morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-06-28
From: I70

To: Devil's Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 13.7

We started hiking around noon, but the terrain in Maryland is SWEEEET. I'm not just saying that in the way people say Virginia is flat. Virginia is not flat! Maryland isn't flat either, but it is nice and much easier than any state so far. Too bad its so short.The highlight of the day had to be when we got to the shelter and met a group of young people who were camping there. They offered to pick us up something from the store, so we got to eat Doritos and drink soda with dinner.Thanks Rob, Cody, Melody, and Tarnum.Our frind Daisy must have gotten ahead of us when we went to the Dogpatch. Darn, hope we catch him.As usual, there was a huge storm in the evening. We're getting tougher.- Cayenne
Date: 2008-06-29
From: Devil's Racecourse Shelter

To: Rocky Mountain Shelters
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: clear sky

We spent the day chasing Daisy and eating blueberries. They may have been huckleberries. We're not sure. We never caught Daisy but Tailgate caught more than her share of berries.The terrain is still nice, and we entered Pennsylvania today. This is both exciting and scary. PA is not known for good terrain, but I hear the beginning isn't as rocky as the end. It certainly wasn't too rocky today. There has been a weird trend around the shelters lately. The last 2 involved walking .3 miles downhill to get to them. This means you have to walk .3 miles uphill to get back on the trail. That all adds up to more than half a mile. Seriously, this is a big deal for a thru-hiker. We are notoriously lazy when it comes to walking on paths that don't have whiteblazes.We're camping with section hikers tonight. We're in a weird pocket, I guess. Tomorrow we do a nero to meet Tailgate's parents.- Cayenne
Date: 2008-06-30
From: Rocky Mountain Shelters

To: Quarry Gap Shelters
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: scattered clouds

We hiked the 3 miles into Caledonia State Park and were greeted with a picnic lunch from Tailgate's parents. Chicken pesto sandwiches= tasty! After lunch, Pat and Mike thought that Tailgate and I should get cleaned up. I wonder why? Luckily, there were showers at the pool nearby, so we went and did laundry, resupplied, and finally showered. Tailgate's Mom insisted we wash all the clothes, so we stopped at the Goodwill to get something to wear while we waited for our clothes at the laundromat. It was a good idea, and Tailgate was a vision in lime green. Thanks Pat.Once we were clean, we were presentable enough to go to Hoss' buffet for dinner. Mmmm...Steak. I'm really into food these days.The best part of the day was when Pat and Mike did a little hiking with us. Tailgate's mom just charged up the hill while we all struggled to keep up with her. I guess Tailgate didn't lick her hiking ability up off the ground. We parted ways right before it stormed, so Pat and Mike got a taste of our usual weather.Tailgate and I made it to Quarry Gap Shelters right before dark but not before we were soaking wet. We didn't mind though 'cause our bellies were full, and the place was crowded with other thru-hikers. Yeah, we're hiking with our people again. Also, this shelter is the nicest so far. The caretaker even hangs flowers around the sides.- Cayenne
Date: 2008-07-01
From: Quarry Gap Shelters

To: Pine Grove Furnace
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Berries! Lots of 'em. Today was great. The terrain was fantastic. The rocks have yet to kick in, and we passed the halfway point. Woo Hoo!There is a tradition at the halfway point which changes every year, but usually falls on the same day you hit Pine Grove Furnace where there is a general store that sells half gallons of ice cream. If you can eat a half gallon in one sitting you join the half gallon challenge club and get a lovely wooden spoon. Tailgate, Zephyr, Slow Train, EZ Does It, and even Bear Bait all joined. I, however, did not. It just seemed like too much dairy for me. I did devour many other items. Don't you worry about me. I know where to get the calories.Later we camped nearby and celebrated until about 1 hour past hiker midnight: 10pm.- Cayenne
Date: 2008-07-10
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: port clinton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

well, the rocks coming into port clinton beat us down. maybe they wouldn't have been so bad if we hadn't done a 23 mile day...but oh well. we slept in after an amazing night at the local fire fighters social hall (thanks del and paul!), ate some diner food, resupplied and then walked to cabellas. holy smokes that place is amazing. seriously--it's like a stuffed animal museum. wow. we decided to call our friends and visit them earlier than we had planned -- feeling the need for a break. so jenel and lisa came to our rescue and picked us up and took us to their house. we smelled pretty bad, but they just rolled down the windows.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-11
From: port clinton

