morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-07-06
From: backpacker's campsite

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

After listening to trains all night and not sleeping at all, I woke up to my left eye swollen almost completely shut. I had gotten bit by something the evening before on my forehead and it was slightly swollen, but I never imagined it would make my eye swell shut. When Stealth got out of his tent, I asked if my eye looked bad and his response was, "Holy shit, you look like you got punched in the face." So I guess, yes it looks bad. We went into town to get coffee and get something for my eye, which eventually went down after Benadryl and icing it, and then decided to hang around town for the day and then night hike to avoid the heat. A bunch of hikers hung around and played in the spring water that fed the lake that was a brisk 53°, but water is always fun. Stealth, Orion, and I left Boiling Springs around 8 30 pm and began hiking. It was dark by about 9 and we got to see a pretty awesome fireworks show that I'm guessing was put on by one of the nearby cities. After the fireworks we continued hiking and after a few hours we took a break and just watched thousands of lightning bugs in a field. It was such a cool thing to watch but after a while we continued on. After this, things started getting creepy. At one point, Stealth turned around and said, "Do you smell that man?" Apparently he could smell cigarette smoke from behind some bushes, do we quickly hurried on. Then we hiked through a marshy area and Stealth kept hearing and seeing creepy things while Orion felt like we were being stalked by something. Luckily, I was in the middle and didn't know about all of this until we stopped to take a break around 2 30 am. We stopped at a picnic table and got way to comfortable for it being a table. We were all on the verge of falling asleep so we started hiking again, which continued to be creepy. We finally got to the shelter at 4 30 am and just as I got my tent sent up and was trying to fall asleep the sun came up and people started getting up. Night hiking is so creepy at the time, but so much fun to talk about the next day and laugh at how scared we were.
Date: 2013-07-07
From: Darlington Shelter

To: PA 850
Miles today: 2.2

After listening to everyone pack up and leave I finally fell asleep and slept until 11 am. I didn't leave the shelter until almost 1 30 and then when I was a couple miles out, I talked to Blue who told me that BitterGoat and I were invited to dinner with his grandparents and aunt and then invited to stay at his house. So I of course stopped hiking and waited at a road crossing for Blue to pick me up. Blues aunt made dinner and it was absolutely amazing, and definitely one of the best meals I've had on the trail. It was so great to talk with Blues grandparents and aunt and I'm so thankful that they invited me. Such amazing people. After dinner we headed back to Blues parents house and I got to meet his parents, who are amazing and somehow have been putting up with a bunch of hikers staying at their house for the last few days. We hung out for a few minutes but it was late and I couldn't wait to sleep after not get much sleep for the last few days. It felt so good to shower and sleep on a mattress in the air conditioning. Thank you so much to Blue, his parents, his grandparents, and his aunt. What an amazing family!
Date: 2013-07-08
From: PA 850

To: Blues House
Miles today: 0.0

I slept in until 10 am, which felt wonderful. We decided to go out to lunch and get Vietnamese food, which I had never had but was excited to try. Blues mom came with us and it was great to be able to talk to her and reminisce about what the trail means to us and what we're getting out of this experience. The food was great and then we went to the market attached to the restaurant and BitterGoat decided he was going to make curry for dinner. When we got back to the house, Blue, BitterGoat, and I played basketball, which was really fun, and then headed inside for BitterGoat to start dinner. The curry was so delicious and I'm glad I finally got to try the curry that I've been hearing about for months now. It was such an enjoyable night hanging out with Blues parents, relaxing, and of course eating.
Date: 2013-07-09
From: Blues House

To: Clarks Ferry Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I slept in until 11 am, which again felt great. Blue made us a delicious egg and potato breakfast and then BitterGoat and I did some much needed laundry and started getting our stuff packed up to get back on the trail. Blue dropped me off at the trail around 3 30 and I continued hiking north. The couple days off and all the sleep made me feel great and I ended up hiking past Duncannon, after a quick stop for ice cream, and hiked to the next shelter. I had such a great time at Blues house and can't thank Blue and his parents enough for their hospitality and putting up with smelly hikers. Hopefully we will meet again in the future. Definitely been a great few days, now back to the trail and new adventures.
Date: 2013-07-10
From: Clarks Ferry Shelter

