-hiker pig.We discover we are sitting in poison ivy.Shrug shoulder.Meet guy with his dog, NuggetHe gives us a ride to the beach.And beer.I get hit on; his pick up line: ¢I really like your chair¢.Matt gets hit on by very fake tan Tarzan guy.We all shower and come out with a coat of wax over our bodies.We are fed by two very nice families.Bushwhack up a ledge cutting two miles of easy walking into a quarter mile of hand over hand climbing.End the day at a very nice campsite with excellent water.
Date: 2010-07-19
From: ShenandoahTenting Area

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: light rain

Very lazy start for the morning but we all justified it when it started to rain and we were still near a shelter. Royce, Matt and I played logic games (Andy was excused so long as he played his guitar) until the rain stopped.Andy and Royce left before us and Matt and I straggled behind.Later that day, it starts to rain again and as we hike along, we urn into Andy and Royce huddled under Andy¢s poncho witch has been crafted into a little shelter we hang tight with them under our umbrellas.WE do eventually hike on.
Date: 2010-07-20
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a little dark cloud appear fro the second time a little while ago, just hovering behind me, only to be seen in the corners of my eyes now and again but today it grew and expanded like yeast so think I couldn¢t see through it; I was choking in it. It consumed me. For the first time I really truly desperately wanted to go home. I was not happy and so fed up with being so hot, sweaty and dirty, fed up with the same old hiker food, fed up with the aching. I couldn¢t find anything good or beautiful in the foods or vistas around me. I had hit a wall and had no strength or will power to over come the obstacle. I was defeated and I was okay with that. I didn¢t want or let Matt try to uplift me. My body just shut down, each step weighed down with tears. Why am I out here? I don¢t even know.I didn¢t care but today we saw the biggest tree on the AT and the much talked about AT train station that many hikers take to New York City.
Date: 2010-07-21
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Fife 'N Drum Inn & Restaurant (Kent, CT)
Miles today: 1.9

Completely and utterly HATE the trail. I want to go home! I do not want to go on. I¢ve had enough. I¢m done. We hike two miles and decide the best thing to do is get a room for the night and talk. So we hitched into Kent which is absurdly expensive, but right then, nothing mattered. I didn¢t care anymore. I was just done.We talk a little and I agree to make it until the river trip in August. Maybe.PS Today was the last day we¢d see Andy for a while¢¦
Date: 2010-07-22
From: Fife 'N Drum Inn & Restaurant (Kent, CT)

To: Stewart Hallow Lean-to
Miles today: 2.3

Hung out in Kent most of the day with Royce. When we finally left, we got a ride down the old AT and walked along the river the rest of the way to the shelter. Hung out with Charlie, Trooper, Q-Tip, and Trinket.I find a homemade tin can stove in the woods and become infatuated* with it and so does Matt and Trooper later on.*AKA OBSESSED5th Month Anniversary
Date: 2010-07-23
From: Stewart Hallow Lean-to

To: Stewart Hallow Lean-to
Miles today: 0.0

Got up with semi-ambition, packed our gear and walked over to the shelter to make breakfast. And then it started to rain. And then Royce said he was zeroing. And the Royce suggested we do our Niagara Falls trip TOMRROW! We all agree that all are the right decisions.We spend the day doing mind games, feeding a worthless and needy ti8n can fire and crawfish hunting (witch we eat). WE do everything but hike, just because it¢s raining, but some how were out in the rain¢¦ just not hiking in it. Because hiking in the rain is bad. But everything else in the rain is fine. Yea.Rained hard during the night, there was a stream under our tent and lighting all around us.
Date: 2010-07-24
From: Stewart Hallow Lean-to

