morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-09-18
To: St. Mary's Church
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

Day 62Monday 9/18/17Mile 612 (14 miles)St Mary's Church Cheshire MATentToday I crossed the 600 mile threshold!!! I feel really good! Let me rephrase that: there is always something that is sore, aches or hurting, but my body and mind are able to handle the trail that lies in front of me each day with passion. I like it.Today's hike was freaking tough. There is some sort of heatwave in the northeast and it is very humid. I swore more today than I have any other day on the trail I can remember. Maybe it also had something to do with the over 3000ft of elevation we climbed in one big chunk. Greylock Mountain is the highest elevation in Massachusetts and today she was ours to climb. One thing that made it easier is that we had trail magic waiting for us at the summit. A lady that Philip and met way back in Monson ME reached out to us on Facebook and asked if we would like her to meet us with drinks and food at the top of Greylock. DUH!!! YEAH!!! She had to come off the trail due to chronic knee and foot problems and still wanted to be a part of the AT. She really took care of us and whenever anyone out goes out of their way to help you, it's very special. It's hard to express the gratitude I feel when people reach out to help me. Since I live a couple hours from the AT, I plan on reaching out and paying back what has been so graciously given to me.I'm sitting at a picnic table in the shade at a church waiting for Philip arrive. There is a slight breeze and the air in the shade is very pleasant. I'm sitting here so thankful (actually thanking God) for all that I'm experiencing and all the favor that has been shown to me. I hate to break it to you but I think he likes me a bit more than all of you. Just sayin'.Today's music that moved me or made me move:"Sweet child of mine" - G&R"Long Time" - Boston "Teenage Dream" - Katie Perry ( I used this for Mia in our family video)
Date: 2017-09-19
To: Shamrock Motel
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 63Tuesday 9/19/17Mile 621 (9 miles)Shamrock Motel (Dalton)BedThis is the 2 month anniversary of my start date on the Appalachian Trail. Man I have come a long way literally and figuratively. I have gone from hating hiking and wanting to quit everyday to actually loving the lifestyle and challenging myself everyday. I even test myself at the end of most days and see how fast I can do 4, 8, or even 10 miles. I have gone from not being able to utter my wife or girls' names without breaking up, to being able to cover up how much I miss them.This is our 3rd day is Mass. and so far we have stayed behind someone's back yard on the trail, in a church parking lot a 1/10 off trail and in a motel. We have walked thru 3 towns and I absolutely love it. Fall is on the air, people are decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving, and this really reminds me of home and family. I will say again this is my favorite time of year and if I can't be home, I'm able to get a taste of it walking thru these towns.Tomorrow we are slack packing 19 miles. Allow me to explain slack packing. Many times the trail will run between two roads. Say there is 19 miles of trail in between the two roads. We will drop most of our gear off with a shuttle driver and we will hike the 19 miles with just what we need for the day (food, water and rain gear). This will make our packs less than 10lbs instead of 25-30lbs. The driver will bring our gear to the second road where we will meet him and we will pick it up and continue on. I know, I had to do it one time to get it myself.Songs that made me move today:"Love ain't no stranger" Whitesnake"Sad but true" Metallica"You know why we such a good partnership? Cause we be lookin' out for each other. Like brothers and stuff" - Bubba (Forest Gump). Saw it for the 4th time since I've been on trail.
Date: 2017-09-20
To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 64Wednesday 9/20/17Mile 642 (20.5miles)Upper Goose Pond CabinBunkWell, today we did over 20 miles. It was probably the flattest terrain we have hiked yet. Not much to talk about as far as the hike goes. We slack packed but it was still tough. No real great views or awesome scenery. No milestones or new states. We just hiked. I listened to a lot of podcasts today. I have downloaded some deep thought provoking stuff and some straight up mindless entertainment ones. Today was more educational and philosophical. It made me think more about what the future holds for me and my family. We are definitely in a season of change and I want to embrace that change. And I definitely have the time to figure and plan. Lookout world! Who knows what the next Switalski chapter will look like.We are staying in a cabin tonight. This is a one of a kind on the trail. It's like a real house (without running water or power) but with a caretaker couple. They have a different couple stay every week thru hiker season (May - Oct). They will make us breakfast, had water gathered, and we have a nice bunk to sleep in. Massachusetts has given us the best in accommodations thus far. We have stayed in a backyard, church parking lot, motel and a cabin. I'm getting soft.