To: campsite
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: light rain

I got started on the trail a little before 9 am and was feeling pretty good so I figured I would try to push for a big day and make it to the campground right before the second shelter. When I got to the first shelter, I ran into Orion, who was headed to the same spot. After eating a snack, I headed back out and soon came to a rocky section. There was a note about an aggressive rattlesnake but I didn't see anything. Apparently I'm completely blind because everyone who went through right before or after me saw at least 3 snakes, copperheads and rattlesnakes, and some saw 10. It freaks me out a little that I missed all of them, especially since they were right on the trail. Around 2 30, I so stopped by a creak and put my feet in the water for a bit and then continued on, since I still had 11 miles to go. The gnats today were the worst I have ever experienced and they kept flying in my eyes, nose, and mouth. You could swat them and hit at least 10 with every swat. I was about to go crazy when I broke off a pine branch and put it in my bandanna so the pine branch hung over my face. It worked amazingly as a bug shield and was far less annoying than getting attacked by bugs. I figured I would rather look crazy than go crazy. The last 5 miles were really tough and my feet were killing me, but I made it to the campground and quickly set up my tent to get away from the bugs. I had also run into Stealth a few miles before the campground, so it was a fun reunion at the campground. I set my new highest mileage on the trail today, and my feet definitely feel it. The rest of my body feels great though.
Date: 2013-07-11
From: campsite

To: campsite
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: light rain

I actually woke up this morning around 6 30 feeling rested, which is rare for me. I was on the trail before 8 and enjoyed the breeze that came in for a change. I stopped by a cemetery and then did some laundry in a stream. It's nice getting on the trail earlier because I feel like I have more time to play around. I was having a great morning and really enjoying my hike. The bugs were still bad but I used my new pine branch trick and just walked through the woods with a branch over my face while singing and dancing to music. I'm sure I looked completely crazy! The second half of the day was not so great because the terrain got really boring and the trail wasn't very well maintained so I was getting scratched by every thorny bush on both sides of the trail. I was also trying to conserve my iPod battery but I couldn't hike without music because the bugs buzzing and dive bombing in my ears was driving me crazy. I made it to the 501 shelter though around 5 pm and ordered a large pizza and 2 liter of mountain dew, which made everything better. After eating some pizza and drinking a bunch of mountain dew, I decided to head back out and make it to a campsite about 3 miles away. Somehow I missed the campsite, but ended up finding another random one a little further than planned. Excited to eat pizza for breakfast, and hopefully the bugs are better tomorrow.
Date: 2013-07-12
From: campsite

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 20.4

This morning I slept in a little and then took my time packing up because I was only planning on doing about 15 miles and then camp a few miles from town. Stealth hiked to the campsite I was staying at, looked over at a tree, and said, "Look, a rattlesnake." There was a rattlesnake right across from our tents and since it was chilly out, it didn't look like he had any intentions of moving anytime soon. I took some pictures and then started hiking because I didn't have any water and needed to get to a water source to make my breakfast drink. After getting water and having breakfast around 11 am, I continued hiking, hoping Pennsylvania would be less boring today then the last couple days. I got my wish, although not how I wanted, and it started raining, so I was now walking on slippery wet rocks. Stealth and I decided that we were going to just go into town and eat instead of camping outside of town, so we took off in the rain to make it to town. After 20 miles and 5 hours of rain, we made it to town. We went straight to the only restaurant in town and when we tried to go in the dining room entrance, a lady asked me if I had bathed. When I said no, she told us that we couldn't come in and that we had to go around to the bar. Definitely the first time a stranger has asked me that question. We ate dinner and had a couple beers with all the other hikers in the bar and then walked to the pavilion to stay for free. I slept on a bench in the pavilion and it made me remember how much I love my tent. Glad to be out of the rain though!
Date: 2013-07-13
From: Port Clinton

