morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-27
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 29.8
Weather: light rain

Thirty miles is a long way to walk, especially on the PA rocks. I did it though, and had some wonderful fries and pizza for dinner. I left at 6:45 this morning and got to Port Clinton around 8:30. If I had planned a bit better I could have hitched up to the Yuengling Brewery and gotter a tour. Next time... It was a steep climb out of the Gap, but after that it was relatively flat for the next 24 miles. I stopped by the Eagles Nest Shelter for lunch and a water refill. It got warmer at this point, bit still not bad hiking weather. I got to a campsite 5.5 miles from the shelter at 4:15 and decided to get here by 6:15. I beat it by 7 minutes. The last three miles were probably the fastest of the day. I'm not sure where all the eneryg came from, but it was probably the promise of pizza.Transition and Nightwalker are here, and some guy I've never seen before. A quiet night. There are 2 cats and a kitten wandering around the shelter and outside. They are very cute, and I think all shelters should have cats. I call my grandparents to finalize plans for Friday since there was a better signal here, and called home while I had the phone out. I think my headlamp is about to die, it keeps flashing brighter. I can't remember the last time I changed the batteries, so tomorrow, when its light. Tomorrow is a nice, short, 17.5 miler. But first, sleep.
Date: 2003-07-28
From: Cornwall Bridge, CT

To: Salisbury, CT
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 95Great weather today, clear and about 75 degrees. The terrain is reasonable. I can tell we are getting back into the ups and downs. The trees are predominantly large hemlocks, so in places there is soft, pine-needle-covered trail.There were some day hiking kids that I passed today, and like every group of kids I've passed, at least one is moaning and having a miserable time. What goes on in your head manifests itself in your body. I've noticed times when I begin a steep uphill section and I think of how tiring it will be; I start to get winded immediately. If you focus on the difficulties of the trail, it just makes it more difficult.Finding and maintaining the right mental state is the most important thing in long distance hiking. You have to run positive thoughts through your mind. It is not as simple as "This is easy". The affirmation has to be believable in order for you to convince yourself - something along the lines of "I can do this." There's much more to be said about this, but that's all I have the words for now.I stayed at Maria McCabe's boarding house in Salisbury. Odwalla is also here, and we have a good chat about The Lord of the Rings books and movies.
Date: 2013-08-30
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon 
Miles today: 11.3

I got up and headed out. It was pretty foggy, and made the walk almost eerie. I took a break at the Clarks Ferry Shelter, then got to the road. There is a very long road walk over the Susquehanna River then through Duncannon. As I got the our agreed-upon meeting place, Grandma and Grandpa pulled up. What great timing. We went into Harrisburg to a nice Indian place, then to the grocery store. We ate some pie at The Doyle, then they headed home. I sat around with Chipmunk (formerly Transition) and Bag of Tricks all afternoon. Tricks likes to talk, and he had stories of all the silly things he'l done on the trail and at trail festivals. Around dinner time we went into the bar and ate and drank until they closed. It was a lot of fun. Tomorrow I should hit the end of the PA rocks, or so I'm told. Fingers crossed.
Date: 2003-07-30
From: Road MA-41 near South Egremont, MA

