morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-01
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 19.0

We left early as planned. I hate getting started later than 6am. If the sun's up, I want to be moving. It wasn't long before I strate wishing I had had more time to break the new shoes in. The were pinching my toes a bit. But then again, it's better than having no soles left.We made pretty good time over the continuing PA rocks. We had done 18.5 miles by lunch and sat at a shelter to take a long break. We had discussed the possibility of going into a toyn today for some dinner. At this point, we were hot and tired and that sometimes causes plans to change. Since we were only a half mile from a highway, we opted to go in for lunch instead of dinner. Amazingly, we got a hitch right away. The guy said he knew right where we were going and to hop in. We thought that strange, since WE didn't know where we were going, but he seemed pretty sure so we did what he said. He dropped us off at the Palmerton municipal building, where the town runs a free hostel in the old jailhouse. We were only wanting a meal, but we asked if we could leave our packs there while we ate. They made us go ahead and check into the hostel. Downstairs, we found Maw and Paw relaxing on some soft mattresses. We each got a goody bag, compliments of the Girl Scouts. At this point, i was pretty sure I didn't want to hike anymore today. I guess part of me was hoping for that. Two-Shoes and I grabbed lunch in a diner across the street, then came back to relax for a while. At then town library, we got in some quick internetting before a thunderstorm cut us short. As a consolation prize, they let us pick out a free paperback book each. I picked up one about the Apollo 8 mission. The rest of the day was spent reading, showering, and relaxing. We got some great pizza for dinner, and made sure there were leftovers for breakfast. We agreed to get up around 4am, since we had to make up some miles from today. What that meant for us was that we were hiking 30 miles over the worst of the PA rocks. The climb out of Leheigh Gap is considered to be the most technical south of New Hampshire. I'm glad I'll be well rested.
Date: 2006-06-02
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Shelter before DWG
Miles today: 30.0

Today I attempted suicide by hiking. I hiked 30 miles through what is widely considered to be the very worst of the PA rocks. I just wanted to get it over with. It was my job to wake everyone up- at 4am. Two-Shoes and I were out at the road by 5am to look for a hitch. After twenty unsuccessful minutes, we decided to walk. We tried to follow Paw's directions by taking the old dirt road. We ended up walking up a private drive and stumbling down a scree pile to the highway and then risking our lives along a very narrow shoulder. All the while, the pizza I had for breakfast was trying to get back out.We joked along the way about how we were going to find Maw and Paw at the top already. Sure enough we found them halfway up the Leheigh climb. It is a rather technical climb. I had to drop my poles and climb straight up for a bit. I know Freckles would have found a way, but I'm still glad he's at home. Maw was taking it slow, so they let me pass. I had already let Two-Shoes get ahead of me when I lost the battle with the pizza farther below. You know, when it was all said and done, I really enjoyed the climb. Walking through the Superfund site at the top was surreal. It was a moonscape, just like I had heard. I did enjoy the flat gravel road at the top. It was a nice 5 miles. We kept expecting to find Treegirl and Mr. Rogers, but we never did. By lunch, we had done 16 miles and were still feeling pretty good. We had to take another long walk to get water. These ridgewalks are nice, but water becomes scarce. I dared to eat some more cold pizza for lunch. It is my most preferred fuel, after all. Eventually, we had to push on to finish the final 14. It was rocky and painful as expected. It started raining with about 7 miles to go, so we got wet. The rocks got slippery as well as painful, and Two-Shoes fell, hurting his ankle. He had to take it slow after that. With about 2 miles to go, he let me pass. I kicked it into high gear with an awkward loping run. At one point, I thought I had missed the shelter. Had that been the case, I would have kept on to the Water Gap. But luckily, I saw the shelter trail. I ran on in, and had to make the occupants rearrange to allow room for us. I didn't even feel like cooking. I just ate dry food and read my book. Two-Shoes limped on in, his ankle already swollen. It's good that we only have a few miles tomorrow. He may need to take a zero day or two. I hung my wet gear, but I doubt any of it will dry. I think I'm going to get Eric to pick me up tomorrow. It will be easier than trying to arrange a rendezvous in NJ. Plus, I can rest my feet again, and I miss the puppy.
Date: 2006-06-03
From: Shelter before DWG

