morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-25
From: Stealth camp, mile 519.5

To: Mile 633
Miles today: 113.5
Weather: light rain

First, I would like to thank Denise and Bill for offering their beautiful home to me the other night (sorry I missed you Bill). It was so appreciated, especially given the rain. A real bed and some home cookin¢ goes a long way! They also teamed up with Adrienne and BJ to put together a killer package. Thank you all so much!Everyone has their own reasons for being out here hiking. I have noticed a lot of people set out to do this thru hike in order to ¢find themselves¢. That fairy tail, Cheryl Strayed crap isn¢t my game (although I did think ¢Wild¢ was a decent movie). I am out here for the adventure, for the challenge, and to experience a large chunk of the country in a way most people will never know. But after 7 weeks and 633 miles with nothing to do but eat, sleep, and walk, you tend to get a little introspective. I¢m learning how much of this trek is a mental game, even more than a physical challenge. Now that there are far fewer hikers left on the trail, there are less distractions and you really need to bring your mental A-game. (If you¢re planning a long distance hike, I strongly recommend reading ¢Appalachian Trials¢ by Zach Davis for all your mental A-game tactics). I am learning that I am a lot tougher than I thought I was.One big mistake I realized I had been making recently was beating myself up for not doing the mileage I planned out the night before, or taking too long to do those miles. Now that my body is able to handle 20+ mile days, I was getting down on myself if I did less than 20 miles in a day. For what? I¢m in no hurry. The last person to Katahdin wins!I realized there are basically 2 types of hikers out here: Those who put their head now, grit their teeth, walk from dawn to dusk and do 20-30 miles every day; and there are those who enjoy their thru hike. That first group, I can almost guarantee you, aren¢t having a good time and can¢t wait for this to end. I almost fell into that trap. However, over the past week especially, I have lowered my miles, walked a lot slower (for me), went down all the side trails to waterfalls and views, and didn¢t really plan out my day. I wake up when I feel like it, walk until I get hungry or tired, then stop for a while. I walk again when I¢m good and ready, and I set up my tent when I¢ve had enough. This is how I told myself I would hike, but somewhere along the line I lost it for a bit. I will say, even through the rain the past 3 days, I have really been enjoying this experience a lot more. (I promise I¢ll still make it to Maine in a reasonable time frame).
Date: 2018-05-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Though many may criticize the donning of the Eagle Scout knot on the left shoulder strap of my backpack, I¢m here to tell you why I feel it belongs.The Eagle Scout rank is earned by only 4% of potential candidates..¢The rank has represented a milestone of accomplishment¢perhaps without equal¢that is recognized across the country and even the world. Men who have earned the Eagle Scout rank count it among their most treasured possessions. Eagle Scout is not just an award; it is a state of being. Those who earned it as boys continue to earn it every day as men. That is why an Eagle Scout IS an Eagle Scout¢not WAS.¢I am proud to say I am one of those men.However, the actual badge is only to be worn by current Scouts on their left breast pocket. As an adult leader, the Eagle Scout knot is worn in place of the badge, above the left breast pocket on the Boy Scout uniform. This knot is the patch you see on my pack. Though my uniform has not been worn in many years, I sewed my Eagle Scout knot onto the left shoulder strap of my pack as I thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.Although it is likely seen by some as a disgrace to don this badge of great honor on anything other than a scout uniform, I am here to protest that.This small mark on my shoulder strap is a constant reminder of the oath I took many years ago, and continue to live my life by; ¢On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the scout law. To help other people at all times. To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.¢ When I encounter difficult times during my hike, I do not turn to my ear buds and listen to this month¢s top 100 like most; no. This is the riddle I repeat in my head when I¢m about to break. And let¢s not forget the moto: ¢Be prepared¢.The reason why I am hiking is because of the amazing opportunities I had through scouts, including all of the camping, hiking, cooking, first aide, and wilderness survival training I received. A love for the woods, nature, and self sufficiency was all born through Troop 1452.If that wasn¢t reason enough to have that constant reminder on my left shoulder strap, I ask you to look to the Scout Law, which states: ¢A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.¢ These 12 commandments are powerful enough to get me through the most difficult times. More importantly, demonstrating some of these simple acts can be enough to get a fellow thru-hiker through difficult times, whether they realize it or not.Many thru-hikers, day hikers, section hikers, and trail angels have recognized this badge and congratulated me on my achievement. Those who recognize such a small badge clearly have earned it themselves, or have close relation to its significance. I wear this badge not for recognition; but for those who do not recognize it, and could possibly benefit from all it has taught me.
Date: 2018-05-05
From: Mile 633

