morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-12
From: Berkshire Lodge

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

A gray curtain hangs over the morning accompanied by a light but steady breeze, everything is wet and dripping from the overnight rain. It's not raining now but I put my pack cover on just in case. The running superstitious joke is that you anger the rain gods if the sky is gray and you don't put your pack cover on in homage and respect. To point, I had foolishly removed my pack cover before the monster storm caught me out between shelters a couple days ago. Lesson learned. The terrain looks friendly on the guide map, mostly level, and I plan for 19 miles to the next town. the temperature is cool when I set out, low 50s, and even though it's not raining my shoes and socks are quickly soaked from slicking all of the water off the grass and low plants along the trail. The trail is swampy and muddy as well necessitating much rock and root hopping to avoid the worst of the quagmires but over 19 miles there are inevitable slips and missteps where a foot is removed to the accompanying sucking sound of pulling a large object from the mud. I reach Dalton, MA in the afternoon and make for Tom Levardi's house who the guidebook says allows camping in his backyard. I manage my expectations and am pleasantly surprised when Tom greets me at the door and invites me into his house. I soon come to learn about the selflessness of this unsung trail angel who takes ALL hikers into his house, gives them a shower, does their laundry, gives rides to the store for resupply and slack-packing, and makes sure everyone has a place to sleep. Ten people sleep in the house tonight. I text my friend Sugar Ray with simply two words, 'Tom Lavardi', to which he quickly and accurately replies, 'Destined for sainthood'. I grab a bite at the local tavern with hikers Face and Windscreen where we watch the first half of the NBA finals and then return back to the house to watch the second half as the Mavs take the title on Tom's big screen before a very sound nights sleep. Walk on!
Date: 2011-06-13
From: Dalton, MA

To: Market Noepel Lean-to
Miles today: 13.7

I roll into Cheshire, MA around 1:30 and stop for lunch at a small blue hut called Diane's Twist. Diane, the sweet elderly owner, serves up ice cream, sandwiches, and miscellaneous snacks mainly to the hikers that all must pass her establishment along the trail. I order a meatball sub on a hoagie roll that is a delicious bit of knife & fork work and settle down to eat at the picnic outside. Her husband is sitting at the table ad well and while we're chatting over lunch a kid (not a hiker) runs by with bare feet, sneakers in hand and a small backpack on his back. Diane's husband, a former police officer of 30 years, says somethings not right with this picture but I figure the kid is just late for work or getting to school or something. A couple minutes later a girl runs up and asks if we saw this kid and we say 'Yes', asking what happened. I swear to God this is what she said: "This kid was living in my attic but I didn't know about it and when he came down he punched my aunt in the face and ran away." Say what? I swear it's the random stuff like this that's half the fun of the trail. After lunch I follow the trail through this small town to the base of Mt. Greylock, the highest point in MA. Where at all possible the A.T. loves to run you over the highest point of anything in its vicinity. I begin my ascent, a steep, sweat-inducing climb to my shelter stop before the summit. About 10 minutes before the shelter I see my first black bear on the trail about 25 yards ahead. We see each other simultaneously at which point he turns and quickly moves up the trail. I walk en-garde to the shelter, eyes and ears peeled, but see no more of him. Good times. At the shelter tonight: Corey and Thru Walk on!
Date: 2011-06-14
From: Market Noepel Lean-to