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: few clouds

Day 97Today my wife hiked with me, so she gets to write the journal entry:---I was happy to hike with Awol. I wanted to be with him and to help pass some of the miles. Blue Jay La Fey and Allison were a great help, shuttling us to where Awol left off yesterday. Blue Jay is a repeat AT hiker who offered Awol help after reading his journal. He doesn't want to be called a trail angel - helping is his way of banking karma for future hikes. I¢m in awe of the fellowship, as I¢ll call it, of the hiking community.The weather was beautiful and the terrain started out level. Awol suggested we try for a 20-miler. Yah, he's always been an optimist and he can often motivate me to push beyond myself, which many times has been rewarding. I figured we would see how it goes.Walking uphill is hard and I soon lost my quick and nimble talent to walk downhill too. I experienced the same outside knee problem Awol had at the beginning of his AT hike.By mid-afternoon we had our biggest climb of 500'. I put one foot in front of the other nonstop and yet I felt like a snail could have moved faster. Sweat poured off my face and I was huffing and puffing.By the time we reached the top, I was spent and depressed. Depressed because this simple mountain was kicking my butt; who was I to think I could come out here and hike? We kept walking until 7:30 pm, passing earlier opportunities to stop.I tried to enjoy myself, to take in the scenery and smells, the company, the delicious freeze-dried lasagna, and the good nights sleep. I don't know what I was competing against - myself, the mountain, or Awol, but I felt defeated this day.JuliHiker info:At state US7 (mile 1505.2) go left 75 yards to a nursery on north side of the road - they sell cold drinks, ice cream, and fruit.
Date: 2013-09-01
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Iron Masters Mansion
Miles today: 15.7

Today was still very hot and humid. I was tired from yesterday, so I took my time this morning. I was also very hungry and ate an entire box of Life cereal. At the top of the hill at noon it started to rain. It down poured for a while and the trail turned into a river. I got to Pine Grove Furnace State Park around 1 and made my way to the general store. The tradition is to eat a half gallon of ice cream here, and I did. The first 1.5 quarts took me half an hour, and the last pint another half hour. It was a lot of ice cream. While it digested I went to the AT museum and looked around. It was small but nice. I then sat on the porch and waited for the hostel to open. At 5they let me in and I showered and did laundry and had dinner. The room has air conditioning, and it is the greatest. Worth every penny on these humid days. Tomorrow I'll get breakfast then head out. Its supposed to be hot and humid tomorrow , so I mad do a short day. Tuesday should be better, according to the internet.
Date: 2003-08-02
From: Beckett Road in MA

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: haze

Day 100Ever since Mount Everett the trail has been pretty soft. I slackpacked the first half of the day, then Juli picked me up and we had lunch. I had to put the pack back on afterwards. It felt heavy in contrast.Red salamanders are abundant. I saw 4 in one 10-yard section of trail. They blend well with the leaves, and I worry about stepping on them.Miles still went by without much work - more mild ups and downs and few rocks. I'm staying at Tom Levardi's home here in Dalton, with about a dozen hikers. Tom is great, giving everyone rides, offering ice cream and pie.A crowd gathered at JB's pool hall: Tom, Lion King, Field and his brother, Kane, SOBOs: Fisher King, Squirrel Meat, Snail, 3 ounce, and more...we stayed 'til closing at 1 am.
Date: 2013-05-05
From: Union, NJ

To: Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up after an hour of sleep at 3:20am, showered and mom and dad saw me off to the airport. Was sitting at my gate within 10 minutes of getting there.Both flights were perfect, first class tickets meant first on and first off. Atlanta looked a lot like NJ, though the MARTA train had to be at least 30 years old. Took it to the outer most station and was met by a hostel employee and their van.The employee was great and actually spent 4 years living a couple of miles from my parents in Jersey (Roselle Park) before moving back to Georgia. The hostel owners seemed a little standoffish but that's just probably I'm incredibly sleep-deprived.I'm in a nice bunk room with "Ole Slow", a thru-hiker from Utah who seems around 70 years old, and Chris, a section-hiker from Missouri who is trying to get as far as he can within a week before heading back home. There are also other groups in the private rooms and suites that seem friendly but I'm too much of a sleep zombie to be social right now.Breakfast is at 8am, then I'm off to springer to start my adventure.My head is in a weird spot right now, but I think a solid 8 hours will go a long way in helping that.
Date: 2003-08-04
From: Bascom Lodge Hostel

