morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Random campsite

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 16.2

We woke up very early this morning in an attempt to get to Pine Grove nice and early, in order to have time to veg between the ice cream challenge and settling into camp. Near noon, we hit the true, real, 2013 halfway point. This was very exciting, and I built a shrine to remind the hikers behind me! At a shelter about 4 miles before the park I met a local named Nighthiker who was very cool. We talked for a while about the local trail, and he gave me some fire starters he had in his pack!I arrived at the Park around 3:30 and dove right into the ice cream challenge. Here, thru-hikers attempt to eat a half gallon of ice cream in under an hour to celebrate being halfway done. Spooner and I dove in right away. I ate 1.5 quarts of chocolate peanut butter and a pint of creamy vanilla. After I finished, I received a round of applause and felt terrible! I still at a ham and cheese sandwich, not because I was remotely hungry, but because I needed something salty after all that sugar! Wooden Spoon was not as successful and only got about half of her 1.5 quart tub down. We are camping at the Park tonight and may wait around tomorrow to meet up with Aquaman, as he is very close behind us!
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Campsite
Miles today: 3.9

Happy Canada Day! Today was an awesome nero!I checked out the AT museum this morning. It had some cool exhibits on famous AT personalities, such as Grandma Gatewood and Earl Shaffer. They also had a digital library of ATC halfway pictures that were neat to look through. We then just played cards and hung out until Aquaman showed up around 3. It was so great to see him again. I enjoyed catching up and hearing about his hike since the last time I saw him (mid May!). He hiked out with Spooner, Breeze, and I around 5:00. We hiked just under 4 miles to a campsite. I just love days like this!Once it got dark, we made a fire and did a ceremony I devised to celebrate being halfway, which went well, and everyone thought it was cool! Then Spooner, being from Nova Scotia, performed O Canada to recognize the holiday.
Date: 2013-07-02
From: Campsite

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 15.7

After no rain all night, it had to rain for just about 20 minutes this morning - just enough to lead to packing up a wet tent! I got on the trail at about 8:30 and was on a mission to get to Boiling Speings by 4:30 in order to pick up a package at the P.O. The hiking was pretty uneventful, except for a couple rock mazes/scrambles near the end of the day. These were pretty fun and broke up the monotony of just walking trail all day. The very end of the hike was totally flat through cornfields. I made it to the post office with only 3 minutes to spare! Waiting for me was an awesome care package from my mom, filled with much appreciated provisions. Thanks!We are camping at a free site about 1/2 mile outside of town. We went in earlier to get some beer and pizza, which hit the spot! We are aiming to be in Duncannon on the 4th and to do some celebrating there.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Campsite
Miles today: 14.3

It was very hot and humid today, and I had a not so great day. Despite some of the easiest, flattest terrain we've seen, I felt tired, sluggish, and bad all day. I have learned that these days come and go, and one must just work to get through it. Spooner, Aquaman, and I hiked together pretty much all day. We played games, talked, and laughed, all of which helped my spirits. Near the end of the hike we got some trail magic and I had a burger, hot dog, Snickers, and Coke for dinner. This was a much needed shot of energy!At camp the mosquitos were horrible, however once we had a fire going and I got some DEET working for me, it was good. I passed around some scotch, and we listened to music and enjoyed the night. No matter how bad your day may have been, you get settled into camp and can't help but be happy and merry. This differs from life in the "real world", as I'm sure you know, and is one of the true treasures of life on the trail.
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Campsite

