morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-15
From: Falls Creek Campsite

To: Quarry Gap Shelters
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: light rain

Jun 15, 2016 - I woke up around 6 again and packed up my stuff. It was perfect timing as it started to rain just as I pulled the drawstring on my pack. Peach, Scoober and I hiked through a few hours of rain, which wasn't too bad. Peach did, however, start to chafe pretty badly. I have been lucky to not experience chafing on the trail yet, but it sounds awful. Around mile 100, I had considered discarding my Gold Bond into a hiker box, but Peach said, "Never get rid of Gold Bond". Nearly 1,000 miles later, I gave him my unused slick stick and he applied liberally. Funny how that works out. The morning had us scrambling over some pretty challenging boulder fields until we hit a road crossing about 15 miles in. We struck west and arrived at a small lunch place for some cheesesteak and burgers. While there, I checked my phone and discovered Legs had informed me of Goldberry's Trail Magic round 2 at Caledonia State Park half mile north. There we added hot dogs to our stomachs, played some more Coup and shared stories for a while. Scoober started barking and for good reason. Moonshine had finally caught us! Ironically, he was being picked up by his Dad for his second off trail excursion that same evening, but it was still great to see him and catch up for a while. Two miles north on the trail brought us to Quarry Gap Shelters, which was nicer than my Mom's gardens. Flowers hung from the shelter, magazines, games and a swinging bench were at our disposal and a spring was directly in front of the structure. It was maintained beautifully and ranks up there with Overmountain and Partnerships shelters. Peach attached a piece of paper to the wall with a fake WIFI and password to drive other hikers crazy. Tomorrow, we will cross the AT midpoint and attempt the Half Gallon Challenge!
Date: 2016-06-17
From: Campsite north of Pine Grove

To: Boiling Springs Campsite / Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: light rain

Jun 17, 2016 - Today, we had a pretty easy and pretty boring 16.9 miles into Boiling Springs, PA. Jingle joined Peach, Scoober and I for most of the day. The terrain did present a smaller, rockier version of the roller coaster that I hiked hungover after my 24 challenge. This one was much easier as I was feeling excellent. The roller coaster ended with the start of the Cumberland Valley that brought us through sunny fields lined with mulberry trees and wild strawberries (which are much much smaller than the strawberries you see in the grocery store). While we thought Boiling Springs was named for a hot spring, it was actually named for around 30 natural springs that fed the large man made lake in the center of town. The cold water was incredibly clear. Just south of Boiling Springs was a campsite near the train tracks reserved for thru hikers where I set up my tent. My chores were next. I went to the post office to pick up my new pack and quilt and to mail the damaged ones back to the manufacturer. Next up was a quick stop at the Boiling Springs Tavern for a beer, which was indescribably satisfying after walking through those hot fields. Jingle and I then walked to the grocery store for a resupply. However, on the way, we were blindsided by Benny's pizzeria - so we each crushed 4 barbecue chicken slices and then continued to the grocery store. It's never smart to shop hungry anyway. Following the grocery store was a stop at the town pool for a $2 shower. Since it was Friday, the normally $12 pool access was knocked down to $5, which included a shower. That's a no brainer if I ever heard of one. Jingle and I passed the next hour swimming and repeatedly going on all the legit water slides they had. Finally, I showered and returned to the campsite. Goldberry had also left some more Trail Magic near the campsite in the form of cherries, cupcakes, chips and bubbles.Tonight was Legs' 21st birthday party so all the hikers met up at the tavern for some drinks. The tavern was actually a very nice restaurant so I felt a bit ashamed of my footwear: one croc and one sandal (I lost a croc and bought a pair of sandals at the Goodwill in Front Royal. I threw one sandal away since I liked my crocs better. I figured I better have one croc than none at all).I was actually stuffed for once so I didn't get any food, but had an excellent time socializing and celebrating.
Date: 2016-06-19
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Clarks Creek Campsite 
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