To: hanging with some friends
Miles today: 0.0

another zero day. we spent the day at jenel's parent's house while she was at work. oh what a nice relaxing day it was. i sat by the pool and worked on my tan and cayenne joined in for a bit and then returned to catch up on some much missed tv vegging out. it's amazing that we haven't had television in soooo long and now that we are on the trail, it's such a nice activity--i never thought i would have said that. it was really great to hang out with jenel and lisa -- thanks ya'll!tailgate
Date: 2008-07-12
From: hanging with some friends

To: still with friends
Miles today: 0.0

this morning jenel and lisa drove us to meet up with softie and brandon. before we left for the morning we realized that we had somehow lost our camera. oh we were so upset. not only was it a really nice camera that i loved, but it had all our pictures on it from the shennadoahs up through now--so many friends and places we'll just have to remember in our heads. it was great hanging out with softie and brandon though--very chill and good to catch up!tailgate
Date: 2008-07-13
From: port clinton

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

so we are now a few days behind a bunch of our friends that we have been hiking with--including daisy who got a fire under his but apparently--cause he has smoked us!! but, what was great about taking a few days off was that we found out that sweet potato and brahma bull would be hiking out at the same time as us. this was soo cool because we haven't seen them since erwin, TN--almost 4 states have gone by and we haven't seen them. so camping with them today at eckville was great--we did lots of story telling into the evening laughing all the while.it's raining. of course.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-14
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Rte 309
Miles today: 11.5

rocks. it's all rocks. and now since it rained all night and is still raining the rocks are wet. and they suck. poor cayenne tok a real nasty fall on some wet rocks. she scraped up the side of her calf pretty bad--nothing that needs serious medical attention--but it will probably leave a nice scar. so we cleaned it up a bit and cursed the rocks and kept on moving--but slowly.it's really mentally difficult right now. the rain, the rocks, oh. we're both in a lull of sorts--we know that we are gonna finish this trail, but it's just really hard right now.we made it to rte 309 and decided to camp behind the b&b for free. oh, and what's with PA and some of the weirdest food that is served? i mean, i'm from PA and i know there are some strange things, but seriously--when i see a hot double cheeseburger on the menu i thought, "of course, how else would i want it?" and then it comes out like this--white bread with two cheeseburger patties topped with another slice of white bread, all covered in gravy. uh..... ok. and cayenne was also surprised by the gravy on her roast beef sandwich--i guess i should have known better, but i was in a food trance and wasn't thinking about my days of eat n' park serving up hot roast beef sanwiches. oh well.tailgate   tailgate
Date: 2008-07-17
From: slatington

To: wind gap
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: overcast clouds

we left early today--not sure how far we would get, but hoping to ge to wind gap. wow!!! the climb out of lehigh gap was just about as rocky as i imagined it would be. there was a lot of hand over hand climbing to do--with a full food bag and extra water (cause the water sources in this area have been pretty sparse) it was a slow sweaty climb. we met up with pilot and hiked with him for a bit which was really nice. then we saw john and kelly who who left a cooler of beer and sodas at the road. when we got to the road everything changed for the good. not only did we enjoy the soda and beer, but who was there?...vachon and thinker!!!! we were soooo happy to see them, especially after sweet bull had pulled ahead of us. oh it was such a good emotional pick up. it's amazing out here how just seeing some friend who you are excited about can just change everything. we hiked the rest of the day with them catching up and laughing. oh no, cayenne tripped again and busted open her scab. the rocks have not been kind to her. we have been keeping a tally of wipe outs on this trip--sort of as a game. for a while in the beginning cayenne was in the lead with several more falls than me, then somewhere are central virginia the gravity was not my friend, and i fell a quite a few times in a row taking the lead. but now, pa has taken its toll. the current count is cayenne 12, tailgate 9.oh the thunderstorms never leave us alone. sigh. just before the shelter we get stuck in a pretty intense storm--but this time we don't stop moving, we ust keep going. lighting was loud and all around and the rain and wind were just whipping at us. in moments we were drenched. we got to the shelter to find vachon, the thinker, and spidey and no-amp!! all dry of course--they got to the shelter before the sky opened up. we haven't seen spidey and no-amp in ages. wow. so cool.we train hike it into wind gap and decide to have a slumber party at the gateway motel. vachon, thinker stayed with us in a TINY room, it was both frustrating and fun. and nice to be out of the thunderstorm.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-18
From: wind gap

