morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-07-11
From: Manassas Gar

To: Sam Moore 
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: broken clouds

I picked an entire liter of fresh raspberries on the walk today and we entered the section of trail know as the "Rollercoaster." Many people hyped it up as an extremely difficult section, the trail goes straight up the mountain then straight down the mountain, but my legs and feet felt great and the miles flew by. At a road crossing we ran into the support crew for Jennifer Davis, who is attempting to break the overall assisted speed record for hiking the A.T. She already holds the womens record. Her husband gave us some blueberries and water and just as we were leaving Jennifer came flying out of the woods. I would have loved to have talked to her but she was in the zone. I guess you have to be intense when you are hiking 50+ miles a day.
Date: 2011-07-12
From: Sam Moore 

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 23.7

I managed to sleep in too late today, which meant that the miles into town were walked in hot hot humid weather. By the time we crossed a busy bridge over the Potomac river into town I was drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted. Obviously the first order of business was to acquire some ice cream and we arrived at the custard stand right before they closed. Some luck huh? Next we got in contact with local trail angel Bonzo, who let us crash in his yard and helped get us to wal-mart for resupply. Bonzo thru-hiked a few years back with his blue heeler "Rio" and occasionally helps hikers on their way through town.
Date: 2011-07-13
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Dahlgren Backpackers Campground
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: scattered clouds

After a nice breakfast at a local place that Bonzo recommended, I secured a ride in the back of a truck to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). We relaxed in their hiker lounge, got our picture taken out front of the building for the record book, and made use of the free internet. Since Harper's Ferry is know as the mental half-way point for thru-hikers, it felt great leaving town. The first few miles out of town were all on a rails-to-trail trail, which meant that it was flat, and as soon as we climbed up the ridge it began to sprinkle. I put on my poncho just in time and it began to pour. The trail quickly turned in to a river and in no time I was walking through 6 inches of water. The storm blew over quickly, the warm sun came out and we found ourselves at a lovely campground right next to a 4-star restaurant. Being the foodie that I am, I insisted we eat there. With beef wellington, a few Sam Adams and a slice of key lime pie in my belly I showered at the campground bathhouse and slept like a baby.
Date: 2011-07-15
From: Raven Rocks

To: Rocky Mtn. Shelters Via Waynesborro, PA
Miles today: 19.8

We flew out of camp this morning, knowing that if we wanted to resupply and still do the 20 mile day on our schedule, our visit to the town of Waynesborro would have to be fast. Once at the road that would take us to town I stuck out my thumb and, after only a few moments, John pulled over. Meeting John was the best thing that has happened to us in quite a while. A military police veteran and self-employed doctor, John spontaneously decided to chauffeur us to the post office, grocery store, laundromat and a local diner. He also gave us some cash to "pick up some sweet tea and wine." Thank you John!! With full bellies, clean clothes and befuddled looks on our faces, because of the random kindness of a stranger, we walked up to the shelter.
Date: 2011-07-16
From: Rocky Mtn. Shelters Via Waynesborro, PA

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: clear sky

The full moon, heat and humidity, and the bugs meant that I did not sleep very well last night. Shortly after we got to hiking, I noticed a cooler near where the trail met the road. It was full of cold juice, snacks and an invitation to stop by a nearby campground for breakfast. We decided to take time to check it out and we were not disappointed. ATM, Appalachian Trail Ministries, had set up a tenting area, full kitchen, and a dining hall for hikers. As we walked up to the campsite at 7:30am I have never seen anyone so excited to see a couple smelly hikers. We showered at the campground facilities while they prepared a feast for breakfast. Eggs, biscuits and gravy, fruit and breakfast meat were all on the menu and we partook in quantities that only hikers can. They asked for nothing in return but simply wanted to feed hungry hikers and help us any way they could. True trail magic. As we hiked on into the day, we passed the official half way marker! 1090.5 miles down and 1090.5 miles to go!!! What a journey it has been so far. I celebrated the half way point in the traditional manner: eating a half gallon of ice cream I chose mint chocolate chip, in honor of my father, and polished it off in 37:35.00 Amazingly enough I was still hungry afterwords. Oh the life of a hiker.
Date: 2011-07-17
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.8