Jun 19, 2016 - I woke up and started watching Hoosiers on the television. It looked as if it was going to be another scorcher today so it was tough to leave the comfort of the air conditioned room. Peach and I shared a load of laundry - thank God. My first order of business today was to recover my phone. The phone itself isn't a big deal, but all the pictures, contacts and journal entries that hadn't been backed up were invaluable. I called Trail Angel Mary who lived in town to see if she could help me. She agreed to drive me 30 minutes back to Corey and John's house to find my phone. It would cost $35, but seeing as a cab would have been close to $80 and a new phone probably around $200, I was happy to pay her for helping me fix my mistake. Mary pulled up in front of the hotel in her hint van very reminiscent of Miss Janet's. We drove back to Mechanicsburg to the house Find My iPhone directed us to. I knocked on the door and found John and Corey sitting on the couch. They had my phone and it was fully charged. Corey had a pretty nice shiner on his face that was not there yesterday...I didn't ask. While they seemed totally ready to give it back to me, it was a little puzzling that they neglected to look at the message on the home screen that told them to call Peach's number if they found the phone. Regardless, I got the phone back and all was well with the world again. Mary brought me back to the center of town around noon and I immediately resumed hiking north. The trail wound about a mile through town until it went over the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers. I walked the mile through town and just as I approached the bridge, I realized the trail had made a left some distance back and actually coincided with the street parallel to the one I was on. A battle raged in my head - as a purist, I needed to go all the way back to the Doyle and follow the trail correctly. It would have eaten away at me otherwise. So, grudgingly, I turned around and hiked another mile back to town in the sweltering midday sun to retrace my steps and pick up the trail. As much as it sucked, I'm glad I did it because I have still seen every damn blaze on this trail and it's going to stay that way. Anyway, I continued hiking up the hill that led out of town and walked along the ridge line for a while. A gentleman in town had suggested a stealth campsite near Clarks Creek. Rather than stop at the campsite near the spring, Peach, Scoober and I pushed on another mile and crossed Clarks Creek to a cool, little section of land surrounded by the creek on three sides. I set up my tent on a bed of pine needles (my favorite), Peach got a fire going to ward off the bugs, and I dunked myself in the stream to cool down. The campsite was unique and was well worth the extra mile.
Date: 2016-06-20
From: Clarks Creek Campsite 

To: Campsite south of PA 72
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Jun 20, 2016 - Due to the combination of the workload and the heat of the past two days, I managed to sleep until nearly 7 this morning. The morning was actually cool so it just felt so good to stay under my warm, down quilt. A fisherman was only about 20 yards away casting his line into the creek. I had a relaxed breakfast and started up the first hill of the day. There were only two today, but with a high of 91 degrees, I was not looking forward to either of them. All three of us pushed 16 miles without stopping to another stealth campsite near a stream. Personally, I would camp near a stream every single night in the summer if I could. Rinsing my body off and cooling down in the water is immensely satisfying at the end of the day. While we walked along yet another ridge line, I heard Peach start to run and call for Scoober to follow him. A Timber rattlesnake was in the bushes just off trail and Peach was trying to get Scoober away. I saw the rattler sticking into the trail a bit so I just walked around the snake and continued without any trouble. It was the first rattlesnake I've ever seen. We arrived at the campsite around 2 in the afternoon which meant we had about 7 hours until the sun set. We got a fire going to ward off the bugs and just lounged around honestly. Scoober really needs the rest - while he appears happy and full of energy during the hike, he's basically dead when we stop for camp. Croc, Joker, Journeyman, Backscratcher, Can Do and Boyardee joined us throughout the day. Croc, Peach and I swam in the creek for a while and then played some Coup, that card game that Ben left me in Harpers Ferry.
Date: 2016-06-21
From: Campsite south of PA 72

