morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-16
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Hertline Campsite
Miles today: 23.1

Another night, another thunderstorm. It wasn't too bad but it kept me up later than I wanted to be. I still got out at 7:15 but had to stop around 9:00 to dry my tent out. A wide open field with a breeze and sunshine can't be passed up when you're carrying a wet tent.We eventually crossed back under I-81 for the fourth time and headed back to the ridge. I met Lightning once I got to the top while he was trying to figure out if the tree next to him was indeed a cherry tree. Once we figured out it was we proceeded to eat every cherry within reach.Around 1:30 we made it to William Penn Shelter. We both needed lunch and we were both hurting so we decided to stay until 3:00. I realized I haven't done that enough in my daily pursuit of mileage. Sometimes I don't allow myself to just sit and enjoy the trail. I know I'm going to regret that when this is over.We had a little under ten miles to go after that and it was no problem until I passed 501 Shelter. Let's just say I've found the rocks. The only real frustrating aspect is trying to pick your way through them while gnats try to find homes in your eyeballs.I made it to camp about 7:00 and was too tired to enjoy the rope swing. By then I needed to make camp and cook dinner anyway. Oh well. Tomorrow will be the trip to Hamburg. It will still be a long hiking day but hopefully the rocks won't be horrible. I'm ready for a day off.
Date: 2015-06-17
From: Hertline Campsite

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Usually when I wake up at 5:00 AM I roll back over and go to sleep. This morning I forced myself to get up. The weather was cool for once and when I left at 5:45 it was perfect for hiking.Even over the rocks I was feeling good this morning. The motivation to get to town for a zero was ridiculous. About 10 miles in I decided to call the hotel in Hamburg and make sure I had a room for tonight and tomorrow night. As soon as they told me they were booked tonight the wind fell out of my sails. I still have a room tomorrow but now I had to figure out what to do tonight. I didn't think a Wednesday would be a problem. Lesson learned.I continued on and immediately began noticing the heat, and the rocks. The blister on my heel even decided to hurt a little more. It's funny how quickly you can go from high to low out here. I finally made it to the descent into town and it was a doozie. I can't recall such a steep and long descent on the trail. Once I made it right near the bottom there were two coolers labeled "trail magic". They were both empty. I went across the railroad tracks and hit the road pretty defeated, eventually collapsing in a chair by the barber shop.I talked to another hiker there and got pointed to the Port Clinton Hotel, which he thought was already full. I walked over anyway and to my surprise it wasn't. The hotel is above a restaurant and it was pretty funny when the lady handed me soap, shampoo and towels from behind the bar. I immediately headed upstairs, turned the A/C to 63, and ran into the community bathroom to clean up.Once clean I went back to the bar to have lunch, a giant burger and some perogies. About an hour later Lightning showed up and collapsed onto a bar stool. Pennsylvania is taking it out of all of us at this point. I can't even describe how bad my feet hurt.Pork Chop eventually showed up and we talked about the last few days while hanging out with Po Boy. I think we were down there for about six hours just eating, drinking, and laughing. I'm glad my plans to go to Hamburg were derailed for a day. It's been a good afternoon/evening in the midst of some really tough days.Tomorrow I'll head over to Hamburg to resupply and replace my camera. I have 75 more miles in Pennsylvania. I think these are going to be rougher than anything we've been through so far here. Just four days though. I can grin and bear it for four more days.Tonight I tried to explain to Mrs. Rock Boat how this could be so miserable and the greatest experience of my life. It really doesn't make sense when you try to put it into words. I'm still so thrilled to be out here but sometimes being in pain gets in your head.   No worries though. This will all be a great story when we get further North. Either way, it's pretty awesome to be around people who know exactly what you're going through. Now to get some rest and get to New Jersey.
Date: 2015-06-19
From: Hamburg, PA

