morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-01
To: William Brien Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

8/110 milesDelicious $3 breakfast at the small house turned dinner around the corner. Walked through a grave yard on the church property to get there. A man picking up his children from one of the church facilities gives us a ride back to the trail (which is now 15 miles away because of my reverse direction slack packing).It rained lightly most of the morning so the terrain was mushy and the rock climbs were slippery. I ended up slipping and sliding many times but only fell once. A light scratch on my wrist but no real damage done. Smirks took a blue blaze today that separated us for half a mile and resulted in her missing a decent looking waterfall. There was rumored to be a view of NYC from one mountain today but the weather was not clear enough for us to confirm this.Stealth camped on some soft damp pine needles .2 miles from Orange Tpk. Ended up having a great dry night of sleep.
Date: 2013-08-04
From: Clarence Fahnestock State Park

To: Hosner Mtn Rd. 
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Short day of hiking. I was recently given a tip from past thru-hikers "Honeymoon Hikers" about a house on an upcoming street. The tip sounded weird, turn right and third house on the left for ice cream and dinner. I had not noticed any shelter log books or other hikers talking about this house so I was initially a little hesitant but the Honeymoon Hikers have been great to me so I took their word. They were right!Smirks and I got to the house just after YKNOT2k had showed up. He and a few other hikers had heard about this house-hostel from the owners who had just moments ago placed a sign on the trail where it crosses their road. We were all treated to fresh homemade tostadas with refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, etc. followed by ice cream and a fruit salad made by Red Specs (whom is leaving the trail and heading back to Germany). The hikers spend the night on the 2nd floor of a separate building much like an unfinished attic. Hot shower before bed too.
Date: 2013-08-06
To: Native Landscape & Garden Center
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

Today we saw the thickest tree on the Appalachian Trail, the Dover Oak. It was quite impressive but also sad that there are so few old and large trees actually out in these mountains and woods. We reunited and hiked with AhhVo for most of today. Before we split up for the night he gave me some cash. I was really surprised by this gesture and felt a little bad accepting the money. I guess during the hike today I had mentioned that I was low on funds and would need to find employment somewhere on the trail if I wanted to continue north. We both know that not enough money can be made fast enough and that our time is just as valuable as an hourly wage. Thru-hikers have a deadline of October 14th before Katahdin closes down.Smirks and I tent up in the parking lot of a garden store. My guide book says the owner is okay with this and offers temporary seasonal work to hikers as well. I'm considering asking him for work but as I found out in the morning he is only looking for somebody who can stay an entire month. The tenting area is situated in an odd spot with a railroad track 60 feet away on one side and a pretty busy road 60 feet on the opposite side. We sleep well for the most part. Before bed we walk 0.6 miles down the street to a convenient store/deli for 2 giant sandwiches and something cold to drink. --- thanks AhhVo for the dinner and breakfast.
Date: 2013-08-07
From: Native Landscape & Garden Center

To: Ten Mile River campsite
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Crossed into Connecticut today. The easiest states are behind us now. The break is over and now we start doing more climbs. Pointless ups and downs but they still need to be done. We cut our hike an hour or two short today because we came to a pretty good campsite on the Housatonic River. Mothra is not on the trail anymore. Today marks her final miles as she had previously already done the section north of here last year. Her hiking buddy Sycamore is still out here and is now dealing with the sad emotions losing a hiking partner brings. It's tough, I've been there twice before. Smirks points out to me that Sycamore actually spells his name "Sick Amour". I've been wrong about this for the past 4+ months.YKNOT2k is also camped here. He will be leaving the trail in a few weeks to hike the Camino de Something in Spain or France. (The same pilgrimage trail from the movie "The Way")Smirks' back was a little sore before bed. I was a little irritated with arm pit rashes.
Date: 2013-08-08
From: Ten Mile River campsite

