morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-14
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter

To: Trail of Hope Hostel
Miles today: 3.0

I had a very short day today, only 3 miles of hiking. The day started off a bit unpleasant, as I had been waking up every hour, and I discovered even more mosquito bites. I stayed in bed later than usual, and left some time after 8am. The weather was sunny, but with a little bite to it, so I didn't even roll up my trousers. The trail was a bit rocky, but not overly surprising considering that it was called Rocky Mountain. There were also a few webs but it wasn't as bad as it had been on previous days. I was down at the roadside by 9.30. I tucked my single trekking pole into my pack pocket and put out my thumb for a ride. I thought the hostel was about 4 miles away. A car pulled over after a few minutes, and it was so far ahead I wasn't sure if it had actually stopped for me. A woman dressed in a smart business suit told me that she had never picked up a hitch hiker before, but felt safe because I'm a girl. That's what they all say. She didn't have far to take me though- less than a mile it turned out! She dropped me outside the Trail of Hope ministries, which is a church and a hostel. A married pastor couple recently bought the land for the house and the church, and now they are redecorating both. It is a big undertaking. The outside of the hostel is very non-descript, and it's actually hard to tell that it is a hostel at all. The inside is nice and clean. They have a large kitchen and dining area, where hikers can buy snacks and have meals. There are two living areas for hikers with sofas, board games and bibles. The rooms have mostly bunk beds, with sheets and mattresses. There is also excellent wifi, cheap laundry, and a $3 shuttle to Walmart or the Dollar General. As the pastors were so busy, a SOBO hiker has been volunteering here, helping them fix up the place. His name is Flounderbait and he seems to be doing a lot to help the pastors. He also cooks excellent meals, which I highly recommend. The shuttle to resupply isn't until after 6, and I arrived in the morning, so I spent the whole day lazing around and basking in the garden. I took full advantage of the quick internet service and generally caught up with the world again. So far as I can tell, Brightside is gaining miles and should meet me soon. In the meantime, I will try to keep my miles reasonable. I think I will also start a little later as well, since now I will have to tent instead of shelter (unless I want to be eaten alive every single night).
Date: 2015-05-15
From: Trail of Hope Hostel

To: Toms Run Shelter
Miles today: 16.2

Once again, woke up early but decided to stay in bed a little longer. Real mattresses seem to force me to do that. I had a pancake breakfast with some boiled eggs on the side, and Flounderbait also gave me some boiled eggs to take with me for lunch. I got back to the trail just after 9am. The weather looked miserable when I woke up, but steadily brightened up until the sun was blazing again. Some sections had no tree cover and I felt blasted by the sun in those brief moments. The trail was very nice again, with only a couple shorter steep climbs - no big mountains today. There were often long flat sections of the trail that are probably greatly enjoyed by day hikers. I saw a few of those day hikers walking in the opposite direction. Tomorrow is Saturday so I am expecting to see even more people. But, the shelter I am at is empty. What happened to all the hikers??Aside from day hikers, I also saw a hunter at one of the roads. He was getting out of a big truck that had camouflage decals. He had a shotgun that also had a camo theme. I was a little nervous, but he headed off into the woods away from the trail. Later, I heard numerous gunshots echoing in the woods. At this time of year, hikers are advised to wear bright orange in order to be visible to hunters. Almost no one does. At least my luminous green shirt might help a little. The first shelter I passed was Quarry Gap, and it was very well maintained. It even had little hanging flower baskets. There seem to be a lot of nice shelters in the area since Harpers Ferry. I wonder what they will look like as I go further north. I finally passed the halfway point this afternoon! There was a post marking the mile, and a little log book. It was a bit of a relief to finally pass it. Now I'm very officially beyond half way! I only need to do everything I have done so far, just one more time... That's unbearable to think about. I have 15 weeks before my visa runs out. If I can do 100 miles a week from hereon, I will be finished with plenty of time.I stopped before 4 again today. I did consider hiking on, but now the clouds have come in I am glad that I did stop (though perhaps I won't be so happy if it rains on my tent tonight). Tomorrow morning I will reach the shop in Pines Grove which is famous for its Half Gallon Challenge. My plan is to wake up, have breakfast, hike 3 miles, eat half a gallon of ice cream, visit the AT museum, and then hike the rest of the 16 miles.
Date: 2015-05-17
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Unnamed Campsite
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: light rain

