morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-07
From: Trail of Hope Hostel

To: Iron Mountain Mansion
Miles today: 8.5

Today was a little bit of a late start so I only got in a little over 8 miles. The big news is that today I crossed the 'official' halfway point on the trail. (A side note: The mileages on my Trail Journal don't quite add to where I actually am. This is because of rounding errors and because some of my information is lost in translation to my brother who is helping me keep up with my journal. Soon I will put in a mileage correction entry to make things more accurate.) I would like to say that it is all down hill from here but I know there are way too many up hills to think such a thing. I was going to stay at a shelter but a couple of sections hikers offered to put me up at a nearby hostel with them so I managed to walk another mile for an actual bed! Another form of trail magic for which I am extremely grateful. Tomorrow I start the second half of my journey and I am looking forward to see what the trail will show me. So, in the morning when the sun comes up, I will once again be a walkin'
Date: 2018-05-08
From: Iron Mountain Mansion

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 51.9

First things first: I only hiked 19.3 miles today. The 51.9 is just to correct for some earlier miscalculations. Today ExFedex, Feral, (both long section hikers) and I had a pleasant walk into Boiling Springs where we were able to call for a ride to the Buck Off Farm Hostel. It is a small, simple hostel but it is nice and the owners are accommodating to the hikers they serve. Ex-FedEx and Feral will be leaving the trail and I hate to see them go as we have enjoyed each other's company for quite a few miles now. One of the better things about the trail experience is the friends you meet along the way.One word about the miles one records on the trail: Be prepared to walk more that the miles covered on the trail! There are always additional steps taken to shelters, water sources, views, site seeing in town, etc. So, whether it is walking on the trail or walking off the trail, tomorrow I will be a walkin'!
Date: 2018-05-09
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: clear sky

Today we hiked part of the day with Feral Dad and Ex-FedEx. We hung around with them for a while in town as they ended their section hike. Happy trails guys! A few days ago a hiker who goes by the name of ROAM (Retired, On A Mission) started hiking with hiking with us and he and I continued on. He is a flip flopper who has only been on the trail for a month or so.  We ended up at Darlington Shelter but as it was already filling up we decided to tent camp in the nearby grassy area. That often works out better than sleeping than in a shelter anyway. There is always at least one 'chainsaw' snorer in very crowd is seems. If anyone wants to make money, they should come up with an anti-snoring device and market it to hikers. Pennsylvania is often referred to as "Rocksylvania" and I had assumed that was because the trails are rocky here. That much is true but there is more to it than that. There are places known as rock mazes with very large rocks that the trail winds thru. You have to be very aware of the white blazes as you go thru. I hear there are bigger rocks coming up where you have to climb over. I does seem that the terrain has leveled out a bit as compared to the first part of the trail though.
Date: 2018-05-10
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 11.0

I have done a lot of shelter camping but I find that the more I tent camp the more proficient I am getting at setting up and repacking my tent. We were out pretty early this morning as there was rain in the forecast but, alas, we could not beat it. It was raining on us after a few hours and the rocks got slick and the dirt got muddy. I lost the end of one of my trekking poles in the mud and it was lost and gone forever. With this terrain, functional trekking poles are a necessity but Roam and Happy Feet were gracious enough to stop in Duncannon with me so I could buy new poles. Since we were there and wet, we decided to call it a day. We checked in at the Doyle Motel. If passing this way you should know that this is NOT the Hilton! But the food is good and the price is right so it will do. Tomorrow we have a slack pack hike planned so hopefully it wont be too bad
Date: 2018-05-13
From: Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

'Rocksylvania' has truly earned its name among hikers. Lots of different rock challenges here. We have had mazes to go thru, boulders to climb over, and general walking hazards in uneven and unstable steps. Today we had the additional challenge of wet, moss covered slick rocks. I made I to the 501 shelter. It is very nice as shelters go in that it has four walls, a door, and a skylight. The shelter filled up with hikers throughout the afternoon/evening so there were plenty of stories to hear. On tap for tomorrow: more walkin'
Date: 2018-05-14
From: 501 Shelter