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: light rain

On town days, you can almost always find energy you didn't know you had. We started off slow, both of us limping a bit. But eventually, we loosened up. There was a very nice woods road to follow for a while. Actually, the climb down to the gap was very pleasant. Had I been a day hiker, or not pulled a 30 yesterday, I would have really enjoyed it.We go to the church hostel to get the lay of the land. Two-Shoes was staying there, but I decided for sure to call Eric. We went down to the outfitter to arrange for a ride to Stroudsburg. I tried to catch a bus to Eric's but I had already missed it. Stroudsburg would be a better place to hang out while I was waiting. So I had them drop me off at the mall, which had a movie theatre. I opted for DaVinci Code, hoping that Eric and I could see X-Men later. The movie was good, except for Tom Hanks' mullet.The mall had no working pay phones. I ended up using the mall information phone, but the women behind the counter was constantly rushing me. After several messages, I finally got through to Eric. He was only ten minutes away, having recieved my earlier message and acted upon it. We met up in the food court after a little confusion, and before I knew it (2 hours later), we we home in Buck's County.X-Men was pretty good. I won't ruin it for you, but several main characters die. I got to bed late, considering I have to hike again tomorrow. But I had fun nonetheless.
Date: 2006-06-04
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: light rain

Eric was kind enough to get me back to the trail fairly early. We made it to the Water Gap by 10am, which I figured would be fine since I had been told by Two Shoes that we were only hiking 19 miles today. Imagine my surprise and consternation when I checked my data page only to find that in fact we were hiking closer to 25. I hastily bid adieu to Eric, not knowing when I would see him again, and hit the road. As he was pulling away, another hiker was arriving. It was Greg, friend to Maw and Paw. He seemed nice enough, but I couldn't afford to talk. No one else was in the hostel, and church services were starting, so I skeedaddled.I have nothing but good things to say about my first day in NJ. It has some rocks, but nothing compared to PA. Just knowing PA was behind me made it so much better. These first miles were nice, filled with water features and lazy woods roads. I passed a number of day hikers at first, but they dwindled as I got further in. At my midmorning snack break, who should I see slackpacking southbound, but Treegirl, Mr. Rogers, and Compass. Of course, I found this highly interesting, given that the last time I saw Compass, he gave me a ten minute diatribe about how he would never slackpack. Evidently, he had slackpacked nearly every day since then. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.They told me Two-Shoes was just ahead, and that I'd probably catch him. Since I had a bone to pick with him, I finished up my snack and pressed on. I caught him at the 19 mile mar. You know, the 19 mile mark where we were supposed to be stopping. He apologized, although he was only passing on info Restless had given him. We stuck together for most of the rest of the day, at least until the rain began. Then I ran ahead, leaving him to limp on his weak ankle. At the shelter were Restless, Mango, and some section hikers. It was a crappy, leaky, little 4 man shelter, but we managed to squezze in. I love the smell of wet dog in the afternoon. Fortunately, my fellow hikers can tolerate it as well.
Date: 2006-06-05
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: light rain

Man, NJ is REALLY excited about their high point. The built a giant Washinton Monument sized obelisk in the middle of nowhere. I didn't hike up to it, but I did climb the observation tower to get a closer look.The hike today was not nearly as enjoyable as yesterday. I did enjoy a bagel sandwhich at the first road crossing. Fortunately, Restless was there with the money he owed me, or else I wouldn't have been able to get one. After that, it was rocky climbs and wet forests. There were a lot of places to sit and look at views today. I climbed one fire tower, and read for 30 minutes at a picnic table in the middle of nowhere. At the top of Sunrise Mountain was a huge pavilion for raptor watching, which I also took advantage of.I arrived at the shelter around 4pm. Of course, Restless was already there. I cooked an early dinner and made plans to get to NYC to meet Sarah. I think I can leave Freckles at the vet in Vernon and catch a bus in. That will give me a day to relax before she drags me sightseeing around the city. It will also give me more time to visit with my friends Meg and George before she flies in. I am very excited about seeing her. I suspect saying goodbye will be tough,
Date: 2006-06-06
From: High Point Shelter

