morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-20
From: 501 Shelter

To: Unnamed campsite after Phillips Canyon Springs
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

Giuseppe and I didn't start hiking until 7:30 AM. It's later than we like to get going but it happens sometimes. My feet are really sore from all of the rocks yesterday. During the first half hour of hiking I wasn't sure how big hold up for the day. Once I stopped, adjusted my insoles, and retightened my leases my feet felt much better.As usual, it was Rocky. Despite the terrible footing we made really great time. We banged out 15 miles by 1 p.m. At 1 PM we stopped at a shelter for more water and a lunch break. It was way too early to call it a day though. We pushed on. We hiked another 5 miles with the goal of finding Phillips Canyon Spring. It was dry when we arrived. It was okay since we packed in extra quart of water. We knew it may be dry because the guide showed it as unreliable. As much as I hate carrying extra water it's important that I did.Other than the rocks the day went well. It was in the 60s with the breeze and there were Lady Slippers every mile we walked. It was a really nice day to be on the trail.Tomorrow is going to be short on the miles busy during the day. Resupply, eat fast food, charge my phone, go to the library, and hit the post office are all on my to do list. I'm glad it's going to be nice out tomorrow.
Date: 2015-05-21
From: Unnamed campsite after Phillips Canyon Springs

To: Hamburg, PA
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I don't feel so good. I went to bed last night but I ended up being awake almost the entire night. I felt like I was getting sick. Despite how I was feeling. The day was busy.It was a quick 4 mile hike into Port Clinton, PA where just Giuseppe and I would then hitch into Hamburg, PA. As we were walking down the street, there was this little, old-school barber shop. The guy that advertises it with free cookies, coffee, and phone charging for hikers. As we were about to pass it, the owner came over and invited us in. I must say that going in with an absolute blast.When I walked in the first thing I saw were the old-fashioned barber's chair's. There were two that sat there ready for customers. As I looked passed them I could see a couple guitars on stands. To the right, on the wall, were autographs a famous movie stars. This was the type of place you go just to hang around and see the people. In fact, the owner welcomes it. Sometimes he'll have bands that play even while cutting your hair. It was a unique place and I'm glad I was able to see it. I wish I could've stayed longer. I can say, if I am ever in this area I will absolutely go back. We left the barbershop and headed over to Cabelas where just Seppi needed a few items. Cabela's actually picked us up and brought us to the store. It is their largest store at 250,000 square feet. It also accommodates 2100 parking spots! It was unreal.We left Cabela's and took a walk to the Walmart in the same plaza. We were resupplying but I was not feeling so good still. I could tell I was getting sick and I'm starting to have a fever. I made the decision to stay the night at the closest hotel. As much as I would've liked to have kept hiking I knew it would be best to relax.With resupply complete, we checked into the Microtel Inn broke down all of our food. All I wanted to do was lay down but we still had a bunch of things to do. We took some of our food and headed to the post office to mail ourselves some items at Delaware water gap PA. We figured it would be best to do that so we do not have to waste a day taking buses just to resupply and then get out of town. Unfortunately that means more time that I do not get to laydown and relax.The last thing to do was go to the library to print, sign, scan and send back to Nikki. She is taking care of the important things I am unable to do because I am on the trail.Finally, chores around town are done. Unfortunately I still needed to do laundry before I could lay down and relax. It seems like the day we didn't end. I was very very busy.I'm not sure what I'm going to feel like tomorrow. I'm going to be keeping it at 15 miles if I feel decent.
Date: 2015-05-22
From: Hamburg, PA