I managed to sleep fairly well last night. I can tell, because I managed to dream. That rarely happens anymore. The morning was dreary, so I didn't leave the shelter until 7.30am. After 10 minutes, I had to put on my coat. Not because of the weather (yet), but because I was tired of constantly wiping off all the spider webs. About an hour later, it started raining lightly. The trail today was 70% through or next to fields, and was largely flat. This allowed me to do more than 3 mph for the first flat 15 miles, despite the rain that got heavier. I had to wear all my rain gear, and I actually wrung out my dripping socks at lunch time. Just as the rain slowed for a short dry break, I walked through a field of about 30 dairy cows. As usual, the cows scattered when I climbed into the field. Most of them ran away, but a couple of them followed me. I didn't feel too concerned. But then, the bulk of the cows started following me. This looked ominous, but not scary. Then, the cows started running. And I got scared. Having about 30 large cows start chasing you is not a fun experience. I tried to remain calm. I knew that if I started to run then they would probably stampede me, and I envisaged the Mufasa death scene from The Lion King. I used the whistle on my pack to try to scare them away, and waved my sticks around. It seemed to work- but only whilst I was turned around. The field was much longer than I was comfortable with. I was turning around and blowing my whistle and waving the sticks, but after a few attempts it stopped working, and the cows were converging and running towards me. I walked faster to the stile and quickly climbed up, relieved. I wasn't sure how much longer I could have stayed calm. Most of the cows split off, but a crowd followed right up to the stile, and one even attempted to walk into the stile. That was the most dramatic part of my day. I have no idea how I would react if I encountered a dangerous animal like a bear or moose. I would probably have a heart attack. Later, I saw some frogs, chipmunks, and a sizeable turtle. Through the latter section of the trail, once again I was breaking a million spiderwebs. It was extremely annoying, to the degree that I actually stopped hiking prematurely. The guidebook also warned me that the next couple miles were extremely rocky. It would be difficult for me to fight both the spiderwebs and the rocks, so I have decided to leave that until tomorrow. I am still not sure whether I will stay in town or not. It is entirely dependent on the weather. I don't think I can stand another day in a row of being rained on for hours and hours. I'm not sure my feet can either. Now my right little toenail looks like it's going to make an escape soon. When I started setting up my tent, I realised that my trousers had a rip in the crotch. I have no idea how long that has been there. I sewed it up after dinner. I hope I can keep these trousers a bit longer, they're perfect for what I need.
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Unnamed Campsite

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: light rain

The rain started just as I was waking up, but didn't last too long. Just long enough to make my tent wet in time to pack it up. The biggest disadvantage of camping in a random patch of grass is by far the millions and millions of horrifying bugs that are all over everything. Big furry caterpillars, big black and white spiders, big flying black creatures. More than a few times I suddenly dropped something because of the massive spider that was on it. After that, I left about 7ish and started walking through the rocky and webby trail. The rocks weren't too bad actually, just the last steep mile or so down to Duncannon that was annoying. The hanging caterpillars were back in force though, so it was another constant battle of wiping them off. At one point I looked down and saw six of them wriggling about on my trousers. I was glad that I hadn't rolled my trousers up yet, otherwise they would have been all over my skin.Alongside the caterpillars, there were also a lot of flying bugs that were causing havoc. If I stood still for a moment, they landed all over me. I don't think they were biting bugs, but they were annoying nonetheless. Eventually I made my way to Duncannon. I stopped at the petrol station to get a chocolate milk and then continued to follow the trail through the town. There is not a lot going on in Duncannon. There are a lot of older style family homes, with a church inserted after every sixth home. Duncannon is famous to hikers for the Doyle. This is a bar and a hotel, where famously the owners have not done anything to the hotel part for possibly ever. I met a couple hikers outside, and on their recommendation I crossed the road to Goodies for breakfast. It was a very nice breakfast, made even better because the other family that was there paid for my meal (thanks, if they ever see this). Eating in restaurants solo definitely has its advantages. From there I went back to the Doyle and dumped my pack before doing a small, expensive resupply at the Quickmart. Then I spent some more time at the Doyle, using the wifi, before I headed back on to the trail and walking through the town. Not too long later, a stranger offered me a ride and I gladly took it, since I didn't want to have to walk the two miles out of the way to the motel. This habit of getting rides from strangers is not something that I will be continuing when I leave the trail. When I got to the Stardust Motel, the office was closed. I would have to wait 2 hours. So, I waited. And then someone appeared to change the time so that I would have to wait even longer. Now, I have an hour to wait until I get into my room. I hope that it will be worth it. Certainly my poor feet will be very glad. Whenever they get wet, the dye from my socks stains them so they stay blue until I shower. I also hope that whilst I'm at the motel, the constant rain/thunderstorms/boiling weather will finally pass to something more consistent.
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Unnamed Campsite

