morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Grace Hiker Hostel, Waynesboro, VA

To: Grace Hiker Hostel, Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Even with 25 bodies, live ones at that, I slept soooooo well. I dreamed about snakes hiding in dirt-dobber nests above doors. It's the first time I've dreamed in awhile. Normally I dream all the time. I guess I'm readjusting to civilization. Anywho, there were no snakes when I woke up. But there was coffee, and I'll take snakes over coffee any day. I participated in this morning's clean up. I used the giant broom to sweep the fellowship hall. It takes not time with a broom like that. I also cleaned up the kitchen area and the breakfast table. Then I packed my stuff and threw a few things in a day-pack and headed across the lawn to the library. I spent all morning into the early afternoon bring my trail journal up to speed. I snuck in a chat with Tom. I feel so spoiled getting to talk to him everyday. But being in town has left me little news to share. I wake up. I eat. I walk somewhere. I eat more. I read a book. I write a journal entry. I talk with someone. I eat more. I walk some more. I go back to the hostel. I watch a movie. I go to sleep. I dream of snakes. It was time to eat again, so I headed back to the Heritage on Main. I ate a mediocre sandwich and a HUGE portion of perfectly prepared tater tots. I LOVE tater tots. I also had key lime pie. I LOVE key lime pie. My day was just getting better and better. I spoke with my mom. Another treat She encouraged me to find a heating pad for my knee. It's not improved as I had hoped that it would. So I headed across town to the CVS pharmacy. I watched a local girl throw a hissy fit at the pharmacist and then throw a pile of papers across the store. That was pretty exciting. It made the trip worth the trouble. I got a heat wrap for the knee, along with a more substantial knee brace. I went to the ACE Hardware across the street, and they filled up my entire fuel bottle for $1. I've paid as much as $5 to fill up half of it in other trail towns. Sweet!After four days in town, I felt like I was becoming an honorary citizen of Waynesboro, so I went to the library and got a library card. Mainly I just wanted to check out movies to watch back at the hostel. Back at the hostel, I spent a large portion of the evening chatting with the hostel volunteers- really nice people! I put in the movie that I had checked out from the library, So We Bought A Zoo. I hadn't seen it before. It was cute. Some of the other hostel guests were a bit snide about it, but they can kiss my. If they don't like the movie selection, they are welcome to go get their own library card. The same group also seemed put off by the hostel's curfew, so my opinion isn't terribly high of them to begin with. They just seem ungrateful, and I have little tolerance for ingratitude.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Teahorse Hostel, Harpers Ferry, VA

To: Teahorse Hostel, Harpers Ferry, VA
Miles today: 0.0

I slept awesomely. Even though our room was almost full, there were no snorers. Thank the heavens! Unfortunately, Redspecs wasn't so lucky in his room. At breakfast, he announced to the man sitting across from him that he wanted to wring his neck because he was a "loud snorker!" I haven't had the heart to tell Redspecs that the correct term is "snorer", I like "snorker" better. We had a delicious waffle breakfast, and I took an hour to sort through my maildrops. I had way too much food (10 days worth!) to even dream of trying to carry, so I divided it up and will mail about half of it ahead a few days. Afterwards, I drove Kebban, Paul & Rick up to Keys Gap. They wanted to section hike the part back down to Harpers Ferry. They were having trouble finding someone to shuttle them, so I offered to drive them up (they had a car). In return, Kebban so generously let us use his car for the day. So after dropping them off, I headed back down and picked up Redspecs from the hostel, and then he and I drove to the ATC. It seemed more than a little ironic. We had walked almost 1020 miles, only to pull up to the headquarters in a car and take our packs out of the back. We got our official photos. I was thru-hiker #789. Wow! That's a lot of people! I signed my photo and slid it into the sleeve of "the book." It still seems so unreal to me. I took a few minutes to page through the photos to see my friends, but I was amazed by how many people I didn't know. Afterwards, we headed down the hill to the outfitters. I got some good insoles for my boots. My foot feels okay, but there's still some interesting tingling going one. Who knows what it is? We drove Kebban's car to Walmart so Redspecs could do a resupply; Harpers Ferry has very limited options. I called family and caught up with them. I had planned to spend my day at the library updating my trail journal, but I felt a much stronger pull to reconnect with family. It had been a big few days, and I really wanted to hear their voices. Before I knew it, it was time to eat again. Kebban, Paul & Rick so graciously drove Redspecs and I to a Mexican food restaurant. Redspecs had been talking about Mexican food for a while. We ate large amounts of food and chatted with our new friends. It never ceases to amaze me how generous and friendly people are. This Appalachian Trail experience has given me a new look on the friendliness of people. There are so many good people in this world. Once we got back to the hostel, we sat out at the picnic tables and chatted with the other guests. Tonight, there were several cyclers (headed from Pittsburgh to D.C.). I definitely appreciate the hiking community, but it was interesting to hear about the cycling experience. We sipped on chilled vodka (thank you, Mom) and watched the fireflies.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Chris & Jon's house, Wolfsville Rd