To: Douge's House in Worcester MA
Miles today: 0.0

Big day. Woke up at a decent time, said our good-byes to Cher who was kindly adopted by Q-Tip and Trinket. We wade across the river, hit our road and I started thumbing. We were picked up by Linda with her granddaughter, who gave us an hour long hitch and a pep talk for our journey.I buy a barrel of cheese balls.We decide to start hitching again, and before the thumb fully extends, Todd picks us up and brings us almost another 45 minutes up. He drops us off after the toll booth and just before the two on ramps. We try fro another hitch for twenty minutes (unusually long wait for us) when a toll booth lady comes walking at us. We think oh no, were getting kicked off but she just tells us that we are trying to hitch five feet behind a sign that essentially reads no hitch-hiking. That explains the bad luck, laughing people, pointing and photos. So we go to the other side of the toll booth where we get our ride, in which the toll staff gives us thumbs-up and we head to Boston. Not Niagara. I don¢t feel like explaining.Doug picks us up and says he'll bring us as far as Worchester, where he lives. WE find out that he had actually gone hiking on the AT today and would like to do a thru-hike next year. As the drive continues and learns of our plans to go to Brian¢s in Boston, he offers up his home to us for the night where he provides us with shower, laundry and food. His daughter even gave Royce and Matt haircuts. Doug made us feel very comfortable and at home, going above and beyond for us. Doug, we thank you very much! We want to help you on your way to a thru-hike, you can do it!
Date: 2010-07-25
From: Douge's House in Worcester MA

To: Brian's Appartment in Boston MA
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up early, like record early, with Doug and were driven to the front steps of Brian¢s Apartment. What a great guy.At this point, we hadn¢t informed Brian of our intensions to come visit, thinking it would be funny to just be in his place when he got home. His poor roommate had no idea what was going on when three strangers showed up at his door claming to be Brain¢s friends and asking him to please not call / text him that we were there.We all wondered around Boston for the majority of the day waiting fro him to come home and ended up telling Brian spoiling the surprise.When he finally came home, it was really great to see him and not just because he turned the AC on (oh yea, it was REALLY HOT).
Date: 2010-07-26
From: Brian's Appartment in Boston MA

To: Brian's Appartment in Boston MA
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up to the sound of Brian¢s magical alarm clock, the intro song to my favorite Disney movie, Lion King.Brian went to work. We loitered.I fed a homeless drugged up girl half of my bag of rice cakes. She later informed me that my ¢fart snacks¢ were bird food. In a way, I agree.Went to Chinatown upon my request and bought squid, fish stick sausages, rice crackers and aloe juice. Looked at pretty boats and marveled at the twenty-five cent outhouse.Took advantage of the Harpoon Brewery.Then dad got out of work, picked us up and brought us to the park to watch ¢Where the Wild Things Are¢ in a field. Not without mixing two liters of coke, which he was kind enough to make perfectly for my sensitive pallet, but finding it to be perfect for me meant it needed four more glugs of special juice.Back at the apartment, I went to bed and the three boys turned into hoodlums and managed to climb onto the roof of a garage and get into a verbal dispute with the neighbors. Goodness¢¦
Date: 2010-07-27
From: Brian's Appartment in Boston MA

To: Brian's Appartment in Boston MA
Miles today: 0.0

A beautiful day in Boston.We celebrate by starting the day right and go straight to the Sam Adams Brewery tour. We even saw the bald guy with the big beard in their commercials working!Later we go back to Chinatown for some more squid and eventually end up at Harvard Square. Royce received an A+ at the Harvard Science Center for skillfully using their ¢facilities¢ and drinking from the taller of the two w2ater fountains (he¢s six feet one inch) though he almost goofed and used the smaller.We ended the day by watching twenty minutes of ¢Precious¢ with Brian. He did not allow further watching of the movie.
Date: 2010-07-28
From: Brian's Appartment in Boston MA

To: Tom Leonard Lean-to
Miles today: 5.5

Brian drives us about an hour out of Boston to a gestation where Doug would pick us up. The ride went fairly quickly as we listened to a podcast on ticks. If that was just coincidence or if Brian intentionally picked that segment, he did not say. But personally I don¢t think it was an accident; he wanted us informed, so I¢ll forgive him for not taking me back home despite my bribage.Doug arrives and off we go to the trailhead about forty miles ahead of where we had gotten off.Though we only did six miles, it was all up hill and tough! I was certainly fatigued. Definitely a tougher hike for fresh legs. Hopefully Doug enjoyed his first night on the trail and we will see him at the finish line at Katahdin next year!At the shelter, Royce and I each say hello to the people already there in which we were ignored and upon further attempts at friendly conversation we only were returned with blank stares before turning back to themselves to converse, later Matt too was ignored. I was quite taken back by this as no hiker, thru or day, behaved in such a way in the five months we¢ve been out here. I was pretty disappointed that Doug would not get to meet and converse with other thru-hikers.Later that evening Royce and I walked back to our tents and half way, I spot a little mouse scurrying on some rocks. I turn to Royce to inform him and tell him jokingly not to worry, if they were to venture out as far as our tents, mine was first and they¢d raid that before heading to his¢¦
Date: 2010-07-29
From: Tom Leonard Lean-to