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 9.6

I wake to another gray morning, the sound of rain plinking on the shelter and dripping off the trees outside. I'm already close to seeing as much rain as I saw on the entire hike last summer over that 3 month period. My plan today is only 9 miles into town so not being in much of a rush I huddle back down into my sleeping for some extra rest. I also tarry over an oatmeal breakfast and getting my pack together in the hopes that the rain will abate. I give myself a firm 9:00 departure time, rain or no. At 9:00 it's still hard gray and misting but most of the rain at this point is just dripping off the trees. Firefly, 30+, and Breezy roll in about the same time and together we set out to summit Mt. Greylock with thoughts of a warm cup of cocoa waiting at the mountaintop lodge. At the summit, the lodge is a welcome sight to get out of the cold and damp. The rain wasn't bad on the climb but seems to be increasing as we enjoy the indoors. We take lunch, again waiting for the rain to let up and again giving ourselves a firm time to get back on the trail. At 1:00 it's still raining and so we set out. The descent is trickier than the climb in the rain, rocks and mud making everything treacherously slick. A number of times my feet start to shoot out from under me, only an acrobatic move saves me from falling in a muddy heap. The going is wet and slow but after a long slog I reach the bottom and the civilization that is Williamstown, MA. On my friend Scatters' recommendation we eat at a restaurant called Desperados who she says will serve hikers a FREE meal. Her advice is true and the four of us enjoy a dinner that is completely comped. Walk on!
Date: 2017-05-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

We're baa..aaack! The guest bedroom resembles a yard sale. Every piece of gear for 2 hikers strewn across the bed and from corner to corner. Empty packs lie dormant in one corner, an unpacked tent piled next to them. Sleep pads, sleeping bags, freeze dried food...and so on. The task tomorrow will be to make better organizational sense of this miasma. We leave Thursday night on the Megabus for D.C. We picked up a pair of Crocs for Connor today and rounding out the food items is the last remaining "buy" for tomorrow. Almost go time. Also wanted to test the journaling on Trail Journals, so here we go. Walk on!
Date: 2017-06-02
To: Harper's Ferry 
Miles today: 0.0

We say our goodbyes to Iowa and Ma'Ago and Kevin drops us at the bus station around 10:30p for our 11:00p Megabus ride to Washington, DC. There's a large queue waiting for 2 different buses, people idling about snacking, smoking and chatting. The bus pulls out about 10 minutes after 11, fully loaded. We reserved the last pair of seats together and sit front row, upper deck right over the driver, the open road stretching out before us. The seats are mildly uncomfortable for a 15 hour bus ride, difficult to find body and leg positions that don't induce numbness or cramping after a short period of time. I had the foresight to bring along a sleep mask that really helped tune things out and somehow manage to grab periods of sleep, or half-sleep, until around 7a. We're scheduled to arrive at Union Station in D.C. at 2p where we'll then catch a 4p Amtrak to Harper's Ferry, giving us a 2 hour window. The bus is running 30-40 late as I type this so our window is already diminished. The bus rolls into Union Station at 3:00, an hour late but we're still good on time for our Amtrak to Harper's Ferry. At Harper's the first hostel we look at is full so we walk a mile up the road to the next where they have bunks, the Teahorse Hostel. The room is fine, filled with 10 bunks, all taken by sunset. We walk up the road for a chicken parmigiana sub for dinner, very tasty. We should sleep well tonight after a fitful night prior on the Megabus.
Date: 2017-06-03
From: Harper's Ferry 

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

We wake early at the hostel, just before 6a, but are in no hurry to get going just yet for a couple reasons. First, our host will be making waffles between 6:30-7:30 (and who can pass up a waffle breakfast??) and second, the Appalachian Trail headquarters doesn't open until 9a. Connor is ready to get hiking but I assure him that stopping at the HQ is worth it. We're at the AT HQ at 9 along with another 8-10 hikers. The cool thing they do here is they take your picture as you pass through and add it to the archive of hikers. I first find the book from 2010 and leaf through to find my photo from my first passage. After spotting a couple friends from that year and I find my photo - full beard, slightly less grey. We then get our photo taken and added to the current book. The staff are very friendly. Connor seems most enthusiastic about the free cinnamon rolls. In short order our hike is officially underway and we're heading north out of town. The trail follows the old C & O Canal for the first hour, a wide, level, lightly graveled path, easily the longest and flattest section of the entire trail I would think. The terrain is relatively mild, especially for our first day out. There's one moderate climb at the beginning and the rest of the day is not too strenuous. The highlight comes at the end of the day when we see a sign saying "Trail Magic Ahead!" It may be only be out first day but we're still excited. These trail magicians have really outdone themselves. They've set up shop in a pavilion at the state park and are grilling burgers and dogs. They also have chips, 4 coolers of iced beverages, cookies, brownies, watermelon. These guys are all in. Connor and I both have a hot dog, soda, popcorn, watermelon and cookies. We decide that this will also count as dinner since it's such a feast. The only downside is that our packs don't get lighter unless we eat our food. In this case I can accept that tradeoff. We're at the shelter by 4:00, tent up, getting our relax on. I did notice a hot spot on my right foot towards the end of the day that I'll have to treat before we set out tomorrow, and we're also keeping an eye on Connor's hips where the belt sits. This was the problem that got us off the trail prematurely last year and we're hoping to avoid a repeat of that. Walk on!
Date: 2017-06-04
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5