To: Chris & Jon's house, Wolfsville Rd
Miles today: 0.0

I had big plans to hit the trail again today, but ultimately I decided to stay put. Jon was a wonderful host. He gave me free reign of his computer so I could spend the entire day catching up on my written journal as well as get my trail journal all the way back up to speed. He ran me down into town so I could pick up some denatured alcohol for my stove as well as some groceries. Then he gave me a driving tour of the area. There are some pretty interesting places around here, and he helped clear up some trail rumors about proximity of the AT to some government facilities. I also got a chance to talk to Tom, and that's always a highlight of my day. So by the time all of this got done, it was too late in the day to bother hiking. Thank you again, Chris & Jon. Chris, I'm sorry we didn't get to meet up in person, but your home has been a much-appreciated rest stop. Thank you, Jon, for being a great, un-intrusive host!
Date: 2013-07-07
From: The Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: The Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up early and got some journaling done. Usually I'm so diligent about it, but lately I've been a slacker. I had a breakfast date with Davy Crockett, Double Dare and Blackhawk. There's a diner across the street that serves huge portions of GOOD, yet cheap breakfasts. And they have strong coffee. What's not to enjoy? I had planned on hiking out early this morning, but my knee is kind of bothering me. So I revised my plans a bit. I would shorten my day. I managed to get a hold of Tom, and that burned a good hour almost. It was heating up outside. I decided I would stick around town until around 3-4 p.m. and hike to the first shelter. There was a long stretch after that that had little water, and I didn't know if I was eager to take that all on so late in the day. I packed all my stuff up and vacated my room. As I was coming down the stairs I ran into Davy C. and Double Dare. They were zeroing in town and planning to hike out tomorrow. I told them my plans. They urged me to stay, but I felt pretty determined. But there were still several hours to kill. We sat up on the balcony and talked and laughed about all we had encountered and experience. We looked up and saw Quaker, dressed in street clothes, coming up the stairs. What? It's not uncommon to see someone you don't expect to see, but it is quite uncommon to see that person in something other than their hiking clothes. As it turned out, he has family close by. He invited us to his family's house and farm for dinner tonight. Double Dare and Davy C. looked at me. I had to come, they kept saying. These are the experiences the trail is about. I told them that I had already checked out of my room. That wasn't a good enough excuse, they said. My determination faltered. They had a point. I had a cheap place to stay. I had an invitation from a fellow hiker to come to his home and eat with his family. I thought about my melted, sweating cheese and my mushy Snickers Bar. Okay, I would stay.So when the Doyle opened back up, I asked for another room. This room has a ceiling fan! Woohoo! I feel a little guilty for zeroing, but as I sit at the computer in the little corner of the bar and I watch sweaty, wilted hiker after sweaty, wilted hiker walk through the door, I feel a little bit better about my decision.
Date: 2013-07-12
From: Port Clinton Hotel, Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter, Hawk Mountain
Miles today: 14.8

I didn't get to bed until late, but the bed was fantastically comfortable. I slept great. But it was to be a short night. Sandy and Matt with kids, animals and a lobster in tow met me outside the hotel. It was awesome and surreal to see them. We headed to McDonalds where I wolfed down two McGriddles, a hashbrown and some OJ. Matt took a proof-of-life photo to send to Tom. They took me back to Port Clinton and said our good-byes. Thank you, Sandy & Matt & Ben & Abby, for going out of your way to feed me and cheer me on. It did wonders for my spirits.I popped into the barber shop because I hadn't the day before. Rocky, the father was sitting out front. Frank, the son, was jamming to Stevie Ray Von, waiting for his first customer. I had a cup of coffee and chatted with them for a bit. Then, I knew it was time to go. It was getting late, and I was ready to hit the trail. My feet were already killing me, and I had the extra weight of five days of food. It was hot and I was sweating already as I climbed out of Port Clinton. It was tough to want to keep moving. I noticed some interesting glass-like rocks near Winsdor Furnace Shelter. I wasn't sure if the heat of the centuries-old furance had melted and morphed the sand or if the furnace used to produce some sort of glass products. I picked up several rocks, 1.5 lbs worth, and shoved them in the side pouch of my pack. Extra weight, but I love interesting rocks, so it would be a burden I would bear. I stopped at the shelter for lunch. Boston Mike was there and we hiked out together. He's hilarious, from south Boston, and he kept me entertained as we hiked along. I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings. My hiking partner and rocks kept me pretty distracted. The rain started falling softly and conti ues as we got to the Eckville shelter. The shelter looks like a nice shed sitting in someone's nicely groomed backyard. There were six bunks and a picnic table tucked into a corner. It was a little tight, but everyone could comfortably get out of the rain. There was a shower with a flushing toilet. There was a water spigot and some trash cans. Harvey & Sue, Trigs & Gromit, Rome and a few others were about. The rain continues and the bugs are bad. They are swarming around my headlamp, so I need to turn it off and get to sleep.
Date: 2013-07-13
From: Eckville Shelter, Hawk Mountain