To: delware water gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: few clouds

rocky. it's not news anymore, it's still rocky. and they just hurt. oh the soles of my feet are sore and tender. my ankles are swollen and stoved, and both of our shoes are in serious need of some glue. we walked most of the day with thinker and vachon which was really cool. we don't get to actually hike the day with people, and so it was a really nice change.we are staying at the church of the mountain hostel--a really cool place. and tomorrow we leave PA!! thank god!! we know the rocks aren't going to end, but at least we will psychologically be relieved to be out of pa. ugh.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-19
From: delware water gap

To: backpacker campsite
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: scattered clouds

we got a shuttle into nearby stroudsburg and ate lunch with vachon and thinker. then went to the mall to buy a new camera. erg. it's so frustrating to spend money on things that are unexpected. also, the socks we bought 270 miles ago are dead--so we had to buy new ones. we left pa!! with much delight. climbed up the hill in muggy weather packing out water to the campsite that is waterless. this place is packed!!!! there are so many weekenders. wow.saw brahma bull ans sweet tater, but couldn't convince them to stay with us, they pushed on. that's alright, we'll catch 'em tomorrow. met a coulpe of really nice ridgerunner today.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-20
From: backpacker campsite

To: crater lake
Miles today: 15.0

woah today was HOT!!!! we were moving really slow today--it's just so hard to walk in this heat. especially over all these rocks. we were out of camp today at 9:30 and met up with spidey and no-amp at sunfish pond where we needed to get water. so they along with thinker and vachon and cayenne and i walked most of the day together. we stopped at the mohican center and had a delicious sandwich and some awesome trailmagic--watermelon and cookies!!!later we stopped and took a break in a huge blackberry patch. we ate a few but thinker was picking a water bottle full so that we would have dessert for dinner that night. he's such a sweetie.we camped at crater lake and who was there?...sweet potato and brahma bull!!! yay. it's the gerogia crew back together again. the 8 of us hiked together in georgia off and on, and it's just so cool, cause all of us started within 4 days of each other and we like each other's company.and just as we are coooking dinner a thunderstorm rolls in. tailgate
Date: 2008-07-21
From: crater lake

To: mashipacong shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: broken clouds

today was a decent day--it was hot, and again there were parts of the day that were rocky and difficult. but we were with our friends for most of the day and that makes everything better. also, the terrain today was pretty cool, there were more vistas and a wider variety of things to look at. the forests are changing. it's nice to leave the long green tunnel for a day at least.we had lunch at gyps tavern at the road crossing which was great. but what was even better was that it is on the lake and we saw the dock and the inflatable raft in shape of a cell phone and decided that we would be crazy to not get in. so we jumped in the water and swam around a while until the bar tender came and told us to get out. she was cool though. but it was nice--especially considering it's better several sweaty days since we've showered.we had to pack out a ton of water--cause the water in this area is really not very good--very sparse. we climbed up the fire town at the top of the hill and had a really nice view--the first one in a while. then we hoofed it to the shelter before dark. the mosquitoes at the shelter were really out of control though--it was as if the bug spray didn't even phase them. we are both covered in bites. also, the ticks in this area are everywhere. i have lot count of how many we have pulled off each other. ugh. they're so gross.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-22
From: mashipacong shelter

To: unionville, NY
Miles today: 14.3

we hiked into unionvilled today. and we're staying with the mayor of the town!! no joke--he's a freaking sweetheart and loves hikers. he has converted his basement into a bunkroom but we are tenting out back. he and his "outhouse crew", butch and bill, fed us and took us to town.the rocks are starting to get to us....sure they will end. and then they sort of did.....we had a few good miles after high point state park of relatively nice walking. it was good to have a break.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-23
From: unionville, NY

