morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-06-17
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

I was on the trail just after six this morning because I had a plan. I was detouring into Luray to see the Caverns and, time permitting, the outfitter. In the morning I snapped off the broken bottom third of my trekking pole when my foot sipped and planted the pole in the ground. It flexed and severed the string that was unprotected without the blue sheath.I hitched into Luray after walking about five of the twelve miles because I didn't realize the four lane road turned into a curvy two lane road a quarter mile from the trail. I was more fortunate on the way back, only having to walk one mile. Thanks to Kerby and Roy Stanley for the rides in and out of Luray. The detour was well worth it even though I couldn¢t get a hold of Black Diamond by phone on a Sunday. I did have time to resupply at WalMart and eat at McDonald's before heading back. I also finally remembered to offer gas money on the ride back.I stopped for the day at five because the next shelter was too far to hike too before nightfall and ran into a familiar face, Olympus, who is headed south on his flip flop. I'm at a good distance from the last wayside so I should be able to stop for a second breakfast in the morning. I texted my sister and will try to meet her in New Jersey before the fourth.
Date: 2012-06-18
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 31.7
Weather: light rain

I had another unplanned thirty mile day. The last shelter's water source was basically a puddle, which did me no good, so I had to continue hiking. A thank you goes out to the guy who left the giant water bucket next to the fence after leaving the Shenandoahs. I would not have made it to the last shelter before the thunderstorm without it. The morning started off in a foggy rain which was great for wildlife siting. I got a video of a doe and two small fawns in the middle of the trail before turning a corner to find a bear blocking my path. Unfortunately, my phone was packed away due to the rain and mist. It didn¢t even move until I said ¢hey bear. I got my big breakfast at the wayside but it was too cold to enjoy a dollar beer. I dried my tent at lunch but wound up in a shelter at night due to not wanting to set up in a lightning storm. I actually ran parts of the last few miles to shelter to beat the rain. After dinner, I couldn¢t find my iPhone in the shelter and for a second I thought it may have fallen out of my jacket while running to the shelter. That would have been a disaster as it was raining and I was not looking forward to having to do another four miles to look for it. Thankfully, it was in my sleeping bag. Between the black bag lining, phone and rain gear I may to need expand the colors I select for my gear.Random note:I'm starting to find ticks on me; one small and one big one in last few days.
Date: 2012-06-19
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I tried to shower at the shelter but it was too cold and the stink from my clothes immediately transferred back to me. I detoured for donuts at Apple House in the morning. Thanks to the dudes who eventually drove me each way but I still wound up walking three of the four miles. I don't regret it but it wasn't worth it. It finally got hot today, which made for a long slow day after yesterday's mileage. Tomorrow is supposed to be worse. I did manage to get cell service on the trail and now have a replacement pole on its way to The Doyle. At the end of the day, I found more small ticks on my lower legs.
Date: 2012-06-20
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Harper's Ferry-Town's Inn
Miles today: 30.2

The worst days on the trail for me are the ones where I think my hike might be over. I was on the trail just after six to try and get through the roller coaster before the heat arrived. At around ten, it felt like I got bit by something and I actually dropped to the ground to take my shoe off and check the back of my heel. I took an extensive snack break thirty minutes later to decide whether to stop at the hostel or try and make it as close to Harper's Ferry as I could in case it flared up and was worse tomorrow. I chose the latter and limped for about four hours, rather slowly, while looking at my map for a place to get off the trail, if necessary.Once the trail flattened out, I checked my pace and found I was up to three miles per hour so I decided to try and hike the last nine miles into Harper's Ferry before dark. It was in the high nineties today and should be the same for tomorrow, but for some reason I didn¢t feel it. I guess hiking around Atlanta last summer prepared me for this. I passed a 1000 mile sign and reached the hostel in Harper's Ferry around seven-thirty. I hope my heel feels better after a night of rest and a zero in DC tomorrow without wearing a pack.
Date: 2012-06-21
From: Harper's Ferry-Town's Inn

To: Harper's Ferry-Town's Inn
Miles today: 0.0

I spent between seven-thirty and five in Washington DC. Even though my Achilles acted up as soon as I got off the train caused me to limp, it didn't stop me from visiting the Museums of Natural History and Arts to avoid the heat after I had walked around the Mall, Senate, Washington Monument, Reflection Pool, Lincoln Memorial and White House. I took a picture outside of Ford¢s Theatre and found the sports arena in case I ever come back. I resupplied at CVS before returning via train to Harper's Ferry.For the second night in a row, I had a nice meal out. Unfortunately, my heel had swollen by the end of day. This is a problem. If its not better in the morning I may have to take another zero, although I hope to leave tomorrow after visiting the ATC Headquarters and the outfitter.
Date: 2012-06-22
From: Harper's Ferry-Town's Inn