To: Eagle's Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: light rain

I decided to call it a day after about 15 miles today. After yesterday's rain there was lots of water on the trail and my feet were soaked. I came across the Eagle's Nest and decided to stop and dry things out and have a bit of a rest. It is a pretty nice shelter to take a break at. I am getting pretty close to Fort Clinton/Hamburg and I am thinking I may have a look around when I get there. I will keep you posted. Walk on....
Date: 2018-05-15
From: Eagle's Nest Shelter

To: The Pavilion
Miles today: 10.0

Today I walked ten miles into Fort Clinton. I have heard people who run marathons say that they often 'hit the wall'. Well, it is a real thing and I hit it today. These ten miles where harder than they should have been and I stopped to rest often. I think this is my body's way of saying that I need to take a zero. That, plus the fact that rain is scheduled for tomorrow, makes me think that it will be a good day for a rest. There is a Pavilion right off the trail in Ft. Clinton where hikers can set up camp. The nearby city of Hamburg is very hiker friendly. They have a Cabela's (which I believe is the largest in the world) that will come pick you up, watch your pack while you shop, and shuttle you back for free. While there I bought some permethrin to treat my clothes and gear with. This is supposed to repel ticks and I hear there is supposed to be a bumper crop of the little blood suckers this year. Better safe than sorry where lime disease is concerned. Tomorrow a zero....but after that I will be a walkin'
Date: 2018-05-16
From: The Pavilion

To: Fort Clinton
Miles today: 0.0

I took a zero yesterday and got some much needed rest. But for most of the day that did not really seem to be making feel any better about life. I was ansty and irritable and most everything seemed to bother me. I finally figured out what I really was....I was hangry! I mentioned that I had 'hit the wall' yesterday. Well, I now think that is manly because I needed to eat more. After I started eating last night I did not stop for a while. A little after making a pig of myself I started to feel that all was right with the world again. Now this morning I am raring to go again. Just a quick object lesson I guess. In addition to staying hydrated you must provide plenty of fuel for the fire, and the calorie fire is huge when you are hiking the AT. So now I am off to burn more calories! Later
Date: 2018-05-17
From: Fort Clinton

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

Today I left alone in the morning and saw very few people along the trail. I got to the shelter around noon just as others were leaving. It seems that anyone else hiking this direction either walked shorter or farther and I ended up with this very nice shelter all to myself. Some times I think maybe I should hike shorter or farther so as to land with more of a group so there will be some conversation in the evening but I will continue to hike my own hike. I don't have a time schedule and I don't want to risk any overuse injuries that could effect my long term plan of finishing this year.
Date: 2018-05-19
From: Bert's Restraunt and Hostel

To: Bake Oven Knob
Miles today: 17.4

I had considered a zero today but there were other people heading out so I decided to give it a go. We ended up walking 17 miles to the Bake Oven Knob Shelter. It was a pretty good walk overall even though the earlier rains had left their mark on the trail and I spent most of the day with some pretty wet feet.
Date: 2018-05-20
From: Bake Oven Knob

To: Leroy A. Smith Shelter
Miles today: 15.6

If any of you are reading this and wondering about some of the Journal Entry titles let me explain. When titling the entries it is sometimes hard to not repeat (there is a lot of repetition when you are walking over 5 million steps). So if I can fine a song or song title that will do I try to use that. I met up with a couple of hikers I had met earlier on the trail. No Peeky and Beaver are of couple of names that come to mind. It is always good to see familiar faces.
Date: 2018-05-21
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Delaware WaterGap
Miles today: 20.1