To: Hertline Campsite
Miles today: 18.4

Jun 21, 2016 - Although the summer solstice, the point at which Earth's northern hemisphere is tilted most toward the sun during its orbit, was officially yesterday, thru hikers generally celebrate this event on June 21. How do we celebrate? We traditionally hike completely naked for at least a portion of the day. I didn't actually know this, but June 21 is actually known as National Hike Naked Day. It was an odd morning. I changed into my hiking clothes, but then prior to leaving camp, took them all back off and hung them on my pack. And then I just started walking...naked. I did between 3 and 4 miles with no clothes on, which is very uncomfortable by the way. I fell once resulting in a nice raspberry on my butt, but unfortunately (or fortunately...I'll let you decide) I didn't run into any other hikers. The only people I saw were two cars driving in opposite directions at a road crossing. I simply waited for the cars to pass and noted the shocked look on the drivers' faces. It was hysterical. Peach and I set the phone up on a timer to catch the image you see here before putting our clothes back on. The timer was activated by yelling "Cheese" and Scoober, who had no idea what was going on started barking and freaking out during every attempt. When we finally captured a suitable photo (Scoober had to be tied to a tree before this was possible), Peach and I resumed our hike. Again, the ridge line hike was very uneventful and much the same as most of the days in PA. This entire state has been just hiking across the top of rocky, flat ridges with the occasional down and up associated with the transfer to from one ridge to another. About halfway through the day, we stopped at the 501 Shelter, one of the more sophisticated shelters on trail with a shower, board games and a pizza delivery service.I felt guilty about ordering a pizza until it was in my mouth. It was so worth it. I even packed out a few slices for dinner. After 18.4 miles, Peach and I called it quits at the "Hertline Campsite and picnic table". There was no picnic table, but there was an unmarked swimming hole with a rope swing that was damned up. The water was super clean even though there was some type of sediment clouding it up. Of course, I rinsed off, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the creature from the Lake Placid movie was about to emerge from the eerily still water. Once the campfire was going, Journeyman, Olive Oil and Hawaii joined us for a relatively quiet night. The heat of the day dissipated and a cool breeze made sleep incredibly enjoyable.
Date: 2016-06-24
From: The Pinnacle

To: Lehigh Furnace Gap / Bethlehem, PA
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: light rain

Jun 24, 2016 - Princess Peach lived in Bethlehem, PA for 2 years and planned on taking a zero there tomorrow. He invited me.I accepted. That meant 25.1 miles to Lehigh Furnace Gap by 4 pm where my Dad would pick us up and take us to Bethlehem. Plus, this way I could see my Dad for the first time in 3 months and catch up over a steak. The hike itself sucked. The first 12 miles was just an endless pile of rocks - it put me in a very bad mood that only increased every time I slipped or had a jagged rock stick into my foot. I would pick up sticks and smash them against trees as an outlet for my frustration and to provide a distraction from the painful monotony of the rocks. To add insult to injury, my only water stop for the day was a 0.3 mile walk straight downhill over more rocks to a buggy, stagnant spring. For the second half of my hike, I put my headphones in and 'Hakuna Matata' was the third song on shuffle. Before you know it, I'm through the entire Lion King soundtrack and onto the Frozen soundtrack. I couldn't help but be in a good mood listening to Disney. Peach and I stopped briefly at a restaurant immediately next to the trail for a beer and then continued on only to find Trail Magic 3 miles from Lehigh Furnace Gap. The Allentown Hiking Club was out with burgers, dogs, snacks, desserts, supplies and good conversation. Scoober, though he too enjoyed some hot dogs, seemed to just give up and lay comatose on the ground. When Peach tried to get him moving again, he wouldn't get up until Peach started to leave. He too was defeated by the rocks. I met Dad at the gap and gave him a big hug - it was good to see him again. We went to Emeril's steak house in Bethlehem that night where I downed the porterhouse. After dinner, Dad headed back home and I went out with Peach at Joe's on the north side of town.
Date: 2016-06-25
From: Lehigh Furnace Gap / Bethlehem, PA

To: Lehigh Furnace Gap / Bethlehem, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Jun 25, 2016 - I actually opted to sleep outside last night since Leah's apartment was so hot. Little did I know that a woman in a neighboring apartment started laughing the most horrible laugh I've ever heard. And it never stopped. I was forced to move inside to the floor in an attempt to get some more sleep. When I woke up at 10, I was still exhausted. Peach and I walked over to the steel stacks that make Bethlehem famous. A few years back, the town installed a catwalk that allowed people to walk past the steel stacks and learn about their history. Up close, the massive operation was fascinating and trying to picture the steel mills in action was pretty tough. The rest of the area had been turned into a non profit music stage, which regularly hosted artists for the town's pleasure. The balance the city struck by preserving the history of the steel stacks and simultaneously turning the area into a social gathering place is unique and very enjoyable. Peach's old roommate, Hudson, gave us a ride to the nearby LL Bean so Peach could finally replace his trail runners after 1251 miles. He managed to get new shoes for only $30 since they were still under the 6 month warranty. It's kind of backwards seeing as they outlasted their expected use by about 800 miles, but it is what it is. The rest of the afternoon was spent bar hopping around the north side of the city and meeting Peach's various friends. We hit up McCarthy's, Fegley's Bethlehem Brew Works, and Joe's.Following the bar tour, we headed back to Leah's apartment for a Mario Kart tournament. I was not very happy with my performance and I'll just leave it at that. Tim, after this weekend, I'm up to 131 pizza slices.
Date: 2016-06-26
From: Lehigh Furnace Gap / Bethlehem, PA