To: unionville, NY
Miles today: 0.0

sweet potato and brahma bull were on their way out. thinker, vachon, cayenne and i were struggling to find the motivation to walk considering that we had a standing offer from the mayor to stay another day--and the weather report didn't look pleasant. infact, there were all kinds of flood warnings fo the area. so we zeroed at the mayor's house and watched walking with freedom (an AT movie by lion king).tailgate
Date: 2008-07-24
From: unionville, NY

To: waywayanda mtn
Miles today: 13.2

oh man, it POURED on us this morning. we were totally drenched within the first half hour of hiking. we hiked with thinker and vachon all day long. the wildlife refuge was pretty cool and the sun came out a bit later and we had a chance to dry off. we finally walked across the famous new jersey boardwalk that goes through the "marshy bog." during the walk thinker informed us that actually there is no such thing as a marshy bog--it's one or the other--a marsh or a bog. we stopped at this market called heaven hill--and let me tell you--they named it correctly. there is nothing more spectacular than hiking all morning, soaking wet, then drying out in the hot sun, felling thirsty and hungry and then rolling up to a market where there is fresh fruit, ice cream and sodas. yuuuuummmmm.we spent a long time at heaven hill--and then finally hiked out up the mountain. we camped just at the top just as the sun was going down.
Date: 2008-07-25
From: waywayanda mtn

To: wildcat shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

GOODBYE NEW JERSEY!!! hello new york. oh we were so excited to get into new york--and then new york gave us quite a fanfare. that fanfare was rocky climb after rocky climb. damn. today was a pretty rough day. we slept in a bit this morning because unlike most nights--we slept really well.   early on in the day i twisted my ankle pretty bad. both cayenne and i frequently roll our ankles (it's inevitable really) but we have been able to avoid any serious injury when it happens. this one was a bit scarier--but it's not injured--just a bit sore. oh there are so many times when the trail tries to take us out!!--but not today trail!! oh no.it really wasn't my day though--while we were up on the rocks i got stung by a honeybee. and so this is the 3rd time that i have been stung on this trip by a honeybee--cayenne hasn't been stung once. fortunately i'm allergic to all bees, EXCEPT honeybees. i guess i'm just too sweet. we kept hiking and arrived at a creamery and enjoyed some delicious ice cream. then we met pete and his wife. pete is the trail supervisor for the area and he and his wife gave us a ride to the grocery store and back--which was really nice, because we really needed it. we got back to the creamery at dark and night hiked the 2 miles to the shelter. and luckily thinker keeps superfunk monkey on the outside of his tent--so we set up right beside him. like cayenne said, it's better to wake up someone you know, than someone you don't--and thinker was very forgiving. tailgate
Date: 2008-07-26
From: wildcat shelter

To: monroe. NY
Miles today: 5.0

oh. rough day. rough rough day. our morale is low. my ankle hurts. the terrain BLOWS. it's so rocky. we hitched a ride to a motel. it took us 3 hours to get a ride before dave finally picked us up. he was a breath of fresh air after all the people driving by in their lexus and mercedes threw their noses to the air and drove by. one guy and his wife actually stopped to pick us up and when cayenne warned them that we were a bit smelly he said, "oh really? well i just got cleaned up." so we told them to just leave. i mean, seriously, did they expect that after hiking for days we would smell like roses? ugh. it's clear that we are close to NYC.we at the american budget inn--trying to get our shit together and get in better moods.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-27
From: monroe. NY

To: john and susans's
Miles today: 16.7

we arranged a slackpack today--and it was so worth it. john and susan are trail angels that live in the area and offer their home to hikers. so john picked us up at the hotel and took our stuff to his house. we got dropped off at the trail and hiked south back to their house. the first part of the day was alright. the terrain is changing. for so long (since PA) we have been basically walking on the tops of ridges, and now we are climbing up and down all day--so our it's like we are getting into shape all over again. the last part of the day was super rocky--there is a climb that we had to do that was about 500 ft elevation gain in like .4 miles--and it's actually called "agony grind." and it was.we walked back to john and susans and were welcomed with such care and hospitality. they are great, we got to sleep in a bed in one of their spare rooms, got a shower, did laundry and FEASTED. they fed us so well. and we really enjoyed hanging out with them. it has been such a treat to meet so wonderful people who have taken us into their homes.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-28
From: john and susans's