Knowing it was going to be a hot day, we got out of the tent as fast as our bodies would let us. The trail was fairly flat today and we arrived at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters (located right on the trail) with little difficulty. The last few miles of trail were located in between some farm land and the hot summer sun meant that I downed two gadorades and a chocolate milk as soon as we got to town. We lounged at the atc office and and soaked our tired feet in the cool lake in the center of town. We walked to the local pool for a $1 shower and made our way to a nearby house whose residents let us camp in their backyard.
Date: 2011-07-18
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Out of the tent at 5am, with a short stop by the gas station for a Gadorade and a Snickers, we hit the trail by 5:45. The firast 8 miles of our "near marathon" day were all through corn fields and pastures. I have never experienced heat like that in my life. One of my trekking poles broke, so I made a quick phone call to Leki's customer service department. They are going to send me a brand new set of poles about a week up-trail. Fantastic customer service. Soaked in sweat, exhausted, and dehydrated I stumbled down the steep mountainside into town. First stop gas station for a quart of cold chocolate milk and two powerades. I checked us into the Doyle Hotel (A.K.A the Dirty Doyle), where we grabbed a burger and had a few beers before retiring to our room. Yesterday was Sweet tea's (formerly know as caboose) birthday so we celebrated by toasting a white russian.
Date: 2011-07-19
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Peter's Mtn. shelter
Miles today: 11.2

The downside to trail towns is that the tend to be build at lower elevations. For hikers, this means that the trail generally descends steeply into town and climbs steeply out. The uphill out of Duncannon was very steep and incredibly hot. I chugged up the mountain like the little hiker that could and by the time I reached the top I was thoroughly soaked. Fortunately the water source on top of the ridge was a nice cold spring, flowing right out of the rocks. We re-hydrated and took a short break in the shade to cool off. We walked the next 6 miles on the rocky ridge and arrived at a brand new, spacious shelter. To my dismay, the water source for the shelter, a spring, was located down the side of the mountain about 500 vertical feet. The only way to get to the spring was down 300 stone steps. ugh. In a fantastic twist of fate, a trail-friend of ours had left a mountain of cold sodas in the spring for us to enjoy. Thank you 2-cents!
Date: 2011-07-20
From: Peter's Mtn. shelter

To: Campsite at mile 1.173.4
Miles today: 23.6

After walking only a few miles we we suprised at the road by the local trail club. They had set up a mobile trail magic station and quickly offered Sweet Tea, Frodo and myself a chair, some tasty pasta salad, drinks and snacks. We chatted with them for a while and spent the rest of our day walking on a very hot, very dry Pennsylvania ridge. Lots of bugs at our campsite tonight and the humidity is going to make falling asleep difficult.
Date: 2011-07-21
From: Campsite at mile 1.173.4

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: clear sky

Imagine walking up and down mountains in 105 degree weather with amazingly high humidity. I didn't have to imagine. Today was that day. We lucked out and got to the 501 shelter, named 501 because of its proximity to the Pennsylvania highway by the same name, which has a cold shower and lots of shade. The decision was made to wait out the hottest part of the day at the shelter and we didn't end up leaving until 3:00pm. Our late departure from the shelter meant that we arrived at our shelter in the dark. My feet ache and the lack of water sources in Pennsylvania is making this section of the hike even more difficult. Town and a mail-drop to look forward to tomorrow! Successful Thru-hikers need to be able to find happiness is the small things. It is a skill that I am definately getting better at
Date: 2011-07-22
From: Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA -> Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: few clouds