I sleep great in the tent. The temperature is low 60s and not a breeze last night. No rain in the forecast so we do t even bother to put up the rain fly. The moon is near full and woke me at one point as it shone brightly in my eyes. The first order of business this day though is tending to a blister that has begun to develop on the inside arch of my right foot. Blisters have never been a problem for me and the only thing I can figure is the cause is due to a new insole I'm wearing. I lance the blister, dab it dry, add a bandaid and cover with a piece of duct tape. The best field dressing I can muster. I know this will slow me down today as I'll have to step gingerly to avoid any more pressure than necessary. Around noon we make it to the original Washington Monument in Boonsboro, Maryland. It's not nearly as impressive as its sibling in DC but it's a cool piece of history. Interestingly there's a couple having a wedding at the base of monument, a small affair with a few friends but neat and touching sight. There's also a lot of Civil War history as well along the trail here marking various battles and fallen generals. We make it to the shelter pretty early and as is our custom, weather permitting, set up the tent and settle in for a blissful siesta. This post hike nap is usually the best, deepest sleep I get. We nosh on a Mountain House and ramen for dinner and chat with a couple other hikers. One of the hikers, Popeye, is kind enough to offer me a blister pad for tomorrow's hike which I gladly accept. Walk on!
Date: 2017-06-05
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 13.1

Days 3-4 have traditionally been some of the worst for hike acclimation. Things hurt and ache mercilessly, blisters to be reckoned with, chaffing. I feel all of this this morning. I walk gingerly with my blister, hopeful that the blister pad given to me by Popeye will pay benefits. Connor dashes up the trail ahead of me, his young legs propelling him forward. My pace lags and I'm not sure how much of it is age differential at this point vs me walking slower with my hobbled foot. There's a view about an hour into our hike, Adirondack Rocks. We stop to take it the view overlooking Maryland farmland and I-70. The view reminds you that even though your surrounded by woods you're rarely very far from civilization. Rain is in the forecast and after another hour of hiking we hear the first rumblings. We stop to put on our pack covers and the rain starts soon after. It's a light but steady rain that lasts for the rest of the day. Connor spots our first deer, a fearless doe not too far off the trail. She doesn't seem to mind our presence. There's a trail magic cooler we pass later in the day. On first glance it's only empty Mountain Dew cans but after fishing around I find the last 2 cans. We carry them to the next shelter and savor the Dew! There's rain in the forecast tonight so we decide to stay in the shelter. Putting up or taking down a tent in the rain is never fun. The shelter is full, looks to be about 10 people. I should add that this is one of the nicest shelter designs I've encountered on the trail. It's roomy with a 2nd story and glass near the ceiling to let in extra light. When we arrive at the shelter we meet Gypsy Girl. I'm immediately taken aback by her 2 black eyes and an obviously nasty gash on her left leg just below the knee. I soon get the story, she was climbing up some steep rocks and her hiking pole snapped under her. She went headfirst into the rocks and caught her left leg on the edge of a rock, the weight of her backpack adding to the impact. The bandage over the wound is soaked through and without seeing it, it's clear the wound is nasty and still bleeding. She changes her bandage a bit later and I see the gash firsthand. I think if she could have gotten straight to a clinic that they would have used stitches to close the wound. I'm not sure if that option is too late now. I offer her some Neosporin ointment which she gladly accepts and slathers on. Although older (69 or 70), she's an experienced hiker having twice hiked the AT and a large portion of the PCT. Bad luck can befall anyone. She's getting off the trail tomorrow to go to a clinic. She's tough so it's not clear how long this might sideline her. I think if it's not infected (and she doesn't get stitches) she will try to get back out quickly.
Date: 2017-06-06
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Tumbling Run Shelters
Miles today: 13.2

