morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-26
From: The Doyle 

To: Peters Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Ate breakfast at a great little place across the street from The Doyle with other hikers. Waited for post office to open at 8am with Little Prince. Got a four day resupply of food that I had mailed myself from Jane's house. It sure makes the pack heavier with a resupply of food and water. My pack feels so much lighter when I enter a town because I've eaten most of my food. Duncannon is a great trail town with everything you need close together. The blazes continued through town for a mile and a half with beautiful views of the river. I love seeing the old historic houses and I wonder who lives there and what they do. The trail was steep as it left town, and I was soon hiking by myself at a leisurely pace and stopping whenever I wanted for pictures and to soak it all in. It wound through farm lands and cornfields. My feet were very sore today and have been swollen from day one. I take my shoes and socks off every time I stop to let them air out and to help prevent blisters. I also rotate two pairs of socks throughout the day. Even so my feet and socks are always wet from sweat. They are so soaked I can actually squeeze water out of them just from sweat. Still trying to figure all this out. A little concerned because I don't think my feet should be this sore all the time.Bear Biscuit had to leave the trail this morning and take a train home due to a family emergency. So sad to see him leave and my heart goes out to him. I was looking forward to hiking with him more as he has been such great company. When I finally reached the shelter this evening my feet were so happy to hear that they had to walk down a very steep hill of 300 steps (600 round trip) to fetch water. Not. This is the longest trip to get water yet, and I actually counted the steps to make sure the guidebook was correct. It was. The view of the woods from the shelter has the nicest shelter view so far. So tranquil and beautiful! Dinner was dehydrated hummus on crackers and more trail mix and a double chocolate biscotti. Such a treat! I met a wonderful family of mom, dad and 20 year old daughter hiking the AT for two months from their front door near the Horseshoe trail in Pennsylvania to a relative's front door in Tennessee. So very cool and they were so excited to be doing it as a family. I also met thru-hikers from Georgia who spent the night as well...Smasher, Penguin and Happy. I especially enjoyed talking to Penguin as she is about my age. I have met or seen very few women hikers except for dayhikers. She is really fast and is doing great.Looking forward to a good night's sleep and meeting my friend Jane again in the morning for a couple more days of hiking with her. Love this shelter!
Date: 2015-05-28
From: Rausch Gap Shelter 

To: William Penn Shelter 
Miles today: 13.4

Today was a very hard day of walking for me. I actually pulled it off and made it to the shelter at the end of the day, at an even slower pace than normal. The day was beautiful and the hike continued along the Rausch creek and I was treated to views of flowing water and cascading waterfalls that I would have loved to swim in. We went through Swatara Gap near Lickdale that had a bike trail winding through a forest of pine trees. During a rocky and slow section I said goodbye to Jane. She was going another five miles beyond my stopping point for the evening to get picked up, and I knew I didn't have it in me to go that far today. I hit my head on a tree as I was trying to find the shortest path across the rocks. As I was sitting on the rocks assessing the damage and gulping down water a group of boys came by and startled me. This caused me to spill the last of my water all over myself. One can only laugh when these things happen. Pennsylvania is famous for its rocks and rattlesnakes. My day was now complete as I had my first encounter with a rattlesnake while climbing across rock piles. He was angry because he got tangled up in my trekking poles and wasn't sure where to go. I panicked a little and let out a loud scream but no one came running to my rescue. The little guy finally wiggled away and I was free to hobble along again.When I made it to the shelter I could not take another step and I planted myself on the shelter floor to stretch and examine my feet. Little Prince was there and he said it looked like I had swamp feet. That did not sound too good. No blisters but white sores all over them and red marks everywhere. I decided to hike a short four miles tomorrow and go into town at Pine Ridge and resupply and let my feet heal the rest of the day.   I had serious doubts I could even do that because I couldn't even press down on my feet without exquisite pain. To make matters worse I was out of water and couldn't take another step so Little Prince took pity on me and shared his water with me so I wouldn't have to go fetch and filter it. I didn't eat dinner because I felt so bad. I applied hand sanitizer to my feet to try and kill the bad stuff and it burnt like crazy. Drying my soaking wet socks in fire now.Today is my niece Maddie's graduation. Congratulations Maddie! So proud of her. She got a full scholarship playing volleyball at Indian River College. Thank you for taking the time to read my journal and sharing this experience with me.
Date: 2015-05-29
From: William Penn Shelter 