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.3

A short, but rocky, stretch of trail stood between me and celebrating the 4th this morning. I was feeling much better and hiked with no issues. We had a couple lovely views today, and I got busted a couple times by others wailing along with my iPod! A mile before downtown Duncannon, we hit more trail magic and I had a couple PBRs to start off the day's celebration. I go to the Doyle Hotel around 2:00 and checked in. Spooner, Aquaman, And Stuff, and I are splitting a room. It is a very charming dump, and I suspect at one time was a mildly popular brothel. There is a bar downstairs where, the rest of the day and evening, we ate, drank, and were merry. I was homesick today thinking of all the wonderful celebrations that were surely going on in Upper Arlington. However, I am happy to be with such great friends and to be having this experience!
Date: 2013-07-07
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up early on the 5th for no apparent reason other than it was extremely hot in our room at the Doyle. No A/C. Rough. Spooner rented a car this morning and is taking Gaia to the Canadian border in Maine so Gaia can stay with her parents in Canada for the rest of the trail. Her paws are still red and the trail isn't getting any less rocky. I decided to go along for the adventure and drive through the states we are going to walk through. We made it to south Maine by night. It will take months to get there on foot. Stopped by the LL Bean outlet early on the 6th and then continued north towards Calais, the border town. We arrived before Spooner's parents and sat by the waterfront, longingly looking across the river at Canada...wishing we could cross the border for Pizza Delight, red cream soda, Tim Hortons, and syrup. Unfortunately, neither of us are carrying passports. After lunch with Spooner's parents, we had a tearful goodbye with Gaia. Rest up, little buddy. We miss you. We turned back and headed south following the not-so-scenic coastal route and stopped at a campground near Freeport for the night. We were back in Duncannon early evening on the 7th, and ended up again staying at the Doyle. Still no A/C. Still extremely hot.
Date: 2013-07-08
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Kinter View
Miles today: 14.0

We got back to Duncannon yesterday evening and decided to stay at the Doyle again, and then hit the trail again in the morning. The day started with a long road walk through residential Duncannon, and then across Clark's Ferry Bridge over the Susquehanna River. After a two mile climb, we were just cruising along a ridge line. A short storm came through that I waited out at the Clark's Ferry Shelter, and then kept going. The rain cooled down the temperatures, which was helpful. We got water at Peters Mountain Shelter, and then walked another 3 miles to camp. The water at Peters Mountain was down a steep trail consisting of 300 large rock steps. It was miserable!It's great to be back on the trail after our short trip to Canada!
Date: 2013-07-09
From: Kinter View

To: Campsite
Miles today: 15.2

Today was uneventful! It was an easy day, terrain wise. We had one big climb, but it was well graded and no big deal. A lot of the springs in this area are very yellow from all of the iron in the ground, and I was a little wary. However, it tasted fine and I figured at least I won't have to worry about going anemic!
Date: 2013-07-10
From: Campsite

To: Fisher Lookout
Miles today: 16.8

Today was a good day of hiking, and we had some good weather to boot!We went past a cool old cemetery early in the day, and then had two easy but somewhat steep climbs. Some patches of trail are getting pretty rocky, but it's usually only a mile or so, then back to good terrain. I know it's going to get way worse, but these small samples of PA rocks are no fun!We ended the day and set up camp at a spot with a view, which is always good. It's nice to relax and eat dinner with a good vista to take in!
Date: 2013-07-11
From: Fisher Lookout

To: Sand Spring
Miles today: 15.2

Another so far standard PA day today. No challenging elevation gain or loss, but patches and stretches of rocks are frustrating and monotonous. I took a break this afternoon at a campsite that randomly had a picnic table. There was a good sized group of us there breaking - probably around 10 people, including Double Dare who I haven't seen in a very long time! Anyway, it amuses me how little we thru-hikers need to be impressed. During the break, everyone kept talking about how amazing it was to have a picnic table to sit at. Ah, the little things!Another interesting stop today was at the Fort Dietrich Snyder Monument. This spot was used as a lookout to warn soldiers about incoming enemies in the Civil War. Spooner and I camped at a spring tonight, and are planning a shorter day tomorrow into Port Clinton, where we'll resupply and camp at the town pavilion.
Date: 2013-07-12
From: Sand Spring