To: Leroy A. Smith Shelter
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: clear sky

Jun 26, 2016 - From Lehigh Furnace Gap, I was a mere 42 miles from the Delaware Water Gap and the PA - NJ border. Leah gave us a ride back to Lehigh Furnace Gap and Peach and I resumed hiking at midmorning on a clear day with temperatures well into the 90s. Scoober was sent back home because he was showing no signs of improving - "dead" was still a relatively accurate term.About 5 miles into our hike, we crossed the Lehigh River in Palmerton. On the bridge, I looked up and saw a sheer rock face littered with boulders. This rock face was the Palmerton Superfund site - years ago, a nearby zinc smelting site incurred an environmental disaster that killed all of the vegetation on this particular section of the mountain. The result was a vertical boulder field that proved to be a challenging, but very enjoyable hike. Several sections required the use of my hands as well as my feet so I would throw my trekking poles up over a few boulders and then climb up to retrieve them. While we would have preferred to have hiked this at any other time than the hottest portion of the day, you won't hear any complaints from me. Peach and I sipped beers he packed out as we surveyed the surrounding lands from what felt like the top of the world. The next four miles of the hike were completely exposed to the sun. Multiple blackberry bushes helped me get over the heat as I gorged on the small, fresh fruits. Water, on the other hand, was scarce - the environmental disaster had contaminated the few water sources near the Palmerton site and the two springs later in the hike were unreliable and, consequently, not worth the long deviation from trail. All of this meant 21.1 miles of hiking on the 4 liters of water I packed out from Bethlehem. Needless to say, I was parched when I finally reached the Leroy A. Smith Shelter, though heartened by the sign that said 20.2 miles to the Delaware Water Gap. Between the hot sun, the lack of water and the fact that I hiked over 21 miles along rocky terrain, bedtime was well before the sun set tonight. I still hung by the fire for a bit and chatted with two thru hikers from last year who were just out for the night.
Date: 2016-06-27
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Campsite south of Hiker Parking Lot / DWG, PA
Miles today: 20.7

Jun 27, 2016 - Another rocky, miserable 20.7 miles along the ridge line brought me to the top of Mt. Minsi overlooking Route 80 and the Delaware River. I won't go into any more specifics regarding the hike - suffice it to say that it was hot, painfully rocky and dry. My shoes were utterly destroyed. The soles were literally flapping with every step and my right heel had a role completely through the sole. Across the river, I could see one of my favorite mountains - Mt. Tammany. I had hiked 1294 miles from Georgia and had finally hit my home state of New Jersey. The adrenaline rush was pretty wild and I couldn't contain it any longer. As soon as I saw some day hikers, I couldn't help but blurt out my accomplishment, which is very unlike me by the way. Anyway, tomorrow I would be going home, but tonight a bunch of thru hikers were walking down into the town of Delaware Water Gap, PA for a few drinks at the Sycamore Grill. Training Wheels, Boyardee, Splinter, Peach, Treebeard, Waterfall, Olive Oil, Legs, Verge, and Sweets all ordered some food and libations. We all stayed and socialized for a mere 7 hours or so. Happy hour really helped us out with $2.25 Yuenglings. Get togethers like this are my favorite part of the AT experience. The trail is unavoidably a social experience and it's the people that make it what it is.
Date: 2016-06-28
From: Campsite south of Hiker Parking Lot / DWG, PA

To: Kitattiny Visitor Center / Pequannock, NJ
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: clear sky