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

Day 102It didn't seem too long ago that I wrote about starting to count down with 1000 miles to go. Now less than 600 miles remain and I am in my 12th state (Vermont). My plan is to do at least 100 miles a week and finish in 6 weeks. This is a doable plan, requiring only 15 miles a day on average.I took my time getting on the trail this morning, trying to time my day so I could eat the pizza buffet in town 6 miles down from Mt. Greylock. But the godless people of North Adams have allowed their Pizza Hut to go out of business. Oh, the hardships of this trail...In town, I wasted more time, making about a mile and a half round trip to eat a consolation lunch at Friendly's and making phone calls. I didn't get back on the trail until 2 pm, still hoping to do 14 miles. After an ascent from North Adams, the trail was fairly level.I passed a fallen wasp nest, and one stung me on the calf, just because that's what wasps do. I did a wasp-bite dance 10 yards up the trail, where I saw a note warning of wasps.As I was nearing this shelter, I wasn't hiking very strong, my clothes were wringably wet with sweat, and I heard thunder. So I've pulled in for a short day. Before the 6:30 rain starts coming down heavy; I've made the right decision.
Date: 2013-05-07
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Cooper Gap
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: moderate rain

I left with strong legs but after 2 major climbs in 4 miles I was spent, set up my hammock and took a nap at Cooper Gap. I ended up just camping there during the day and into the night.I wanted to start with 8 mile days, but 4 are making more sense. They still take about 4-5 hours to complete including breaks. At first, this bummed me out. But now I'm fine with it, since it means I can end my day happy instead of frustrated.Allow me to explain what the trail is like here in the peach state: You climb one hill, walk about 100 feet across the top of it, then climb down into a gap. At each gap there is usually a forest service road, then the next one begins. Each hill/mountain is 400'-600' high and takes 30-45 minutes to climb, and about 30 to descend. Each hill is like spending 40 minutes on a stairmaster, then 30 minutes doing squats. I'm starting to understand how to cope with it mentally, but physically it will take me a few weeks to work up to 10-12 mile days.Either way, I'm very happy with how things have gone so far - my hammock/tarp combo is amazing, allows me to sleep so soundly, and sit in it like a lounger during the day. It's the first thing I put up when I make camp. Even with rain I didn't get wet.Using my phone for all photos, videos, blogs and reading is also great - I have the AT guide on it as a PDF so I can plan easily, then read a book, then post some photos. I even have a battery backup that recharges the phone 3 times. The planning paid off.
Date: 2003-08-05
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Day 103I've been carrying a second shirt and pants since the Mohican Center in New Jersey. Today they came in handy, since my primary clothes where still as wet as when I hung them up last night. Today is a rainy day, just like the past 5 days on the trail. Most of the rain falls in the morning and night, so I've missed many of the showers, but get wet anyway from the underbrush and from sweating in this humidity. The trail is muddy for the first 8 miles of the day. It is slow going trying to keep the mud from sucking off my shoes. The descent to VT9 is a hazardous, steep, and wet field of rocks. I'm hitching into Bennington for an unplanned town stop to get out of the rain, to wash both sets of muddy clothes, and to work on my next newspaper article. I'm sharing a room with Buckeye who did the southern half the trail in 2002 and is doing the northern half this year.This piece of wisdom was written on a privy wall: "Spam is even harder and heavier to carry in your belly than in your pack."
Date: 2013-05-08
From: Cooper Gap

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: scattered clouds

As Ice Cube might say, today was a good day. (Didn't even have to use ma bug spray!)Started with two major climbs but knowing I only had to do 4 miles put me in a much better frame of mind. The weather being sunny and gorgeous always helps too.I met another thru-hiker today at a creek who is from Jersey - Hoboken in fact. Very nice guy, didn't have trail name yet. Met him up a couple miles later at Gooch Shelter and had lunch together.Now just relaxing in my hammock and about to take a nap. Life is good.
Date: 2003-08-06
From: Bennington, VT