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

I got my picture taken at the ATC headquarters this morning. I¢m #607. I was hiker #942 to check in at the Amicalola Visitor Center on April 19th. I've also managed to keep my weight at one hundred sixty-five pounds. I wanted to take another zero but the Inn was booked for the weekend so after having brunch and finishing my resupply at the outfitter I left town just after noon. However, I forgot to stop by the Post Office to mail home some maps, a mirror and my broken pole so I'm carrying some extra weight.My heel was still swollen but not as painful as a couple of days ago. I did take an ibuprofen for it but did not ice it. The late start made for a short ten mile day, as I stopped at a shelter when a storm approached. I carried three liters of water from the nearby park, which was an excellent decision as the shelters source was nearly dry. Luckily, that drove off the thirty scouts that were there when I arrived. I'm tenting but could have picked a better site as there is a dead branch, not a widow maker, in the tree above me.
Date: 2012-06-23
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Raven Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 25.6
Weather: few clouds

I was the last to leave the shelter at a quarter to seven. I would have liked to take it easy but with the longest days of the year, easy terrain and trail magic coolers along the way, I had plenty of energy. There was a lot of Civil War stuff today and the weather was great. I got a bag of almonds at the first road(left by another hiker), a soda and snack cakes from a cooler at the second and snickers and root beer at the third. There was also jugs of water before the last shelter, where I got cherries from a family of weekend hikers.I definitely felt some heat and itching in my Achilles today. Hopefully, there will be no swelling in the morning and I can hike through it. For the first time in a long time, there is no one at the shelter that I recognize. The weather was great today. I'd be happy if it stayed like this.
Date: 2012-06-24
From: Raven Rocks Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 25.4
Weather: broken clouds

I passed the Mason Dixon line today, after stopping to take a selfie, which means I'm in the North. I had a nice detour for some town food from the snack shack at the park before Quarry Gap Shelter. I could have continued but decide to stop and set up my tent when I heard thunder. I passed the rest of the evening playing chess with another hiker, Animal.There's a blister on my left foot where the sole of the shoe is separating and my Achilles is still sore, but not swollen. Hopefully, with good weather I can get through the rocks of Pennsylvania with these shoes before I have to replace them and start tearing up the next pair.
Date: 2012-06-25
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 32.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Half way there! The half way marker blends in with the trees around it so it sneaks up on you. When I arrived, I could hardly believe it. Since no one else was there I spend several minutes trying to get a good selfie. I'm now close to Katahdin than Springer!.Half Gallon Challenge completed (in forty minutes)! I rattled off seventeen miles by noon, stopping at the last shelter to snack on some Reese's Pieces to stop my stomach from growling. I chose to do four pints of ice cream, Mint Green Tea, Chocolate Cookie Dough, Creamy Chocolate and Chocolate Brownie, since the only half gallon flavor they had left was vanilla. Thanks to Shaggy for taking the picture of me with the empty pints and Trekking Pole for confirming the number of pints was four when he saw me starting out with only two, in case I got full halfway.The Iron Mason hostel looked like a nice place to stop but it was early, noon, and I needed to, very slowly, walk off the amount of ice cream I had just consumed. I wound up detouring to a deli for a sub and soda around six, taking a half of the sub with me to Kennedy Shelter for dinner.I am going to try and to make it to Duncannon tomorrow and keep up the mileage until I get to New York. I have a college friend there that I plan to stay with for a few days. Hopefully, that will be enough time for my heel to heal provided it holds up until then.
Date: 2012-06-26
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Duncannon - Doyle Hotel
Miles today: 29.6
Weather: overcast clouds

