morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-20
From: Eckville Shelter

To: George Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 24.2

Woke up at daylight and just layed in bed until 7:00, my feet are raw and sore from the Pennsylvania rocks. Left at 8:00, No Rush got a head start on me. There was a father and two sons camping by the road and another hiker across the trail. The guys were hiking south and I met the lady later in the day. The rocks are really awful today, it took me almost 4 hours to go 7.4 miles to the Allentown Shelter. They call it dancing on the rocks, you are looking for the next good rock to step on while looking for snakes and white blazes to keep you going in the right direction. I talked to my oldest son Jarrod while taking my break at the shelter. He was on his lunch break also. Ten miles to the next shelter, the trail was narrow and I stepped on a black Rat Snake on the side of the trail. We both jumped, luckily it wasn't the poisonous kind or all that big. The adrenaline helped me on the trail for a little while anyway. I came out to a road and there was a restaurant really close. I thought that No Rush might be in there and I wanted a break anyway. I had 2 Cokes and some carrot cake, while talking to a couple that I had seen hiking earlier. They were very interested in my hike and asked lots of questions. Two other hikers also came in for a break. We had 4 big rock scrambles today and lots of day hikers were out enjoying them. The Knife Edge and Bear Rocks were the two biggest ones, unfortunately several kids were spraying graffitti on Bear Rocks and it made my climb up to the view less enjoyable. I got to Bake Oven Knob Shelter and found out that there was no water so I moved on. At Lehigh Furnace Gap there was Trail Magic of water and two totes of snacks and fruit, just like Bag of Tricks said there would be. Thanks a million to Soul Flute for the Trail magic. I wanted to make it to the next shelter but it was getting dark. I ran out of daylight just as the shelter appeared before me. It looks like I will be the only one in or around the shelter tonight. The George Outerbridge Shelter looks like it could be one of the older shelters on the trail but I just need a place to sleep.
Date: 2014-07-21
From: George Outerbridge Shelter

To: Smith Gap
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up all alone at 5:30, nobody hiked in during the night. I think that I actually slept better in the shelter by myself. I didn't hear other people snoring or tossing and turning all night on their sleeping pads. I can hear some traffic this morning so I must be getting closer to Palmerton. That is probably where No Rush ended up for the night at the Jail House Hostel. It was never used as a jail but the local police help run it on weekends and after hours. The front of this shelter has a 3 foot snake skin hanging off of the front, a nice decorating touch. I got water from a nice piped spring, rare in this part of Pennsylvania. I called the Post Office in Walnutport to make sure my package would be bounced to Delaware Water Gap. The people at the post office are really nice! I would be in Delaware Water Gap in a couple of days and it will be easier to get the package there. I met No Rush at the Palmerton road at 8:00 and another hiker called Possum. The toughest climb of the year was going up and over that mountain. It was a little bit intimidating but we all made it to the top. We took a wrong turn later on and had to backtrack at least a half a mile. I was not in the lead but we all missed the double white blaze. Pretty soon No Rush and I found some nice blueberries to make up for it. The water cache 6 miles from where we started was just a bunch of empty jugs so we went into water conserving mode. It would be awhile before we came to another shelter with water,16.7 miles from where I started this morning. I should have filled that extra bottle but I probably had more water than anyone else. There will be one place .6 miles from the trail with a spring if we really needed it. We were out of water when we got to Smith Gap at 4:00 and there we met John Mechanical Man Stempa. He was a trail maintainer and lived a mile down the road. He lets hikers come to his house and get water and take a shower outside for free. For $10 you can take a shower in his house with soap and towels provided. You also get to sleep in his garage and he will take you to town for food and take you back to the trail in the morning. It's one of the better deals on the AT. No Rush and I couldn't turn it down but Possum was going to hike on to the next shelter . He was just section hiking and was only going to Delaware Water Gap. After getting showers we went to a little store and got subs, ice cream and Pepsi. We sat around and talked to John about the trail and the local area until 10:00. We didn't put in that many miles but were tired and ready for some sleep.
Date: 2014-07-22
From: Smith Gap