I started alone today and ended up walking a little farther than I had originally planned. I am in the Church of the Mountain Hostel. It is a nice place and since it is a mission of the church they only charge $3 a night. With near by eating options, it is very nice place to stop for a rest. I plan to take a zero tomorrow and hope to get in touch with AJ, a hiker who I walked with quite a bit earlier on this journey. As he was not going all the way he is back at home and he lives near The Delaware Water Gap. With more rain in the forecast, it will be a good day for a zero
Date: 2018-05-22
From: Delaware WaterGap

To: Nowhere man, Again
Miles today: 0.0

Took a zero today and met up with AJ who lives nearby.  AJ developed some knee issues and had to leave the trail this year but I am happy to hear that his knee is feeling much better now. He took me out for lunch and to the store for some resupply and it was good catching up. Thanks AJ. Tomorrow I intend to be a walkin'
Date: 2018-05-23
From: Delaware WaterGap

To: Brink's Shelter
Miles today: 24.8

Today I ended up walking considerably farther than I ha originally planned. Some if it had to do with the fact that I started kinda early and therefore I reached my planned destination kinda early. Plus I felt pretty good at the time. However, I have found that I tend to 'hit the wall at about 20 miles and this made the last five a bit of a struggle. But the shelter is reasonably nice and there are others here so it has been a pretty nice evening to rest up for tomorrow.
Date: 2018-05-25
From: Brink's Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

Walked a little farther a gain today and again today I felt like I 'hit the wall'. This time I think it had more to do with the fact that I was walking on, thru and around rocks all day. I know that Pennsylvania has the reputation for rocks but I find that New Jersey is no slouch when it comes to rocky trails. Probably a little shorter of a day tomorrow.....but we shall see what the day shall bring as I am a walkin'
Date: 2018-05-27
From: xxxx

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I made it to the Wildcat Shelter.  As long as I am on the topic of shelters, allow me to pontificate a bit. If you are staying at a shelter and people tell you that you snore, you should believe it. If they tell you that you snore loudly, you should believe that also. On more that one occasion a whole shelter has lost sleep because one person (or more) did their imitation of a freight train all night. I understand that no one snores on purpose but if you are one of those people then you should probably pitch your tent a little ways away from the shelter so as to allow others to get some sleep (end rant)
Date: 2018-05-29
From: xxxx

To: William Brian Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.4

A number of steep downhills today and some of the roughest terrain I have seen in a while. Included in that is what is known as The Lemon Squeezer where the trail goes thru some rocks that are close enough that they just may squeeze your lemons if you aren't careful. This shelter is one of the older ones as it was built by the CCC before WWII.
Date: 2018-06-03
To: The Bearded Woods Bunk andDine
Miles today: 16.2

I made it to the Bearded Woods Bunk and Dine. It is a very nice place and one where I hope to take a bit of a breather. it seems I have lost another ten pounds and that is not necessarily a good thing. I pack is not fitting correctly now and I am getting some blisters from it. I hope to do another shakedown of my pack to see if I can't lighten it up some more. Also, I am getting word that some of my former hiking buddies are off the trail. It is understandable that people develop injuries over such a long trek. As I am well into my second half I am constantly aware of little aches and pains and I try to not do too much too fast to improve my chances of finishing. So, in that vein, I am still a walkin'
Date: 2018-06-07
From: Salibury, CT

To: Hemlock Shelter
Miles today: 13.3

I (or my scribe Brother) have not had any journal entries in over a week so I (we) will be starting with today and working backwards. I don't really know how this will turn urn out in the journal as it may list things by date or when by entry sequence....We shall see. I am at mile maker 1513.7. Today there were three significant climbs and it seemed to be mostly uphill. I have seen a number of "No Camping" signs so I am thinking that I will be aiming for shelters which will play a big role in my daily mileages for a while. Still walkin'
Date: 2018-06-13
From: Williamstown