An animal, probably a deer, came into camp last night around one in the morning. Since my tent was closest, I flashed my headlight in it's direction in case it was a bear, but someone in shelter was much more worried than me, left their headlight on and built a fire to chase it away. I should thank them as I slept well for the remainder of the night. I need that after somebody decided to begin setting up their tent on the platform with mine last night, around ten-thirty, instead of walking the extra tenth of a mile to the group platform. I got lucky with seventy degree temperatures and a breeze for the hike through sixteen miles of farmland this morning. I stopped for lunch at the ATC site and was glad to see a pump for water since the streams around have signs warning of chemical runoff from the farmland. I stayed at Doyle Hotel, which was awesome! I know it¢s a dive and people¢s opinion of the place vary, usually based on what floor you stay, but at the moment I'm a dirty smelly hiker. My replacement trekking pole was there when I arrived, twenty-two ounce Yuenglings are three dollars, they let me eat a pizza that I bought elsewhere outside, I played pool with some other hikers, hopped on internet, bought a fuel canister there and none of that compares to the best part.I had forgotten I needed fuel until another hiker, Sparky, asked if they sold it, which they did. I also bought a canister and said to no one in particular, I've got my poles, I've got my fuel now all I need is to replace my shoes next chance I get and I'll be all set. That prompted the owner behind the bar, Vicki, to ask what size I wore before disappearing in the back. She cam back with a size 11 1/2 which were a little tight on me. She told me the hiker who sent them there had left the trail and was looking to get $40 dollars, half price, for them. She then returned with a pair of Merrills in size twelve, which after I went and put socks, on felt fine. I liked the Salomon brand but for the convenience factor I decided I'd get the Merrils. When I asked how much, she said they were free. I'm sure I stared at her dumbfounded until she told me they had been sent there by a hiker with no return address and after holding more expensive gear in the back for six months instead of putting them in the hiker box she gives them to a hiker who needs them. Trail Magic! I guess it pays to smile and be polite, like when I had to wait a while to check in and get service, or when I gave food, the slice of pizza I couldn't finish, to another hiker while repeating the rule he had to eat it outside before the owner could tell him it.
Date: 2012-06-27
From: Duncannon - Doyle Hotel

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

Before leaving town late this morning, I walked to the grocery store to resupply and the Post Office to mail home some maps. I didn't get a chance to do laundry as I feared it would have kept me in town too long and I would have stayed another day. After leaving the Post Office I walked straight out of town on the main road, a street over from the AT. I didn't realize it until I was almost out of town. Oh well, I'm no longer a purist. Outside the Post Office, I met Trippin' Yeti who is also planning on leaving the AT for a few days in New York around the same time as me so I will probably see him over the next few days.
Date: 2012-06-28
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: William Penn Shelter
Miles today: 31.4
Weather: scattered clouds

After yesterday's short day, today was a long one. Mudpie got up at four-thirty this morning so I got up near five and it worked out for a big mileage day. There were no shelters between my starting and ending points today which contributed to my early stop yesterday. I don't need to stay at shelters but I do need to stay near reliable water sources and it is easier to get reports from other hikers about the sources at the shelters. In fact, there was no water on the trail for the last thirteen to fourteen miles. It didn't help that I missed a blaze by an underpass and added a mile to that section hiking back to it. At the time I didn't know it, but Sparky had whistled at me when I missed the blaze. Stupidly I continued down the wrong path because I didn't see him. There were also no views to speak of today so there was no reason to stop and take a long break anywhere during the dayAfter dropping a banana on the trail yesterday, and having it returned to me, I had a piece of the broken pole I forgot to mail home fall out of my pack today. I need to be conscious of the things hanging off the back of my pack.I guess the Pennsylvania rocks have started. I¢ve finally gotten tired of bugs flying into my eyes. If this keeps up I may have to get one of those ridiculous looking bug nets although I don't want to and don't know when I'd ever use it again. I thought I could make it to New Jersey to meet up with my sister but I may miss her by a day or two.
Date: 2012-06-29
From: William Penn Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 27.8
Weather: overcast clouds

There was an awesome lightning show at three this morning! At first I thought I was awoken by a bunch of lightning bugs outside my tent until I looked outside to see the flashes. I could also see three or four more tents with people watching the show. It was also very windy so I packed up everything but my Thermarest, put on my hiking clothes and rain gear in case a strong storm hit and I needed to take down my tent and head to the shelter on the other side of the trail. I actually still sleep well. All we got was a little rain and the wind had blown my tent dry by the time I woke up. In the morning another hiker said he had heard the tornado siren go off in town during the night. He had checked the weather on his phone afterwards and apparently there were two red cells that passed on either side on the mountain we were camped atop. Unfortunately, the grass was wet from the storm and with the hole in the front of my shoe I had to stop several times to dry my feet.I made it to Pavillion in Port Clinton but not before having to detour through the woods to avoid a rattlesnake that wouldn¢t leave the trail and coiled after I hit it with a rock thrown in its direction. As I passed through the brush listening to his rattle it dawned on me that I hoped there weren't more snakes in the brush that I couldn't see. A thank you goes to the owner of the house in Port Clinton that lets hikers use the hose in his yard for water.
Date: 2012-06-30
From: Port Clinton