To: StanimalÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs hostel. Mile 786
Miles today: 153.0

Think you have what it takes to hike for 61 days and live in the wilderness? Here¢s your 2nd month stat sheet.61 days/nights 786 milesMiles (including zeros):Month 1: 360.9 (11.64 average/day)Month 2: 425.1 (14.17 average/day)Total: 786 miles (12.89 average/day)Elevation gain:Month 1: 88,366.5 feetMonth 2: 92,293.3 feetTotal: 180,660.8 feetMax temp: Month 1: 79 degreesMonth 2: 88 degreesHighest: 88 degreesMin temp: Month 1: 9 degrees, wind chill -20Month 2: 20 degrees, wind chill 0Lowest: 9 degrees, wind chill -20Where have I slept at night?Tent: 39Shelter: 8Hostel (bunk room): 6Hotel: 5Air B&B/House: 3¢Zero¢ days (no miles hiked): 4¢Narrow¢ days (minimal miles hiked): 1620+ miles days:Month 1: 4Month 2: 6Total: 10Max distance in 1 day: Month 1: 22 milesMonth 2: 27 milesBest: 27 milesOver the past week especially, I have seen many more deer, turkey, turkey vultures, lizards, squirrels, etc. No more bears or snakes. Still no eagles or hawks, but I finally did spot a barred owl. Had been hearing a lot of them though. I killed my first tick, everything is green below 3,600 feet, and saw the first rhododendron blooms yesterday. I have officially fallen flat on my face as of 2 weeks ago. A few times, I have stumbled and would have been considered ¢down by contact¢ in the NFL; but this latest was a doozy. It seems the largest threat to me staying on my feet are actually sticks on the ground that like to get tangled between my legs like jamming a stick into the spikes of bicycle.Recent problems with rubbing/ blisters and soreness in the bottom of my feet has forced me to buy new shoes. Working out well so far!Fears of frost bite, wind burn, and hypothermia have now transitioned to bug bites, sunburn, and dehydration. But hey, anyone can hike on a good day, and no one said thru-hiking was supposed to be easy.
Date: 2018-05-13
From: StanimalÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs hostel. Mile 786

To: Hightop Mountain (905.7)
Miles today: 119.7
Weather: clear sky

Leading up to my thru-hike, I have heard many times things like: ¢Once you get to Virginia, it¢s flat.¢ ¢You just stay up on the ridge line the whole way through Virginia.¢ As I sit here writing this, I can, without question, tell you that those statements are FALSE. My days through Virginia to this point have boasted more elevation change that any other portion south, with only a few exceptions. Does the Virginia portion of the trail run across ridge lines? Yeah, actually it does. However, there are no water sources on the ridge line, and the trail cannot be designed to run many miles without a reliable water source. So this is how Virginia works. You get water at a nice stream, climb 1,400 vertical feet to a ridge line, and hike the ridge for about 5 miles. Then, 1,400 feet down to a stream to get water. What¢s next? Oh, 2,300 feet up the the next ridge to the east; hike it for 5 miles, then back down 2,300 feet. This process repeats itself 2, sometimes 3 times per day depending on how many miles you do per day. As ¢Dixie¢ said in one her videos (AT 2015, PCT 2017, current CDT thru-hiker) ¢I hope Pennsylvania is as rocky and Virginia is flat¢. This was obviously stated with heavy sarcasm.Though I will say, the last 1/4 of Virginia through Shenandoah National Park is much more ¢flat¢. This is my new version of ¢flat¢ though, after I descended 2,900 feet from The Priest, and ascended 3,400 feet up the Three Ridges last week.Luckily, Jason and Braden were spared of those monster climbs, as they met up with me the next day. Cheers to them though, because it certainly wasn¢t easy hiking for those 3.5 days. With high humidity, temps in the upper 80¢s, and 12 mile stretches of trail with no water, it was challenging, even for me with 900 miles experience on them. All said and done, they did 49.3 miles of hiking, which is bigger than any prep hikes I did before starting my thru hike. We also encountered more snakes, and had a way too close for comfort encounter with bears outside our tents at 2am one night. You guys rocked it!
Date: 2018-05-22
From: Hightop Mountain (905.7)

