morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-24
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Boiling Springs Backpacker's Campsite
Miles today: 11.6

Today was my least favorite day yet. It was HOT and PUDs all day (trail term for Pointless Ups and Downs). Like a goddamn roller coaster. And then to top it off, on top of one of the mountains was a giant rock maze. Like literally a maze you have to follow markings through. I was hurdling over boulders and having to take off my pack in some places to throw it down below. And guess what! I got lost in the fucking maze! I fell off trail for a solid half hour and had no idea where i was. Just in the middle of the woods. Eventually though i obviously found the trail again, but still beyond frustrating. After I made it out of the maze I ran into Journey Man again and vented to him about my trek there. He apparently struggled too lol. He told me that he was walking into town and getting transportation back to his car about 30 miles away. He's little trip was over. He gave me his contact info and insisted that i contact him later in my trek when i pass through Hot Springs, NC where he lives. He also reminded me that i'm doing great and to keep on trekking. So that was super nice. Later, the trail passed through a lot of farm lands, which absolutely sucked. Terribly hot. No shade cover. Just blazing sun and open fields. My allergies flared up the whole way through. The next decent shelter/campsite is like another 9 miles away or something. So my only option is to stay at this "backpackers campsite" right on the outskirts of Boiling Springs, PA. There's no water source here, so i had to plan ahead and pack in my water from about 4 miles away. It's also located right next to a train track. Like literally 50 ft away. And the freight train passes almost every half hour. Yay. I'm excited for tomorrow though! I'm resupplying at a gas station Boiling Springs, picking up a food box at the post office that i sent to myself, and also picking up my new phone charger from Amazon. Getting all the goods! Also, a couple guys i've been running into the passed couple days asked if i wanted to split a motel room in Carlisle, PA tomorrow night. It's about 8 miles from where i'm currently camping and only 1 mile off trail. This messes up my current schedule a little bit because i wasn't planning to stay in town or only hike 8 miles for the day. A shower, laundry, and AC for the sweet price of $20. I said yes.
Date: 2018-05-25
From: Boiling Springs Backpacker's Campsite

To: Motel in Carlisle, PA
Miles today: 8.4

That fucking train dude. It ran all night except between 12-4am. I got my resupply box at the post office. Bumped all the snacks to a forward town and sent a lot of other stuff home. Resupplied at a gas station. They had real bananas! Whoo!! No flour tortillas though, so looks like we're doin peanut butter on hamburger buns for the next couple days. I couldn't start my 8 mile walk to Carlisle, PA right away because i was still waiting on my amazon package. I couldn't get it delivered to the post office, so i had it sent to a near by hotel. You're only really supposed to do that if you plan on staying at the hotel. Oops. Walking around town to do all these errands really sucks. Like i already walk enough. Since off-trail miles don't go towards the overall goal, the feel extra hard. The package took awhile, so i didn't start hiking till 2:00. It was only 8 miles, but it was fucking brutal. Super hot. More open farm fields. Hardly any tree cover. Suffocated in my allergies the whole way here. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of that shower. The room is at America's Best Value Inn. Let me tell you, the moment i walked in i regretted being there. The woods was cleaner than this place. They have wifi, but it only works in the parking lot. They have "laundry service" (which costs a whopping $10 a basket!), but apparently the "laundry man" is MIA right now and no one knows when he'll be back. So i don't think laundry will be happening. I take my pony tail out to shower and my hair doesn't budge. It just stays there perched up on my head. It's weird to look at myself in a mirror. I have a lot of "eww" and "oh god" thoughts. My hiker-tan is coming in strong. My face is revolting against the fact that i no longer wash it twice a day. My hips and shoulders look raw and bruised from my pack rubbing in. I thought my legs were a lot darker, but turns out it was just a thick layer of dirt built up over my calves. When i scrub the dirt off my toes, i notice that one of the nails is black and bruised. I might lose that one soon. Legs is scrounging for some Ibuprofen, but is out. I trade him a couple Aspirin for some much needed Benadryl. I have fun kickin it with him and Sauerkraut in the AC.I lay out my sleeping pad and bag on the floor and pray to god a roach doesn't crawl on me in my sleep.
Date: 2018-05-26
From: Motel in Carlisle, PA