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Wow - we slept till after 9 today....again! A LOT of late starts recently. Today's plan is to make a stop in Kent, CT to buy more snacks and to see if the post office has my replacement gaskets from Sawyer (which would be bumped from the Vernon, NJ post office).Less than 2 miles into our hike we come to a road. Smirks tells me her back is hurting and she wants to hitch to Kent instead. We go our separate ways at the intersection. She walks the road for .4 miles and receives a ride from an off duty police lady. I head back into the woods for a very humid day of hiking. Connecticut did not treat me nicely today. There were some unexpected climbs and I ended up sweating more than I had in the past 3 weeks. I pass Danger Pants during the hike but I don't stop to chat. I rarely break when I hike solo, always in a needless hurry. I don't hitch into town, instead I just walk the .8 extra distance by foot and heavy pack. At the edge of town is the outfitters and also a large group of hikers. Atlas, Jay (who is now Kitchen Sink), Brother Bear, Limey, Hagrid, Killer, and Smirks. I reunite with Smirks and we go get a burger and fries. No beers or sodas this time though , Kent is an extremely overpriced place. Next stop is the post office and SURPRISE they don't have my package. I'm about to give up on getting my water filter repaired. Sawyer has the worst customer service I have ever had to deal with. Next to the post office is a small and very cold IGA grocery. We buy a few snacks for the miles and a big box of ice cream for the now. Even with us both tag teaming the ice cream we still can't finish it and have to trash it as it finally starts to melt. I spend the next two hours with a tummy ache and my burps taste like left over ice cream. There are no hostels in town and the motels are $180 a night so we make our way back to the outfitters for some water before going back to the trail. Danger Pants & Sick Amour is sitting outside. As we get closer to them they tell us that camping is allowed in the backyard of the Country Clothes shop around the corner. The weather looks stormy so we decide to stay in town and set up the tent sooner rather than in the woods later. Danger Pants hikes out instead. Atlas is already tented up once we find the backyard. It's still very humid tonight and being in the tent is quite uncomfortable.
Date: 2013-08-09
From: Kent, CT

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Uh-oh. A zero day. The rain started sometime around midnight and never stopped. I have woken up in a puddle two different times on this trip. The first time was at McAfees Knob and it was horrible. The second time was with Smirks in New Jersey and it wasn't as bad. So when I'm in the tent and its raining out I don't sleep much. I get into the habit of rolling over and checking the vestibule often. 5:30am the vestibule has only one puddle of water that runs the length and far edges of the tent. By 6am the vestibule area is getting worse so I wake Smirks and tell her to start pulling stuff out of the tent and head to the covered porch in the front yard. In the transition we get soaked. The rain is relentless as we walk around town trying to figure out our plan. First the outfitters is closed. Instead we use the restrooms at the not-friendly laundromat. There is a note for hikers to mop up if they get the floor wet or muddy. We had a few wet spots from our shoes so I grab the mop and get to mopping - just like the posted rules instructed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" "Hey!!!" "What do you think you're DOING?!!"The lady working the laundromat yells at me. Next stop is the library to charge our phones and figure out if a cheap motel is nearby. The rooms in Kent cost $130-$200 and up. For generic rooms. Smirks stays at the library as I go back to grab my AT hiker's guide book from the porch. The owner comes out and tells me that I can't have our stuff on the porch but I can take it back to the shed. I finally make it back to Smirks in the library just minutes before the librarian tells us our time on their computers has expired. We are getting kicked out of everywhere. Hikers are not exactly wanted in Kent, CT. Some citizens go about dealing with us gently while others are just plain un-compromising (looking at you laundry lady). Gear packed and rain jackets on, we stand at the edge of town with thumbs out. Rain is coming down harder than before a weather siren sounds in the background. We look like miserable wet homeless people. It's memorable but not fun. My fingers end up waterlogged quickly. We wait about 20 minutes which is our usual wait time before getting a ride. A younger man in a late '80s model VW Rabbit gives us a ride 16 minutes south to the cheapest motel room we can find. The ride was fun. The windows were all fogged up and there was no passenger set in the car, in its place was a nonstop barking Boston Terrier. Rains all night. Glad to shower and sleep in a bed tonight. Anxious to hike again. It doesn't take long for me to miss the miles.
Date: 2013-08-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I want to thank everyone who has helped me during this great adventure. What started out as a selfish voyage has turned into something much greater than myself. I would not be on the trail still of not for the help of many many many people. I've been given food, housing, gear, financial funds, tips, positive messages and so much more along the way. Thank you all!To donate to a future food resupply, please click the link belowhttp://www.gofundme.com/3ul71k
Date: 2013-08-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.3