To: 1055.9
Miles today: 150.2
Weather: light rain

I¢m beginning to become accustomed to the widely varying challenges of the trail. As I stated before, I knew it wasn¢t going to be easy, but every week we seems to get something new thrown our way. The past week has hosted relentless rain fall, and actually hiking in the rain isn¢t too bad minus the big thunder storms. The northern part of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland has been quite easy (on paper at least). Gentle grades, wide, and mostly smooth trail. However, the rain has turned the trail into a river in most spots. When it¢s not a rushing river, the mud is ankle deep, and the rocks are slick. Freshly downed trees are also hard to navigate. Everything is waterlogged, feet are soggy and that has caused some new, impressive blisters. My next challenge is at least predictable: the hellish rocks of Pennsylvania. But there has been many recent victories. I finished the 550 mile stretch of Virginia without getting the ¢Virginia Blues¢, I reached to 1,000 mile landmark, and made it to the ¢Psychological halfway point¢ at the ATC Headquarters. Actual halfway point won¢t come for another few days. I got my new hiker number; I started in Georgia as #700, and now I am #258 to check in at the ATC Headquarters! Sarah drove down to meet me in Harpers Ferry for a night which was awesome! Ended up staying a second night in town with Sunshine and her mom because the bridge over the Potomac River leaving Harpers Ferry was closed due to flooding. I have gotten a few care packages from some wonderful people, and we are continuing north to Pennsylvania! Life is good (and soggy)!¢Tommorrow¢s another day, and I am not afraid. So bring on the rain.¢ -Jo Dee Messina
Date: 2018-06-05
From: 1055.9

To: Mile 1,245.2
Miles today: 189.3
Weather: broken clouds

Let me first apologize for being off of the blog radar for a while. It has been a whirlwind these past few weeks (in a good way). I am almost through Pennsylvania now, and I¢ve had a lot of people coming out to chill with me! Because of that, I¢ve been out enjoying myself as opposed to being in my tent by 6pm eating Ramen and writing blogs. So without further ado, here is your 3 month stat sheet!92 days/nightsMiles (including zeros):This month: 459.2 (14.81 average/day)Last month: 425.1 (14.17 average/day)Total: 1,245.2 miles (13.53 average/day)Elevation gain:This month: 83,969.1 feetLast month: 92,293.3 feetTotal: 264,629.9 feetMax temp: This month: 91 degreesLast month: 88 degreesHighest: 91 degreesMin temp: This month: 45 degreesLast month: 20 degrees, wind chill 0Lowest: 9 degrees, wind chill -20Where have I slept at night?Tent: 64Shelter: 8Hostel (bunk room): 6Hotel: 6House: 8¢Zero¢ days (no miles hiked): 8¢Narrow¢ days (minimal miles hiked): 2020+ mile days:This month: 9Last month: 6Total: 19Max distance in 1 day: This month: 32.7 milesLast month: 27 milesBest: 32.7 milesThis month has been hot and cold in regards to my mileage. I have taken a lot more time off in order to meet with family and friends, and I¢ve done some lighter days when hiking with some weekend warriors who came out to enjoy the lifestyle and my body odor for a few days. However, those days where I don¢t have a welcomed visitor, I am almost always hiking over 20 miles a day now. Keep an eye out for a new post within the next few days with further details and adventures during my time in PA!
Date: 2018-06-11
From: Mile 1,245.2