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

Day 104The walk up to Goddard Shelter was nice and gradual, with a manageable amount of mud. I arrived a little after 2 pm, had a snack, and then the rain came down with a vengeance. So I'm trapped here doing another short day.I did a lot of writing for the paper and catching up on email, so I'm gonna make this short.Here in the shelter: Odwalla, Buckeye, Right On (also on TJ), Grayjay, Jerry Springer (who brews an awesome cup of coffee!), and 4 others. All of us fit in this nice large shelter.
Date: 2013-05-09
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Woody Gap/Wolf Pen Hostel
Miles today: 5.0

The trail is turning out exactly as I expected it to be: awesome.Last night at Gooch Mountain Shelter we had a great group of thru-hikers, we stayed up late (8pm is late on trail) eating dinner and sharing our experiences so far. Ages range from 19 to 50. One dude is the space cadet type and told us "I bought these awesome off-road rollerblades and wanted to be the first person to skate the whole trail, then decided I was just gonna hike it instead".The hike today was an intense 5 miles of climbing and descending, and I was wiped by the time I got to Woody Gap. I ran into a couple from last night and they were going to a hostel at a local country store for pizza and a soft bed to sleep in.I declined joining them, set up my hammock next to the water source, then realized I was insane not to join them, so I called the hostel for a pickup and joined them. 3 slices of pizza, one Reese's peanut butter stick and a beer later, I'm laying in bed at the hostel, soaking up the wonderful southern kitsch that is this heaven. Wood paneling and mounted deer heads, awesome. Not bad for $15!Tomorrow I'm hiking to Jarrard Gap, another 5 miles, then onto Neel's gap on Saturday. Speaking of, everyone at the shelter this morning was unsure of what day of the week it was - you just get into a vortex of hiking and resting, you mind blanks and then you start thinking about pizza. Or maybe that's just me.
Date: 2003-08-07
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Sutton Place - Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 30.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 105I wanted to do a 30-mile day on this trip, but with the days getting shorter and terrain getting tougher I thought I had missed my chance. I looked at Odwalla's map yesterday and noticed I could make it here with a 30-mile walk with one obstacle - the climb over 4000' Stratton Mountain. Stratton Mountain is the location where Benton MacKaye got his inspiration for the trail. The climb turned out like I expected, but there was something else slowing me down; all this mud. On many stretches I had to weave around trying to keep my feet from sinking.This part of Vermont has a deep forest look to it. Ferns cover the ground, streams cut across the trail, and there are moss-covered boulders and large trees of various kinds. The wet pines give off that wonderful Christmas tree smell.I'm over Stratton Mountain by 3:30 pm and I¢m psyched cause I know I will make it. At 7:30 it's getting dark and I'm racing for the road - I'll never get a ride in the dark. The hitching gods are still with me, and the first car stops.A 25-mile day is a lot of work, but a 30-mile day is a challenge. This day went well because I was excited about doing something different.Manchester Center is a pretty little town, built around factory outlet stores. The stores are not in a mall, they are independent buildings spread around town. The other 3 hikers I have seen in town have taken 0 days here. Everyone is tired of the rain. The forecast is for more of the same.I'm staying at Sutton Place, which is not a very good deal. $27 for a shared room, no A/C, no phone, and the place is only about hostel-level clean.
Date: 2013-05-10
From: Woody Gap/Wolf Pen Hostel

To: Jarrard Gap
Miles today: 5.0

Finally, in my floating down cocoon after a long day of trekking. It's raining with storms predicted tonight but I'm warm, dry and my teeth are brushed.Woke up at the hostel this morning and got a ride back to woody gap with Larry and Leigh in the back of a pickup truck - my first hitchhike! It's not really a trip until you ride in a pickup truck in the most unsafe manner possible. (I have video too!)Larry and Leigh are my hiking and hostel buddies for the past coupe of days and are great fun - anyone that can talk about hunting and NPR in the same conversation is alright by me. Today we hiked from Woody Gap to Jerrard Gap - the last couple of miles were hard - I tied my shoes too tightly this morning and developer my first blister. Plus my right pinky toe is rubbing in a weird way in my shoe.We met a few more hikers today that we had seen around previously - three dudes in the early 20s that started off with 50 pound packs three days ago and have been struggling a bit since then. They also had a dog that didn't seem to be enjoying the hike at all. At lunch my camelback badder exploded and soaked my pack - no worries, ill pick a new one up at the Neel's gap outfitters tomorrow.I'm really looking forward to more town stops - next week is Unicoi gap for SURE and I plan to spoil myself with a motel room and pizza. Until then, more Mac and cheese with tuna.
Date: 2003-08-08
From: Sutton Place - Manchester Center, VT