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

I feel better. Not great, just better. Fever is gone or at leased down a bit. I took a Motrin all night, drink power aid and ate a bunch of crackers. I didn't even get the McDonald's I was craving¢¦ That's how you can tell I really wasn't feeling good.I hung around the room until about 10 AM. I didn't want to force or rush myself today. Giuseppe and I split the room last night but she left earlier. I just still needed to relax.It was 2 miles from the motel back to the trailhead. I wasn't about to walk in so I went over to the Road, Route 61. I stuck my thumb out looking for a ride and in about 10 minutes I had one. Two guys from the area gave me a lift to the trailhead. It was supposed to be a tough hitch, talking to other hikers. Sometimes things just work out for me.Back at the trailhead I had to pass by thebarbershop from yesterday. The owner was outside so I stopped and talked to him for a few minutes. I just thanked him for his hospitality and friendliness to hikers. One thing he said was "catch you on the rebound in life". I'm not sure the hundred percent meaning of it yet. I'm going to have to really think about what he said. From the barbershop it was a quick walk down to thetrail to a large, couple mile climb. I was on my own and just took my time. I was in no rush and I didn't have to feel any pressure of keeping up with anyone else. The big climb turned out to be no big deal. It was a smart choice taking it slow.I had a couple nice views along the way. I also had a stretch of flat road for 5 miles. I think it used to be an old homestead or town road. Now it's an access road. Either way, it wasn't Rocky and there wasn't much elevation change. Pennsylvania finally did something right!I made it to the shelter and I'm camping across the street in the grass actually. The shelter is is actually right off the road in next to someone's house. The person who lives in the house is the caretaker for the shelter. It is busy here but I had some great conversation with some other hikers. It was a great way to end the night.
Date: 2015-05-23
From: Eckville Shelter

To: George W. Outbridge Shelter
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: scattered clouds

George W Outbridge shelter. 24.2 miles. ShelterI was in a piss poor mood all day. The trail was the most rocky it's been yeah. I hated every step of this day. Plus, my ankle was again a bit swollen when I woke up. Again, for no reason. At least it wasn't as bad as before. It must be because of the rocks.There's not much to write other than it was a tough day. I hiked slow and didn't have a ton of energy. I thinkbpushing myself hard has caught up to me a little bit. That could be why I was not feeling so good.Tonight I'm ending the night in the shelter. It's me, Z, K2, and Sunshine. Apparently there is a stubborn bear on the hill behind the shelter. I guess it's a good thing I'm here.Tomorrow has to be better, and will be better, for sure!
Date: 2015-05-24
From: George W. Outbridge Shelter

To: Leroy A. Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

Sunday, May 24, 2015. Leroy a Smith shelter. 16.7. ShelterI got up this morning and was ready to hit the trail. All of a sudden Giuseppe pointed out a bear. It was about 50 yards from the shelter and headed over to the spring. With it being so dry out they are going anywhere for water.I had a tough day today. The miles went by super slow. The rocks were brutal and I had to carry more water. The stretches lately have had either no water sources are springs that are dried up. I hate having to ration or carry extra water.The highlight of the day was when I met a couple days hikers. We chatted for a bit about the hike and they gave me some trail match. I was given a bottle of water and some fruit. It was a great treat!I'm staying in the shelter with Sunshine, Z, Bearfish, K2 Giuseppe. We are packed in, shoulder to shoulder this small shelter. It's been fun hanging out having dinner with them though. Let's see how tomorrow goes.
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

Happy Memorial Day everyone!I got up late today. My energy has been down so I slept in a bit. It was okay though. I wasn't planning on a big day.I hit the trail and within a couple miles came a view. It overlooked a busy city below. Cars zooming on the interstate and I was able to see businesses and houses. It was interesting looking down and seeing life in a completely different way then I'm living right now. It was also interesting that on the other side of the trail was a view, but much different. It was in farmland and rural America. So close yet so different.As I sat and enjoyed the view of the city, K2 arrived. We talked for half hour or so. We had real, in-depth, conversation. Often times I meet people in passing, shelters, or hostels even. Unfortunately the conversations are superficial and often short. There is no real substance. This conversation was real though. I'm glad we got to talk for a bit. I haven't done that in quite some time.I left the view and a couple miles later came to Windy Gap, Pennsylvania. At the trailhead was some trail magic. Excellent! I treated myself to a Coke, a Mug, and a tangerine. It was perfect. There was a large climb immediately following the trail magic so it was great to have that extra fuel and motivation. I also received a text from a hiker named Stetch. We hiked together for many miles until his section was complete at Damascus, VA. It was a great surprise. If you read any of my previous journal entries (prior to Virginia), you will hear about our hikes together. We became good friends and it was pretty sad when he had to leave. It was great to hear from him again.Pennsylvania is been tough on the body and tough on the mind. No big deal though. I'm still having fun every day!
Date: 2015-05-26
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 6.4