As I cruised into town early this morning I had some things on my mind: water because I had gone the last few miles without any and a care package from a friend. Both were quickly acquired and and both were fantastic. We hitched a ride into the larger town of Hamburg and got a sandwich at the Subway in Wal-mart. We resupplied and walked across the business district to the bustling 250,000ft^2 Cabelas outdoors store. I bought a new spoon (my old one fell victim to my half-gallon of ice cream) and a wrap for lunch from the cafe. Just as we were about to leave to try and hitch back to the trail, an employee walked up and asked us if we would like a ride back to the trail. He must have smelled us and known we were hiking the A.T. ha ha Gratefully we said yes and we quickly found ourselves walking in the hot sun again. Having opted for iced tea and soda in place of water, I quickly realized I was feeling dehydrated. I cameled up at the next spring and quickly wrang out my soaked shirt. Our shelter for the night was located right behind someone's home. It was complete with a shower, flush toilet, and ice cream for dessert. The cold shower was amazing but the relentless humidity left me struggling to fall asleep.
Date: 2011-07-23
From: Port Clinton, PA -> Eckville Shelter

To: Lehigh Gap
Miles today: 25.8

Trying to beat the heat, I got up early and got on the trail as soon as possible. While we didn't manage to beat the heat, we were able to meet up with our friend Chute Jam A.K.A Kevin. Frodo and I met Chute Jam while he was section hiking the smokey mtn's section of the A.T. He gave us his number and said to call once we got to PA. We did and he met us as highway 309 for lunch. Chute Jam and his daughter brought with them a fantastic hiker feast and I enjoyed talking about the trail with both of them. He left us with well wishes and we trucked on through rocky Pennsylvania. Once in town, we began looking for a place to stay. Frodo suddenly realized that his cousin planned on meeting us tonight and had already rented a campsite. We stayed in their pop-up camper and they treated us like royalty. Beer, beef stew, snacks on snacks, showers and laundry were just some of the wonderful things that happened. I definitely needed the rest and sitting in a camp chair with a cold beer is my kind of relaxation. My feet enjoyed it as well.
Date: 2011-07-24
From: Lehigh Gap

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up this morning feeling rested and enjoyed a tasty breakfast sandwich made by Frodo's cousin and her husband. They dropped us back off on the trail and we began a long, steep rock scramble back out of Lehigh gap. The views of the valley were gorgeous. I found a couple of ticks on me at lunch so I made sure to spray down with some DEET. When we got to our shelter for the night we had a nice long conversation with one of the PA ridgerunners John. It was another hot dry section of trail today, hopefully tomorrow will have more water.
Date: 2011-07-25
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Deleware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.0

We got up and hit the trail early, which is becoming a daily occurrence because of the heat. Frodo is having some stomach problems and I am really hoping that he didn't pick up giardia. We treat about 75% of our water based on elevation, source, water temperature and location in order to minimize our risk of getting sick. As we neared town it began to pour, I pulled out my rain poncho and trudged on. Today also happened to be the most difficult/rocky section of PA. Needless to say the combination of rain and rocks slowed us down. We arrived in town in the early afternoon and checked in at the Church of the Mountain hiker hostel. Dinner was had at a local fruit stand/bakery/hot dog stand/country market. I took down 1.5 pot pies and a slice of apple pie with a scoop of birthday-cake ice cream. If not for any other reason, I would love hiking because I can eat whatever I want and still loose weight. Sweet Tea and I took a taxi to take care laundry and wal-mart resupply, while Frodo rested.
Date: 2011-07-26
From: Deleware Water Gap, PA