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 0.0

I decided to take a zero since I got to town earlier than planned and Quakers church was putting on a hiker feed in the afternoon. Stealth and I went to breakfast at a diner and then I met up with BitterGoat and we went to the bar and had a drink before going to the hiker feed. Quakers church did an amazing job with the food and it was delicious. After food, BitterGoat, Orion, and I called the shuttle for Cabellas and went to the largest Cabellas in the country and then walked to Walmart to resupply. After we got back I had dinner with Double Dare, Davy Crockett, and Blackhawk. I ended up staying with Davy and BitterGoat in the Port Clinton Hotel instead of staying at the pavilion again. It was a really fun zero day and it was fun to catch up to so many people I hadn't seen in a couple weeks.
Date: 2013-07-14
From: Port Clinton

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

We slept in until 8 15 and then had to get up because checkout was at 9 am. We decided to go to breakfast instead of getting on the trail right away. Breakfast was delicious and well worth the walk and the late start. We got on the trail around noon, and it felt great to be hiking again. After the first climb, there were raspberries to reward our efforts. They were delicious and I kept stopping to pick more raspberries along tbe way. The terrain wasn't as bad and rocky as I thought it might be but we are definitely getting in to more bolder fields. I hate the little rocks but I love the big rocks that you can jump from rock to rock on. It felt great only doing 14.8 miles, and I definitely plan to get back to 15 to 18 mile days because I have so much more fun than doing higher mile days. The shelter had a shower (cold but still a shower) and flush toilet, which made us feel like we were living in luxury. I'm excited to sleep in my tent again tonight and actually sleep. It's amazing how simple my life has become and I absolutely love it. This is the life!
Date: 2013-07-15
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Knifes Edge campsite
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

I was up early an on the trail around 8 am. The rocks and bugs started immediately and the trail was not well marked. I caught up to Blackhawk and Davy Crockett and hiked with them for the rest of the day. We were all struggling today and almost stopped after 13 miles but the campsite was extra buggy so we just got water and continued on looking for a better spot to camp. We crossed the knifes edge which was a really dangerous rock section with sharp edges and at one point I wasn't sure how I was going to cross it and when I finally did cross it, it took a little bit to figure out how to get down. Luckily right afterwards we found a small campsite and decided to stay there for the night because we were all exhausted. I got in my tent early to avoid the bugs and couldn't wait to go to sleep. Tomorrow I plan to get up early and hike into town to stay at the free jail house hostel and eat lots of food. Can't wait to get out of Pennsylvania! This state is horrible, but it does make for some hilarious conversation during the day.
Date: 2013-07-16
From: Knifes Edge campsite

To: Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up at 6 am, and Blackhawk, Davy, and I left camp around 7 30. We crossed a couple of bolder fields to start the day, which caused us to have to stop and contemplate how to get across to the next rock on multiple occasions. If Pennsylvania had the occasional bolder field and not all of the other stupid tripping, roll your ankle, hurt your feet kind of rocks, it might actually be a fun state. However, Pennsylvania sucks! It was slow going because of the rocks and then the gnats joined the party. I got a bug head net in the last town and it is now my new favorite piece of gear. I also have dryer sheets and they help but the bug net really saves my sanity. We stopped at the first shelter to get water and it was a disgusting shelter and the water source was far away on an unmaintained trail, aka great fun. We finally made it back from getting water and then quickly left to avoid the swarms of bugs at the shelter. After a very hot and rocky day, we made it to the shelter 1 mile before town and a 72 year old man or for a hike, offered to give us a ride into town. When we got to the bottom of the hill, there was trail magic soda and our ride. We got dropped off at the jail hostel and checked in. We got to stay in the basement where it was nice and cool, plus there was a fan, which felt amazing. The shower was the best so far on the trail, and this place was free! We got our laundry going and then went to eat Chinese food. Afterwards, I resupplied and then headed to a tavern. We ended up staying late at the tavern listening to Quaker tell Vietnam war stories and talk about life lessons. It's always amazing to listen to Quaker, but tonight was more meaningful than usual. What a great night in town. Only a few more days of this horrible state and then on to even more bugs in New Jersey.
Date: 2013-07-17
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Leroy A Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