Date: 2017-09-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: few clouds

Day 65Thursday 9/21/19Mile 657 (15.6 miles)Today was for whatever reason a better day for me hiking wise. Our scenery changed a lot today. We would go from thick forest to less dense pine woods to pastures to meadows and even a few farm houses sprinkled in. I enjoyed the day today and made good time as well.The weather had been unseasonably warm and humid ( low 80s and 90% humidity). Which drives me crazy. The sweating, stinking and bug population are all on the rise. It looks like several more days like this before a cool down happens . I can't wait.Songs that moved me or made me move:"Phoenix" Fallout Boy"Don't stop believing" Journey "Quicksand Jesus" Skid Row"The Boxer" Simon & Garfunkel"All these came back to back!I met another southbounder a few days ago at the church we stayed at. Then I saw him again at the sub shop in town on our Nero. And he was at the cabin we stayed at last night. So I guess he deserves to make the journal. His name is Coffee Break and this is his 3rd attempt at hiking the trail. He is 40 years old and likes to do big miles. He also like to hang out in towns for 2 or 3 days. This kind of evens things out and puts him at our pace. I like him because he and I have the same sense of sarcastic humor. We got along well and I was able to cut and pick on him like some of my boys back home. It felt cool to able to do that.I had to collect water from a questionable source today. It was stream outlet for a beaver pond. It was the only choice before heading into camp. The water at camp was a pool with a frog and caterpillar floating in it. Philip bypassed the pond and used the frog water. I filtered it and boiled it and even put a couple drops of stove alcohol in it. Better to be safe than have the trots or the earls. Am I right?!Heading into town again tomorrow and going to take a rest day as well. You can feel your body start to breakdown, things begin hurt and you aren't able to go as far or as fast as your did a couple days ago. Philip and I are not spring chickens, so we have to be smart if we want to continue to move down the trail. I will also get to partake in watching college football on Saturday again! It's a win/win.
Date: 2017-09-23
To: Monument Mt. Motel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Stage 9Day 67Saturday 9/23/17Mile 669 (Zero)Monument Mt MotelTaking a rest day today. Today I talked to my mom, dad, wife, and daughters. I ate a lot of food and watched even more football. When we rest, we really don't want to do much and we succeed in not doing much.We are in Barrington Massachusetts which is at the base of the Berkshire Mountains. It's a tourist town and we have seen a lot of people from the hotels going to weddings. In tourist towns food and accommodations are more expensive and the towns usually are not as hiker friendly as a "hiker" town. They did have a good brewery like every other town I've had the privilege to stay in. Having good beer makes the hike so much better. But good beer makes everything better.The weather has been hot and humid for the past week and it will continue for the next few days. We already get up before the sun to take advantage of cooler mornings and are going to attempt any 20 mile days until the weather breaks in our favor. Remember this is a long ass marathon not a sprint.Yesterday I drank water from 3 questionable sources and have lived to tell you about it. First was a stream that was an outlet for a beaver pond. Second was a somewhat boggy stream. And third was from a river that had a sign posted (that I did not see at first) reading that the river was contaminated. Great right? I'm a good hiker, really I am! Needless to say, water was not in great supply yesterday and you don't know that in advance. You just have to deal with it as it comes. Kind of like having to deal with a traffic jam you weren't expecting, only different. That's all I have to say about that.
Date: 2017-09-24
To: Sages Ravine Campsite
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 68Sunday 9/24/17Mile 683.4 (14 miles)Sages Ravine CampsiteTentHot! Hot! Hot! Did I mention it's Hot?? And Humid!! With the heat, humidity, bugs, feeling not mentally with it, back pain, and just in a bitchy mood all day, I can safely say this will not go down as one of my favorite days of hiking. I used to tell my Crossfit members that not everyday is game day. The same is true out here. There will be good days and bad days and I just like to complain about the bad ones. I want to keep things real out here and if things aren't going well, I will tell you. In other news we are now in Connecticut! This is our 5th state and it's only about 40 miles long. So we will be in New York in a few days. We climb the highest peak in Connecticut bright and early tomorrow. We will be able to have dinner in a town that is 1/4 mile off the trail.