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: clear sky

I am in New Jersey!!!!! Our official mileage at the start of today is 1,285.5 miles from Springer Mtn. in Georgia. We got out of town later than we would have liked, which always seems to be the case, because of a necessary post office stop. The terrain already feels different. While lunching at Sunfish Pond, some day hikers shared some food and cold water with us. Gotta love day hikers. To my dismay there were not any day hikers throughout the rest of the day and we ended up drinking water from a stream that looked like apple juice. Nothing a couple propel packets wont fix. It always seems that the storms come in at the most inopportune times. Today was no exception. Lightning strikes prevented us from walking along an exposed ridge, so we twiddled our wet thumbs in the rain while waiting for the storm to blow over. Soaked and exhausted from a long day, I arrived at the shelter just before dark and was frustrated and surprised to find a bus-load of inner city summer-camp kids occupying what, I had hoped, would be my home for the night. Frodo, Sweet tea and I ended up pitching our tents in the rain and I went to bed a little bit peeved.
Date: 2011-07-27
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

After an early downhill we hit our first road crossing of the day and grabbed a coffee and breakfast sandwitch from a hole in the wall cafe. We took quite a few long breaks today and spent some time drying out our gear on the rocks near a ridgetop gazebo. I rolled into the shelter, located in high point state park, late despite our relatively short mileage day. I pitched my tent next to one of the two streams surrounding the shelter and I slept like a baby after a gourmet dinner of ramen noodles, salmon, fresh garlic and green peppers.
Date: 2011-07-28
From: High Point Shelter

To: The residence of Doug Witters
Miles today: 22.0

After walking for most of the day through, what seemed to me, to be peoples backyards, we crossed the famous New Jersey boardwalk. Nearing the end of our day we paused at a local creamery and I scoffed down a scoop of birthday cake ice cream and grabbed some water. As I climbed the final hill of the day all I could think of was how fortunate I am. A co-worker of Frodo's, upon hearing that he was walking the AT, offered to put us up in his home for the night and when Doug picked us up from the road I had no idea what to expect. In his New Jersey accent, we exchanged pleasentries about life back home, life on the trail and what our plans were for when we were done. After showers and laundry we sat down for a fantastic BBQ. I ate three cheeseburgers, two hotdogs, a ton of salad and too many ears of corn to count. Doug, his lovely wife and three charming little girls were more than hospitable and after a few rounds of Xbox kinect and a movie we turned in for the night.
Date: 2011-07-29
From: The residence of Doug Witters

To: Greenwood Lake, New York
Miles today: 11.9

I woke up in a basement and was momentarily unsure of where I was. When the morning fuzziness went away I remembered that I was in the home of Frodo's co-worker, Doug Witter. Frodo, Sweet Tea, and I had a breakfast of cereal and milk and, after saying goodbye to Doug and his lovely family, we were dropped of back on the trail. After only a few miles we crossed the NJ/NY state line. It felt great to hit another milestone. Most of the trail today was located on a rocky ridge-top. The previous night's rain and today's misty conditions made for a slippery walk. By the time we hit the road into Greenwood Lake I was extremely frustrated. I fell hard three times and ended up with a sore bum and a badly bruised hamstring. We hitchhiked into town and grabbed breakfast at a local hippy cafe. I packed down an omelet, toast, home-fries, pancakes and a couple cups of coffee before we walked across the street to the bakery. I talked with the owner and bought a cinnamon roll. Just as we were about to leave she stops us and hands us a bag of day old goodies. Bless her heart! Our hotel for the evening is a dump and the "German" restaurant was sub-par and overly priced. Fortunately the good local beer and the fantastic cover band made up for the trickling shower and uncomfortable beds. We finished off the night with some Top Gun and stand-up.
Date: 2011-07-30
From: Greenwood Lake, New York