To: Stealth Campsite
Miles today: 15.0

I actually stayed in a hotel and didn't stay up too late. And I slept until 8:00 AM! It's a Cabela's miracle. I tried to lay around for a few hours but my growling stomach wouldn't have it. I left for McDonald's around 9:30 to knock out a couple sausage and egg biscuits then made it back to the trail by 10:45.The climb out of town wasn't nearly as bad as the descent into it. The ridge line was predictably rocky but the wet conditions is what made it tough. I climbed up, then slid back down quite a few boulders today.Before I began climbing up to Pulpit Rock I met a guy out cataloguing chestnut trees. He let me know the climb was over a lot of rocks. When I smirked he said seriously, really big rocks. I climbed the 500 feet and lo and behold, he was right. The view off of Pulpit was nice though.It was a couple of miles over to The Pinnacle which followed the ridge the entire way. The views from there were great but I was disappointed to see so much trash up there. And spray paint. I have no idea what goes through someone's head but it's pretty maddening to see such a great place ruined like that. I did sit and watch about ten hawks circle below. Definitely a highlight of the day.The trail from there to where I'm camped was mostly on a fire road and really easy walking. I didn't expect it at all. The trail walks through a lot of game lands around here and I'm guessing they want to keep hikers out of most of it.My initial plan was to go to Eckville Shelter with its shower, flush toilet, and bunkroom but I want to get up early tomorrow and didn't want to annoy everyone in the shelter. When I was at The Pinnacle I was able to check the weather. Apparently the remnants of a tropical storm are headed here on Sunday. That means I need to get to a place I can duck off the trail if needbe.   I'm going to try to get really close to Palmerton tomorrow and make the call from there. These rocks are tough enough without heavy rain and storms.So, I came an extra half mile to a stream and set my tent up. I thought I might be alone but my water source bathing German friends showed up. They're alright though. Either way I'm going to bed early to try to knock out 20-25 miles over these rocks tomorrow. New shoes equals much less pain over then though.
Date: 2015-06-20
From: Stealth Campsite

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, my big plans to get up at 5:15 fell through. I did wake up but it was to the pitter patter of rain. No reason to get out of the tent and drench everything. By 6:00 it had stopped and I was gone by 6:30. The climb up to the ridge was quick and relatively rockless. I had finished the 2.4 miles to Dan's Pulpit before I even realized it. I got a call out to the Wife from there but had to cut it short when it started raining again.I stopped around 10:00 to have an early lunch and didn't plan on stopping at a restaurant right on the trail. When I got to the restaurant I couldn't pass it up. I mean, when you can see it from the trail you have to stop, right? I walked in and the soup of the day was split pea. It was meant to be. I might have had a burger and fries as well.I left there around 12:30 and hit the knife edge pretty soon afterwards. Just more rocks. It was actually an interesting traverse until it was time to come down. I met a group of kids there so I smiled and told them it wasn't so bad and they were doing great. It was pretty bad though.After that it was a pretty easy walk until Bake Oven Knob. Really just another pile of rocks. I'm getting through it though. The only frustrating part is knowing that one bad move and your hike could be over. I made it to the shelter right at 3:00 PM and caught up with some folks I hadn't seen in a while. They were moving on to the next shelter that I had planned to go to and said a bunch of others were going there as well. With this weather moving in I really wanted to be under some cover (other than my tent) and nobody had come in to stay yet.So, I'm back to shelter life for the night. A guy came here after the shelter was full (it's a tiny shelter and actually pretty awful) and said he didn't have a tent. He eventually guilted someone into tenting out in the rain. I may be a jerk for saying this but he deserves to sleep in the rain. I've heard stories of this happening but it's the first time I've seen it myself.Whatever. Tomorrow the rain is supposed to stop early and I'm hoping the climb out of Palmerton dries up before I get there. It's supposed to be the worst part of this entire section.
Date: 2015-06-22
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: clear sky

I tried my hardest to get up around 5:30 this morning. I rolled over and when I woke back up it was 6:15. I was packed up and gone by 6:45. No big deal. I just wanted to get started when it was still cool out. I finished the 4.5 miles to Wind Gap, PA by 8:30 and wrestled with the idea of walking a mile into town to grab a bite to eat. When I realized it was pointless to stress over time out here I started walking down the road. There was a convenience store right on the road so I grabbed a bagel, croissant, honey bun, Gatorade, and a soda. Then did the usual hiker trash thing of sitting out front eating everything while charging my phone in one of their outlets. I have to say that the looks I get don't even phase me anymore. Being full and happy trumps everyone thinking I'm a bum.After all of that the climb out of town was easy. Most of the aches and pains I have are related to nutrition. When I have the calories I can almost run down the trail. When I'm hungry or thirsty every step hurts. It's pretty common sense but getting the number of calories I need everyday can be difficult when I'm in the woods for a few days. I finished the ten miles to the shelter and found Oliver, Miles, and Poboy having lunch. There was a really great water source nearby so I sat there for about an hour and a half. Eventually they left for town and a couple that started hiking in Harper's Ferry showed up. I spoke with them for about 30 minutes before moving on.The last 6.4 miles were quick and I rolled into town around 4:00. By then the church hostel was full and the B&B wasn't answering their phone. I eventually settled on the sketchy Pocono Hotel on the edge of town. Any hotel that has people living there is strange.I showered up and ran to eat an entire pizza. Jeopardy and some other folks showed up and we hung out until I wanted to hit the apple pie place for dessert. So, tomorrow I leave Pennsylvania for good. I know the rocks don't end completely but it's such a mental boost to be done. I'll walk back through town, cross the Delaware River and hop into New Jersey. It's 72.1 miles from there to New York. Insane. I'm already North of New York City and less than 80 miles from Manhattan. I should be in New York by the weekend.
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Backpacker Campsite
Miles today: 5.3