Date: 2017-09-25
To: Falls Village
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 69Monday 9/25/17Mile 697 (14 miles)Falls VillageTent (Toymaker Cafe)I have never sweat so much in my life as I did today. My shorts and underwear were soaked and dripping. My shirt was like I just jumped in the pool. Every time I drove my trekking poles in the ground sweat dripped off my forearms. My buff was soaked and leaking on to my glasses. But I made 14 miles in about 6.5 hours. I drank 5 liters of water before 3pm. Today was better than yesterday because mentally I decided to attack it instead of bitch about it.We are staying in a very small town behind a restaurant that only opens for lunch Thursday thru Sunday. They are hiker friendly though and let us tent and use their hose tonite. In this town there is the place we are staying, an Inn that starts renting their rooms at $260 a night, an auto repair shop and a packing store (alcohol). The Inn has a restaurant that opens at 5pm and I have taken full advantage of the packing store. We will eat and retire to our backyard tents in hopes that tomorrow will be less sweaty than today. My air mattress has a hole in it. I have tried to repair it twice and not sure I got it. I will know if I wake up on a deflated piece of fabric on the hard ground. I also will be running very low on food for our 14 mile hike tomorrow. Philip is low too, and there is no where to buy food until we get to town. We are just going to have to suck it up. Combine these with the heat and normal aches and pains and it's safe to say it pretty much sucks being a thru hiker right now.
Date: 2017-09-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

Day 70Tuesday 9/26/17Mile 711 (14 miles)The pain and aggravation of Maine may be too far behind to judge accurately, but I have to say toady was my worst day on the trail. Starting last night when I was visited twice by a skunk. Just after it got dark I saw him saunter (wobble/ strut) toward my tent. Without thinking I shouted " GET OUTTA HERE!!". I'm lucky he didn't spray me. He stared at me for a second and then turned around and left the same way. About 15 minutes later he returned. This time I shined my headlamp at him and he left. Needless to say I slept with one eye open.When I got up I immediately noticed that my tent, sleeping bag, and everything that was not in a ziplock bag was soaked. It was so humid that dew and breath had been soaking the inside of my tent. I felt like it rained in there. We had to pack up all of our gear heavy from being wet.Both Philip and I were low on food. I had two Twinkies, a serving of Doritos, and 2 servings of beef jerky. We had 14 miles to hike and water has also been scarce do to lack of rain for the past two weeks.It quickly heated up and the humidity was thru the roof. The bugs started buzzing around my head. They were relentless and multiplying. At one point there had to be 100 around my head. What do they want??!! This brought me to screaming, yelling, and cussing at them. They would stay with me for miles and if I stopped they would decrease but as soon as I started moving they were right with me.All that being said, I made it to town and Phillip, having experienced a similar day, suggested we take tomorrow off. The weather is supposed to be the same but with the added feature of afternoon showers. This will make me stronger and more enduring, but damn it sure does suck when you go through it.Oh yeah, I hit the 700 mile mark somewhere today. Whoopie!!
