morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-03
From: Delaware Water Gap Hostel

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: few clouds

Goodbye Pennsylvania. Hello New Jersey! This morning we crossed the bridge over the Delaware River into New Jersey. The first thing we encountered was trail magic from a woman whose trail name is Pokey. She gave us fruit, cookies, drinks and even a bag of trail mix to go.We hiked today with Mapman and Robin whom we met at the hostel last night. They are married and around our parents ages. They are very energetic and upbeat. We all ate lunch by Sunfish Pond which is a glacial pond. There were giant frogs (they looked like frogs on steroids) and the largest tadpoles I had ever seen. We even saw a snake in the water.The terrain was very gentle today. The uphill was wide and gradual. We hiked relatively quickly, but the humidity really bothered me. My breathing seemed labored and I felt incredibly hot. The squeakiness of my pack reached an all time climax in the level of annoyingness. Everyone was talking as we hiked but I could only hear about every 5th word over the horrible squeak.   We had planned to go further today than we did, but camping has a lot of restrictions in this state park and we would have had to go 8 miles before the next guaranteed campsite (and even at that it would have been a mile off the trail). So, we are at the Mohican Outdoor Center. We went swimming in a pond here -- a free bath and clothes rinse! It felt great to be immersed in the chilly water -- but wearing the wet clothes afterward was not so great. We're only 150 miles from CT -- unbelievable!This evening I was forced to remember how horribly loud and incessent frog mating calls are. And, for the first time this trip I needed a long sleeved shirt tonight.
Date: 2006-07-04
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Cobden Ridge Motel - Branchville, NJ
Miles today: 17.9

We got an early start from the Mohican Outdoor Center (6:00). We figured that the earlier we left, the earlier we would get to town. I went first all day and was stumbling all over the trail. Souleman said it looked like I was inebriated. In actuality I was extremely dizzy. I would see a rock swimming in front of me and not be sure where to place my foot. It was very uncomfortable. Somehow this wore off as the day went on. We hiked the rest of the day uneventfully into town. There was one deer that we saw and we were so close we could have petted it. We ended up at the Cobden Ridge Motel which was notably sketchy - but it had a dry bed and hot shower so we were satisfied. We were able to watch the Macy's 4th of July show on TV. We turned the lights off and pretended we were there live at the extensive fireworks display.
Date: 2006-07-05
From: Cobden Ridge Motel - Branchville, NJ

To: Cobden Ridge Motel - Branchville, NJ
Miles today: 0.0

This morning announced itself rudely. I moaned awake only to discover that I was completely soaked in sweat and in intense pain. My stomach/intestines were hurting fiercely. I stumbled doubled-over into the bathroom. My teeth started chattering and a look at my glassy eyes in the mirror confirmed that I had a fever. I crawled back into bed and tucked the covers around me as I pressed my tightly coiled body against Souleman to steal his heat. My body was in horrible pain and I had no idea why. I slept fitfully the next few hours until Souleman woke up. I filled him in on my middle of the night adventure. He was really sympathetic and made the rest of the day as easy for me as possible. He went to get us breakfast and arranged a ride into town for chores. He even offered to go do the chores on his own, but I decided to go -- I couldn't lie in bed all day. The town trip was not greatly successful. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching TV and getting updates on the North Korea missle situation. My fever went up and down and I spent the rest of the day in bed. Souleman did our laundry by hand in the sink. I'm lucky to have him to take care of me!
Date: 2006-07-06
From: Cobden Ridge Motel - Branchville, NY

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

Today was the best trail day yet. The temperature was in the seventies , not a rain cloud to be seen. The terrain rolled along gently and there were numerous perfect break points. Even though we didn't start until almost 11:00, we easily did our 16 miles with much daylight to spare. We got to enjoy a pavilion, an observation deck and three shelters throughout the day. I loved being able to take numerous short breaks. We could afford these breaks because we were hiking 20 minute miles for the first 12 miles.I spent most of today lost in thought. My mind wandered seamlessly from one topic to another all day. One minute I'd be wondering where snakes go in the winter, the next remembering some random event from my adolescence, the next thinking about how to go about publishing a book...It seems like trail towns and the chores that go along with them are becoming more complicated the further north we get. We are having trouble finding towns that can accomodate our needs. We will need fuel in a few days and cannot find anywhere to get it. Also, we cannot find any towns to sleep in that have laundry facilities. These tasks seemed easier in the south. I guess that is because more hikers go through there so the towns are more trail-oriented.My unidentified sickness is less disabling today. The fever seems to be totally gone. My stomach still hurts so wearing my hipbelt was uncomfortable. But, I seem to be on the mend!
Date: 2006-07-07
From: High Point Shelter