To: NYC via Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 19.0

This was perhaps the most surreal day on the trail so far. It began with me seeing the first bear of my trip. I was glad to see Freckles handled it well. It walked right through the site, despite the fact that Restless had assured us that we need not lock up our food, since he had it on good authority that there were no bears in the area. It crossed a bridge and went on its way.The hike was relaxing. There was a lot of road walking, which is nice and flat, but also quite a bit through wetlands. There was a long walk around a bird filled NWR and miles of boardwalk and bog bridges. It was a great way to end the early day. At the final road, we got Cokes and ice cream at a nearby farm store. The hitch in took a while. All of the cars passing by were shiny and new. No old beat up trucks. As we grew delerious in the heat, I jokingly held up Freckles' paw to help hitch. Just then, an off duty firefighter passed by and picked us up. She said anyone with a Dalmation couldn't be bad. She drove us all over town, first to the vet, then to the local kennel, then to the hostel. I hung out at the hostel for a bit, ate a meal, then got a ride to the bus station. After a two hour ride, I landed at Port Authority in NYC. Then a short subway ride to the East Village to look for Meg. She had a Bible study that night, so I had to wait in the park across the street. I spent an hour talking to homeless people.In short, the day went like this. Bear, hiking, bus, subway, homeless people.
Date: 2006-06-07
From: NYC via Vernon, NJ

To: NYC
Miles today: 0.0

Today I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Meg and George are successful, young professionals who have to dress up and go to work. I am so happy for their success, and grateful that I am not them. They were kind enough to allow me to lounge about their lovely apartment and eat up all their food. George even went out specifically to get me some Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Not the tasteless reduced sugar kind, but the good stuff. I watched movie after movie, and only left the couch to make trips to the kitchen or put in a new DVD. It was fantastic.
Date: 2006-06-08
From: NYC

To: NYC
Miles today: 0.0

Today, I spent the day with my baby. Sarah's flight arrived around 10am, and I was there to meet her at the gate. It was a wonderfully warm and fuzzy reunion. I know the goodbye will be tough, but for the next two days, we'll be together.We caught a shuttle over to the Ramada Plaza to drop off her bag. I must emphasize how proud I am of her. She brought only one carry on bag. I must be rubbing off on her. We then caught the subway into the city. We walked through Central Park and Times Square. She took me to see her old neighborhood and hangouts. I could tell it was emotional for her to see those spots, but I was glad to share it with her. SInce the last thing I wanted to do was walk all day, we headed back to the hotel early. The rest of the day was filled with canoodling and room service. Today, in short, was wonderful. And I still have one more day with her.
Date: 2006-06-09
From: NYC

To: NYC
Miles today: 0.0

We had quite an unfriendly breakfast today at the hotel restaurant. We sat ourselves, since no one was paying attention. It took 15 minutes to get a menu. When we ordered, they were out of the strawberries and cream I wanted and didn't offer Sarah the bacon that came with her eggs. When she asked for some, the brought it to her, but charged extra for it. When she asked why, the waitress said it was her fault for not asking when she ordered. That didn't sit well with Sarah, and she made a big point of drawing a big, bold zero in the tip line of the bill.After that, the day went better. We did more sightseeing and took in a movie- The Break-Up. I enjoyed it, but it's one of those movies that make men and women point to each other and say, "See, that's what you do." We ended the day back at the hotel, since I was tired and we both had to get up early. Our time in New York had come to a close. It was short, but meaningful. We won't see each other until I'm in Maine. I'd better hike fast.
Date: 2006-06-10
From: NYC