Jun 28, 2016 - An extremely short walk through the town of Delaware Water Gap brought me to the bridge that crosses the Delaware River into New Jersey. Just like yesterday, some crazy feelings were coursing through me as I crossed the border into my home state after hiking 1294 miles from Georgia. Mom and Courtney (and Chase) drove to the Kitattiny Visitor Center to pick me up and a few other thru hikers for a nero at my house. Originally, I had told my Mom it would probably just be Peach and myself. But, gradually, that number grew to 6, then to 8, then to 10 and finally to 11 - let's just say things escalated quickly. Needless to say, my Mom was freaking as usual and was worried she didn't have enough food. Plus, our dryer had broken literally yesterday - isn't that ironic? So, we managed to cram 11 hikers (myself, Princess Peach, Training Wheels, Sweets, Olive Oil, Treebeard, Waterfall, Boyardee, Splinter, Great P and Jingle) and all of our packs into two cars for the hour long ride back to the house. Everything had worked out perfectly so far. The rest of the afternoon was spent tackling the smorgasbord of homemade and fresh food - cookies, brownies, cake, fruit, cinnamon rolls, bagels, burgers, dogs, ribs, kielbasa and kraut, grilled veggies, lasagna - and a cooler full of beer. My Mom really outdid herself as she washed all of our clothes and offered showers to everyone. Her peak came when she found out it was Boyardee's birthday. Boyardee insisted he didn't like the texture cake so my Mom went out and bought him an ice cream cake. Mom - 1, Boyardee - 0. We all swam, played a few beer games and did nothing all day, which is exactly what a nero should be. My friends from home even stopped by after work and really capped off an amazing day. Tim, Jacquie, Sean, Johnny Steyh, Paula, Kunj (he brought me his Mom's homemade Dhokla - hell yea!), and Steve surprised me with visits and argued over which is more epic: my beard or Sean's crazy long hair. I had planned on sleeping outside with my fellow hikers, but after 3 insisted that I sleep inside in my own bed, I was persuaded. I sat down with my parents and watched a quick episode of Parks and Recreation with them. Thanks for everything Mom - everyone was extremely impressed and grateful. By the way, counting my friends from home, you fed 18 people and still had leftovers without making any more food. Remember that for next time.
Date: 2016-06-30
From: Brink Shelter

To: Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

Jun 30, 2016 - Tim and Johnny Steyh had taken off work today so they could come out and do some hiking with me. The plan was to meet them at 10:30 am near at the Route 206 crossing about 4 miles into my hike. I had planned on waiting at the Appalachian Sunrise Deli with a Taylor Ham, egg and cheese bagel sandwich, but the place was closed for good! I decided to walk a mile south along 206 and hang out at the Jumboland Diner, which would also serve to satisfy my NJ diner aspirations while in my home state. Tim would pick me up there on the way to the parking area. This place was legit - it actually had a drive through window. I sat down with Treebeard, Waterfall and Tink Tank who were just finishing up. I ended up eating quite a bit of food: two scrambled eggs with cheese, hash browns, toast, a short stack of pancakes and a plate of disco fries. Tim picked me up and drove to the parking area where we met up with Johnny Steyh. Tim was planning on staying the night with us, but Johnny Steyh had to go to work in the morning. Tim had a tent that rolled up to the size of a small adolescent so I told him to leave it in the car because he would just sleep in the shelter. The three of us hiked 5 miles to the top of Sunrise Mountain where we took a break in the beautiful pavilion that's built up there. Despite the no camping restriction, it would be a phenomenal cowboy camping spot in the winter. Johnny Steyh turned around and headed back to his car while Tim and I pushed on towards the Rutherford Shelter. Before we reached Rutherford, we stopped in another shelter for a breather and to load up on water. A post in the shelter register from yesterday read that while people were setting up, a snake fell from the ceiling causing everyone to pitch their tents elsewhere. Needless to say, Tim and I checked all the crevices in the ceiling before getting too comfortable. We chatted with a ridge runner named Stan for a while who was very helpful and informative. Their job might seem amazing from the outside looking in, but it's a pretty thankless job and they have to deal with a lot of assholes. When we finally reached the shelter with Training Wheels, Sweets, Boyardee, Great P and Jingle, I set Tim up in the shelter with my sleeping pad. Fires were not allowed, but it was necessary to keep the swarms of mosquitos away. We played a verbal puzzle game called Contact for a while before the early bedtime of 8:30 pm.