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 9.7

Today was a good, pretty easy day. We hiked about ten miles into Port Clinton where we are staying tonight. The trail was mostly flat today with some rocks. We got up very early, hoping to get to Port Clinton with plenty of time to resupply and hang out. It was a pretty leisurely walk into town, except for the last descent. It was incredibly steep. I almost lost my footing and fell a few times, but luckily I was able I regain balance each time. I was very relieved when it started leveling off and I saw the Schuylkill River, marking the end of the descent. We got a ride on a shuttle that Cabela's offers into Hamburg where we were able to resupply our food at Wal Mart, and did some looking around in Cabela's. Once we hitched back to Port Clinton, we got set up at the town pavilion. They allow you to camp here next to the pavilion, which is really great. Many have said that Port Clinton to the border is the hardest/rockiest stretch of the AT in PA. It just keeps getting worse from here until Delaware Water Gap. I'm hoping my feet will hold up!
Date: 2013-07-13
From: Port Clinton

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: broken clouds

It rained all night last night. The good news is that my tent had no problems keeping me dry. The bad news is that I had to pack up a wet tent!We had a decent climb out of town today, but it wasn't really too bad. About a mile before Windsor Furnace Shelter we ran into Oak and Hipsy Gypsy, a married couple I met a few days ago. They told me it was only .3 miles to the shelter, which was good news as I was anxious to visit the privy... Unfortunately they had miscalculated and it was about a mile. It was a long mile!There were a couple vistas today, however the Pennsylvania views have become a bit of a joke as they are all very similar - fields, roads, and farms. At one of the vistas there was a copperhead coiled up in a noon in the rocks. It was neat to finally see a venomous snake... even better, it wasn't a surprise!We got to Eckville Shelter around 7, which is more like a bunkhouse. There is a house that the caretaker lives in, and then a small, enclosed building that has bunks. There is also a flushing toilet and a shower! The bunkhouse was full, but there is a lovely tenting area that I enjoyed. Spooner and I played some cards and had dinner, then it was bed time!
Date: 2013-07-14
From: Eckville Shelter

To: New Tripoli Campsite
Miles today: 13.4

After a good nights rest, and getting a chance to charge my electronics, I headed up Hawk Mountain from the Eckville Shelter. There was a nice view at Dans Pulpit, and then there were rocks. Throughout the morning we had patches of huge rock fields. These were small boulders, the size of a large duffel bag or so. They are often sharp and shift with weight, making traversing them a challenge. For the most part these fields of large rocks come in relatively short sections, with stretches of smaller rocks between them. Rocksylvania is beginning to live up to the hype. In the afternoon, the trail crossed a road with a bar just down the road to the left. Spooner and I stopped for a soda and a snack. After hanging out in the AC for a bit, we hiked two more miles to the New Tripoli Campsite. The bugs are horrible tonight, so after quickly cooking dinner and eating, I am in my tent. I am glad to have a shelter to keep the bugs out, although on warm nights like tonight it can be stuffy.
Date: 2013-07-15
From: New Tripoli Campsite

To: Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 12.0

Today was incredibly hot! The sun is just unforgiving. It was in the mid nineties, and the heat index was at 100 degrees. Right away this morning we had some tough technical hiking. Traversing the Knifes Edge was like walking on a balance beam almost. The boulders come up to a small point that the trail follows, with drop offs to more boulders on each side. At one point I slipped, fell, and snapped one of my poles. I am thankful for the lifetime warranty. We had quite a bit of trail magic today. Water sources are sparse in this section, so at two road crossings there were many gallon jugs of water to replenish myself with. In a hot day like today, this was amazing. One also had a cooler with soda and snacks! When we arrived at the road that goes into Palmerton, there was another cooler with cold soda. Really a wonderful treat. We got a ride into Palmerton, where we'll stay tonight. The city has a bunk room hostel in the basement of the borough, which used to be the town jail! It is called the Jailhouse Hostel, an they ask for no money. I was able to resupply food, shower, do laundry, and get some pizza. Tomorrow begins with an intense, steep climb. We have heard that many places on the climb ate straight up rock scrambles, requiring use of foot and hand holds. Sounds fun!
Date: 2013-07-16
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Delps Trail
Miles today: 9.5