It was a nice day today. I got up at 5:15am and hit the trail and hour later. I wanted to make it to Delaware Water Gap as early as possible. Giuseppe and I had a food mail-drop at the Post Office. We figured it would be easiest to ship ourselves food here so we can just grab it and go in the morning. However he stayed in Delaware Water Gap last night and I was still on the mountain six miles away. I wanted to get there ASAP so he could grab it and as I was planning to stay at the hostel.The trail was mainly downhill into DWG. I headed to the Church of the Mountain Hostel where I am staying the night. When I arrived, Giuseppe already hit the Post Office. He not only grabbed the food box, he grabbed the box of new shoes Nikki sent me. It worked out really well. That was one less stop for me.The first thing I did when I arrived at the hostel was gather up my dirty clothes to go in the laundry. However, there is no laundry in the hostel so I had to walk a few minutes to the Pocono Inn where they open up their coin-laundry to hikers. Actually, on the way down, there was this local bakery and food shop. I heard nothing but fantastic things so I had to stop. I grabbed a hot dog, a piece of apple pie and a strawberry cloud (puff pastry)...it was AMAZING! Anyway, at the Inn I threw on my rain gear. They act as clothes I wear when I do laundry.With laundry complete, I headed back to the hostel. I needed a shower...bad. It's not so much that I smell (although I do, I'm sure). It's actually my backpack that smells. By contact, it makes me smell. I mean, it gets rained on, drys out, gets rained on, drys out, gets sweaty. Now repeat. When I get home I am surely washing my backpack!Now all clean, with clean clothes, Giuseppe, Bearfish and I hit Walmart to resupply. Also, there was a McDonalds in the Walmart. Some have a Subway or whatnot but this was perfect! It satisfied my McDonalds craving I had this entire week. I was in heaven.Back at the hostel I broke down my food. I remove all items from their packages, separate all the items for each day, repack items to save weight or split large packages of food into multiple bags, etc. It's not a five minute process. The food I purchased will get me to Vernon, NJ where my next resupply will be. Then I got my evening stuff ready and updated my previous days Trailjournal. Overall, it's a great day to relax!
Date: 2015-05-27
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Campsite after Buttermilk Falls
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: overcast clouds

What a fantastic day! 15 minutes after leaving the hostel I crossed the Delaware River Bridge. On that bridge...the boundary line for PA and NJ. I officially am done with Pennsylvania and on to New Jersey! It's a monumental day. PA has been extremely rough and I'm looking forward to a new state. It's crazy when I think...I just walked from Georgia to New Jersey.It's starting to feel like home. As I get further north, many things have changed from 1,300 miles ago. Now I am seeing license plates I am familiar with. I see people walking around with Yankees shirts even. The southern accents are gone. I don't feel out of place. I am within a couple hundred physical miles but I feel like I am almost home. It's a really nice feeling.The trail is rocky, and I expect it to still be. However, there were less rocks. NOTHING is as bad as the PA rocks. New Jersey is already better. I had views and even a pond I could stand at and admire. It was a welcomed changed.As the day went I, I ran into over 100 high school freshman on a backpacking trip. They were from a prep school in Newark. It's a requirement that they must do this multi-day backpacking trip or they do not graduate. There were some students who were dead tired but talking to some, they were having a great time. I thought it was pretty cool. It was also cool when they asked to know my trail name how long I've been on the trail...it's 86 days, just in case you wanted to know!As the day was coming to an end, the rain showed up. It was really sudden and rained heavily for an hour. I was 100% soaked. The good thing is that it stopped a bit later. I then set up my tent and had some dinner. It looks like it's me, Giuseppe, Bearfish and Sweetblood crashing the night in the night.Looking forward to tomorrow!
Date: 2015-05-28
From: Campsite after Buttermilk Falls