The weather calls for 50% chance of rain today but it's actually col and pleasant. We bag our 7th (of 14) state as we cross the Mason Dixon line from Maryland into Pennsylvania. We actually grabbed our 6th state when we left Harper's Ferry and passed into Maryland a few days ago. There's an AT challenge called the 4 state challenge and the goal is to hike through 4 states (VA, WV, MD, into PA) on the trail in 24 hours. To do so requires a big mile day of 43 miles. I don't personally know anyone who's accomplished this task. One of the days highlight was coming across a swift flowing, shallow stream. The sun is shining warmly so we decide to take soak our feet for a spell. The water is ice cold but feels so good on our tender feet. A dozen black and yellow swallowtail butterflies dance by the waters edge. We dry off in the sun before pushing on to the next shelter.
Date: 2017-06-07
From: Tumbling Run Shelters

To: Fayetteville, PA
Miles today: 9.6

It gets colder during the night, dropping to the low 50s. I sleep in a summer bag rated to 50 degrees for comfort. It's very lightweight and wonderful for typical hot summer days but this is not that day. I hunker down inside for warmth but it gets stifling after awhile and I have to surface for air. Compounding my temperature discomfort, there's a hiker couple (he and she) also sharing the shelter. When they first arrive I think they're day hikers because their packs are so small. It turns out they are long distance hiking but they don't carry a tent OR sleeping bag. They wear warm jackets, leggings and hats - just sleeping on top of pads. They are clearly uncomfortable throughout the night as they are constantly moving and shuffling for warmth. When I wake in the morning I see that the girl has stuffed her feet inside her backpack. That's the thing about shelters though. It's a shared space so someone else's misery or discomfort or whatever becomes yours as well. We're only in the shelter tonight because the weather called for morning rain starting around 5a and I really dislike putting up or taking down a tent in the rain, so if I can get a weather report I'll base our Tent vs Shelter decision on this factor. Today is our first town and resupply day! After 5 days we emerge from the woods for a hot shower, a hot meal, laundry, a bed, and a roof over our head. We hit a restaurant and grab a burger and fries before checking into the hostel. The hot shower feels...so...gooood. On the trail it's the little things can mean a lot. We resupply in the evening and will hit the trail again tomorrow.
Date: 2017-06-08
From: Fayetteville, PA