To: Williamstown
Miles today: 0.0

As the weather forecast called for rain and as I was feeling a little tired anyway, I decided to take a zero today. Other than going to eat a stopping by a bike store, I tried to spend very little time walking since too many steps would defeat the whole purpose of a 'zero'. I would like to give a shout out to the Williamstown Motel. They are very accommodating to hikers and it is a well kept establishment. It is a bout 60 years old and the decorating motif looks it but it clean and kept in good repair.
Date: 2018-06-14
From: Williamstown

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: moderate rain

I entered Vermont today. Even though there are still quite a few miles in front of me, there are only three states counting this one. I can almost see the light at the end of the (long, green) tunnel. My rest did me good as I felt more energetic today. When you enter Vermont, the AT shares some miles with The Long Trail so technically I am walking two trails right now. I have met a few SOBO's to date but not many. I expect that to change by the end of the month. Most SOBO's will start on Katahdin but it doesn't open until about June 1st. The ones that I have met started earlier than that at the base of Katahdin with the plan of going back to the beginning and climbing it after they have reached the southern terminus.
Date: 2018-06-17
From: Spruce Peak Shelter

To: Manchester
Miles today: 2.8

We did a nero into Manchester today. A rest day and resupply are required after a few long ones. Manchester seems to be a pretty nice town. I found plenty to resupply with and an outfitter to help with some adjustments. I found a Scottish Store that sold genuine haggis so I had to have some for myself It is not bad but I think I will not be resupplying with it so to have a steady diet of it. Tonight I will be staying at the Green Mountain House Shelter. I hear good things
Date: 2018-06-18
From: Manchester, Vermont

To: Nowhere man, Again
Miles today: 172.0

As the forecast called for storms in the mountains I thought I would just sit it out today. With ducking thunder and lightning all day I would probably not get anything accomplished anyway. However, you may notice that I claimed 172 miles for today. I missed a few entries last week and these are just an accounting adjustment to make up for the miles that were walked but not logged. Tomorrow I will walk on...
Date: 2018-06-19
From: Manchester

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: moderate rain

I continued my Northward trek this morning. The usual ups and downs but nothing to write home and tell the journal about as far as insurmountable obstacles. At this section of the AT there is an overlap with a part of The Long Trail here in Vermont and there are definitely more people on the trail and at the shelters. I am thinking that the trails will split in about three days so the traffic should lessen a bit. Either way, come what may, I will be a walkin'
Date: 2018-06-20
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: clear sky

A semi-long hike today with a significant rock scramble of more than 1/2 mile. I suppose it was a bit of a challenge but I like the scrambles so I thought it was an interesting interlude. Also of note, I passed a sign that indicated that there is only 500 miles to go! I will be trying to enjoy all that I can of the trail because it seems that it will be over before I know it. But only if I continue to walk on!
Date: 2018-06-21
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: Rutland, Vermont
Miles today: 10.8

I walked 10+ miles today and made it into Rutland. I was going to call for a shuttle but two different people stopped and offered a ride within two minutes. I have checked into the Yellow Deli Hostel and Organic Store that is right down town within a short walk of everything one needs for a resupply. I stopped at a Twelve Tribes Yellow Deli before and enjoyed my stay. If this one is equally as accommodating I am thinking that I may slack pact out of here a couple of days....We shall see
Date: 2018-06-25
From: Yellow Deli

To: Private Barn
Miles today: 23.7

Today we did a long slack pack. Instead of the usual slack pack, the shuttle driver drove our packs out to the destination and we walked to them. The packs were all at the barn when we got there so it all worked out well. Some of my hiking partners these days are Postcard, Princess, Luke, and Merry Miler. I would like to note that the vegetation and scenery has changed some as we have moved north. Sometimes changes are so gradual that you hardly notice that they have occurred. Tomorrow, I am a walkin'....
Date: 2018-07-01
From: Steath Camp

To: Hiker's Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 9.8

A small group of us have been kind of hanging together for a little while now and it can be a help to attack the trail together. But I have also seen that circumstances can caused hikers to go ahead or fall behind. Some hikers I am with now are No Doubt, Princess, and the Merry Miler.
Date: 2018-07-02
From: Hiker's Welcome Hostel