To: Secret Shelter mile 1344.4
Miles today: 99.2
Weather: light rain

I can¢t believe I haven¢t given a thorough update since I crossed into PA some 250 miles ago. I knew I was officially home when a women in the pizza joint in Boiling Springs came up to us and asked ¢Yinz gon dahn the Appalachian Trail?¢ I quickly responded yes, then had to translate the Pittsburgheese for Skywalker and Rhodo, who are from NC. I think Sunshine and Evan (now known as GreenBag) understood, as they are from West Virginia and Central PA respectively.The biggest known threat in PA are all of the rocks and rattlesnakes. Even though I have seen way more snakes than I am comfortable with, none of them were venomous. Many fellow hikers were having troubles with the rocks, but I honestly didn¢t think they were that bad. Many complained that this was the worst part of the entire trail so far, but those people obviously didn¢t go through the Smokey¢s during a Nor¢Easter. Only then do you have full appreciation for what pure misery really is. Switching back to my big boots from trail runners probably accounted for my success through the rocks compared to others.The best parts about PA (since there really weren¢t many great views) included opportunities to meet up and hike with friends and family, as well as the occasional short detour to Sheetz. Evan came out and hiked 46.1 miles with me over Memorial Day weekend from Pine Grove Furnace to Duncannon. In the middle of that trip, my buddy from college, JP came out to chill at camp outside of Boiling Springs. After Memorial Day, my parents came out to spend a few much needed days off the trail in Gettysburg. JB took me and Sunshine in for a night of relaxation and excellent food outside of Port Clinton, Bill took us out in Bethlehem, and Melissa took us out in Palmerton. To wrap things up, Jake (now known as Urkle) came out to start of New Jersey with me, and I took him through 27.4 miles of brutal rocks. The NJ rocks proved to be even more challenging than the famed PA rocks.It¢s been a very busy few weeks for me sharing this journey with all of those great people, and I want to thank you all again for everything you have done for me along the way! I¢m afraid everyone on the trail is starting to get the illusion I¢m actually popular. Now I¢m anticipating doing some hiking with Sarah this weekend, and then I have to work on coordinating getting Charlie and Greg out here!This continues to be one heck of an adventure, but I¢m really anticipating getting back up into some serious mountains once I hit Vermont.
Date: 2018-06-14
From: Secret Shelter mile 1344.4

To: Bear mountain, mile 1403.9
Miles today: 59.5
Weather: clear sky

It¢s no secret to most of my close friends that I generally don¢t like most people, and have lost all faith in humanity (okay that¢s a little extreme but not completely false). This is one of the reasons why I decided to go live in the woods and hike for 6 months. However, this trail, and the community surrounding it had drastically changed my opinion on this topic...until I hit New Jersey. Sarah, I know you really enjoy seeing people¢s blogs and vlogs giving props to New Jersey. With that in mind, I would like to inform you this is not one of those blogs, enter at your own risk.Now, for those of you who like a good Jersey bashing, buckle up, you¢re in for a treat.I went into NJ having heard good things from other previous thru-hikers; I suppose individual results may vary. Let¢s first talk about the terrain...Snake infested rocks, mosquito infested swamps, bears everywhere, and very lackluster views. Not a whole lot different than Pennsylvania, so I can deal with that. But here is where it starts to grind on me. I was in NJ for about 5 days, and ¢rattlesnake spring¢ was the only single water source I can recall where I thought to myself ¢I don¢t think this water will give me cancer¢. All of the other water sources were murky, black, orange, smelled like sulfur, you name it. Also not a fan of all of the rules in place here. No fires, no camping outside of designated areas and shelters, no swimming, no fun. If I wanted rules I wouldn¢t be in the woods. Now comes the real kicker. The people of New Jersey; you the real MVPs. Again, as many of you know, I¢m not the most social person, especially when is comes to strangers. But everyone who I have run into so far in the outdoors is generally cheerful and social; except in NJ. Every other area I have been through, you say ¢Hi¢, and ¢How are you?¢ to hikers passing you in the opposite direction. Strange right? Try this in NJ, it¢s almost comical watching the people completely ignore you, without even nodding, smiling, or acknowledging you exist. I¢ve never seen anything like it. I tried to think back to a good human interaction in NJ, and thought I had one. ¢Those people at the deli and pizza shop were super nice!¢, I thought. Then I realized we actually crossed the boarder into NY to get into that town.I assumed the people would be one in the same in the New York section, given how close we are to NYC. But let me tell you, it has been night and day since I crossed the boarder. Everyone I see on the trail now at least says hi, if not have a few minute long conversation with you. There has been trail magic at nearly every road crossing, the water is again clean, and there are views that reward your hard work through the vicious, but fun rock scrambles.New Jersey is a zit, on an otherwise beautiful face - a very generous 1 out of 5 stars.
Date: 2018-06-28
From: Bear mountain, mile 1403.9