To: Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I hate putting on wet clothes. That's the way it went this morning, though. Everything was, as expected, soaked from the downpours yesterday. Having wet clothes isn't terrible because they dry as I walk. However the humidity was extremely high and they didn't really dry when I hiked. On top of that, the bushes and grass along side of the trail were still wet I stayed wet as I brushed by them.I had a big issue today though: my feet. The replacement shoes Salomon sent me are waterproof. I do not like waterproof shoes because they don't dry if the insides get wet. Because the rain was so it, the water went down my legs and into my shoes. Today I put the shoes on and wore them as normal. I expected they'd dry to some degree last night. Nope, I was wrong. They didn't dry one bit. My feet were wet and stayed wet the entire day. Finally at about 1:00pm I had an idea: cut holes in my new shoes. So, I did. I made a ton of slices in them. I'll find out in the morning if they dry.Since my feet were wet all day, the skin was soft and they hurt really bad. I needed to take a couple breaks even. Despite the feet issue, the day was still nice. There were some beautiful views of Culver Lake. I could see from the ridge line I was on that there were boats in the water and the lake was active. OH! There are tons of blueberry bushes along the trail. They are starting to bud. I'm looking forward to fresh bluberries as I walk!So far I'm liking New Jersey. I just wish there was a White Castle close! I'll have to settle for Burger King on Saturday.
Date: 2015-05-29
From: Rutherford Shelter

To: Pochuck Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

A short journal entry, but better than nothing! Right?It was a really nice day on the trail. It was sunny with a breeze. It was a great day for a walk in the woods...if you have bugspray though! They're out.There were a couple views today. The one I was really looking forward to came just a few hours out from camp. It was of the High Point Monument. It's a 220' stone monument resembling the Washington Monument to some point. It's at the highest point in New Jersey and is amazing to see. It's an amazing structure to think of it from an architectural standpoint too. I've been looking forward to seeing it for over a year now. When I was section hiking New York a long while back, I could see it from many miles away. Finally, I saw it in person. The day concludes with some rice sides for dinner and some H2O. I am going to try and change up my dinner selections. Some are getting repetitive after 1,300 miles. Also, I think I'm going to add more Snickers bars to my daily food bag. It's for physiological and physical support! MMMMM!!!!
Date: 2015-05-30
From: Pochuck Mountain Shelter

To: St. Thomas Episcopal Hostel
Miles today: 6.5

Another short day but a good day at that! These 6 miles aren't going to cut it but I surely need the calories. That's why going into town is such a great idea.It was a pretty cool walk today. I got to see some old shells of cars in the woods. They must of been there for decades. I love seeing that type of stuff. The hike also had a couple very long boardwalks. I believe New Jersey has the longest boardwalk on the entire Appalachian Trail. It's pretty cool. It is a nice change from the wood sometimes.Once I got out of the woods, it took me less than 15 minutes to get a hitch into town. Former through hiker, Friar, brought me to the St. Thomas Episcopal Hostel. It was really nice of him. He is a former thru-hiker and a member of this parish.This hostel has absolutely everything a hiker needs and more: laundry, shower, floorspace, computer, Wi-Fi, etc. They only ask for a $10 donation too. That's extremely helpful to hikers and generous on their part. Many other hostels along the way you do not get half of that and you pay twice that.Once settled into the hostel with laundry done and a warm shower, it was off to pound down the calories. I first started at Burger King. I had a couple burgers, some nuggets and some onion rings. After I digested little while, their fish and I went to a pizza place and I ate a large margarita pizza. I must say, the further north I move the better the pizza is¢¦ Thank God! Anyway, the pizza was excellent but I wasn't finished. As I left the pizza place I went back to Burger King for a chicken sandwich and a piece of peanut butter pie. I could've continued to eat, and eat, and eat. If I didn't already spent $30 on food already I would have eaten more.There are a couple other hikers with me. Here tonight is New Song, an ultralight thru hiker. We shared gear tips for a while. It was really helpful for both of us. Also here is Bearfish, Magic Man and Shadow.Tomorrow is only going to be about 17 miles. I need to ratchet them up soon. Back in Connecticut soon, but New York starts tomorrow.
Date: 2015-05-31
From: St. Thomas Episcopal Hostel