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: few clouds

I jinxed myself last night, in fact Matt jinxed us as well. He jinxed us because he went to bed saying it didnt feel or look like it would rain over night and it did. I jinxed us because that little mouse showed up just after I'd fallen asleep and scuttled around the head of our tent where we keep our food (well, the food on the inside, mouse on the outside). I'd swat the tent to try and scare it off, which worked temporarly but he would always come back after I'd fallen asleep. Next time I wake up, he is standing on his hind legs with his front legs on the screen door inches from my face. I fall back asleep.I wake up to see the silouhette of his body sprowled out on top of our tent. I fall back asleep.I wake up to the sound of him sliding off our tent. I fall asleep. Repeat. All. Night.Morning comes and I ask Royce if a mouse made a theme park out of his tent as well, "Nope, you jinxed yourself".Our generouse new friend Doug departs and the three of us lolly gag around the shelter while it rains until 11:00am.Matt and I set off, leaving Royce behind to nap, to hike 22 miles to Upper Goose Pond Cabin where we hear they serve blueberry pancakes and offer canoes.I really didnt think we'd make it given that we really hadnt done much hiking in a month, I hate hiking, the terrain we had gotten used to was flat and today would be a roller coaster, I hate hiking, we just got back from a vacation in Boston and the fact that we didnt start til nearly noon. Also, today, if completed, would be our record mileage day...Yeah, I didnt think we'd make it butwe did.I thought that maybe somebody would have cared and at least neen waiting for me with a glass of gatorade on the rocks at the days finish line but all that greeted me was Royce, whom we hadn't seen all day, whome we left to nap at a shelter 22 miles ago.
Date: 2010-07-30
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Cold night! It was nice not to be roasting for once.Woke up to blueberry pancakes and coffee...mmmDecided too good of a place not to zero...so we did and spent the day washing gear, splish splashing, feeding fish and going on a canoe adventure to test drive before the river trip in which we found Matt and I both want to be chiefs...hmmm, maybe kayaks are the way to go...Got to meet Bambi, the caretaker, and her two dogs, and Irish wolfhound that looks like the dragon from The Never Ending Story and a beagle/terrier.Could not find rope swing...And I journaled for HOURS to try and catch up for you!
Date: 2010-07-31
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Stream South of Warner Mountain
Miles today: 13.0

"Trail Magic"Trail magic is an act of kindness done by what we call Trail Angels. The magic can consist of a cooler full of sodas and snack tucked away at trailheads, a random cook out, jugs of cold water in areas effected by drought to hitches out of individuals way. They can be for individuals or groups of people. They can be anonymously or face to face.Trail Angels, who could be anybody (former through hikers, fellow through hikers, day hikers or somebody who doesnt hike at all) are people who provide trail magic.Theres nothing like coming across a cooler (A full cooler of course, other wise its a "trail tragedy") after a long hard hot climb and spirits are low. What a morale booster.We love Trail Angels!
Date: 2010-08-01
From: Stream South of Warner Mountain

To: Tom Levardi's House
Miles today: 7.6

Uneventful hike into Dalton. The three of us agreed it would be best to at least enjoy lunch in town before proceeding. Unfortunately, The Forty Year Old Virgin was playing on the large plasma in front of our table at the bar we chose and an ¢interesting¢ (but nice) man bought a round of beers for the guys. (He offered me one too but I rarely drink, especially when we hike. Milk and orange juice are my treats) anyways, With full belies and buzzers, of course town sucked us in and we decided to stay at Tom Levardi's. Some how we end up at the liquor store where I score a Smirnoff Root Beer from the owner and the guys bought beer to dump into their water bottles and were allowed to chug what couldn't fit right in the store in front of customers.To Tom Levardi's...
Date: 2010-08-02
From: Hoosic River, Foot Bridge

To: Tom Levardi's House
Miles today: 14.1

Tom turns out of be an extraordinary man. He opens his entire house up to hundreds of hikers a year, providing a place to sleep, shower and laundry, expecting no money in return. He also provides rides everyday for people who would like to slack pack, again asking no money.We slack SOBO over Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in MA. The view from the bop was great but we didn't stay long because the tourists were in full force and we did not feel like telling every family about hiking the AT for the hundredth time.We get picked up in Cheshire and brought back to Tom's.
Date: 2010-08-03
From: MA 8 Cheshire, MA