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: broken clouds

I was up early and walked a mile and a half into Hamburg to resupply at Walmart. I have to like twenty four hour stores where you can resupply before seven when you smell bad and want to avoid people, though I did have to apologize to the cashier who was forced to be within a few feet of me. I was wrong before. The rocks finally started around Dale¢s Pulpit. It was nice to have the two view points today for a change.
Date: 2012-07-01
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: George W Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I took an hour to boulder Knife¢s Edge and Bear Rocks today. It was a fun change from the rest of the state but my knees had enough with a full pack on my back. Thank you goes to Mike and Dan for the hiker feed at the road afterwards.My day ended my day at the shelter around two after sixteen miles when the ridge runner, Devo, informed me that it was twelve miles to the net water source and the trail on the other side of Lehigh Gap was exposed. It was already hot in the shade so I backtracked two minutes back to a good site to pitch my tent.My college friend has room for me through the sixteen of July so I've got a nice break coming once I get over the Bear Mountain Bridge.
Date: 2012-07-02
From: George W Outerbridge Shelter

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 30.5
Weather: few clouds

The boulder scramble or climb out of Lehigh Gap was cool and scary because of my lack of coordination with a fully loaded pack. Stupidly, I ventured down the steep half mile side trip for water, which caused both of my Achilles to flare up, instead of waiting until I got to the next shelter for lunch. Before lunch I also almost got lost going off trail for a rest stop. I wound up taking a bad angle back towards the trail after going around a fallen tree. I had to back track to the tree and recalculate the angle I took into the woods to find the trail. I still wound up fifty feet from where I left the trail although I wouldn't have actually gotten lost. The trail was overgrown with two feet brush so if someone had walked by I would have seen them, it's just the trail wasn't visible. Going forward, I'm leaving my pack within site of the trail and me within sight of my pack and hopefully out of view from anyone on the trail. After lunch, I thought today could be my last day on the trail again because I was limping so badly. I pretended I was walking near my neighborhood in Georgia in order to get through the last fourteen miles to the shelter. I had to stop using my poles because I thought they were part of the problem and my Achilles actually felt better without them. Thankfully, I made it to the Kirkridge shelter a little after eight.I pulled three ticks off my legs during the day; two in the morning and one in the evening. My shoes are shredded but they¢ve taken me almost nine hundred miles.
Date: 2012-07-03
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: DWG-Church hostel
Miles today: 6.4

I only hiked six miles but I still managed to miss a blaze and add ten minutes to the day. I took a picture of my Salomons before contributing them to the trash at the hostel, where I showered, washed my clothes in a bucket of soap and water and weighed myself. I'm at one hundred fifty-seven pounds which means I'm going on an eating spree the net day and a half. I have no idea when the last time I weighed that little. I'll guess high school. I'll need to figure out resupply, getting to WalMart, tomorrow. I texted my boss and I probably don¢t have to go back to work before the September fifteenth tax deadline so it looks like I'm off until January. Since there is no reason to hurry to the end I'm free to take whatever side trips I choose. I bought a tent repair kit to cover the hole in my fly.
Date: 2012-07-04
From: DWG-Church hostel

To: DWG-Church hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a day of rest, food and more food. Thanks to the woman at the Pack Shack for taking me to WalMart even though I was the only one for the shuttle. I took a nap at the hostel before cleaning my pack and its contents. After my second shower of the day my weight was back up to one hundred sixty eight pounds. Mission accomplished. My pack weight is at thirty-three and a half pounds excluding my shoes, sleeping bag and thermarest which are in the bunk room. I bought cannolis to eat for breakfast on the trail in the morning and went to sleep planning for an early start in the morning.
Date: 2012-07-05
From: DWG-Church hostel

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: clear sky

I quietly left the hostel and was on the at five-thrty. I finished my cannolis before crossing the bridge and entering New Jersey. My Achilles flared up again going up the first climb of the day and I can see this being a problem in the New England mountains if I get there.I missed seeing a family of bears because Amish had camped along the trail in New Jersey, got started about five minutes before I reached him and wound up chasing them off the trail before I caught up to him.I would have nearly stepped on rattlesnake in the grass next to the trail had I not heard it warn me. Thankfully, I noticed it a few feet away, took two steps to my left, slowly walked past and we both went on out merry way.After lunch, I got a picture of a porcupine before stopping for the day at the Brink Road Shelter. I would have liked to continued to the net shelter seven miles away but it was too hot and I was carrying too much weight. I¢m tenting near a group of young girls from a South Jersey YMCA. The two leaders were nice enough to make sure I had room to eat and was pleasantly surprised they kept the noise down at night.The combination of my new shoes, which feel a bit big, and the new socks I bought at the outfitter yesterday make my feet feel much better. I've also noticed the hiker crowd is definitely thinning.