To: Cove Mt Shelter
Miles today: 13.6

I part ways with Sauerkraut and Legs this morning. Not sure when/if ill run into them again. It was pretty freaking hot today. I think i only peed once all day, which isn't good lol. Less inclines, but getting really rocky. Everything is sore. Had my first Trail Magic experience though! A mother and daughter were posted up by a spring with ziploc baggies full of homemade chocolate chip and sugar cookies. They were giving them out to only thru-hikers! So cool!!The other day i called The Best Friend, Keara, for the first time since being out here. We rambled a lot. She said she thought i was dead since i never called her when i said i was going too. Oops lol. She asked me a question though that i keep thinking about a lot. She asked me if i was having fun? In the moment i said "i guess", but it keeps coming back to me. Like what am i supposed to say? "Yeah, i'm doing the most physically and mentally demanding challenge of a lifetime, for 180 days straight, and it's a blast!" ... Was this ever really supposed to be fun? If it isn't fun, then what?I don't think i ever approached this thinking it was gonna be fun. I actually really liked wearing clean underwear, showering, making smoothies, and eating out. But doing all that was really easy. Like too easy. I came out here to challenge myself. I think if i can prove to myself that i'm capable of living in the woods for 6 months and walking over 2,000 miles, well then i'll know that i can do just about anything.
Date: 2018-05-27
From: Cove Mt Shelter

To: Peter Mt Shelter
Miles today: 15.3

It was a nice breezy day! You can smell rain in the air. The whole camp woke up around 6am to the sound of a large tree cracking and tumbling to the forest floor. Trees and their branches falling over on people and/or their tents is a real concern out here lol. I was worried that it was about to start pouring, so i quickly gathered up my things and hit the trail. No rain yet though. The trail veered out of the mountains and straight through a small town, Duncanon, PA. This was convenient because i was in desperate need of more flour tortillas and baby wipes. A lot of the shops had signs in their windows saying "hiker friendly" or "hiking necessities sold here". The shitty thing about going through towns is the climb out. It kicked my ass. Midway I had to stop and bandage up a toe that's about to lose its nail. I officially hate hiking in Pennsylvania. I was warned of the rocky terrain, but i didn't understand how it would affect me until now. This is the first day so far, Day 11, that i feel physically destroyed. Someone please cut off my feet. There's no such thing as flat ground out here. My knees and ankles have been catching my weight all day, and thus feel like death. I hope my body gets used to it because this sucks. Hiking mountains is hard.
Date: 2018-05-28
From: Peter Mt Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: mist

Day was a long day, but good day to hike! It rained a bit last night and was really windy. I slept terribly because i kept having a recurring nightmare of a tree falling on me in my sleep and no one able to hear me calling for help. Joy. I also woke up to about 100 ants crawling on the outside of my tent. None got inside, thankfully, but i have no idea where they came from lol. The post-rain air is super nice to walk through. I don't sweat as much, so it's a lot easier to stay hydrated. I ended up taking an earlier lunch break than expected because of some truly awesome Trail Magic. There's a road that crossed the AT today, and had a small parking lot off to the side. A family was posted up in the parking lot with two giant tables of food, waiting for thru-hikers to walk by. I was stunned. I got a banana, fruit salad, banana chips, potato chips, Oreos, and Sour Patch Kids. It was the highlight of my day. They had a lot of other stuff like hamburgers and hot dogs, but obviously i didn't eat that. They even gave out their contact info and were like if you need anything while you're in Pennsylvania call us because we can probably help. Truly incredible. After I gorged myself with food, i had to walk uphill for a steady 2 miles. In my previous life, i would have opted for a long nap instead lol. Eventually i come to a campsite where i see a couple guys deciding to stay there for the day. We've all already walked 13 miles today and the next campsite/shelter is another 5 miles further. I decided to push forward. This is the long distance i've walked so far in a day. 18 miles is a stretch already, and so in PA it's a beating. Im glad i did, but my feet are screaming. Because of that detour to the motel the other day where i showered and stayed the night, i fell off schedule a bit. So today was trying to make up for that. Today is Monday and so ill probably have to do another long day on Wednesday before i drop into town again on Thursday. Assuming my body doesn't fall apart by then lol. The campsite i'm at is super nice. Right next to a river. A bunch of people went another 0.3 off trail to the shelter, so i have the whole campsite to myself tonight. Score!
Date: 2018-05-29
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: William Penn Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Another really hot, rocky day. Had to walk ankle deep through water early this morning because a beaver built a damn and flooded the trail for about 20 yards. So now i'll have wet socks and shoes for the next three days. Saw a dead mouse on a sidewalk near a road, so i left it some flowers. Saw another rattlesnake! Almost stepped right on it, again! lolOther than that, pretty uneventful day. Ready for sleep.
Date: 2018-05-30
From: William Penn Shelter