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Sarah and I said an early goodbye this morning. She had to catch a 4am shuttle to LaGuardia. We managed to hold back the tears, though. We'll be together again soon enough.I caught the subway over to Meg and George's. Meg was still asleep, but George let me in. He had decided to hike with me for the day, but didn't think it was wise to stay the night. He was worried about catching the bus back into the city on Sunday, since they had tickets for some event in the afternoon. We hailed a cab over to the bus station and bought our tickets. As we waited for our bus, we passed the time in idle political banter. He and I agree and disagree on the issues, but I find it easy to talk to George about anything. He's a great guy, and I'm glad he married my friend Meg.When the bus came, we tried to board, only to be told we needed to catch a later bus. We were confused, since the timetable clearly said 7:30. As it turns out, it clearly said 7:30pm, and George and I were stupid. We waited for the later bus and 2 hours later, arrived in Warwick, NY. We debated calling a cab to get to Vernon, but decided it was awfully expensive and time consuming. We thought we'd give hitching a try, and though we were in an unlikely place, we caught a ride with the second car to pass. The gentlemen started out by offering a quick ride 3-4 miles down the road, and after some conversation, ended up taking us to get Freckles and then back to the trail. People are so nice sometimes.George was worried about keeping up, but since he only had a daypack and the first climb was steep, he didn't have a problem with that. We enjoyed the day, I think, but were kind of pressed for time. He was trying to make a 5:30pm bus back to town, rather than waiting for the 8:30pm bus. Try as we might, we just couldn't do it. The terrain was way too rocky to average more than 2-2.5 mph. At around 5pm, we gave up on it. We did run into another through hiker who was trying to get to NYC. We told him about the bus and he told us about a side trail that cut off a couple of miles to the highway. At the turn-off, I said goodbye to George and headed on. The rest of the hike flattened out and I could move much faster. I had pretty much resigned myself to being alone tonight, but in the last mile, I ran into several hikers. At the shelter, I ran into Greg again. I was glad that I would have someone to walk with the next day. Since I was still on city time, I stayed up kind of later than normal. But I'll be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow.
Date: 2006-06-11
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I headed out alone this morning. Greg was stirring, but not quite ready to go. The hike was smooth, but soggy. It's funny. NY is supposed to be the state with no water, but the recent rains have ensured that there is water everywhere. In fact, I had to carry Freckles over one gushing stream. I wish he would get over this fear of being wet. Especially, since Maine has so many crossings. Alas.The terrain was rocky, but not unpleasant. It's like PA and the White Mountains got together and had an illegitimate child called NY. I enjoyed to grassy hilltops and the open rocky summits. Since it was a short day, I hung out for 3 hours at the Tiorati Circle recreation area. They had sodas, showers, and picnic areas- all that I needed. I tried yogiing some food, with no luck. Greg arrived just as I was ready to go. He got a quick soda and we headed back up to the trail. He is a flip-flopper who just started in MD, so he doesn't quite have his trail legs yet. He got tired of my pace and let me go on ahead, which was fine. I got to the stone shelter around 6:30pm, having eaten dinner already. It was a nice shelter and location, except for the pile of trash at the entrance. Hopefully, no bears will come in the night. Tomorrow, I cross the Hudson river, which seems like a geographic milestone.
Date: 2006-06-12
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Graymoor Monastary
Miles today: 15.0