To: Stealth camp near Bear Rocks
Miles today: 15.3

The rain continues all night long. It soothed me into a deep peaceful sleep. It was still raining when I woke up. No one moved until around 7:30. the rain was till coming down, but it was starting to lighten up. I headed out onto wet, muddy, rocky trail. I knew I had some rocks to face, and now they would be slick with rain and water-soaked lichens and moss. Excellent. My favorite. I thought I was moving at a decent pace, though my ankles and feet were killing me. I passed what I thought at Dan's spring, but a half mile later i was devastated to see a sign for the spring. Damn. Stuff like that really tear at your motivation and morale. I stopped at a little campsite nearby. There were three hikers there. They told me that the book had incorrectly labeled where the spring was. My pacing was still spot on. Hallelujah. I stopped at the Allentown Shelter for lunch. Some of my other fellow shelter dwellers were headed out. I read the shelter register, and there were plenty of bitchings about the PA rocks and poor trail maintenance. I chuckled at the clever comments and funny pictures. But then it dawned on me. The local trail volunteers must have register after register of nothing but complaint filled journals. No wonder no one wants to volunteer to take care of this section of trail when all you read is whining. Later in the day, I saw an older gentleman cutting back brush and I stopped to thank him. I don't think it happens often.   There were still lots of sharp rocks and rock scrambles. One was the vicious Knife's Edge. It took away what little wind I had left in my sail. I wasn't having fun. I wasn't looking around. Big Foot could having been standing next to the trail doing the Macarenea (sic) and I wouldn't have noticed. The trail takes you out of your comfort zone, whether its rock scrambles, heights, weather, wildlife or just the monotaney. It eats away at you. There's a Groundhog Day'esque quality this adventure is starting to take on. The adrenaline rush is gone. Everything hurts. And to 'succeed' you have to push through all of it. I had planned to try to make it to the shelter. I knew last night's group would bw there and I really liked their company. But I was tired and I was getting sloppy. I only had a liter of water left, but if I ate tomorrow's lunch and rationed my water, I could make it until tomorrow. So I stopped a few miles short and pitched my tent. I didn't want to risk a fatigue injury. I'm tired and sore, and tomorrow will be more of the same. I just need to keep my spirits up a little longer, to be free of PA and into NJ.
Date: 2013-07-17
From: Church of the Mountain Shelter, Delaware Water Gap

To: Church of the Mountain Shelter, Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Happy Birthday, Daddy!I got up early. I managed to get some sleep, but not as much as I would have liked. Oh well. I went with Steel Matt and TerBear (the first SOBOer I've met) to the local diner for breakfast. I put away an omlette, homestyle potatoes, a pancake,and a side of sausage. I was full. The couple sitting at the table next to us paid for our entire meal. WOW! What a delightful treat We didn't even get a chance to say thank you.I got some town chores done, and a local trail angel/section hiker offered me a ride to Walmart. Again, I didn't turn down the offer. There were no other resupply options save the gas stations. I got only two trail journal updates done, which was a disappointment. But I got to talk to Tom, my mom, Lynde and the neices, and my Dad. I also ran into Beerdra and was thrilled to see her again. It's been a month and a half, almost two months! We made plans to have dinner. I also saw Double Dare and brought him along with me. Beerdra brought Skeptic, and we all had a lovely, lovely meal at the Sycamore Grill. Fried calamaris and a salmon cob salad. Oh and there was a scotch involved. A really good scotch. I love zero days.
Date: 2013-07-22
From: Beerdra's House!, Middletown, NY, Unionville Rd