To: Eagle Nest Shelter
Miles today: 19.3

Saw three snakes today! One rattlesnake and two black snakes. Is that even news anymore though?? lolCame across an awkward "bag of Trail Magic" today. There was a trash bag left in the middle of the trail today with a note on it for hikers. It said something like "Northbound AT Wanders: Bag of Trail Magic for you!" At first i was super excited. Like what a sweet thing to find. But then i opened it and realized that this was not a goodie bag designed for hikers at all. It was full of giant glass jars of jam, expired canned soup, and random baking ingredients like sugar and cake mix. Obviously someone decided to clean out their pantry and, instead of throwing it all away, they slapped a trail magic label on it. lol We're not homeless!!I overdid it today. Hard. My feet have never hurt so much. I can feel my pulse on the pads of my feet. I won't be pushing 20 miles again for awhile. Especially on this rocky terrain. Super excited for tomorrow though. Only gotta hike 10 miles before i reach Port Clinton/Hamburg, PA. Planning to resupply and finally do laundry!! Whoo!
Date: 2018-06-01
From: Port Clinton Hiker's Pavillon

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Barely slept at all last night. Sleeping close to other people is awful. People were getting up in the middle of the night, snoring, farting, everything. Also, the pavilion was located between a railroad station and a highway, so there's that. The climb out of Port Clinton was a bitch. My pack was stuffed to to the brim with food from my resupply, so like 5-7 pounds heavier than the day before. Maybe more honestly, i'm just guessing. I busted my ass hard on some rocks. I can't say it enough, the terrain here is SO rocky. I try and take my time when going over the big rocks because they're usually slippery and slanted. I couldn't have been going any slower though. One of my feet slipped and i tried to catch myself with my trekking poles but there was no ground to stick them into, so my backpack just pushed me down hard into a crevice between two rocks. I laid there for a bit and was scared to move because i couldn't tell what the damage was. I wiggled my toes, then my ankles, and then my knees. Nothing felt sprained thankfully! My right knee broke my fall, so now i got a lot of scrapes and bruises on my legs. It's frustrating how easy it can be to hurt yourself out here even when you're being super careful. Like just one bad step and this whole thing could be over. Stupid.  I hit my 200 mile marker today! So that was cool. However, watching the NoBos (North-bounders from Georgia) celebrating their 1,200 mile mark also today was quite humbling lol. I messed up and over-shot the shelter/campsite by nearly 2 miles today. I was so pissed. I would have just set up my tent and been fine with the extra mileage i gained, but i was completely out of water and there wasn't any water source for like another 8+ miles. So the closest water was back at the shelter that i passed. When you have to walk over 2,000 miles, re-walking even a step is enough to push someone over the edge. So tomorrow i get to start my morning by re-walking 1.5 miles of trail for the 3rd time! So stoked. I will say though, the Eckville shelter is pretty badass. It's located 0.2 miles off trail down a road that intersects with the trail (hence why i missed it). It's literally someone's house though! They converted their property to serve hikers. The barn is the shelter and has bunks. The backyard is big, freshly mowed, and has raised tenting platforms. They have a water spigot for drinking, a hose for rinsing off gear, flushable out-house, AND - wait for it - a rain-barrel shower system! I took a shower. But i didn't have any soap and just realized i lost my hairbrush, so there's that.
Date: 2018-06-02
From: Eckville Shelter