To: 501 Shelter 
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up this morning and my feet felt so much better, and the white spots were completely gone. What a difference an evening can make! Little Prince let me borrow a pair of sock liners and wool socks so I would have dry socks. These liners made a big difference in absorbing the sweat, and they are now on my list to buy at Cabella's. It was an easy four mile walk to the 501 shelter that looks like a cabin and has a caretaker that lives on site and even has a solar shower. Cool breezes made hiking comfortable and we stopped to admire the hawks circling above the valley.We marveled at our fast pace and arrived at 9:15am. We quickly claimed our bunks spots as the shelter is near a road crossing and can get quite crowded. Penguin was just getting ready to leave, and her husband and cousin had met her here. We called a shuttle to get a ride into town for resupply and laundry. Found a cute small town market that had great resupply. I even found a bottle of naked green smoothie which is my favorite. We bought two packs of strawberries and then LP brings out a bottle of whipped cream to go with them. He calls this strawberries and bubba. We sat on the curb of the parking lot eating them like it was our last meal. I felt like the luckiest person on earth. We only had one mile to walk to the laundromat but decided to stick our thumbs out to hitch. I had never hitchhiked before and wanted to try it with someone else. No one picked us up but some kids in a car stuck their heads out the windows and called us bums and told us to get a job. I laughed hysterically all the way to the laundromat. O'Neals Pub and Restaurant was conveniently located across the street. We lounged on comfy leather couches for hours and charged our phones and feasted. My crab cakes were delicious! We met Shannon, a master chef who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. His enthusiasm is such a joy. I stayed for dinner and met Nikka Mae from my women's hiking group on Facebook. It was so special that she took such effort to meet me and treat me to dinner. I had met her on the trail a week earlier because we were both wearing matching buffs from our hiking group. Thank you so much Nikka Mae! She dropped me off at the shelter and there I met Danger and Short Step who are section hiking the entire trail. Short Step is from Plant City, near where I live.A fantastic day! My feet barely hurt. I really needed this down time.
Date: 2015-05-30
From: 501 Shelter 

To: Eagles Nest Shelter 
Miles today: 15.1

Today was a good day. Feel like I made pretty good time and made it to my shelter destination sooner than expected. I stopped to rest less and the rocks weren't as bad as I expected. I keep being told the rocks are going to get worse so I am anticipating much worse than actually materializes. That works for me! Feet are feeling better so maybe I will actually make it to Cabella's tomorrow. To my surprise I did not get lost in the big boulder fields I heard so much about.This hike has been amazing so far. So much beautiful flora and fungi. However, the amazing people I have met and their individual stories have been the best part. They say the trail is a great equalizer. People from all walks of life, different ages and backgrounds all have a common bond and interact in a way they never would in real life. Everyone looks out for each other and no one is a stranger for long .The shelter was full and it was in a pretty spot with a good water source. At dark an exhausted looking hiker came in and we all made room for him. Cookie Monster hiked 33 miles today. That is unbelievable to me. He said he is hiking fast to catch up with his girlfriend who is 300 miles ahead of him. He explained she was riding a bike after getting bad shin splints but now she had some near misses with vehicles and is now going to hike again. I asked him if she is a German girl named Happy Feet. Sure enough she is the same girl I met over a week ago that helped me with my camera. What a small and connected world it is here on the trail. You often run into people that you think you will never see again.It was a great day!
Date: 2015-06-01
From: Port Clinton

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today is my first zero day which means a day of no hiking. I made two trips to Walmart for resupply and went to Great Clips and treated my hair to a shampoo and conditioner. It felt great to have all the knots brushed out of my hair. This was such an indulgence for me which I greatly enjoyed and only cost $3. I will be putting this pampering on my must do list for future town stops. The largest Cabella's in the world was just across the street from the hotel which makes this a desired town stop for thru-hikers. I am hoping I won't need to keep replacing gear after this stop. This is my first visit to a Cabella's and is a destination in itself with a bit of the theme park atmosphere . I purchased a pair of Merrell Moab low top hiking boots at the suggestion of another hiker. I was really hoping to get some assistance from the staff with my new gear selection but customer service was not on the menu for today. Seriously disappointed and literally had to walk around the store in one boot looking for someone to find it's mate so I could spend money with them. Got two pairs of polypropylene liner socks but could not find another pair of thin wool socks in my size. I am also the estatic new owner of a Sea to Summit inflatable pillow. Hopefully I will have a better night's sleep with this, as the small amount of clothes that I have been using as a pillow are usually wet and offer little comfort. I also found a brightly colored fuscia rain jacket that claims to be breathable and waterproof. As long as it keeps me dry I will be a happy camper.My idea of a zero day included thoughts of lounging around with my feet up and at least taking one nap, but I was busy all day with my chores. My calorie count got a boost with breakfast, lunch and dinner in town which was fantastic. I had decided my hiking skirt was not working for me because of the built in shorts, but I had no luck finding a new one at Cabella's. I purchased compression shorts at an athletic store and cut the shorts out of my skirt with a sharp knife. I felt very clever indeed. Can't wait to try out my new gear in the morning. Rain is in the forecast so my rain jacket will have a chance to prove it's worth. This town stop has been great and also just what my feet needed to heal. Back on the trail in the morning.
Date: 2015-06-02
From: Port Clinton