Date: 2017-09-28
To: 10 Mile River Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 72Thursday 9/28/17Mile 731 (20 miles)10 mile River Shelter Shelter What a difference a day makes! After taking another Zero because neither Phillip nor I wanted to survive another day in the heat (which was record setting btw) we set out early to get back on the trail.We had a breeze and the air was not thick anymore. We had breakfast at the general store, got a hitch to the trailhead, and we were off. It felt soooo much better to hike today. We stayed together and were chatting and missed a turn. Amazing huh?!Well we hiked about a mile before we realized it and both Phillip and I hate to backtrack. So, we checked our maps and and kept walking and intersected the trail after about 4 miles. This is probably not exactly legal, but I'm not a legalistic type of guy. We have hiked more than our share of trail miles that will never count and I am good with our alternative route. Just keeping it real.My afternoon was awesome! It was a pleasure to hike the trail today. As I was hiking out to a section of road, there was an older guy in front of me out for a while and I caught up to him. As we were talking, he offered to take me to a store where I got a sandwich, popcorn, and a beer (Pumpking). He even took me back to the trailhead. Thanks Richard.When I got to the shelter and was setting up my sleeping area, I heard a noise in the field next to me. I looked and saw a little whitetail deer walking around. We stared at each other and I got a quick video. Perfect ending to a great day. It's very rare that all the elements of hiking (body, mind, weather, trail) converge to make for a perfect hike. This afternoon they did.Oh yeah, I am officially one third of the through the trail at 730 miles. I could have not made it this far alone. Lots of people have helped, supported and prayed for me thus far. Thank You!
Date: 2017-09-29
To: Stealth Site
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: few clouds

Day 73Friday 9/29/17Mile 749 (18miles)Stealth SiteTentToday we left Connecticut and entered New York!! This is state number 6 out of 14. But more significantly, we have left the New England region!! No more Tom Brady pictures in restaurants, no more Patriots gear in Walmart and convenience stores, no seeing other people walk around sporting there Patriots gear.We are now in the home of the Jets, Giants, and my beloved Bills! Home of NYC & Niagara Falls. Home of the Buffalo Wings and Real Pizza. Home of the deli. Speaking of delis, we are now on the Deli Tour 2017. Throughout NY and NJ there are many delis scattered close to or even on the trail. Just this week we will encounter 4 of them. This is a positive in many ways. First of all, the obvious getting to eat real food while you are hiking. More calories and better taste. Secondly, we can go further with less food which means less weight in our packs. And we will not have to worry about resupply of our food as often. Plus it make your hike more interesting. I   NY!I saw three deer today. The one from last night came back this morning and brought a friend and I saw a much bigger one crossing one of the roads that I was crossing. It's pretty cool to see them and how we trust each other enough just to hang out and do our thing in close proximity to one another. On another note, hunting season starts in 2 days and so I'm sure all that trust will be gone.
Date: 2017-09-30
To: Canapus State Park
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 74Saturday 9/30/17Mile 765 (16 miles)Canopus St ParkUnder the eveHave I told you how much hiking in the rain BLOWS?? Well in case I haven't, it does. It rained last night, but it stopped and we did not have to breakdown camp in the rain. About 30 minutes into the hike it started raining again. Our first stop was our 3rd Deli in as many days. It was 7 miles into the day and it rained pretty much the whole time. There is also a pizza place next store that doesn't open until 12:00 and I got here at 10:30. Because of the rain and I was counting on this place for 2 meals I decided to wait it out and Philip moved on. A guy from the pizza place drove me back to the trailhead. He was very cool but a classic New Yorker. Joey "Bagodonuts". He left me with 4 "Forget about its" during our 3 minute ride. We made it to this park/beach that is closed for the season. We are camping under an eve at the park headquarters and yes it is still raining even though there is no rain on the radar. If the wind changes on us we are screwed. The alternative would have been to put our wet tents on the wet ground while it's raining. That would not have given us any better protection from the stupid rain.We have now moved picnic tables on their side in front of our sleeping area to block wind and rain in case it changes direction. Those damn things were heavy. Better safe than sorry.