I slept awful in the Pocono Inn. I probably would have been better off in my tent at the hostel but stubbornness is a hard habit to rid yourself of. I showered, packed up and was out of there by 8:30.Most everyone had made their way to the bakery to catch breakfast and since it was on my way back I saw no reason to pass it up. The bacon sausage egg cheddar on sourdough bread sandwich hit the spot. Why order one meat when you can have two?We'd all been warned about strong early afternoon storms so everyone went to the hostel instead of the trail. We spent most of the day playing cards and hanging out. There was also a run back to the bakery for lunch and over to the outfitter in there as well. It rained a bit but the storms never materialized.By 3:45 I'd had enough and decided it was time to get back on the trail.   By then it was only going to be a short day so Oliver (who I've renamed Roker today) and I flew across the Delaware River, into New Jersey and back into the woods.The walk was quick and we made it to the campsite by 5:30. It's actually a really cool spot with tons of grass and a view. I set my pack down and immediately heard thunder. There's the storms I stayed in all day avoiding. Instead of putting my tent up in the rain I took the more disgusting option and hid in the privy. Which is where I type this now.Everyone else stayed in town and were headed out for chicken wings. I should have just done that. Sitting idle gets to me out here though. Which leads to journaling in outhouses. I'd throw the typical "lesson learned" cliche out there but I realize I'm too stubborn to get that one.Fun day though. Had a great time goofing off with everyone at the hostel and getting to know some new folks. Weather is supposed to be better tomorrow so hopefully I can get some good miles in.Oh, almost forgot....Seven states down!
Date: 2015-06-24
From: Backpacker Campsite

To: Brink Shelter
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning about 6:15 to find a pool of water in a corner of my tent. It didn't rain last night and after a little investigating I found the bite valve from my platypus sitting on the tent floor instead of in its rightful position on the hose. And my phone and iPod were wet.The phone was fine. The iPod was not. This makes two I've broken on this trip. To say I wasn't happy would be an understatement. While I tried to dry my tent and everything else out at 7:00 AM I called Mrs. Rock Boat and let her know. She suggested some fixes but I've decided I'm not fit to be a thru hiker with an iPod. It was a bad morning.I set off at 7:15 and immediately came to Sunfish Pond. It was amazing, especially that early in the day. There were some rocks a la Pennsylvania but I didn't care. The walk around the lake was ridiculously enjoyable.A few miles in I made it to Mohican Outdoor Center but before I finished the .3 mile road walk I ran into Irish doing trail magic. Irish is a triple crown hiker (he's hiked the AT, PCT, and CDT) and was really great to talk to. After a couple of sodas and more than my share of cookies I headed up the hill to the MOC. I had a sandwich, chips, and coke and spent about 30 minutes charging my phone.While there Po Boy, Jeopardy and Miles showed up. We eventually walked back to the trail magic, drank a beer with Irish and headed back to the trail. It was only 2.1 miles to Catfish Lookout Tower but it took forever because we spent the rest of the morning picking and eating blueberries that were right on the trail.After the tower I was walking along the ridge with Jeopardy and heard a noise. I stopped and looked around but didn't see anything. I walked about 10 feet further and heard it again. This time I looked up and saw my first New Jersey bear. It saw me and bolted across the trail and waited just below the top of the ridge. As we came by it ran the rest of the way down the hill. The bear count is at three now and there's a good chance I'll see more here in New Jersey.The rest of the hiking was actually pretty great today. Yes, there are still rocks but they're not nearly as bad as Pennsylvania. We had two humps on our elevation profile at the end that we thought were just going to be pointless ups and downs. They turned out to be an awesome ridgelines with really great views. We all got to the shelter at 6:00 and had a fun group tonight for dinner. I think breakfast tomorrow involves a diner in Branchville, NJ. Eggs sound so good right now.So, I'm totally bummed about my iPod but I have zero complaints about New Jersey. Views, blueberries, and bears? I'll take it.
Date: 2015-06-25
From: Brink Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