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Other than the rain, it was a great day! I woke up feeling great. I ate thousands of calories yesterday and my body really needed them. They gave me fuel to burn today. I was running a calorie deficit before. You definitely feel the difference the next day.Before I left the hostel, Bearfish and I walked over to Burger King for some more calories. It can't hurt, right? But after we got our food we still needed to get a hitch a mile and a half back to the trail. I told him I'll get a hitch¢¦Within 10 minutes. Truth be told, exactly 10 minutes later a woman pulled over and brought us to the trail. She loved hearing about our hikes. It was fun to talk to her too. We were dropped off at the trailhead and our boots were on our feet. We were on the ground hiking up the trail at 8 AM. We didn't hike together the entire day but a bit at the beginning. On our own, we hiked the 9.1 miles to the border of New Jersey and New York. It was awesome to complete one more state! I loved the AT in New York when I hiked it before. It was great to be back in familiar territory.The trail had sections of scrambling and large rocks. With those challenges came rewarding views however. I came across K2 on one of those views. We hiked together for a few hours to the shelter.On the way to the shelter the gray clouds opened up. It was very humid all day so when the rain came down it came down hard. There was no way of escaping it. The thing is, I either fight it or roll with it. So¢¦ I roll with it. It doesn't matter if I get wet because I will have on dry clothes when I go to bed. Also, we really need the rain. Springs and streams are now unreliable. The streams and springs that are running, are running very slow. The intense rain helps the water situation but it makes footing extremely difficult. With the scrambles and slick rock we had to navigate, there were a few points were it was slightly dangerous. I made it through safely though.The shelter has me, Bearfish, K2, and two other hikers. They all went to bed early but I stayed up to plan for the upcoming days. I hope to hit Connecticut on Friday. Actually, that is my game plan. Then home Sunday. Can't wait!
Date: 2015-06-01
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

It was a little chilly this morning. My closer still a bit wet from the rain yesterday too. I've come to the understanding that it is what it is. No need to complain, just hike.I'm very glad I stayed in the shelter last night. The rain came down in buckets. It was a full on thunderstorm. It was comforting knowing I didn't have to worry about my gear getting wet for me either. There were some section hikers camping in the storm however. They must've been soaked to the core.I left the shelter about 7:30 AM and hiked with K2 today. At one point we met Bearfish at a road crossing so then the three of us hike together. We relied on each other today. When it was helping each other physically get through section or even just for moral support. It helped. The terrain was extremely technical and rocky. The footing was difficult. The rocks were slick from the rain last night. It was more difficult because the trail was flooded too. It was in some sort of stream for the entire day.Because of the poor trail conditions and the desire not to slip and fall, it was very slow going. I only did 14 miles in eight hours. We also needed to take a detour from the trail, making the miles a bit longer: the stream after East Mombasha Road was dangerous. It was deep and now flowing too fast to ford safely. Slipping would result in injury and being soaked for the day¢¦Gear too. We had to take a road walk adding a mile to the trip.It rained on us a bit during the roadwalk. In fact it was supposed to rain all day. Thankfully it held out most of the day or just rained a bit. It made getting to camp much better.Once we arrived at camp, it was time to start getting settled in for the night. It was early though. I wanted to press on 5.2 more miles. I have a few goals of where I want to be, but the weather and terrain made me call it an earlier day. It changed up my game plan a bit but that's The AT! I just have to roll with whatever comes my way. It's truly a day-by-day adventure. I love it!At camp it's raining and we expect rain tonight and tomorrow. I'm glad I didn't push on those extra 5.2 miles. It is pouring. But each day is something new, exciting, difficult, and fun.