To: Vernon, NJ - hostel
Miles today: 19.1

Oh the achy knees! Today was a wonderful day. We started about 8:30 and walked 3 miles very quickly. We had a candy bar and went two more miles and stopped for water. The MIOX is giving us a hard time. Souleman patiently worked on it, but could only get it to work long enough to purify three bottles of water. There were a few good uphills today but I flew up them using my new speed hiking technique. Right before the shelter the mosquitos started getting really awful. The hiking became a series of step - SLAP, step - SLAP ... Although this shelter was our targeted destination, we could not justify voluntarily becoming a banquet for mosquitoes. We felt good, so we decided to go on 6.5 miles to town. We are in a church hostel in Vernon, NJ at an Episcopal church. This hostel is perfect. You sleep on the floor, but it is completly worth it because they have a shower, free laundry and inexpensive sodas/drinks. They even have fuel! And there is a Burger King across the street. Before coming to the hostel we bought ice cream at a garden center/produce store. It took us awhile to get a ride into town, but I guess in NY/NJ you have to be careful about picking up hitchhikers.Last night these two ladies were at the shelter with us. They are section hiking and are in their 50s. I guess they are childhood friends. Their packs easily weigh 50 pounds each. But even though their packs contain unconventional items and their mileage is slow, they are out here fulfilling a dream. I hope when I am that age I am still tackling ambitious dreams like hiking the Appalachian Trail.One of these ladies has a daughter who just graduated college. She and her boyfriend bought a school bus and converted it into an RV. What a cool idea! Maybe we can do that someday? It would be fun to build it together and then travel the country. There are so many places I would like to go. The Redwoods, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Zion, Alaska, the Grand Tetons...If we go 17.3 miles tomorrow we will be a full day ahead of schedule. We are going to shoot for it even though that will be three big days in a row. Souleman claims he can tell I am getting stronger. I hope I can hold up! In 100 miles we will be in CT -- wow! Soon we will be in the 700 mile range.
Date: 2006-07-08
From: Vernon, NJ - hostel

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: clear sky

As seems to frequently happen out here, today ended up very differently than we planned yesterday. This morning a local trail angel came to the church to offer a ride to the trail. He also mentioned a nearby store that carries hiking shoes. Since my Vasques had died their AT death, I jumped at the opportunity. Well the store had nothing in my size. So we ended up an hour away at Gander Mountain Outfitter. It was like Cabellas minus the dead animal zoo. The shoe selection was large and I settled on some Merrills after trying on nearly every option available. They feel great and since Merrill caters to long-distance hikers I consider them a good investment. Rather unceremoniously I dumped my trail-beaten Vasques into the empty Merrill box and threw them away. We made our way back to the trail via McDonalds. This had to be the worst run fast food establishment in existence -- and that is saying a lot .Today I hiked with my hair in a ponytail. This was a change from my traditional braided pigtails. This kept the sweaty plaits off my neck and I'm hoping it helped me begin to resemble the sophisticated, mature married woman that I am.The hike today began with a steep ascent and then leveled to a nice ridge-walk. So far, so good with the new Merrills. A regular hiking day tomorrow will be a better test. Now we are at Wawayanda shelter hiding from the mosquitoes in our tent. The mosquitoes feasted on me again today. My arms resemble ... welll, I don't know what, but they are completely covered in huge red, itchy bites.We are the only people here so far. The bear box is a large metal box with a lock. This alone would not be intimidating. But, it was once attached to a a large concerete slab from which it has been ripped. It is also chained to a tree that is now broken. Maybe we will finally see a bear tonight?
Date: 2006-07-09
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Another exhausting day. We went 12 miles but it felt like 1000. We were treated to a bunch of rockscrambles completely unmentioned by Wingfoot, as well as multitudinous mosquitoes. Not too much else happened today. Oh, our trusty MIOX (water filter) completely died. We hope the death was painful because now we are forced to drink water possibly contaminated with giardia against our will. If we get sick we should sue MSR for faulty water purification devices!In other trail news, my cushy new Merrills are comfortable -- except that they are too small. I don't know how it is possible that I wear an 8.5 normally but need larger than a 9.5 on the trail. But my toes are protesting the 9.5s. Why must my feet always cause problems? Can't they just quietly and readily accept any aspect of trail life?Today at the 10 mile mark was a creamery with homemade ice cream. We treated ourselves to large cremes with sprinkles and a long break on a picnic table. Tonight we are being treated to our first campfire of the year courtesy of Mr. We are officially done with NJ now, so that is 2 states this year! New York welcomed us with brownish water (just in time for our MIOX to die).
Date: 2006-07-10
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Green Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