To: Unnamed Campsite
Miles today: 21.5

Woke up to a million caterpillars on my tent. I wasted a bit of time flicking them from the inside of my tent. The majority of them were on the netting, which makes a much less satisfying noise when flicked. I eventually left camp about 7.15, since it took so long to deconstruct my tent and wipe off all the various bugs on all my things. The weather today was much cooler than yesterday, though still mostly sunny. I wore my coat and left my trousers unrolled in an attempt stop the bugs being so irritating. It worked for the caterpillars and flies, but I think a mosquito must have managed to get me anyway. I have (at least) 4 new huge and incredibly itchy bites on my arms. A few times throughout the day, I felt a thud on my hat. It was caterpillars falling from the trees. The caterpillars are also weirdly strong. Sometimes it takes a few attempts to wipe them off, and usually after the third attempt I accidentally splat them. There is also some kind of fly, that looks like a cross with a spider, that is not deterred by my irritated whacking. I'm used to flies leaving when batted, but these ones just cling on to wherever they are. It's makes them seem a bit sinister. I do not trust these flies. Aside from the bug issues, today was quite uneventful. I was actually a little bored a few times, despite my podcasts. The monotony of the trail is really starting to set in. The trail at least had a bit of climbs and descents, though still plenty of flats. There were also some more rocky sections, but I'm told that it's still not as bad as it will get later. People have said similar things about the bugs. It's nearly 5.30 and I'm all set for bed. I'm trying desperately to ignore how itchy all of my bites are. I have (at least) 19 now, in various states of healing. I only have 2 days until I'm in town and I can buy the strongest bug spray and bite relief legally available.
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Unnamed Campsite

To: Wind Gap
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up at 6, had breakfast in my tent. I couldn't have my usual tea as my water was very limited. The trail was flat but rocky. There were also a lot of webs. I stopped at the first spring and walked down a steep .4 mile trail. There was no water. I climbed back up the steep trail, worse off than before. I ended up having to hike 10 miles to the next shelter for water. It was a very long 10 miles. In total, I did an extra 2.2 miles just trying to find water on the trail today. It took me much longer to get into town today than it did to get into Port Clinton. I blame the caterpillars. I eventually got into town about 1.20pm. I couldn't get a lift, so walked 2.6 miles into the town to the Travel Inn. I had expected it to be like the Travel Inn hotels in England. It was actually just an expensive but extremely cheap and tacky motel. Far too overpriced. The room smelled of cigarettes despite the "no smoking" sign. There was even cigarette ash on the floor! The A/C was also falling off the wall, leaving a large gap for all kinds of biting bugs to fly inside. But the shower was hot and powerful, and the bed was comfortable enough. I would definitely not look under the sheets though.I finally got my desperately needed shower. My face was half covered in dirt, it looked like I had fallen in mud face first. I can see why no one would give me a lift into town. Later, I met up with Archangel and we ate at the Gap Diner. The menu was quite large, and I think I will go back for breakfast tomorrow. Their milkshakes are also good. I've resupplied for the next 4 days, though the weather and rocky New Jersey will determine how far that actually takes me.
Date: 2015-05-29
From: High Point Shelter

To: Vernon
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: light rain

Set off this morning at a decent pace. It was already warm enough for me to start in my shorts, and I put on a layer of DEET insect repellent before I even left my tent. I didn't put it under my socks however, which is where I have been ferociously bitten today. Turns out mosquitoes will bite through clothing. I ought to have learned that from the horsefly. Today there were more unwelcome ups and downs. There was even a mountain about lunchtime. There were plenty of steep climbs, both short and long. The trail also went through fields of long grass, which everyone hates because of all the ticks. There were also a couple miles of board walks, which I usually enjoy because I'm less likely to trip or slip on a rock (which I did several times today). The trail also went along a road for about half a mile. I'm told that the AT in New Jersey used to be mostly on the roads, but from all the board walks, I think they moved the trail into swamp lands. On the long section of board walks that was nearer to Vernon, I ran into a dog. It was a joyful pug puppy, and I was practically giddy that this dog didn't want to maul me. Later, I walked through a field of cows and geese. I was so nervous, but these cows (and they were definitely cows, not bulls like last time) left me alone and kept eating. After that, I was on the road to Vernon. I walked 0.2 miles and went to Mitchs grill for a hotdog and root beer. Mitch managed to get his friend to give me a lift. Mitch also gave an extremely straight laced performance of Eminem's Lose Yourself. This was particularly funny, because Mitch is an old man with a Euro-American accent. Or perhaps he's just from New York, I really can't tell. Whilst at the grill, I also met a man who introduced to me Raiki and transferred healing energy to me through a handshake, so he said. You definitely meet some interesting people out here. Once I got into Vernon, I went to St Thomas Episcopal Church hiker hostel. It's in the basement. There are air mattresses, a computer, wifi, a shower, laundry, mini fridge. Everything I could possibly need, for $10 donation. It's a nice place, and I'd recommend it to other hikers. The resupply and food options are also good. I discovered after my shower that the soles of my feet and my toes have been seriously damaged, I think from the wet socks/shoes. Even now, with dry feet, it feels like my skin is being sloughed off with each step. It is painful. It's not long before I'm planning to take a couple zeros in NYC. I hope my feet can last that long.This evening I learned about the passing of a friend who I lived with at university. He was the same age as me. It is a stark reminder to me that death can come at any time, to anyone. Keir, I know that you were an ardent atheist, but I hope that you have found peace wherever you are.
Date: 2015-06-05
From: Pawling/NYC