The climb out of Palmerton was as advertised! We took it very slow, and had fun with it, which helped a lot. The first half of it was just normal trail, albeit very steep. The second half was climbing and scrambling over boulders. At some points you'd look behind you and down and it seemed like the highway was directly below you!The few miles after the climb normally go over an area that had been devastated from zinc smelting with zero plant growth. However, it seems recently they have rerouted this section to allow some restoration to take place.The stretch we walked today and will walk tomorrow is notorious for some of the most sparse water sources. With the 95+ degree heat we're in this is a challenging obstacle. The first stretch today was 11 miles until a good source. There was one halfway between, however it carries an EPA warning about heavy metal pollution, so we skipped it. The heat was devastating, so we did a short day. Only two more days in Rocksylvania!
Date: 2013-07-17
From: Delps Trail

To: Campsite
Miles today: 16.4

After the torture of yesterday's heat and rocks, Spooner and I decided to get up and hike early and then rest during the hottest part of the day. So that's what we did. She left camp before 6:30 and I got on the trail by 8:30. I caught up with Spooner twelve miles in, near the Wind Gap road crossing. She made it there by 1 and was napping in the shade. By then it was blazing hot and we decided we really wanted Cokes to quench the thirst. We hitched in to the Beer Stein in Wind Gap, got Cokes and enjoyed the dollar-fifty tacos and air conditioning. I checked the weather and saw we were under a heat advisory and should avoid outdoor activities. This didn't deter us from getting back on the trail-- we hiked 5.8 miles (over more rocks) before reaching our campsite for the evening.
Date: 2013-07-18
From: Campsite

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 9.8

Started the day with Wolf Rocks, another rough and rocky section of trail. No surprise there. Although we had a short 9.8 miles into Delaware Water Gap, we were advised beforehand that this section of the trail was the worst of the rocks. Rocks described as piranhas. Got up early again and met up with Spooner at Mt Minsi. The frame of her pack snapped this morning so we shared a Coke and she failed at fixing her pack. We hiked down to Delaware Water Gap together, rejoicing as we reached town and our last miles of Pennsylvania. We dropped our things at the Church of the Mountain Hostel and went down to the trail-renowned bakery. Home of the $2.49 hotdog and apple pie. Delicious. We spent the evening enjoying live jazz and adult drinks at the Deer Head Inn with other hiker trash. Dave Liebman, a Grammy nominated jazz saxophonist, stole the show and I got my picture taken with him.
Date: 2013-07-19
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0

We decided to take a zero day today in order to relax after finishing the arduous state of Pennsylvania. The Pocono Inn was near by and seemed promising. The idea of a room with AC on this 100 degree day was a beautiful thought. We got our room early and checked in around 10:00. Unfortunately, we quickly realized that while out AC unit was running, it was not functioning properly and had no effect on our room. This began a 5 hour long ordeal of trying to get a solution from the hotel. We were treated horribly by the staff and manager of the hotel. It was the most unprofessional business I have ever observed. All of the men wore tank tops or wife beaters. Destiny, the woman at the front desk was horribly rude and lied to our faces about us, claiming somebody saw us with the balcony door wide open, despite the fact that we were in the room with it shut all day. The manager would quickly enter a room and hide whenever one of us approached him, and he refused to talk to us. Eventually, a nice maintenance man swapped out our unit, and our room finally cooled down from the staggering 86 degrees it had been all day. I cannot recommend avoiding this establishment enough, for any future hikers going through DWG. Disappointed with our stressful, stifling zero day, we got pizza for dinner and went to bed early.
Date: 2013-07-20
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Backpacker Campsite
Miles today: 5.3

Since we weren't able to enjoy most of our zero day yesterday, Spooner and I decided to sleep in and nero out of the Gap this afternoon. We got a ride to a local mall this afternoon and saw The Conjuring. It was, in a word, horrifying. Of course, the best decision you can make after witnessing the scariest movie in years is to hike into the woods and sleep there, so that's what we did. It was a very easy five miles this evening, and we're officially in New Jersey.
Date: 2013-07-21
From: Backpacker Campsite