To: graymoor spiritual center
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

wheh! another rough day. who hates new york? we do. we had 4 pretty decent climbs today adn they worked us over. bear mountain was pretty tough. on the way down it, cayenne's knee started acting weird and really giving her trouble. so we took a break and did the rest of the day pretty slow. the trailside museum was, well, it was interesting. it's full of injured or orphaned animals that inhabit the area that the trail goes through. and it's crawling with kids and loud families--it was a bit surreal. we made it to the graymoor center just before dark and tented in the ball field. we were happy to see sweet bull and vachon, adn then found holler!!! it was good ot see him.tailgate
Date: 2008-07-29
From: graymoor spiritual center

To: cold spring, NY
Miles today: 0.0

woke up this morning and cayenne's knee was even worse. we walked up to the center where pixie was holed up with a back injury and spend some time visiting with her. then we started to hike out and poor cayenne was just having a hard time, even without her pack. so we decided to take the day off to rest her knee. not really sure what the issue is, but whatever it is, we don't want to push it.we found a "cheap" hotel in cold spring and spent the day there. we met hope and her daughters--they are gems. they drove us all around town and then to the hotel. we were so lucky to meet them. we may visit with them tomorrow as well.and by the way, cold spring is freaking cute!!tailgate
Date: 2008-07-30
From: cold spring, NY

To: Cold Spring, NY
Miles today: 0.0

Wow. It is great to sleep in. After our new friend Hope dropped us off at the motel, she offered to pick us up in the morning and hang out at her house. We took her up on it.Hope, her husband Al and their two daughters, Reina and Matisse, spent the day at a fair while we watched DVD's at their home. When the kids came back we spent the evening playing with them. Matisse decided that I was her new sticker book and covered me with pictures of every animal imaginable. I didn't mind.Cayenne
Date: 2008-07-31
From: Cold Spring, NY

To: Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Miles today: 12.9

We hiked pretty slow today in order to take it easy on my knee. Its feeling better now. I think it may have just needed a little rest and vitamin I. We ran out of ibuprofen for awhile and I think it helps keep the swelling down, so I'm sticking with the buddies. We call ibuprofen our buddies ever since a guy named Cheeseburger pulled out a huge bag of them in the Smokies and said, "This is my I-da-profen and I don't go anywhere without my buddies!"There was a fair bit of up and down today, but we were rewarded with a ton of raspberries. We grazed all day, and it was yummy.The day ended with a dip in the lake at the Fahnestock beach and a hot shower. We're tenting at the campground for free. Free has become my favorite word.Cayenne
Date: 2008-08-01
From: Clarence Fahnestock State Park

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up pretty late today, but were still able to get a decent amount of miles in. Twinkle Toes and Voo Doo were able to yogi some breakfast from the weekend campers near us. The early bird catches the worm I guess We didn't see anyone on the trail all day. Strange. Twinkle Toes and Voo Doo were at the RPH shelter when we got there. What a shelter it is. Its totally enclosed, has a water pump, and a grill. Too bad we couldn't stay.We did splurge on sandwiches at the deli on NY52 for dinner. and later set up our tent in the dark. Not a bad day.Cayenne
Date: 2008-08-02
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: NY22
Miles today: 10.7

Thunderstorms are messing with our mojo. Everytime, we work up a modicum of momentum it gets biblical on us. We got up early, but by midmorning it was pouring and the lightning was frightening. At one point Rie dropped her poles and started to run, but we couldn't really go anywhere because it was happening all around us. We finally made it to the shelter and sat there for an hour and a half. Slow Train, Easy Does It, and Bear Bait showed up not long after and we had a nice reunion.We were totally soaked but pushed on to NY22. At this point we planned to go further but were both pretty close to a breakdown. The trail is getting to us.Cayenne