:::Please read the following in your best tour guide voice::::GOODMORNING -- and welcome to Appalachian Adventures Amusement Park!! We are so glad you could join us. Today our first ride will be the "Agony Grind." In order to enjoy this and all of the other rides here at Appalachian Adventures Amusement Park it is important that you are properly outfitted. Please make sure that your shoes are tied tightly, a headcovering of some kind is secured to your head, and you have poles firmly grasped in your hands. You might want to turn now and introduce yourself to your neighbor because you will soon be spending a lot of time together. If you aren't comfortable sharing your real name, feel free to make something up -- call yourself Cookie or Jumping Jack or Hop-Along. Ok, now that we are all acquainted, prepare to begin the Agony Grind. This is not your average park ride. There will be no glorious scenery or amplified sounds. This adventure will take you up rock overhangs, across cliffs and over elephant-sized boulders. It will be sure to go up each and every mountain at least once and will always choose the steepest, most circuitous path. Whenever possible this adventure will stay away from water sources, except those appearing toxically contaminated. As you are going up your fourth or fifth endless ascent you may ask yourself "why am I doing this?" It is then that you must steadfastly remind yourself that this is voluntary - though a necessary part of successfully completing your goal to sample every single ride at Appalachian Adventures Amusements Park. Now, sit back and enjoy the Agony Grind! :::: end of tour guide::::Today's Highlights:* Living through the Agony Grind* Going through the "Lemon Squeezer"* eating a popsicle* losing the trail -- twice!* passing a group going up a steep hill and realizing how strong we are* two trail-magic roadside water locations AND a Nestea* going further than planned again
Date: 2006-07-11
From: William Green Memorial Shelter

To: Fort Montgomery - motel
Miles today: 8.9

As I write this I am sprawled on a cushy bed in a fridgedly air-conditioned room surrounded by bottles of Powerade, with a remote control in hand. Souleman and I have watched a couple Seventh Heaven reruns and are now watching the baseball All-Star Game while pumping our bodies full of liquid. These last few days our bodies have poured sweat from every orifice possible. The extreme humidity day and night has made it impossible to cool off or dry out. In addition to the heat, there has been an untimely lack of water coupled with our useless water purifier. Although it seems we are drinking nonstop, we simply haven't been able to hydrate. So now we are delighted with the air-conditioning and liquid.We are baffled as to why this most recent trail section in NY is not discussed more often. Since Georgia we heard warnings about Three Ridges in VA, the endless miles in ME and numerous areas in-between. But not once until now have we heard a peep about the Agony Grind and the surrounding area. Puzzling ... very puzzling. Our aching knees, swollen feet, sore legs and otherwise decrepid bodies declare that this has been excruciating. We are in dire need of the zero we have planned for tomorrow.In breaking news, we passed the lowest elevation on the entire AT. It was in front of the bear exhibit in the trailside zoo and museum. In addition to three very active bears we saw a beaver, bald eagle, snakes, deer, coyotes, turtles and many other animals. It was strange to see some animals in cages that we had just seen the same day in nature. But, the animals in the zoo are all rescued or rehabilitated animals which makes it better. The zoo also makes its best effort to situate each animal with a companion. The zoo was a nice ending to our day.Bear Mountain was part of our hike today. The trail was somewhat confusing around there because it crossed the road a number of times. I missed a turn and ended up roadwalking to the summit. Boy was that hot! Almost as soon as I summitted it started thunderstorming and I got excited at the prospect of cooling off. Sadly, it was just an evil tease -- we got strong winds, lightning and thunder but very little rain.We were happily surprised to have THREE packages at the post office here. Thank you Grandma, Nanny and Lark!
Date: 2006-07-12
From: Fort Montgomery - motel

To: Fort Montgomery - motel
Miles today: 0.0

Today we toured West Point. It is something I'm glad I did because it is a big part of our country's history. Unfortunately it rained during our tour so we didn't get to see some parts. We went inside a beautiful chapel and saw Custard's grave along with Thayer's and many others. I feel a little more educated about the Army now. We learned why the school is called West Point... because it is located at the West Point of the river. During the Revolutionary war when the British fleets were coming up the Hudson River they had to turn broadside because of the bend in the river. The Army was stationed there at the West Point of the River where they could attack unseen.
Date: 2006-07-13
From: Fort Montgomery - motel