To: Tom Levardi's House
Miles today: 9.3

Tom brings us back to Cheshire and we do a short slack into Dalton. We spend much of our time in the library and we go back to Tom's to balloons and a birthday banner! Tom over heard me saying Happy Birthday to my almost thirty year old, so Tom and Royce set up the balloons while we were gone. Later, Tom makes a huge Birthday dinner for the dozen of hikers there and Matt got to blow out his candle for the twenty seventh birthday.
Date: 2010-08-04
From: Tom Levardi's House

To: Chris & Arla's House (Bennington, VT)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

From Tom's, we hitch into Bennington after three rides. We go to the Vortex, where a family allows hikers to stay in there barn for free fro a night. We drop our gear and head into town where we hunt fro local breweries. We find Madison Brewing and North Shire Brewery.At North Shire, we get our Vermont Passport, which is a list of twenty one breweries that you have to visit in order to win prizes. We agreed to take that challenge.
Date: 2010-08-05
From: Chris & Arla's House (Bennington, VT)

To: John Webster's House (South Berwick, ME)
Miles today: 0.0

John Webster comes from about four hours away to give us a ride to his home in South Berwick, ME so that we can attend the annual Saco River Trip. He invites us into his home and feeds us dinner. John, thank you for your time and hospitality!
Date: 2010-08-06
From: John Webster's House (South Berwick, ME)

To: Saco River Run Campground (Brownfield, ME)
Miles today: 0.0

Jew takes us with her to the Saco. I popped another Dramamine (which worked amazingly well for yesterdays ride, though it made me sleep all day) And I slept all day today but at least I didn't get car sick.Everyone showed up, set up camp and drank into the night. Bros icing Bros.
Date: 2010-08-08
From: Saco River Run Campground (Brownfield, ME)

To: Nancy Saucier's House (Waterville, ME)
Miles today: 0.0

Home! We are going HOOOOME! So exciting and wonderful and awesome and fantastic and delightful and great and jolly and good and perfect.I love being home. I wish it could have been longer so we could have seen more family! But at least I got to go home. Matt did not want to go home but I know he liked it.
Date: 2010-08-11
From: Roaring Branch

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: few clouds

First think in the morning we see a moose right where it should be! Today is Grammie Dexter's Birthday!We got a hitch into Bennington to the Grocery store from Brad, who is from Millinocket. We get a second ride with two guys who had just taken their bar test and were smoking herb.
Date: 2010-08-14
From: Winhall River

To: Brook north of Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We arrive at the trail head for Manchester Center and hitch in from a couple who live in VT during the summer and Florida the remainder of the year.Sidewalk sale!!Too bad there was only one store we were interested in. We purchase some winter buffs, ate some pizza and head on our way back to the trail...we weren't very ambitiouse so we hardly got past the parking lot before we found a tent spot and called it a day.
Date: 2010-08-15
From: Brook north of Manchester Center, VT

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We hiked up Bromley Mountain today and found that the ski lift was operating but as far as we could tell, nobody was on it or around it.We walked towards it thinking we could ride it down and back up the mountain but found a ski bum looking lad in the operating room.He came out and informed us that they give scenic rides and that its free going down but $12 to come back up. No thanks. Had the lift been on the side of the mountain the trail was on...At some point, we came to a trail head named ¢Mad Tom¢. I found that really cool because my Grammie Dexter's initials are MAD and my Grandpa Dexter's initials are TED. They usually sign things MadTed. In this case it was MadTom, but being Grampa's name is Tom, it still worked out. I took a picture of course. So we'd been hearing rumors that today we would have to take a detour around the trail due to the reconstruction of a bridge over a river. It would add three extra miles. There were signs everywhere warning of the detour and insisting all personnel take it since there was no bridge yet and the ford would be dangerous. We'd also been hearing rumors that the ford was not the bad and the detour was horrible...so naturally we ignore the warning signs. All day we've been thinking hmm to take the detour or not to take the detour...is the ford going to be hard or not...Well it turned out to be pathetic. A mere rock hop. To think we could have hiked three extra miles so that we wouldn't have to rock hop. Goodness.