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 10.0

Tech and the trail. I meet an interesting guy at the hostel named Shogun. We chat about many things but one thing he mentions is an app for mobile devices called Guthook. The app is a digital AT trail guide that shows all shelters, water sources, towns, landmarks and points of interest. It also uses the phone GPS to show exactly where you are on the trail and mileage to the next destination. It can be viewed in altitude mode to show the rise and fall of the terrain. All useful information and in fact I've found that many hikers now use only this app and eschew a guide book altogether. The other 'essential' item that goes hand in hand on the trail now is a phone charger. I've seen several different versions that can recharge a phone anywhere from 1-7 times (the more recharges the bigger/heavier the charger), most are plug in but some are solar. This guy, Shogun, also has a website that he developed that pulls the weather forecast at each shelter on the trail. I download the Guthook app and talk to Roxana to have her mail our portable charger.Shortly into the day's hike I'm reminded of a line from Empire Strikes Back where Han and company take refuge in the Millennium Falcon inside a large asteroid. Something moves outside the window at which point he turns to Leia and says, "I just got this bucket back together. I'm not about to let something tear it apart!" The blister on my foot is considerably better than it was just a few days and I feel strong setting out today but after about 3 miles I think I notice another hot spot on the pinky of the same foot. I changed socks today and wonder if this might be the problem. I immediately find a place to sit and remove shoe and sock to take the measure of the situation. The toe looks like it might be getting rubbed but there's no blister yet, so that's good news. To be on the safe side I wrap a piece of duct tape around this littlest digit for added protection. I put the sock back on, this time making sure the fabric is pulled tight and not bunched up in this area. Things feel fine the rest of the day so will see what tomorrow brings. I feel like we're finally getting our trail legs though as our strides feel much stronger today. Walk on!
Date: 2017-06-09
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: James Fry Shelter
Miles today: 17.1

It was cold last night. Again. This catches me off guard as it's not at all what I expect for June weather. I don every piece of warm clothing I have -- pants, jacket, sox, cap -- and huddle in my bag for warmth. My sleep is restless. Connor handles the cold better but in the middle of the night I ask him if I can get him his puffy jacket and he accepts. I'm glad, as aside from this he's only in shorts and tshirt. I check the thermometer in the morning and it reads 50 degrees, maybe high 40s. I believe this is the last night of cold though since temps are expected to hit the 90s starting Sunday. Feast or famine. The highlight of the day is our stop in Pine Grove Furnace State Park located right on the AT. This stop is notable for several reasons. First ,it serves up a good if not slightly overpriced snack bar. I order the burger, Connor the chicken quesadilla. Next, it's home to the "Half Gallon Challenge", the challenge being for a hiker to eat a 1/2 gallon tub of ice cream in a sitting. I order up the cookies and cream and polish it off with relative ease alongside my burger. Full confession, Connor's spoon made several strafing runs through the ice cream but I'm confident I could have handled it alone. Next this park hosts a free AT museum, a small but nice stop to check out stories and memorabilia from days of yore on the trail. The park also has a small lake for swimming with a beach and free hot showers. We didn't swim or shower but we saw other hikers enjoying the amenity. During lunch we bump into Shogun again. I figured he'd be miles up the trail as he was talking about doing 25+ mile days. It turns out this ambition turned on him in a snap as he's now wracked with shin splints and seriously considering ending his hike. I encourage him to take at least 2 days before quitting but at the same time I sense he's already made his decision. After lunch, a brief nap, and museum tour we're back on the trail. We still have 7 1/2 miles to go to get to our shelter stop. This is our biggest mile day yet at 17.1 and we definitely feel the additional miles and the heat, especially over the last 5 miles. This is the first time I actually have to slow down a couple times to wait for Connor. Sometimes the mileage works out this way where the option is either to stop at 8 miles (which we'd knock out by 10:30a) or going the next distance, in this case 17. Also of note, we pass the official half way mark on the trail, 1090.5 miles. Walk on!
Date: 2017-06-10
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 12.0

Today is a town day but to get there we have to navigate several short but steep up and downs. A couple of these are rocky scrambles that involve hand over hand climbs up vertical rocks. We're definitely getting our trail legs but at the same I'm reminded we are works in progress, particularly after the 17 mile hike we did yesterday. The last 3 miles are really nice as we enter the Cumberland Valley, emerging from the shaded forest to hike through lush Pennsylvania farmland. Boiling Springs is a nice town with a natural spring literally bubbling up from the ground and filling a reservoir in the middle of town. Ducks and their chicks are swimming and some folks are fishing as we discover the water has just been stocked with trout. We grab lunch, a few supplies, and then off to our accommodation for the evening. A nice retired couple hosting a B&B named the The Red Cardinal. Walk on!