I was up at 5 45 to get ready for the slack pack that Indigo arranged for us. A trail angel, Knitting Bull, picked 7 of us up at 6 30 and dropped us of at the trail so we could slack pack 12 miles to where she would meet us with our packs. The climb today was up a deforested ridge where a zinc plant devastated the mountain. The climb required you to stash your trekking poles and climb with both hands. It was a fun, although sometimes scary, climb, and I was so happy that we didn't have to do it with our packs. A little bit after the climb, we came to a huge rattlesnake right in the middle of the trail. Davy Crockett tried to move it off the trail, but he was determined to stay in the middle if the trail. Eventually Davy picked it up with his hiking stick and threw it into the bushes and then messed with it so we could all safely pass. I'm sure anyone who came behind us had a really pissed off snake to deal with. A little further ahead, we started to climb another bolder field and Blackhawk fell and hit his head on a rock, which scared everyone, but lucky he was ok with just a scratch/bump on his head. We made it to the road where we got our packs around 2 30, and Knitting Bull also brought us sodas. After we got our packs back, we all laid down by the road and didn't move for about an hour. Definitely a hobo or hiker moment. Finally we decided to move on and hike the last 4 miles to the shelter, which felt like torture with full packs. I got to the shelter around 5 and then we had the rest of the evening to hang out and talk. It ended up being a pretty great day and I actually had some fun hiking in Pennsylvania. Still can't wait to get out of this state though. Tomorrow should be a fairy easy day to the next shelter and then into town the following day and on to Jersey.
Date: 2013-07-18
From: Leroy A Smith Shelter

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

My feet were sore this morning from all the rocks so I wasn't thrilled about the rocky day ahead. When I was finally about to leave camp at 8 30, I noticed my load lifter strap was almost completely off my pack. I sat back down and and unpacked my pack to find my needle and dental floss to sew it back on. I got it fixed and started hiking around 9 am. The bugs started immediately so my bug net went on and my music went in. The rocks were the worst so far, but I finally accepted that it was going to suck and my day got much better. Embracing the suck really does help. Around noon I decided to take a break and finally use my nap hammock that I've been carrying since Harpers Ferry. I ate lunch in the hammock and then laid there for about an hour and a half. It was amazing! I felt so great and was actually excited to hike again, which was strange because the trail was terrible. The rest of the day went quickly, which hasn't happened in a while, and I made it to the shelter around 4 30. I thought about going the 6 miles into town, but decided my feet would probably kill tomorrow if I did. I decided to actually sleep in the shelter so that I will wake up early and hopefully get to town by 10 am. Today was actually a great day despite Pennsylvania trying to make everything as horrible as possible. Almost to New Jersey and tomorrow I will have less than 900 miles to go.
Date: 2013-07-19
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap,
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: few clouds

I woke up at 5 30 and was on the trail by 6 30. Within a few minutes, I passed the first person on the trail, so I had the pleasure of breaking the spider webs for the rest of the morning. The rocks, bugs, and heat graced me with their presence, but I was making great time and made it to town by 8 45. I stopped by the Church of the Mountain Hostel to drop off my stuff and then went to the diner for breakfast. Around 1 pm, Indigo and I decided to tube 4 miles down the Delaware River, which was so much fun and it felt amazing to be in water. What a great nero day in town, and I am only .3 miles away from getting out of this hell hole of a state, Pennsylvania. Tomorrow the heat is suppose to break after it storms, and I am really looking forward to temperatures in the upper 80s. I'm hoping to leave town early to make some miles before the storm hits, but I will definitely be hitting up the diner for breakfast before I leave town. Goodbye Pennsylvania, hello New Jersey.
Date: 2013-07-20
From: Delaware Water Gap,