To: Bennington, VT mile 1611.7
Miles today: 207.8
Weather: moderate rain

Well, I did it! Something that I have been anticipating since leaving Virginia; I made it to Vermont! Although I really only roasted New Jersey, the trail through WV, MD, PA, NJ, NY, and CT has been kind of a drag. I thought it would be nice hiking easy miles through these states, as you only exceed 2,000 feet elevation on a few rare occasions. However, these easy miles also means there is nothing great to look at. I have quickly realized that ¢The best view comes after the hardest climb¢. Massachusetts has been much more scenic than the aforementioned states, but it still kinda brings you down with all of the rules in place in regards to camping in designated areas, no fires, etc. The terrain has finally changed back to steep climbs on the edge of cliffs that fall off into the abyss. My kinda terrain!Now that I am in Vermont, I feel free again, and excited to hike every day. I thought I was the only person feeing this way, but after talking with many other thru-hikers, almost everyone has been feeling this way.The Vermont boarder has been motivating me over the past few days, and I hiked a personal best 135 miles in 5 days through the end of NY, all of CT, and the majority of MA. That¢s a 27 mile per day average! Perfect training for the Wine Glass Marathon I just signed myself up for after I finish the trail. Now that I have reached Vermont and have less than 600 miles until the end of the trail, I have made a conscious decision to slow down my hike and get back to enjoying every moment. At my current pace, I would finish the trail at the beginning of August. Let¢s be real, why would I want to be done so soon? My target end date is August 22, which means I only have to average about 10 miles per day. I am going turn 20+ mile days into 15 mile days, and take a lot of zero days going forward. I am also looking forward to getting my fly fishing rod, and a Maine fishing license! Life is good.
Date: 2018-07-05
From: Bennington, VT mile 1611.7

To: Mile 1,704.5
Miles today: 92.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Well Vermont, it¢s been real. The southern portion of Vermont was very busy, as the Appalachian trail and the Vermont Long Trail share the same route until Killington. At that point, the VLT continues north through the Green Mountains, and the AT heads east towards New Hampshire and the White Mountains. Vermont has been gorgeous; finally getting into real mountains with real views again. However, I seem to have missed the memo on the ¢Ver-mud¢. I¢m not sure what creates this phenomenon, probably underground springs. But even in the driest conditions, the southern half of Vermont is very muddy. Along with a few rain storms, the mud becomes ankle, and even shin deep. Pair this with a full week of 90+ degree weather, humidity, and stagnant air, the mosquitos and black flies have been a real treat. Thankfully, things have started to cool back off.I¢ll be heading into New Hampshire very soon, and shortly after, the most difficult portion of the trail, the White Mountains. They say once you complete 80% of the trail, you¢ve only done about 20% of the work. I¢m not at all nervous to get into this difficult terrain, because I¢ve already decided to significantly slow my pace. The only sad part about this decision is since I¢ve been slowing down the past week or so, many people who I have hiked portions of the trail with early on are now catching up to, and passing me. I realize that this will probably be the last time I see them, and I have no intention of speeding back up.Without further ado, here are your month 4 stats!122 days/nightsMiles (including zeros):This month: 459.3 (15.31 average/day)Last month: 459.2 (14.81 average/day)Total: 1,704.5 (13.97 average/day)Elevation gain:This month: 44,288.1Last month: 83,969.1 feetTotal: 308,918 feetMax temp: This month: 93 degrees, heat index 110Last month: 91 degreesHighest: 93 degrees, heat index 110Min temp: This month: 45 degreesLast month: 45 degreesLowest: 9 degrees, wind chill -20Where have I slept at night?Tent: 86Shelter: 8Hostel (bunk room): 6Hotel: 12House: 10¢Zero¢ days (no miles hiked): 10¢Narrow¢ days (minimal miles hiked): 2420+ miles days:This month: 10Last month: 9Total: 29Max distance in 1 day: This month: 30.9 milesLast month: 32.7 milesBest: 32.7 miles