To: NYC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

My hostel mates returned at 3am and made a colossal amount of noise. I eventually returned to sleep and virtually ignored my 6am alarm. At 7am, I felt more alive. I took my tea and instant oats to the kitchen and made breakfast. I left the hostel and took the bus back into the city. This bus was unusual, and no one had to pay until they exited the bus. It was a flat $3 rate for everyone. The weather was over cast for most of the day and then started raining for a few hours in the middle. The afternoon was a bit clearer but a lot hotter. I started off by walking to Central Park. I had heard that there is a lot of entertainment there, but the weather was bad and I didn't see much. Mostly joggers, who have their own separate path around the park, next to the bike lane. I walked up to the American Natural History Museum and went inside, but it had a long queue so I left. It started raining then, but I walked back through the park to the Metropolitan Museum. I got an extremely salty large pretzel from a vendor en route. The Met museum is probably one of my top museums already. The collection is huge and varied, from mummies to medieval armour to entire rebuilt rooms from French 18th century apartments. It's really fantastic and I highly recommend a visit. I left before the rain had stopped and trudged along to buy yet another pair of earphones. Mine would probably last longer if I didn't use them 24/7 in all weather. The weather finally dried out, so I took the subway south to see the 9/11 memorial and the new World Trade Center. The memorial has a museum and two massive fountains that cover where the old towers were. Instead of spraying up, the water drops down into an unseen basin. It's a very modern tribute. From there I walked some more, eventually making my way to Brooklyn Bridge where the sun made a brief appearance. Again, I was continually struck by the sheer variety in architecture. I took a subway back towards the Empire State Building, where I discovered it costs $35 for an adult ticket to the observatory. Only $55 to skip all the queues! The day was very hazy so I decided it wouldn't be worth it. I walked around a lot, through Times Square again, before deciding to go to a musical. I managed to get a cheap ticket to Chicago and had some extremely over priced Korean food beforehand. Chicago was really excellent and a lot of fun to watch. I'm considering another musical tomorrow night. I left the theatre at 10.30pm and I was surprised at how alive the city was. Thousands upon thousands of people were leaving all the various shows throughout Broadway and descending on Times Square, which was lit up to full effect. I haven't seen anything similar to it happen in London, there is no single focal point for absolutely everyone to gather around.I caught the bus home shortly after. I am tired after walking all day, though it was certainly less mileage than usual. I hope tomorrow will be sunnier.
Date: 2015-06-06
From: NYC

To: NY 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was even harder to get out of bed today than it was yesterday, but I eventually managed to get into the city and have breakfast at a diner by 9.30am. There was an enormous queue covering several streets which was apparently for an audition. It rained whilst I had pancakes with eggs and bacon. When I was half way through eating, I paused and the waiter asked if I was finished. As if I couldn't eat three pancakes! When the rain stopped I headed to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It was more expensive than the Met and I don't think it was worth the price, even with a considerable student discount. They have a large Picasso collection, but only a couple from other famous artists. Their special exhibitions were on Yoko Ono and Bjork, which wasn't really my kind of thing so it was a bit disappointing.After that, the weather had picked up so I made my way south on the subway. I took a very cheap and short ferry to Governor Island, which is a small island off Brooklyn. It had good views of the skyline and the Statue of Liberty. It was an unexpectedly nice island. You can rent bicycles and tandems, and the whole place is flat with smooth roads. There were also plenty of places to eat, and I saw a lot of families picnicking on the grass. I spent an hour or so there before catching the ferry, then the subway back up to midtown. It's about a 4 mile walk each way, so it's just easier to get the subway. My aim was to finally get the Indian food that I have been craving for ages. Of course everything was over priced, as to be expected, but still good. After I had eaten, the sun had finally come out and the skies were clear. New York is beautiful if you look up. Looking down is disgusting. The streets are pretty filthy, and many of the roads are in a horrible condition even for a pedestrian. I decided to see another musical, this time Hedwig and the Angry Inch, with Darren Criss. I visited the M&Ms giant store in Times Square and saw people spend more than $30 on a single bag of M&Ms. Then, the musical. Although shorter than most musicals and lacking an intermission, it was entertaining. The cast was just two characters and the band, so it felt more like a concert than a musical at times. Tomorrow I am heading back to the trail. I have no idea what time that will be, but I'm planning to do only 8 miles. It feels like I need another zero day just to recover from my zero days! My body does feel a lot better though.