I decided to do a really short day today. Freckles has really been wearing down his nails on these rocks and I think he could use a break. Plus, I feel like I have to stay with the monks at Graymoor. It's just a must-see.I headed out early, hoping to get breakfast at the Bear Mountain Inn. It has recently been under renovations, but I'm hoping it's open. I had some tough climbs early on, but got some great views of the Manhattan skyline. It's weird how I was just there. The Bear Mountain climb was startlingly easy. It was mostly road walking. At the summit, I met Giggles, a hiker completing a section hike she started 6 years ago. The tower was closed, but the soda machines were working, so I chugged one down as she headed down the trail. We met up again just before the Inn. It was unfortunately closed. I did however run into Maw and Paw there. They were going to Graymoor as well.I talked Giggles into my walking our dogs around the trailside zoo, so that she could go in. Then she would hold the dogs, while I went through. It was a great plan that went horribly wrong. I walked the wrong way on the road around the zoo, ending up back at the entrance. She was nowhere to be found, and the zoo wasn't even open yet. After a bit, I decided to walk around the right way. As I moved up the road, 3-4 people told me that some girl was looking for me. At the exit, Giggles asked me if I wanted to go through. I said that after all that, I really didn't care anymore. Neither did she, so she moved on. I had to go resupply in Fort Montgomery. The grocery store was too far, so I had to buy a bunch of junk at a convenience store. I did get a lift back to the trail from an avid hiker, though.I made some phone calls at the bridge, before crossing the Hudson. I am hoping to visit my cousin, Mandy, in few days. I will be passing very close to her, so I hope that works out. That's what I was calling about, but it isn't looking good right now. Once I climbed up the next ridge, it was flat ridgewalking all the way down to Graymoor. It was wonderful. Maw and Paw were at the ballfield shelter. It was a nice set-up, and we could order pizza straight to the shelter. We had to wait for Greg to get there with his cell phone, though. They started warning me about a suspicios "hiker" named Frank who was going back and forth on the trail with only a pillow case for a pack. They think maybe he's homeless, but that there's something not right about him. He actually showed up, but with a full pack and gear, but wouldn't say where he had gotten them. The rest of us decided to move all our stuff out, and tarp on the ballfield. You just have to follow your gut sometimes. Tomorrow, I'll move on to the RPH cabin. It's supposed to be nice, with another pizza possibility.
Date: 2006-06-13
From: Graymoor Monastary

To: RPH cabin
Miles today: 19.0

I hung out with Maw and Paw for the first part of the day. That stretch was one of the more ludicrous parts of trail I've seen. It twisted and turned, went up and down. I wonder how far we actually went, as the crow flies. We took a break at a road crossing with a well faucet. There, I got a bit of good news. Some section hikers, who were hiking NY this week, and had hiked NY last week, confirmed a sighting of Casino and Co. They said the guys couldn't be more than a day behind me. I have decided to wait at the RPH shelter for them.I decided to push on ahead of Maw and Paw, at my pace. I got to the shelter around 1:30pm, and waited for 4 hours to see anyone else. Surprisingly, it was Greg and Dent, not M & P. Evidently, they had decided to tent a few miles back. I borrowed Greg's phone again to order a sandwhich and Coke. As I was eating, I started thinking about my cousin again. I gave it one more shot, and actually got a hold of her. I even yogied a ride to Poughkeepsie from a kindly day hiker named Kathy. I think she and her hiking crew are going to come back to RPH and do some magic in a few weeks.There ended up being some miscommunication. As I was riding to Poughkeepsie, my aunt was coming to get me at RPH. We finally sinched up. I got to spend the night with my cousin, Mandy, at her new apartment. I'm going to take a zero tomorrow to visit her and wait for the guys to arrive. Hopefully, it will time out perfectly.
Date: 2006-06-15
From: Hyde Park, NY

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: clear sky

Well I arrived back at the trail this morning hoping to find the guys, and sadly, I only found Frank. He is an extrememly sketchy hiker, who is suspected of stealing most of his gear and is always railing on about the Accursed Race. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to hanging out with him. Unfortunately, that's what I had to do. He tried to hit me up for some food, to which I curtly responded in the negative. After a while, two other hikers arrived, saving me the anguish of Frank's company, or at least spreading it out. They had already had a run-in with him and tried to convince him to leave with a bogus story about hordes of Girl Scouts on their way. He wouldn't budge.I waited there until lunch, when Trooper and T.I.N.S. arrived. They hadn't seen any of my gang, so I resolved to leave with them and hed to the next shelter 9 miles away. We lounged their for a bit and then headed out. I felt a little guilty leaving the others their with Frank, but I couldn't sit there any longer. It was a nice easy hike to the shelter. We stopped at a deli along the way for drinks and sandwiches. At camp, we talked about movies we'd recently seen and amused ourselves with Napoleon Dynamite quotes. This of course, led up to our mention of Nacho Libre, arriving in theatres today. Just as I had settled down for the night, I heard a wondrous sound. A hearty "Flava Flave" rang out in the night. Next thing I knew, I was hugging Treefingers. He reached the RPH shelter and hour after me and pushed on to meet me. Casino, Jebus, and Thumper stayed back at RPH, but will probably catch up tomorrow. Oh happy day! I feel like I'm back in the groove again.