To: Church of the Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up at 5:30, we had to be ready to go when John's wife Linda left for work. I had to try and bandage my feet so that the rocks didn't hurt so bad. She was ready at 6:50 and took us the mile up the road. No Rush and I quickly took care of some paperwork in the woods and was hiking by 7:15. Not a lot of climbs today but still plenty of rocks. My hips and knees were starting to hurt from twisting and turning as you tried to avoid the worst rocks. We took a quick break at Wind Gap where someone had left Trail Magic, Mayor and Sweppes got there first and got first choice. There was plenty to go around and we left the bag for other hikers. A couple hiking southbound came by. They started at the New York/ Connecticutt border and went north to Maine. Then they went back and started hiking south from where they started. This let them start earlier than the ones that start in Maine and go south. The uphill from the road was quite steep. We stopped at Leroy Smith Shelter and ate and then did a long downhill hike for water. The next water was 13.8 miles away at the Kirkridge Shelter so we had to get some. After getting water No Rush took off and I knew then that he was not stopping again until he got to Delaware Water Gap. I got to Kirkridge Shelter at 4:30 to get water and decided that I would rather end my day in town. There was one nice view right after the shelter and I talked to 2 couples that had hiked down a road to get there. I was going to have to hike 6.7 miles to town and the only thing that I could think about was putting these Pennsylvania rocks behind me. I met a gentleman at another overlook and an hour later met him again as he was walking down the road to the parking area. It was a little amusing that day hikers get roads to walk on and we get to travel over all of the rocks. Anyway my day was almost over and he offered me a ride the rest of the way into town. I politely refused and told him that I had to follow these white blazes even when they took me over the rock piles. I arrived at the hostel about 7:15 and claimed a bunk and took a shower. Possum, No Rush, and I walked to the Water Gap Diner for supper, it was a smart decision. We went back to the church and hung out, lots of people coming in tonight. It was quite loud in there until 11:00 and also pretty warm.
Date: 2014-07-23
From: Church of the Mountain Hostel 

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up early but stayed in bed until 7:00. If I didn't go to breakfast too early I could stop on the way back at the P.O. when they opened at 8:30. Besides nobody is stirring around here after staying up late. No Rush and I walked to the Diner for breakfast and coffee. On the way back to the church we stopped at the Post Office and picked up our packages from home. I mailed my broken camera back home and kept the camera Meghan mailed to me. She also sent me a box of Girl Scout cookies and a couple of pictures that my grand daughters had painted. It's always nice to get something from home. No Rush needed some shoes so we walked down to the bus station to catch a ride into Stroudsburg where there were plenty of stores and restaurants. Just as we walked across the parking lot at the bus station a bus was leaving. Little did we know that would be the last bus for awhile. The guy working outside said that they run every 2 hours and another one would be here at 12:00. At 12:30 we were thinking that maybe that bus wasn't coming, the schedule said 2:00. Instead of waiting another 2 hours we decided to take a cab to the mall. The shoe stores weren't hiker friendly but we did find a pair with vibram soles, a must on the rocks. The bus stops at Burger King so we walked there for lunch only after finding out that the Texas Roadhouse next to it doesn't open until 3:00. The bus took us to Walmart for some resupply and when I came out to catch the bus it was pulling away, 5 minutes early. We had to go back into Walmart for another hour until the next bus comes by. The next bus took us to an area where we would have to wait over an hour to transfer to the next bus. We ate at an AYCE Chinese Buffet to pass the time and caught the bus that would take us to another shopping center where we we would have to wait an hour and a half for the bus that would take us back to the Hostel. We ended up getting the last bus ride back and arrived around 8:00. Our little trip to town took us about 10 hours, when we got back everyone thought that we had hiked back on the trail because we were gone all day. There were some new hikers in town and I took a shower and worked on journals. These journals are very time consuming when I am in town but its better than sitting around drinking beer. I will take another zero tomorrow, my foot is swollen and still very sore. Some of the new hikers that came in today are Grizzly Bear from Maine, Turbo, Stealth, and K-Pow. Some of them had gotten caught out in the storm this evening and said it was quite scary. It was very warm in the hostel but I finally fell asleep.
Date: 2014-07-24
From: zero day

To: Pocono Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It was almost 7:30 before I got out of bed, I'm still the first one up. No Rush and I went to the Diner again for breakfast, they really take care of you. We actuallly got a ride back to the Hostel from Turbo and his girlfriend. I'm resting today so yellow-blazing is OK with me. I talked to lots of hikers today and also some of the people that run the hostel. I put in their book that I really appreciate everything that they do for hikers. They don't allow bikers to stay at the church only hikers. They have a dinner every Thursday for hikers also. I also met two Ridge Runners that hiked in. Blue Eyes has the Pennsylvania section south and Dutch has the New Jersey section across the Delaware River. I got caught up on my journals for another week.so I got something accomplished in town. I did some figuring and I have hiked almost 250 miles in the last 12 days. If I can keep up this pace I will only have 150 miles left the second week of September. I will only slow down when I know that I can finish this thing by the end of September. My calculated trip miles is off a little bit I don't know how to correct it on my journal page. I have hiked 1289.6 miles so far. I got my stuff packed up and made sure that I have enough food for three days. No Rush and I walked to the Pocono Inn it sounds a lot fancier than it really is. We stopped at a place that has a hot dog and slice of pie for $2.49. The other hikers having been talking about it and it is right on the way to the hotel. At the hotel we can do laundry, sleep in a real bed, and relax before we push on tomorrow morning. My feet are starting to feel a little better and they will be ready to go in the morning. We went to the Diner for our last meal in town about 8:30, I'm going to miss town food. One more journal to do before bedtime and it's lights out.
Date: 2014-07-25
From: Pocono Inn