To: The Notch Hstel
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: mist

Today was a slack pack and whereas the mileage may not look big the hike itself was. We covered little more than a mile an hour because of the steep, rough terrain and because of the heat and humidity. That, plus the fact that we are trying to set ourselves up for our first foray into the White Mountains that are looming just before us. "Looming" sounds a little too depressing so how about "Rising just before us like the sun on a Spring Day."? No matter how you say it I suppose it will be a challenge but after all these miles I am confident that it will be a mere bump in the road. Tomorrow I am planning another slack pack to set put me right where I want to be. I am still a walkin'.
Date: 2018-07-29
To: Montecito 
Miles today: 0.0

Butterfly and I had a wonderful weekend with our children in Montecito.  Our picture today is of our dinner at Oliver¢s in Montecito with 3 of our children and 2 of their significant others on Friday night.  We had a really nice weekend walking around Santa Barbara and enjoying each other¢s companyThis afternoon we relaxed with Marcy and Kevin O¢Hara and Josh and Nicole Priester.  Our plan is to fly to Bangor, Maine on Tuesday, to shuttle up to Baxter State Park on Wednesday, and to start the trail on Thursday.  We are pretty much all set to go.  We¢ll stop by REI for a couple things tomorrow, and I¢ve got a few more hours of work to do before heading out on the trail for 3 months, but we are feeling about as prepared as could be.
Date: 2018-08-01
To: Abol Campground - Baxter State Park
Miles today: 0.0

August 1, 2018We arrived in Bangor at midnight last night, collected our backpacks from baggage claim and walked over to the Sheraton across from the airport (all of about 60 steps). We both showered and were asleep by 1 and slept soundly until 7 when Laura¢s alarm went off. We ignored it and got another 45 minutes before slowly getting up and heading downstairs to breakfast.  After breakfast, we walked to Hannafords (?) Grocery - about a mile away- to buy a few grocery items and dinner for tonight. Apparently, the route from the airport to the strip mall is not one that people often walk - as determined by the quizzical looks on the faces of several drivers. Since we didn¢t have to carry our dinner tonight, I bought some Greek olives and prosciutto pepper poppers for appetizers, a fresh vegetable salad, fresh prosciutto-and-four-cheese tortellini (which Laura wisely recommended we put on the salad after they were heated). Laura added a large bottle of triple IPA for happy hour. That was a really nice dinner.  We had dinner about an hour ago. It¢s now 7:30 and we are enjoying the sound of the creek behind our campsite. Well, the creek sound is soothing, but there are some teenage boys enjoying the cool creek water. They¢re just having fun, and not too loudly, but the quiet forest is preferable.We¢re set up at Abol Campground in Baxter State Park tonight. The camp is at the bottom of the Abol Trail to Katahdin. We¢ll take it up and come down what¢s called the Hunt Trail tomorrow. The AT follows the Hunt trail, so those 5.2 miles down from the summit down to Katahdin Stream Campground will be our first ¢official¢ miles. We¢ll then walk or hitch the 2 miles from KSC back to our site at Abol.Paul, the owner of the Appalachian Trail Lodge in Millinocket was our shuttle driver from Bangor to Baxter today. He picked us up at 11:30. and we stopped in Millinocket for stove fuel and lunch before arriving in Baxter around 2:30. Paul (2006 through hiker) and his wife have been the owners of the lodge and the cafe by the same name (though a few blocks away) for 12 years, and it was good to hear him talk about the success they¢ve had with the hostel and cafe over the years.It was hot today and humid, though not unbearable. It was cloudy all afternoon, and we are expecting rain tonight. Thunderstorms are expected tomorrow afternoon on Katahdin, so we plan to start at 5:30 and be up and down before the clouds roll in. We¢ll see.