8/1113.3 milesHousatonic River is nasty. Connecticut has pointless ups and downs. I had to take an emergency poop just a few feet away from the trail. Luckily nobody passed by. Trail magic from dad of current thru hiker Tune. We gave Wheels directions and he gave us 2 apples, 2 Milky Way bars, 2 Twix, and an entire box of Oreo cookies!!! Whoaa! - this was great timing as we had zero snack foods left and wouldn't be able to resupply until tomorrow afternoon. Beautiful waterfall at Great Falls. Stealth camping near a small spring. My previous container that burns the camp fuel was busted so we tried an empty can. It made the fuel burn slower and it took a while for our foods to cook. Some adjustments will be made to the can tomorrow. I eat 3 servings of ramen noodles and feel disgusting.
Date: 2013-08-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: clear sky

8/126.4 milesResupply today in Salisbury, CT. This town is a little friendlier than Kent, CT was. Smirks is getting a prescription filled and I am charging my phone. Before you know it we've spent hours just sitting around in town. We do not have a town meal from a resturant but we do end up with a very pricey resupply bill from the tiny local market. I miss WalMart - yep I said it. We end the day early a half mile outside of town and barely into a lightly wooded area. We use the extra time away from hiking to have an impromptu photo shoot near a field of goldenrod flowers and pine trees. We set the alarm clock for 6:45am. Our earliest ever for the tent. I stay up late and finally finish the free book I got back in Palmerton, PA ("Quite Strength" by Tony Dungy). Smirks finished her first Palmerton book weeks ago ("Anne Frank Diary" the play) and has already started on her 2nd book ("The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells).A local told us that bears get into the trash in town. We sleep through the night with no issues. No bears mess with us, just mosquitos... so many mosquitos at camp every camp.
Date: 2013-08-14
To: East Mountain Retreat Center
Miles today: 15.4

A nasty storm pounded our campsite for 30 minutes last night. We were able to get a lot of our stuff into the tent but not everything. I hung a clothes line up and most of our clothes were on it so they all got super drenched. Luckily we didn't get hit by any lightning and the tent did not get flooded. I did however have a comical time trying to eat my pot full of black beans and rice in the cramped tent. At a road crossing later in the day we are Jeff and his dog Timber. They had just set out a few gallon sized jugs of water for passing thru hikers. We chat for a little bit, Jeff gives us some snacks and a little bit of Sierra Mist. He leaves and then Greenlite and First Gear show up from the trail behind us yelling "SMILES?!!!". We reunite. They try to talk me into a town visit but I stay true to my schedule and hike on. We end the night rushing to East Mountain Retreat Center.
Date: 2013-08-15
From: East Mountain Retreat Center

To: View Entry
Miles today: 14.5

8/1514.5*Uncle Buck snored all night. Jake stayed off our bed. We were inside, clean, and laying on a mattress with a warm blanket. I slept well but Smirks didn't. The snoring got to her and she was unable to fully tune it out. *The other hikers in the room got up around 7am and when they left the room we heard nothing but the owner's dogs yapping nonstop for the next 30+ minutes. *We get out of bed close to 8 and start packing our stuff up. The lady who owns the house storms down the stairs and busts into the tiny room full of hikers. She immediately starts shooing everyone to leave and making claims that she has to clean up now. It takes us a few extra minutes to gather our belongings. One dog runs outside and the other stays inside to bark at Smirks as she packs up her backpack. *The southbounder Ups, Soul Flute, Uncle Buck, the dog Jake, the kitten Hobbs, Smirks, and myself all cram into Uncle Bucks car to make a stop in Great Barrington, MA before hitting the trail again. It was a snug ride. Three of us had full packs on our laps and one person had an animal crate on his lap. *Rite Aid for $5 worth of snacks. Smirks goes to at least 6 places before finding a public restroom to use. The outfitter won't exchange my Darn Tough brand socks. (I got an e-mail reply from Darn Tough saying that they would honor the warranty on their product). Last stop is at McDonald's for a quick cheap breakfast. *Hike our way to Tyringham, MA to pick up a mail drop from Smirks' family. She is super happy with the package - the long awaited return of her sleeping bag and some extra yummy real food!! My guide book says that the bed & breakfast across the street sells sodas and snacks. I crave a soda like always so we head to the B&B to see what they have to offer. Nobody is home though. We walk around the unlocked home for a few minutes and then leave without a soda. *Stopped hiking an hour earlier than normal. Neither of us had phone service of any kind which hasn't happened in a really long time. Camped near a creek for the night. The water had a yellow color to it even after filtering. Both of us boil our dinner water a little longer just to be on the safe side. Smirks built and maintained the first camp fire I've seen in months.
Date: 2013-08-16
To: the "Cookie Lady" house
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: light rain