To: TriPoli Campsite
Miles today: 13.3

Started hiking at 8am today, and by 9am i was dehydrated and completely drenched in sweat. It was about a 3 mile hike on trail from the shelter back up to the mountain ridge. Over 1,000 ft elevation change. But luckily that was the hardest part of today's hike. Besides the rocks of course lol. After about 8 miles i stopped at a shelter/camp to have lunch. A couple other hikers were there -- also complaining about the rocks and their feet lol. Even previous hikers left complaints about the terrain in the trail register. Every major shelter and/or campsite on the AT has a register/log for you to sign in on. It's literally just a spiral notebook and pen in a ziploc bag. People leave notes in them with the date they were there. I sign them when i remember to. It's cool to flip through it and recognize names from people i met over a week ago. I heard about this B&B/restaurant 0.2 miles down a road that intersects with the trail. So i planned to check it out for dinner. You won't believe what they had. SALADS. I hung out there for nearly 2 hours in the blissful AC. Washed my face and arms in the bathroom. Got a house salad, fried pickles, and a sweat tea. I felt like a new person. After that, the campsite was just another hour walk on trail. Tonight is the first night i'm camping at a site that is not located near an official AT shelter. This usually just means that the water source will be further and harder to get too (it did not disappoint) and ill be alone (which i am). The next shelter is another 4 miles away, which i could have pushed for but then i'd be ahead of my schedule and that didn't feel necessary. So here i stay. The campsite is pretty nice though. It's located near a power line with a big view from the top of the mountain. There's a storm coming in quick though, so gotta put up the rainfly and hunker down for the night.
Date: 2018-06-03
From: TriPoli Campsite

To: George R Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.0

It ended up not raining at all last night. I woke up to a lot of wind and the sound of thunder in the distance, but no rain yet. The breeze and overcast was heaven. I started hitting the boulders at 9am. I had both my trekking poles idle in my left hand, two breakfast bars in my right, my headphones on The Gorillaz, and i was mountain-goatin right over those rocks. For the first time day i felt really confident in what i was doing. Like i was finally in my element. Also, it's amazing what good hiking conditions will do to your mood. Because of the cool weather, i didn't break a sweat all day. And i didn't see one freaking gnat! Amazing. Had some out-of-this-world trail magic today. The first one happened on trail soon after my lunch break. There was a cooler left along the trail in the middle of the woods full of Pepsi and Ginger Ale laid over ice blocks with a note to thru-hikers saying "Happy Trail Magic!". I was stunned. I never drink sodas, like ever. But something inside me felt entitled to that soda, so i sipped on some Ginger Ale for the next half hour while i hiked. Later in the afternoon when i reached the shelter, a woman walked up right as i did but from the opposite direction. She asked me if i was thru-hiking and i said yes. And then she said "Well, this is your lucky day" and pulls out a big bag of oranges from her day pack. Real produce, god bless. She introduced herself as the caretaker of that shelter and the next 5 miles of trail north. I can't remember her name though (i know, i'm terrible at that). We talked a lot about the trail, her plans to thru-hike after retirement, her 10 rescue cats, her many hobbies, and more. She was the bomb. Since she was just stopping by to check on the shelter, she offered to pack-out my trash. Since there's no trash cans on the trail, everyone has to pack-out all the trash they accumulate. And if you only resupply about every 5 days like me, then you're usually carrying 5 days worth of food wrappers and baby wipes. Yum. I was super grateful. Before she left, we started talking about hiking gear and all the great backpacks out there. She was telling me how much she loved her Osprey pack and how comfortable it is (this is the one i've been dreaming about since i got out here). I agreed with her and told her if there was an REI near the trail (which there isn't) i would buy one in a heartbeat. And then she gave me her phone number and told me to call her in a couple days when i was passing through town and she could pick me up and drive me an HOUR AND A HALF AWAY TO GO BUY A NEW PACK! SAY WHAT! I was so shocked. Like why, you don't know me lady lol. Since when are people this nice?! I'm not completely sure yet if i'm gonna take her up on the offer. Like i probably should. This opportunity isn't gonna come again, so it's now or never basically. But damn, crazy luck. Let's just say it was a pretty great day to be hiking.
Date: 2018-06-05
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Krikridge Campsite
Miles today: 14.0