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter 
Miles today: 5.7

We left in the morning and walked to the post office to mail home some gear. A very nice lady heard us talking and kindly drove us to the trailhead. Meeting such wonderful people in these quaint small towns. Everyone is so friendly and seem to love talking to those of us with packs on our backs.The rain started as soon as we got on the trail. We trudged up the mountain and I am very happy with my new rain jacket so far. The rain turned cold and never let up. Lots of pointy rocks planted everywhere I stepped, but I have come to expect this and can only laugh at the agony my feet are going through. We had planned a full day of hiking but we're freezing and stopped at this welcome respite. I am laying in my down bag and comfy thermarest air mattress and down jacket and still shivering . Heated up some tea and have it resting between my feet to help keep me warm. Talking to Axon and Shrugs who are from Canada and have been hiking from Georgia. Digital and Traveler are also here. Everyone seems to be stopping in because of the rain and many thru-hikers have said this is one of the coldest days yet. It was just 91% a couple days ago. Such a drastic change in temperature. I just mailed home my wool base layer this morning. Wondering if I am going to need it as I'm easily cold. Happy to have this spot to spend the night and stay out of the cold.
Date: 2015-06-03
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter 

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a very long day for me and I did not think it would ever end. Pennsylvania has been very punishing on my feet. My hiking partner and I laugh continuously throughout the day about the placement of the rocks along the trail. I can look to my left and right at times and see perfectly grassy footpaths but the white blazes I am following look like the rocks are meant to keep hikers from ever wanting to return. I have heard so much about the rocks here but never expected it to be this difficult. Every time I gain a little confidence and feel like I'm a little stronger and faster the trail laughs in my face and slows me down. The youngsters I keep meeting are hiking fast and long miles but still complain about the difficulty. My new hiking boots I just bought two days ago already are coming apart at the toe box. About 5 miles from leaving the shelter I discovered I was missing one of my brand new keen camp shoes which I wear multiple times throughout the day and are a huge relief for my aching feet. The carabiner was still attached to it. I felt like I had just lost my best friend and was not too happy. I stopped at Eckville shelter for lunch and met a section hiker named Bruiser. She let us know that tomorrow we would be going over a difficult and scary section in which we would wish we were dead not once, but twice. Oh joy! How could it get any worse. I just finished my entry into the shelter journal offering a reward for my missing Keen and Mt cell phone number and in walked Axon and Shrugs with my purple and teal colored camp shoe I love so much. I was overjoyed and so thankful! They had found it in the middle of the trail and had known it was mine. They called it Trail Mail. Finally made it to our destination and I immediately lay down on shelter floor for an hour shivering and in foot pain. I am just not getting enough calories and protein. Going to have to change that real soon. The young guys with endless energy made a nice fire and I heated up two rocks and gave myself a wonderful hot stone massage. Falling asleep listening to them talk by the fire. Beautiful night and great company!
Date: 2015-06-04
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 

To: Stealth Camping
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Every day I am told that the next day is going to be the worst day of Pennsylvania and that the rocks wereally going to be worse than the day before. Today did not disappoint. The thru-hikers who have been hiking all the way from Georgia are having a difficult time with the rocks and most I have spoken to say they prefer the steep mountains of Georgia and North Carolina. It was fun chatting with Green Tortuga, Superman and Ginger T last night and others whom trail names I can't remember. I am getting more comfortable being known as Lil Mermaid and it doesn't even seem strange anymore that we all go by fictional names. The day started off comfortable the first few miles. Finally came upon what is known as Knife Edge and it literally looks like a very high sharp knife edge. I have a fear of heights and a fear of falling off rocks so I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out. I was scared too death, and yes Bruiser, I was afraid I was going to die, just like you warned me. I was encouraged and guided along with was very helpful. I fell once and am afraid I am going to have a very large and unattractive bruise. After I made it to the top I discovered going up was the easy part and I would have to go down. Finally I just sat down and scooted and bumped and laughed most of the way down. My legs are short and it was just easier and faster this way. I discovered Axon was right behind me and was doing the same thing. She told me this is caled butt blazing. I think I may be doing a lot if this in New Hampshire. My excitement at making it over knife edge I was screaming that I had done it. I thought this was it for the hard stuff today but my happiness was shortlived. Apparently there is a knife edge two and so it went in again. This is what Bruiser meant when she said we would feel like we were going to die twice.What a long 14 miles that felt like it was never going to end. We found a nice spot to camp overlooking a valley with twinkling lights of the town in the distance. More beautiful wildflowers to admire and a perfect end to a challenging day. Shortly before finding a spot to camp we happened upon some trail magic from starman. He had a huge cooler with everything a thruhiker would need including jugs of water which was very helpful as I was rationing water because there would be no more springs today. We feasted on a can of ravioli and rice packages. Going to bed very happy tonight.
Date: 2015-06-06
From: Camping at Palmerton Superfunder Site 