8/1616 miles*Marathon John hiked with us for a couple of hours. We all three stopped for lunch at a motel near the trail. Inside their office we were allowed to charge our electronic devices, use the vending machine, and help ourselves to free hot drinks from a Kuerig coffee machine. Very friendly people at the motel. *Rushed the miles today but met our goal and ended the night at the "Cookie Lady's" house. Can of Coke with my Ramen noodle dinner. Can of Coke for Smirks' Knorr instant rice dinner (followed by a Klondike Bar for dessert). There are other hikers here. We are all tented on the small front lawn. * I notice the older man who lives here riding around the back yard mowing some grass. He is almost finished mowing when I walk up to him but I ask if there is anything else I can do to help out. I feel it is the least I can do for allowing so many hikers the use of their property. He sets me up with a push mower and has me mow through the 3 foot tall weeds growing between their blueberry bushes. My kind gesture starts a trend because one by one other hikers get up from the picnic area to help in the blueberry patch.
Date: 2013-08-18
From: Jim Levardi's property (Dalton, MA)

To: Cheshire, MA
Miles today: 9.0

Dalton, MA ---> Cheshire, MA9 milesSmirks hitchhiked to the next trail town. I hiked the woods. Trail wasn't hard today. Started hiking my first half mile with Dimples. We didn't talk long and she quickly moved aside to let me hike past. The rest of my hike only takes a couple of hours and is spent alone. It's not bad, I listen to some music on my iPhone and coast on in to Cheshire. Smirks is waiting for me at the church hostel. She claimed a room for us that had some rolls of carpet. We still have to sleep on the floor like everybody else here but we are at least able to have an extra bit of cushion and the ability to close doors and turn off lights. The other hikers have to deal with more noise and other discomforts. Short section hikers named Silas and Paul are here. They are leaving the trail soon and have some extra food they don't want to carry. Silas gives me a pack of beef flavored Ramen and a pack of tuna. He tells me that mixing them together is delicious. This makes me remember that Tin Man used to always do a Ramen-Tuna dinner as well. I thank him and tell him that I will try it sometime. I take a hobo style bath in the sink and then Smirks and I walk around the town for 30 minutes. Not a lot going on here, just some creepy looking houses.
Date: 2013-08-19
From: Cheshire, MA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.5

Cheshire, MA ---> Wilbur Clearing Shelter11.5 miles On the edge of town, just before the trail starts again, we see a sign for "snacks and coffee" near a small parking lot. It doesn't look to be something for hikers but we decide to go check it out anyways. Inside this community / senior citizen center is a lady who greets us at the door and tells us the snacks and coffee are not only real but they are for anybody who wants them. The lady is very nice to us and the refreshments were yummy. I drop what loose change I have into the donation box and then we head out. The first mile isn't too bad, just a typical climb. The next 7 miles are hell. It takes us what feels like the entire day to climb to the top of Mount Greylock. At the summit we celebrate reaching Massachusetts' highest peak by eating a Ranger Burger from the Bascon Lodge. The monument at the top of the mountain is very neat looking but is currently closed down so we miss out on climbing the 89 steps to the top for the 360 degree view.
Date: 2013-08-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