To: Campsite
Miles today: 16.9

So New Jersey is rocky too. Not as bad as PA, but it's a depressing realization. Today's hike started with a scenic, rocky walk around Sunfish Pond. We are now hiking on the Kittatinny Ridge and the NJ views already are ten times better than the ones in PA. I stopped by the Mohican Outdoor Center in the morning, where they gauge thru-hikers and their wallets in return for soda, snacks, and lodging. I charged my phone a bit but did not stay long. I talked to a couple who spent over $100 on dinner and two spots in the bunk room. Unbelievable. The rest of the hike was pretty easy, and I saw a bear cub and heard the mama about a mile before I got to camp!
Date: 2013-07-22
From: Campsite

To: Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

Today was a long day and it rained all afternoon. I have realized that I just plain don't really enjoy hiking over 17 miles per day. I'm in no hurry - ill leave the twenty milers to other, insane hikers. I had a very close encounter with a large New Jersey bear this morning. He was about twenty feet away and challenged me to a staring contest. After he took 4 or 5 steps towards me, I started feeling nervous and began to yell. The yelling scared him and he changed direction, moseying off into the woods. It was an amazing experience. At Joe to Go, a deli that is a stone's throw from the trail, I got sad news that Quaker had gotten off trail. He was one of the kindest souls I have ever met in my life and at 66 years old was an inspiration. He will be missed. A few sections today were incredibly overgrown. The leaves were wet from earlier rain, and I was soaked after 10 minutes of brushing against them, cussing out the club that maintains the trail in this area. Rutherford Shelter is 0.4 miles off trail, which to a thru-hiker is just heartbreaking. To make matters worse, the mosquitos are horrendous here. The silver lining is that the seasonal, oft dry spring had plenty of water tonight.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Rutherford Shelter

To: Unionville, NY
Miles today: 12.5

Today was a short day into Unionville, where we are allowed to tent in the town park. We walked through the New Jersey High Point State Park today, and made the trek up to the obelisk that stands on the highest point of land in New Jersey. At the park headquarters, they had free soda for hikers. Upon arriving in Unionville, we went to Wit's End Tavern for dinner. It was here that a drunk local made it his mission to make me realize that no, I was wrong (I was right), and yes, I had already walked through Harriman, NY (we will hike through Harriman in a few days), and no, the trail barely goes through Pennsylvania (230 miles, third longest state). I also got charged for four fountain Cokes without being informed about no free refills! Oh well, my food was great. Tomorrow we'll hike to the Warwick Turnpike where we can camp at a drive-in theater and take in a double feature!
Date: 2013-07-24
From: Unionville, NY

To: Warwick Drive-In
Miles today: 16.2

Today was pretty uneventful. Good hiking, less rocks, and some town food. Spooner had a package in Vernon, NJ so we went there, and then finished the day at the drive in. For 10 bucks, I'm camping here and just watched Despicable Me 2. I'm not staying up for the Conjuring, since I'm tired, just saw it, and have no spare underwear. On a whim, I texted my coworker Rachel to catch up. She informed me that she had moved to NJ, and was less than an hour from where I am! She's going to stop by in the morning to visit for a bit.
Date: 2013-09-30
To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0

Hello from Monson, Maine! I am very sorry for dropping off the map and abandoning my journal. The Northern section of the trail has been a wonderful, beautiful, and challenging experience, and I have just not been able to update you all on this site. To everybody who has been genuinely interested in this trip of mine, I apologize for losing touch. I am in Monson, Maine - the staging point for entering the 100 Mile Wilderness, the last long section of trail before Baxter State Park and Mt. Katahdin. It is a 100 mile stretch without any real traffic and towns. It will be a very beautiful stretch of country and I cannot wait. In about a week, I will finish the 100 Mile Wilderness, enter Baxter State Park, and prepare to climb Mt. Katahdin and finish this extraordinary, remarkable journey. It is absolutely surreal to have arrived at this point, and the fact that this is almost over still hasn't really sunk in. I cannot thank the many out there who have offered their support, kind thoughts and wishes, and love enough.As we prepare to re-enter the woods tomorrow and begin the final push, I am having feelings that are as truly bittersweet as I have ever felt. Somebody in town today put it perfectly: "Quitting walking every day will be easy, but it will be tough to leave this lifestyle." I look forward to updating in about a week from Millinocket, Maine, where I will either be preparing to climb the last mountain, or celebrating the end.