To: camped near Dennytown Road
Miles today: 14.5

You know your day will be good when it starts with a milkshake for breakfast! This is the second day that I enjoyed the luxury of a chocolate milkshake with my bagel for breakfast!We crossed the Hudson River today on a footbridge. It is the 5th longest river on the trail. The rest of the day was great, even with our food-laden packs. The trail rolled gently up and down and the weather was overcast and not too humid. A perfect hiking day. Today while hiking I thought a lot about post-trail career options. What to do? The more I think about it, I think I'd really enjoy being a professional organizer. I just have no idea how one gets started on that career path. I'll have to do some research. There are so many careers that appeal to me.   But I don't necessarily feel prepared for any particular one. I'd like to write - but what? And I'd like to work for the Girl Scouts, but would I get hired? I can see being a Kindergarten teacher - but I'm not qualified. I would love to teach an intrto to philosophy or logic course, but I don't want to go to school anymore. And I could be an event planner or wedding planner, but I don't know how to get started.   Which do I pursue? How do I settle on just one? Maybe the next 700 + miles will shed some light on this dilemma. I'll certainly have time to think about it!
Date: 2006-07-14
From: camp near Dennytown Road

To: camped around mile 1417
Miles today: 13.9

I loved today. I had a great time. For me the day seems so much more do-able with breaks spread throughout the day. I had a great station on my radio and my body felt great. My radio station today gave little random pieces of information. For instance, the original use for a screwdriver was to help knights get into their armor. And changing clothes after work decreases stress levels, as does playing piano for 15 minutes. And apparently lemonade has something in it that replenishes the brain chemical people burn when concentrating or thinking a lot. During a break today I performed emergency surgery on my shorts. I cut the mesh out of them ¢ I simply couldn¢t stand the feeling of wet mesh rubbing my wet irritated skin any longer. I feel much better now.In food news, we bought a box of cereal in the last town and I am greatly enjoying snacking on it throughout the day. It¢s great to grab a handful anytime I¢m hungry. The crunch is superbly satisfying.The other day a man at an ice-cream shop asked us if this trip was strengthening or weakening our marriage. Without pause we both answered strengthening. He responded that every couple should have to do something similar because it is only when confronted with difficult situations that you know the strength of your marriage. He said anyone can have a good marriage when they aren¢t faced with difficult or trying situations. But he said when you know you are married to someone with whom you can face those scenarios you know you have a really good and lasting marriage. That is something good for us to remember. This trip is hard and should be, but it is how we approach these situations together that speaks about our marriage. The trick is letting the adversity unite instead of separate us.
Date: 2006-07-15
From: camp around mile 1417

To: @ 3.5 before Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today a butterfly floated down the trail in front of me. It was black and orange and seemed to travel so effortlessly. It guided my way for a brief time before veering off the path. The butterfly¢s flight was so beautiful. As it flew off through the marshy grass to my left I wondered where it was headed and from where it came. This made me curious if other animals had any thoughts about our journey. If I could communicate to a cat or a squirrel the details of my hike from Georgia to Maine, would he think it pointless or fascinating? This morning we hiked a couple miles and then decided to walk into Stormville for cold Gatorades. Four Gatorades and two massive buffalo chicken sandwiches later we returned to the trail for a quick 4 miles to a shelter. Then three miles to a railroad track where we had lunch (beside the track, not on it). I ate a huge amount at lunch (thanks for the trailmix Lark!). Then we went 4 miles to the next shelter where we made dinner and were grateful to borrow a water filter from some weekend hikers. Finally we pushed 4 more miles and were hoping to camp there, but it was the beginning of a wildlife preserve and there was a huge ¢NO CAMPING next 5.1 miles¢ sign. Very frustrated we continued another 1.6 miles to another trail intersection. It was dark and ridiculously buggy --I swear they were only preserving mosquitoes. We determined that we were too tired to go another 4 miles and debated the ethics of breaking a no camping rule. The mosquitoes did us in and we found a relatively flat spot off the trail. In what I¢m sure appeared a rather oddly silly fashion we set up our tent while constantly slapping bugs. As we were climbing in the tent Dirt showed up. So at least we were camping illegally with company!This morning as I hiked, I thought about what it would be like if I could recommend Souleman¢s car for the MTV show Pimp My Ride. I decided it would be Red Sox themed. It was very cool in my head.I called my parents this morning from Stormville and Dad is picking us up tomorrow night in Kent. This means we have to increase our mileage today and tomorrow, but it also means two zero days instead of one.