Date: 2017-10-01
To: Hemlock Springs Campsite
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 75Sunday 10/1/17Mile 784 (19 miles)Hemlock Springs Campsite TentWe made it thru last night and stayed dry. I slept awful though. There were bright lights that lit up all the doors to the restrooms that made it feel like noon. My nose stopped up for most of the night which left my mouth dry. And it was cold, and you keep all parts and pieces under your sleeping bag.All that coupled with my low back being tight and sore, missing another Sunday had me wishing I was home with my family watching football and drinking beer.On a positive note, we hit our 4th and final Deli this week. This one is actually on the trail and had football playing inside. Needless to say I grabbed a beer and hung out for an hour. God does love me and takes care of me when I need it. My deer count is up to 5 with another siting this morning in the woods. I love seeing and hearing nature all around me. Another cool thing are the geese that fly over going south for the winter.Songs that moved me or made me move today:"Kick start my heart" The Crue"Deliver Me" David Crowder"Rise Today" Alterbridge
Date: 2017-10-02
To: Tiorati State Park
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 76Monday 10/2/17Mile 800.4 (16.6miles)Tiorati State ParkTentToday was one the most unique days I have had on the trail yet. I ran the full range of emotions from gratitude to rage, from pain to comfort and from impressed to depressed.Our morning started out like most with a climb and descent. My back is tight and painful going up hills but the beginning of the day is better and it felt better than it did yesterday. As I came down the mountain and hit the road it was really busy. People on their way to work. We realized pretty quick that we were crossing the Hudson River. It's a huge river with a huge bridge and the view was incredible. Pictures never do it justice. Once we crossed the bridge the trail led us into a zoo. Yes a zoo. This happens to also be the lowest elevation on the AT at 167ft. There were hawks, eagles, fox, wolves, a bear and a but load of buzzards. All the animals were injured and in rehabilitation. The zoo actually was closed so when got to the end we had to go back and walk around due to locked gate. It burns me up to have to do useless miles out here but I'm glad I got see the zoo.Next we had to climb Bear Mountain. This is the first big climb we have had in a few days. This area is like a big park with an inn, a lake and of course the zoo. We stopped at the bottom and hit the vending machines to fuel up and we started our climb. They had built a display of all the different trail surfaces on the AT. Philip and I actually made fun of the display at first. As we continued to walk we noticed we were ascending on stone steps. Nice stone steps. These steps took us 3/4 of the way up the mountain. It was beautiful and impressive. I have never seen that amount of effort put into climbing a mountain. When we got to the summit there was a stone tower that we also climbed and you could see New York City on the horizon. We hit the vending machines at the top of the mountain and left for the trail. The same stone work going up was in the back side of the mountain all the way down. Spectacular! About an hour later on the trail I got off trail for over a half a mile. Which means I had to backtrack to the spot I missed. Remember what I said above about useless miles. Well this one was self induced and that makes it even worse. Heading into town tomorrow. It's been seven days since we stopped and I'm ready. We have about 18 miles to go and water is going to be hard to find. Lots of dried up streams and we think our first source is not until 14 miles.Almost forgot, I crossed the 800 mile mark today. About 1300 and something to go.
Date: 2017-10-03
To: Warwick Motel
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 77Tuesday 10/3/17Mile 818 (17 miles)Warwick MotelBedThe front page story today is the "fun box" Joy sent to me. It had a pack of Oreos, a bottle of JD and about 30-40 notes and cards from people back home. Yes, it broke me up but it also rejuvenated me. I felt really special to have all those people reach out. So, thank you to all those who took the time to write (even you, JME)! I love you all.Last night we stayed in a state park and got a visit from a police officer around 9:30. He was looking for 2 teenagers that had run away and maybe suicidal. Sad story, yes, but at least he wasn't there for us. The funny thing is, with my earplugs in, I slept through the whole thing. Philip had to tell me about it in the morning.As far as the hike and the trail go: Today was a tough 17.5 miles. We had some really steep climbs and descents, but we made it to our town and our motel. We will be taking tomorrow off and resting up. My feet took a beating the past 6 days. Athletes foot and some blistering on my left foot. I thought my feet were already toughened up.
Date: 2017-10-04
To: Warwick Motel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Stage 11Day 78Wednesday 10/4/17Mile 818 (zero)Warwick MotelWe stayed in Warwick for a rest day and to try to get my feet back together. I have a bad case of athletes foot and they look rough. I will spare everyone a picture but trust me they look rough.Warwick is a nice town and the people, as always, have been great and willing to help. The guy who gave me a ride into town took me to the post office, beer store, and the motel. However, our Motel staff has been non existent. No service, no cleaning. We even got our own towels and I pilfered a bowl, cups, and ice out of the lobby kitchen. No one was there either.The weather continues to be warmer than normal with rain coming. My two favorite things. I'm not asking or wanting anything crazy, I just want normal fall weather for the northeast.