Wilbur Clearing Shelter --> stealth camping before Congdon Shelter13.4 milesThe trail took us through a mile walk of small town of North Adams, MA. No sodas, no snacks this time. Climbing Mount Greylock yesterday was tough but the forest surroundings were beautiful and different from what we've previously encountered. Today we had another long climb. Both took hours to summit and felt like an eternity. The climb today was special because it placed us into Vermont! I was happy to finally be in a state I've never in my life been in but I was still sore from yesterday so I spent much of the day cussing and the throwing stones.
Date: 2013-08-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

11 miles8 mile walk mostly downhill this morning to get to the town of Bennington, VT. There are a few things that both of us need so coming into a slightly larger town is a big deal. Smirks busted the entire heel out of her toe-sock and wants to get that replaced at the dollar store. I want to find a hardware store and buy a replacement gasket for my water filter since Sawyer customer service is no longer replying to my e-mails. Most importantly we both desperately desire a shower!! My guide book lists a recreation center at the beginning of town that offers free hot showers to hikers. We get a hitch into town and make the first stop at Family Dollar. We buy a couple snacks to get us through the next day and a half. Our next full resupply is planned for a different town. No toe-socks here at this place though. Also no restrooms either, which I found out at the last minute. Breakfast was forever ago and we can't think straight so Dominos is our next destination. We order whatever large pizza is on special and then start walking to the recreation center. It's hot out, our packs are heavy, we are nasty and I'm carrying around a hot box of pizza. The rec center is not well mapped in my book and that adds to is walking around an extra 3 blocks. All I can think of is taking a shower and eating this pizza in an air conditioned room. Unfortunately the center is completely closed down for construction this week. We find shade to sit down and eat at. I didn't see a hardware store so no gasket. We spend 45 minutes at the library charging our phones before they close. A few locals ask us where we are sleeping tonight but none offer us a shower, bed or yard. The lady who gives us a ride back to the trail tells us that she used to own the motel in town and that things were a lot different for the hikers years ago. She tells us that when she owned the Autumn Inn that she would only charge $35 and she didn't care how many hikers you jammed into one room but now the new owners charge $75 for this first person and an additional fee for every person added to the room. Makes me wonder how cheap this hike would have been in a better economy where people made the same amount of money as they do now but didn't have to pay twice as much for everything. We leave town with out the things we came into it for.
Date: 2013-08-22
To: Stratton-Arlington Rd. (Kelly Stand Rd.)
Miles today: 19.6

Campsite --> Stratton-Arlington Rd. (Kelly Stand Rd)19.6 milesNeither of us slept well at all. While laying in the tent Smirks sounded as if she was contemplating leaving the trail again. Through the night she complained of soreness and pains. When she finally did get rest she would talk in her sleep and kept repeating "I don't want to do it, I don't want to do it anymore, I don't want to do it." I'm a light sleeper so any noise or movement wakes me up. When morning comes and we finish breaking down our campsite Smirks decides that she is going to hike back south 1.6 miles to the last road we crossed and hitch to a different spot on the trail just under 20 miles north from here. I am a little against the decision because I do not have any phone service and can't look up the maps of the state, but it is her choice and we've never had a problem in the past when doing this so I keep my mouth shut. My solo hiking goes well today and I get to our meeting spot at 5pm. Due to poor cell service Smirks and I were able to exchange text messages only once today. From that one series of texts hours ago I at least know that she made it to town, bought new toe socks, and was headed to meet me on the trail. Unfortunately I have no service at the road we are supposed to meet at. I expected her to be at the road before me but little do I know that she had to walk the last 7-10 miles to meet me. The road that she was going to hitch in from is a small gravel road that was completely destroyed from Hurricane Irene in 2011. Boulders were on the road and bridges were missing so no car could bring her to where I was waiting. I start cooking dinner and decide that if she doesn't show up tonight then I will hitch into the last town to charge my phone and search for her. Luckily my anxiety runs away as I see Smirks walking down the road. Her day of not-hiking was just as rough as my full day of hiking.