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.8

I woke up at 6 am, after a sauna like night at the hostel, and was ready by about 6 15. Indigo and I met Pathfinder and Blackhawk at the diner for breakfast and ate a huge breakfast before heading back out on the trail around 7 30. I was so excited to cross the border into New Jersey and leave the horrible state of Pennsylvania. A few miles into New Jersey, I saw my first New Jersey bear stick his head out from behind a bush. The hike today was so much better than anything in northern Pennsylvania because the trail was actually pretty again with ponds, streams, views, and a well maintained trail. There were still rocks, but everything else had been so missed that I didn't even care about the rocks. Around 9 miles in, Pathfinder walked right next to a snake that flattened it head and hissed at her. Once she passed, it quickly turned and went into the bushes so I couldn't get a picture to ask anyone what it was but when we got to the outdoor center there was a sign about pit vipers. I couldn't tell if it was the same snake or not but it was definitely something different than we have been seeing lately. At the outdoor center I decided to get a bunk instead of hiking 2 more miles to a campsite because I would still end up at the same shelter the following night. After Blackhawk, Pathfinder, and I settled into the cabin, we decided to go swimming at the nearby lake. It felt amazing to be swimming for the second time in two days. I'm definitely glad I decided to stay here, plus I ended up getting my own room and am looking forward to an actual good night of sleep. Great day today! Hopefully New Jersey can keep this up. Less than 300 miles until Vermont and much more challenging terrain. It's starting to feel like Katahdin is actually in reach.
Date: 2013-07-21
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

I got up around 6 and enjoyed some creature comforts like running water and electricity, before heading back out on the trail around 7 30. The hiking today was rocky but not particularly difficult, but I was struggling today. I was super tired all day and felt like I could fall asleep while I was hiking. I stopped for lunch around noon and set up my nap hammock to relax and eat lunch in. I didn't actually fall asleep because I ended up talking to people but it felt great to lay around. The rest of the day seemed to take forever but Blackhawk, Pathfinder, and I finally made it to the shelter around 4 45. For only doing 14 miles, we were all way more tired than normal. I set up my tent and ate dinner and then relaxed in my hammock to journal and read. Hopefully I get a good nights sleep and wake up refreshed tomorrow because I'm planning to do a 19 mile day. I've also heard the rocks are suppose to get better so that's something to look forward to.
Date: 2013-07-22
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: Port Jervis, NY
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Today started out great and then ended cold, wet, and miserable. The first part of the day seemed to fly by and I was in a great mood. Blackhawk, Pathfinder, and I stopped at Joe's to Go for breakfast and got sandwiches made for lunch. Although the day was going great so far, I was feeling physically and mentally run down so I decided to take a zero with Blackhawk and Pathfinder in the next town. After I had already decided this, the trail decided to reinforce my decision, by turning into all rocks and pouring down rain. The rain made the rocks really slippery and even more miserable. At first the rain was fun and I was singing and sloshing in the puddles but when the rain stopped it was just cold and slippery. I was definitely ready for a zero day to rest my feet, body, and mind after all the rocks. When we got to High Point State Park, we called a cab and went to Port Jervis, NY. We stayed at the Erie Hotel which had a restaurant and bar in it. After showering, we headed down stairs for beer and hamburgers, which made the night so much better. It feels great to be in a hotel tonight and I'm so happy I decided to zero tomorrow.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Port Jervis, NY

To: Port Jervis, NY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

What a perfect zero day. Breakfast at a diner across the street, which was amazing. Then we only had to walk a block to do laundry and resupply before heading back to the diner for lunch. Lunch was then followed by a nap, and then we went downstairs for a few beers and dinner. I feel so refreshed after today. This is how all zeros should be. I feel ready to hit the trail again tomorrow. One of the most relaxing zero days to date.