To: Rattlesnake Spring
Miles today: 13.5

I woke up at 5:30 at the hotel but I wasn't ready to give up this comfy bed so I laid there till 6:00. I spent some time trying to bandage the bottom of my left foot to keep the rocks from hurting so much. It was swollen a little so that made it hard for me to get my shoe on. We left the room at 7:00 and tried to get a receipt at the front desk. If they mess up your bill it's easier to correct it right then instead of later over a phone. It took a while before someone came to the front desk but we finally got checked out. Unfortunately we had to walk past the Diner to get out of town so we stopped for breakfast. It was totally worth it! We also had to stop at the hostel and say some good-byes. Everybody had to tell us about the free dinner last night, even homemade cherry ice cream. No Rush and I would have went but we were trying to get laundry done and I was finishing up my journals. That's not the first time that I missed out on ice cream because I was working on journals. We met Dutch and Blue Eyes, both Ridge Runners at the hostel, Blue Eyes has tested positive for Lyme Disease so he is on antibiotics. It was probably 9:00 before we made it across the bridge along I-80, the cars and trucks were going by so fast it was really loud. Stopped at the Kittatinny Visitor Center at the Delaware Water Gap National Park entrance. There was a chicken on the side of the road scratching the roadside for food. That would be the most exciting animal that I would see today. We went under the interstate and into the state forest. It was a long climb but not too steep and the rocks were better. We took a break at Sunfish Pond and left about 11:00. At the 1300 mile mark there was Trail Magic. Drip Dry and Rich had all sorts of snacks. Apple, bananas,grapes, ice cream, pop, chips, cookies and some other snacks. Sweet Tea, Hustle, Flo, Puzzle, Gracious, Easy Going, No Rush, Smug, and Mailman were enjoying the goodies. Thanks for the awesome Trail Magic! We stopped at an old fire tower and enjoyed the view. Four section hikers were there and two of them wanted to hike the trail someday so they asked a lot of questions about our hike so far. We stopped at Rattlesnake Spring for water and quickly decided that we were done hiking for the day. It seems like the hiking is tough when you spend time in town especially two zeros. We were setting up our tents and Puzzle stopped and decided to camp here also. The weather has been great today, cooler and less humid.
Date: 2014-07-28
From: St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel

To: Church Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up early around 5:30,we had some lightning last night and a little rain but nothing major. I was sleeping on the floor by a glass door so I don't think that I missed anything going on outside. I layed there on my sleeping pad but I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up. Made my grocery list and studied my guidebook. I am always looking ahead to see where I will resupply, get water, or stop for the night. I am also looking for things worth seeing on the trail. No Rush, Karate Kid, and I went to a Diner for breakfast. You don't want to go to a grocery store hungry. The A&P store was a short walk up the road but there were no sidewalks so we were playing chicken with the cars. I brought everything back and split it into three days worth of food. I made phone calls to family and worked on journals. I have a routine in town just like I have a routine on the trail. Just going to chill out and wait out the storm. It finally hit this afternoon and some wet hikers came in later. I actually laid down for awhile and rested my feet and legs. While laying there I had some thoughts about sounds that are music to this hikers ears. 10. Flush toilets 9. Would you like some more coffee 8. Would you like fries with that 7. Any sound that reminds me of home (cows, tractors, lawn mowers, kids laughing 6. Rain on a tin roof, made it into shelter before storm 5. Do you need a ride 4. Coins dropping into a vending machine and the Pepsi dropping to the bottom 3. Water coming out of a shower head 2. We have Trail Magic 1.Family members voices on the phone   Turbo, Blueberry Bear, Gazelle, Go Jo, No Rush, Poncho and others are here. I claimed one of two cots for the night so I might get a good nights sleep. My journals are all caught up so I will probably turn in early.
Date: 2014-07-29
From: Church Hostel