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

After getting a late start out of town, we rambled up the trail in hot, humid conditions. A few miles before our destination, we ran into a couple of other hikers sitting on the ground next to a man and his pick-up truck. The man turns out to be a trail angel named Paddy-O, who has previously hiked the trail and now offers trial magic to the hikers he meets. Paddy-O's truck is stocked with coolers of food and drinks and even has a small grill. He whips up a couple of brats with bacon, hands us each a beer and some chocolate milk, and chats with us about life on the trail. Our last few miles to the shelter are easy and we glide through the, aptly named, lemon squeezer. I pitch the tent in the dark and we end up sleeping in a bit of a hole. oops. "The only thing worse that a tuna packet is an empty tuna packet." -Paddy-O
Date: 2011-07-31
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: Graymoor Spiritual Center
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The miles today came slowly. The brutal heat and humidity means that my shirt, shorts and sock are always soaked with sweat, which in turn means that I have been experiencing some severe chafing as of late. Every step is uncomfortable and there is very little that I can do to ease the discomfort. Frustrating. After climbing up and down Bear Mountain and lunching at a bustling lake-side park, I followed the trail through a local zoo. Yep, a zoo, where the trails lowest elevation can be found (124 ft above sea level). We grabbed some snacks and resupplied at a deli/convenience store and made our way to the trailside monastery that allows hikers to camp on their baseball field. I took a cold shower and chatted with a southbound thru-hiker named Southpaw.
Date: 2011-08-01
From: Graymoor Spiritual Center

To: RPH
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was H-O-T! We got up early to beat the heat managed to crank out 13 miles by noon. At a road crossing we toyed with the idea of hitchhiking to a nearby state park, where ice cream could be acquired, and ultimately decided to go for it. We were picked up after just a few minutes of "thumbing" and walked into the camp-store excited for a cool treat. With ice cream sandwiches in my stomach and a smile on my face, I relaxed at a picnic table and set my in the hot sun clothes to dry. Once back on the trail, we hustled to the shelter to beat the impending rain and managed to stay dry. Thinking the storm was over, Frodo helped me pitch the tent near the buggy shelter. Unfortunately the storm was not over and we quickly found ourselves in about 2 inches of water. We decided it would be better to abandon ship than to try and bail it out, so I hauled my wet gear into the dark shelter. Could have been worse.
Date: 2011-08-02
From: RPH

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 25.5
Weather: clear sky

Upon hearing of a tasty breakfast sandwich only a few miles up-trail, I quickly packed up my gear and set off north. Frodo, Sweet Tea and I arrived at the Mountain Top Deli after a short road-walk and immediately ordered the double-everything sandwich. Double egg+double cheese+double meat+grilled bun = double amazing. I washed mine down with a chocolate milk and a cup of coffee. We bought some overpriced groceries, grabbed a sandwich for lunch and hit the trail once again. Stopping around 1pm at Nuclear lake, we dined with a some other hikers and bathed in the lake. After drying off and digesting we decided it was time to keep moving. At our last road crossing of the day I spotted a cooler that happened to contain a few cold sodas and a package of Oreo's. What could be better on a hot day? We made it to camp hot and exhausted. Two extraordinary things happened today. 1. I discovered double decker oatmeal creampies!!! 480 calories, lots of carbs and lots of fat for only 79 cents 2. It seems we are bursting through the big hiker bubble, which is very exciting. Many of the hikers we are passing started walking in March or early April, I guess that means we are as fast as they say
Date: 2011-08-03
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Silverhill Campsite Via Kent, CT
Miles today: 22.9

WE ARE IN CONNECTICUT!!!!!!! Damn it feels good to be busting through state lines every couple of days. Seeing the miles fly by definitely makes the days and weeks of hiking easier. We cruised into Kent, Connecticut at 10:30 in the morning and got a lucky hitch from a woman reading in her car. The tree of us breakfasted at a local cafe and although the food was good, the portions were tiny. I left the restaurant disappointed with plenty of room in my stomach. One thing that hiking the A.T. has taught me how to do is to eat ice cream at every opportunity. So naturally when I saw that half gallons of ice cream were on sale, I put two in our shopping cart with the rest of our groceries. It is really quite amazing how fast three hikers can take down a gallon of ice cream. We hitchhiked back to the trail and walked the remaining miles to our home for the evening. Dinner tonight was macaroni with tuna and a four cheese sauce. Not bad at all.