Perfect hiking weather today. Lotta rocks, but only one steep incline. Since i'm not too far from town, i had good signal on my phone and got to talk to people for half the day while i hiked. That helped SO much. I'm camping at the best spot yet! There's a clearing on the mountain about half a mile past the shelter. It's sometimes used as a hang-gliding jump pad. I set my tent up right on the edge of it. You can see the circumference of the earth! lol First time camping with a view and it's awesome. Wolf Pack, a woman i keep crossing paths with, came by and set her tent up next to me. She's also a flip-flopper and started in Harper Ferry 10 days before me. She's impressed with my speed. We made our dinner together and talked a bunch of mess, like how we've started to become so accustomed to our own filth, and what it's like to be the "newbies" on trail, etc. So much easier to relate to other flip-floppers because we're all going through the same stuff and having similar thoughts. We're both resupplying in town tomorrow and i'm stoked. She talked about getting an avocado at a Walmart about a week ago and now i'm determined to find one. OH YA, I HAVE A TRAIL NAME!I was given a name about a week ago, but didn't wanna say anything because i wasn't sure if it was going to stick. The name is V! Like the movie "V for Vendetta". Except since i'm vegan, a group of guys decided that the V stands for "Veal for Vendetta" lol! i thought it was pretty clever.
Date: 2018-06-06
From: Krikridge Campsite

To: Church of the Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: clear sky

DUDE! GUESS WHAT I SAW!This morning i got up quickly, got my stuff together, and was on the trail by 8am. I was eating a pb&j sandwich for breakfast while i walked. I was pretty pumped because i only had a 6 mile walk on trail until i hit my resupply town, Delaware Water Gap, PA. AND today was the day i was supposed to meet up with that awesome lady, Jenna, who was gonna give me a ride to REI. So i was cruising!I heard a russell in the bushes, turned my head, and saw 2 squirrels run away. No biggie. Looked back to the trail and no more than 30 ft in front of me was this giant black bear! He had his nose in the ground, brushing leaves aside, sniffing around. I didn't really know what to do, so i just stood there lol. I looked around to see if there were cubs and there wasn't, so i didn't feel too intimidated. The bear eventually looked up and saw me, paused for a second, and then turned around and sprinted away lol. CRAZY!While i was hiking into town I ran into Twister. I met him about 6 days ago back in Port Clinton. I was surprised to see him because i knew he took 2 days off over the weekend. Yet, here he is! These NoBos catch up fast!!I got into town earlier than i expected, so after picking up my snacks at the post office, i stopped at the Church of the Mountain hostel. Super cool place!! You can shower, hang out, sleep in the bunk room, or tent outside. Donations encouraged, but it's basically FREE! And they even had soap and towels for your shower, AMAZING!Jenna picked me up around noon to go to REI. I wish i could accurately describe her. Saying she was the coolest person ever just doesn't do her justice. She literally does everything. Works for a construction company, has 10 rescue cats, collects german sport cars, hunts and hikes, volunteers as an AT trail maintainer, local emergency responder, and working with a lawyer and local animal rights activists to shut down an abusive shelter. LIKE EVERYTHING! I got my new fancy Osprey pack, which fits like a glove! A complete game changer!!! Jenna bought me a weather pack cover, gave me her own pair of gaiters (something i really needed), and some tent spikes (since i lost all mine)!! A true godsend of a woman. The community of people out here that support AT hikers continues to surprise me everyday. After she dropped me off back in town, I walked to some gas stations to resupply and found a veggie burger at a local diner! Score! Later, a group of hikers (torino, webster, scar, shortcut, and legs) all invited me to go hang at a bar with them. Scar kept buying rounds of tequila shots. We were lit lol! Gotta climb out of town and do nearly 17 miles tomorrow, so wish me luck! hahaI'll post more on Sunday 6/10!