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: broken clouds

Slept in until 6:00,The nice comfy cot in the hostel might have had something to do with that. I took a shower and packed up ready to go. I had an orange and some Gatorade that I didn't want to carry so I finished them off before I left. No Rush and I walked to Burger King for breakfast, it was on the way out of town. Just as we came out and got ready to stick out our thumbs a nice lady from the church stopped and gave us a ride to the trail. Ellen thanks for the lift and your church has one of the best hostels on the trail. The weather is going to be perfect for hiking again today. Probably won't get out of the 70's today. We had a nice uphill climb from the road, it was helped by switchbacks and rock steps. The trail was also very well marked with blazes today. Went past the last shelter in New Jersey but didn't think to stop and take a picture. I stopped at Wawayanda State Park for water and a lunch break. I talked to one of the park ladies for awhile and she told me all about the park. I met a hiker called Crazy J from Montana. No Rush caught up with me there. I crossed the New Jersey- New York border and took a picture of it and sent it home to let people know to cross another state off. I quickly came to the highest point on the AT in New York, they had a US flag flying there. Supposedly you can see New York City from there but I couldn't. New York is starting out with lots of ups and downs and some rock climbs over big boulders. One place even had a ladder anchored into the rocks so you could climb up. I saw a couple more salamanders and one snake the whole day. The last 4 miles was better for hiking and I got to Wildcat Shelter just before 6:00. Some day hikers came in and said that they were delivering Trail Magic to the shelter. What a surprise! Aaron, Anne, Donna, Cindy, Judy, Joe, and their dogs Sasha and Trekker carried all of the stuff in. We had sodas, juice, beer, blueberries, apples, almonds, watermelon, crackers, chocolate bars, and water. We had a southbound through hiker staying in the shelter tonight. Lone Star from Texas started May 31st in Baxter State Park. He said that it took him 10 days to hike through the 100 Mile Wilderness and he had no food to eat the last 48 hours. Puzzle, Lone Star, Gazelle, No Rush and myself slept in the shelter. A father and 2 of his sons, Gulliver and his dad from Illinois, two guys that graduated from the Uof I -Chicago, Sass, Go Jo and some other hikers were tenting nearby.
Date: 2014-07-30
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: broken clouds

Up at 5:30 left at 6:45. Everyone at the shelter was up early this morning. The people in the tents were sleeping in. Lots of times this morning the sun was on my left, not sure how I am going to get to Maine if I am going south. If I keep following the blazes they will eventually get me there. One time in Tennessee we we going south for a few hours before it went back north. The rocks were tiring me out so I just sat down on one of them and took a lunch break. You have to really watch for the white blazes on the rock climbs, the last thing you want to do is have to climb back down. There was Trail Magic at almost every road today, mostly just water but sometimes snacks were included like Oreos and dried fruit. I saw one nice waterfall this morning and there are always some ponds and lakes to see during the day. One rock formation was the Lemon Squeezer, I had to throw my pack up on top to get through. Right after that was another place where they gave you a blue blaze option around the rocks. I just threw my pack up on top again and climbed on over. Hiked through Harriman State Park it had a nice lake. One family was interested in my hike and the father even wanted to take a picture with me. I stopped at Tiorati Lake to get some water and a Coke. Lots of people enjoying the swimming beach. The last 4 miles were the easiest of the day. The William Brien Memorial Shelter is an old stone shelter that has seen better days but was a nice looking shelter on the outside. Puzzle, No Rush, and I were in the shelter and Sass and 2 section hikers were tenting. They came over and talked to us for awhile before dark.
Date: 2014-07-31
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up at 5:30, first one up in the shelter. I slept pretty good last night, the temperature was fine and it was quiet last night. Left at 6:30, I had to go back and catch a couple of white blazes that I missed last night. The climbs were wearing me down and I couldn't keep a very good pace this morning. It was cloudy and I was sure that it would be raining before I got to Bear Mountain State Park. I met Gazelle and Sweet as a Peach this morning while hiking. I had to cross Palisades Parkway, a busy four lane highway that was only 34 miles from New York City. I know now how a squirrel feels crossing a busy road. Yesterday I crossed a trail that takes you 44 miles into Manhattan. There were some nice views but the skies were hazy so the pictures probably are not the best. As you come into the park there is a nice tower, but the first thing that I noticed were the vending machines. The park was really nice and we spent several hours there today. It was probably way more popular years ago but lots of people were there from the NYC. It is the last day in July and I wanted to take it easy before the next push in August. I would like to hike 500 miles next month and be in Maine by September. Then I can finally relax and enjoy Maine. The trail goes through the zoo in the park and the bears cage is the lowest point on the AT. We finally got out of the park about 3:15 and crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge taking us across the Hudson River. I passed the 1400 mile mark as I crossed the bridge. One good climb and the rest of the day was pretty decent. I ate lots of food in the park thinking that I needed to eat more to increase my energy level. It seemed to help this evening. We stopped at the Appalachian Market for dinner and resupply. It was only another mile to the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center where they let you camp for free. They also have a picnic shelter, water, and showers for an extra bonus. Some southbound through hikers are camping, Fat Nate and Jub Jub, we talked to them about the White Mountains and Maine. Puzzle, Sweet as a Peach, No Rush, and I are staying for the night. We had electricity and 4G so I got caught up on my journals. Hiker Midnight was 11:00 tonight instead of 9:00.