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Day 106Since I got in late last night I spent the morning doing errands - laundry, buying trail food, etc. I waited until 10 am for the outfitter to open.I considered a new pack since my Kelty Satori hurts my shoulders. I even went so far as to try loading all my stuff into the pack I was looking at. I'm glad I tried, cause it wouldn't fit. I ended up "customizing" my Satori. Tomorrow I'll see if my fix helped.After lunch it was late enough to entice me into a zero day. The outfitter told me of a family that lets hikers stay overnight in their home and that's where I am tonight.I looked over my plans for the rest of the hike, and I could finish as soon as September 10. I imagine a number of thru-hikers may be trying for a 9/11 finish date - I'm not sure if I want to do that. What do you think?
Date: 2013-05-11
From: Jarrard Gap

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up at 6 today and had a nice lazy morning in my hammock reading until almost 2:30 - that thing is comfortable!Finally got in gear and started my hike over Blood Mountain, the tallest mountain on the AT in Georgia.It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be - mostly because I'm starting to understand that this trip is about how one perceives two things: Pacing and Pain.Pacing - breaking your miles each day into manageable chunks, sometimes even down to the number of steps. My strategy during climbs is to break forward movement into sets, like lifting weights. I can't do any less than ten steps at a time - at the end of ten I can keep going or catch my breath, but once you begin 10 steps you can't take any less. On moderate climbs that means 50-80 steps, on more difficult ones it is closer to 30-40. Facing down at the trail and doing this makes getting to the top much easier.Pain - My feet will start to tire and ache after 5 miles of rocks. An hour in the hammock and I'm good to go again. Anticipating and accepting the aches and pains helps to manage my mileage better.Back to Blood Mountain - the views were amazing, and there was a beautiful stone shelter at the top. The descent was a pain though - lots of rocks and boulders and then it started pouring rain. Got the jacket out, cranked some tunes from the phone and proceeded to hike down like a boss.At the bottom is Neel's Gap, an infamous waypoint with a hostel, an outdoor gear store, and a food store/snack bar. It was great to arrive there - all of the hikers that I have camped with were there, and we chilled and did laundry. I camped behind the hostel with two other hammockers, since I'm just hooked on it now.Tomorrow I will shower, buy another week's of groceries and continue my hike. Unicoi gap or bust!
Date: 2003-08-09
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 107If I were transported from my desk job in Florida directly to this spot I would be awed by the expanse of mountains, the trees, the fresh air and the cascading streams. That is what I am seeing today through a fresh pair of eyes. People who have sent me messages of encouragement while I've been on this hike seem to have been seeing through my experience what I haven't often seen myself - that this is a unique experience, a journey I'll never forget.On shorter hikes I recall the feeling of how cool it was to simply sit in the woods and drink crystal clear spring water, or to stop in my tracks and pee right where I stood. I wonder if day hikers have it better, not losing the novelty of being in the mountains.I'm writing from the top of Bromley Mountain, next to the ski lift. The last 3 tenths of a mile the trail went up the middle of the "Run Around" ski slope.I got rained on after leaving Bromley; on and off for the rest of the day. I was patient, taking long breaks to write or eat when it stopped or when I could sit in a shelter.I stuck to my plan to do an easy 16 miles today, and I want to do roughly the same miles the next 2 days to get me to the Inn at the Long Trail.Big Branch is a large rocky stream (or river?) that runs in front of this shelter. I should sleep well with the sound of it rumbling past. I am the only one here tonight.