To: Lee Roy Smith Shelter 
Miles today: 12.2

We started hiking out of camp this morning with no water knowing that the Blue Mountain Ski Resort was about two miles away. We arrived at 8:30am and we're hoping to find a hose somewhere. Even though the resort was not open yet the Jim, the general manager was outside setting up for a wine festival. He greeted us outside and immediately unlocked the doors for us. We were shown the water and taken on an elevator to the staff area with a sparkling clean shower. Jim was very kind and went way beyond what I ever would have expected for two smelly and thirsty hikers. He even had one of his staffers drive us the half mile back to the trail. I wish we could have stayed for the wine festival today but we have plans to meet Bear Biscuit tomorrow in Delaware Water Gap. Would love to come back here one day but right now I am thrilled to be out of Rocks Avandia and into New Jersey. This state has been very hard on my feet. The word is that New Jersey has many opportunities to stop at deli's along the way. Little Prince and I keep each other entertained with talk of hiking down grassy trails as if we were simply taking a walk in the woods and finding a deli for tea, coffee and spinach and feta cheese omelets for breakfast. Two or three hours later we would be greeted on the trail by the chef of our next deli stop and invited in for a thick sandwich with whatever meat and cheese we are craving. And then a few hours later it would be dinner time and another chef would greet us. We shall see what New Jersey offers us.So tired again at the shelter but we are committed to hiking 20.2 miles tomorrow. We are planning a big celebration as we cross the border and will be taking a zero day. So happy that Bear Biscuit will be rejoining us. Wish that Grasshopper was still with us but his foot problem was so severe he had to get off the trail. Nice to see Hot Pants again. He is taking off for Wind Gap so he doesn't have to hike 20 miles tomorrow. He is very speedy. What am I getting myself into? Going to bed early tonight so I can rise extra early for my last day in Pennsylvania. Yay!!!
Date: 2015-06-08
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was fun and relaxing. Got up around 6am which is sleeping in for me now. Called a cab and got a ride to the local super walmart for resupply. I realized I left my reading glasses in the cab so I bought a new pair. On my third cab ride the same driver picked us up and I was able to retrieve my original pair which I will donate to the hiker box at the hostel. I also bought a big carrot cake at the walmart bakery and had Happy Birthday Little Prince engraved on it with icing. I plan to carry this in my pack for two days until his birthday. We went to the post office to pick up some more resupply we had mailed ourselves. I was very happy to find 10 days of vitamins and joint supplements I had packed into tiny baggies for myself with the generous help of my swimming buddy Liz and my sister Christina. It came to a grand total of 159 bags with nine supplements in each bag. I also received my green vibrance to mix in my drinks. Next we met Bear Biscuit at the hostel and made our way to the local pizzeria for an early lunch where I enjoyed a superb eggplant parmesan sub. A couple of blocks later we found Edge of the Woods Outdoor Center where I purchased a perfectly fitting pair of black Monbell rain pants. I have been looking everywhere for these but have not been able to find my size. Rain is expected tomorrow, and I get so cold hiking in the rain with wet clothes. Hopefully these rain pants will help. We happened upon trail magic at the hostel at 2:00. All trail magic is wonderful and so greatly appreciated, but this was not any ordinary trail magic. Jenna had prepared a homemade feast that was as good or better than of all the fantastic small town restaurants I have sampled on my trek so far. She grilled steak that was out of this world. It was only my second time eating steak in 22 years, and I am craving it since I have been hiking. Several salads and sides with ingredients like shrimp and avocado and lots of fresh veggies. Desserts included yummy brownies and mango cobbler. Next on the agenda was a two hour relaxation in the hotel's heated swimming pool with salt instead of chemicals. So perfect for my aching body. Felt like a spa day. Definitely the best feature of the hotel. Having dinner at the Mexican restaurant next door. Said goodbye to Danger, Short Stop and Nice Lady whom we have seen almost every day for the past week. They are friends who met on the trail while section hiking and are continuing their journey together. So nice to have gotten to know them.Back on the trail early tomorrow morning.