We had some camp counselors come to the shelter about 9:30 last night. They camped far enough away that I only heard a dull roar. Optimist and Tough Little Biscuit weren't so lucky. Apparently it went on until atleast 4:00 AM and the word on the street is that all the guy counselors were afraid of the noises in the woods. Either way, I slept like a dream.Jeopardy. Poboy, Miles, Roker (Oliver) and I all planned to head the 3.6 to Branchville, NJ and hit the diner. By 8:00 AM we had hit the road and made the walk to the diner. I went light this morning and had an omelette, home fries, toast, and three pancakes. The miles came so fast afterwards that Jeopardy and I missed the next shelter completely.The hiking today was a little tougher in terms of rocks but not too bad. Later in the day I ran into a trail maintainer that offered an apple in exchange for a picture for the club Facebook page then a group of very well mannered boy scouts. I've seen quite a few groups of kids out here the last few days including some Outward Bound ones yesterday. It's awesome that so many folks are getting kids on the trail. The AT is a special place.At 4:30 I made it to High Point State Park which is the home of, you guessed it, the highest point in New Jersey. The giant obelisk on top is visible from quite a ways. The important part of the park is actually the snack bar though. I grabbed a double cheeseburger and a couple plates of chili cheese nachos. For science, of course. Then took a fantastic free shower.Miles and Roker went a little further and Jeopardy, Poboy, and I decided to make the short walk to the next shelter. When we got here we met a really fun group of kids from Hunterdon County Parks and Rec here in New Jersey and spent a while getting to know them. Hopefully they read this as I promised the picture and a mention. I may run down the hill in the middle of the night and try to scare all of them. We'll see. It made me miss my camp counselor days for sure.Tomorrow I'll hit Unionville, NY to resupply then figure out where I want to sleep for the night. I haven't really even given it a thought just yet. The trail meanders down the state line for a while so I won't officially be in New York until Saturday.That's it from Jersey. I spoke to Mrs. Rock Boat tonight and apparently these busted iPods are under warranty. She's a champ and already replaced the first one I broke.
Date: 2015-06-26
From: High Point Shelter

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: broken clouds

The one question I get asked quite a bit is what piece of gear is my favorite. I realize it's human nature to want to know a shortcut or secret to reach your overall goal. I don't have a favorite piece of gear though as I need all of it at some point. But, I've been thinking a lot about this as I hike and I think I have somewhat of a roundabout answer.The one thing I've done well out here is to surround myself with the right people. When you're in Georgia you can get a good feel about who's going far and who may be going home soon. Most of the time this is all in the person's attitude. People tell me stories all the time about folks leaving the trail. I look back and there's nobody I've spent considerable time that has left. When times are tough or even when they're good you only have your trail family to lean on. If they're putting their packs on and heading North everyday, so will you. That's not to say you shouldn't hike alone at some point because you should. But attitudes, good and bad, are contagious. There are days I don't want to hike. It's my friends out here that drive me to keep moving. Don't be afraid to change groups or hiking partners either. People take days off or speed ahead. There are so many good people on the trail that it's easy to find someone you like to hang out with. Oh, and laugh. A lot. Alright, enough of that. It never rained so I slept in the shelter for no good reason. I was walking by 7:00 and made it to Unionville, NY by 9:30. I grabbed my resupply and headed over to the pizza place with everyone. I only had a calzone and some mozzarella sticks. They were so good. I think we were all surprised to find such good Italian food in such a small town.After a stop for ice cream later in the day it was time to climb the "stairway to heaven". It was only about 1000 feet but was straight up and through giant rocks. It was enough to get a good sweat going. From there it was only a few miles to the shelter where I claimed a spot. Then checked my phone and found they moved the storm back, again. So, I'm in here getting eaten by mosquitos but it's too late to throw my tent up. Tonight is my last night in New Jersey as I currently sit 4.1 miles from the border. I may run into Greenwood Lake, NY tomorrow and figure out what the storm is going to do. It's about ten miles away.
Date: 2015-06-27
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Greenwood Lake, NY
Miles today: 7.9

I might have gotten 4 hours of sleep last night. I bet I killed 50 mosquitoes though. It's important to be productive. Everyone in the shelter woke up far too early. I headed out around 6:15.The end of New Jersey was just more mosquitos. I have to say, I've enjoyed New Jersey. The hiking has been fun and eating town food all the time is pretty great. It's beautiful here though. We'll count this as the biggest surprise so far.Around 9:00 I climbed up the rocks, crossed the ridge and eventually hit the border. New York has actually been somewhat challenging early on. There has been quite a bit of throwing my poles on top of the rock and using my hands to climb up. And even a ladder. I did get to the top of Prospect Rock and could see New York City in the distance. We're a long way from Georgia.I made the .8 mile trip down the ridge to Greenwood Lake and went to grab breakfast. I saw the weather was going to get bad overnight and started calling around for a place to stay. I eventually ended up at a place on the lake. The view to the water is pretty great. Everyone is coming into town for the night due to the storms and Pork Chop and Lightning even came to Greenwood Lake and are staying with me. They got off the trail about twelve miles before I did so hopefully they'll catch back up soon.We ran to dinner and hung out with Roker, Poboy, and Jeopardy while we ate. I also met Doc, a fellow Auburn grad. The rest of the night has been washing clothes and watching TV. Not sure when I'm leaving tomorrow but I'll be waiting out the rain. It's supposed to stop early though. Glad to be inside for the night. It's going to be a cold, wet night on the trail.