To: Beerdra's House!, Middletown, NY, Unionville Rd.
Miles today: 0.0

I slept for almost 10 hours. I didn't wake up and get up until almost 9 a.m. My body was so tired, and it sucked every ounce of sleep it could from the morning. The day was spent "house keeping" my gear. Clothes were washed, cook set was washed, knee brace was washed (yuck! I was carrying around at least a pound of old sweat and dirt in that thing), cleaned my filter, sanitized my water sleeves, stuff was organized, plastic ziplocks replaced. It felt great. And to get to do this for the inside of a clean house, not a hostel, not a hotel room, not the forest floor. It was fantastic! Beerdra and I ran some errands, picking up odds and ends. I had a nice long, frustrating conversation with the warranty people at Montrail. The guy insists that he MUST have my boots to inspect before he can send out a replacement pair. I explained that I didn't have the time to wait for the new boots, nor did I see how paying the money to overnight the boots to him would save me any money in the long run, especially if I had to sit in a hotel room somewhere while he was doing his inspection and then mailing them back out. It was a cyclical conversation that went nowhere. I understand that people try to finagle a pair of boots out of them, but Montrail has essentially taken a satisfied customer who would happy rave about their product and buy future products, and turned her into a frustrated, dis-satisfied customer with waning product loyalty. The real kicker was when the guy told me I could just go buy a cheap pair of boots somewhere to wear while he was looking at my boots. Seriously?! If I could get away with a cheap pair of boots, I wouldn't be buying his expensive boots that their popped seams. Hmmmmm...Luckily, the day got better after that. Sort of. I coated my clothes in a layer of permethrin, to hopefully keep the bugs (Lyme disease carrying ticks) off. Unfortunately, it started raining about that time, and the clothes have to be fully dry before you can put them on your body. The weather forecast looks pretty terrible until around lunch tomorrow, so the clothes are down in the basement drying, and we are looking for a later lunchtime-ish start. Hopefully the poison will be all dry by then. My head is in a much better place, and my feet are looking a lot better. 36 hrs of no shoes seems to be doing them well. So now it's time for sleep.
Date: 2013-08-02
From: Russ & Tanya's House, Fall's Village, CT

To: Russ & Tanya's House, Fall's Village, CT
Miles today: 0.0

Tom called around midnight. It was so good to hear his voice, but I was so tired that I kept falling asleep. Finally, he told me sweet dreams and I promised to call when I woke up. I slept hard and good and didn't get up until 8:00 a.m. That's the equivalent to noon in my normal world. Tanya and Russ fed me and hauled me around to my various errand places. I was able to have my new boots sent to my parents' house, and they forward them to me wherever I decide. These damn boots are going to cost me a fortune by the time its said and done. The real kicker is that the current pair will be worn out by the time I get the new pair. But you choose your battles, I guess. I contacted Therma-rest because my air mattress has formed a bubble. It still works great and doesn't leak, but they are sending me a new one. Thank you, Therma-rest!I got some phone calls done, as well as a couple of trail journals. Before I knew it, it was midnight. How quickly a zero day goes!Also, thank you so much Tanya and Russ for picking me up, taking me in, feeding me, running me around, and returning me safely to the trail
Date: 2013-08-04
From: Campsite near Laurel Ridge Campsite

To: Beerdra's mom's house, Great Barrington, MA
Miles today: 12.9

Geeze, did I sleep good last night. And late. But I still managed to get up and out by 8:00 am. The hike up to Mtn Race was easy. There were lots of trees down, but the hike still kept you edging along through the wooded ridgeline. That became a rocky, exposed ridgeline. The side just seemed to fall off into nothing. I stayed as far away from the edge as possible, but the short sturdy trees just seemed to keep pushing me closer to the edge. I didn't care for it too much. Also, this was a trail created by people who like ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs. PUDS everywhere you looked! Soft ground was passed over in favor of rock slabs. I looked longingly towards to the dirt, but it wasn't to be. I was destined to walk on rock. I was headed to meet Beerdra. She has family in Great Barrington, and she was going to be in town. Just my luck! It's been two weeks since I've seen her, and I missed that girl. So the rocks and PUDS just seemed like one more obstacle. In other words, I grumbled a lot. More than I probably should have. I stopped for lunch at the Jug's edge. I had a sinking suspicion that a steep down lay ahead. So I wanted to eat as much as possible, so it would be less weight to carry. I was right!Along the way, I came across trail magic in the way of fresh water. I got to chat with Cat Lady; I'd thought she was far ahead, but in fact she was behind. I'll never understand how that seems to keep happening. But she was positive and upbeat and was loving Massachusetts, so I pretended I did, too. I didn't want to sound like a Debbie-downer. Finally the ground leveled out. Good, now I can finally start making some good time! I came into an open field. Thunder and lightning cracked and rumbled over head. Rain started coming down in sheets. I ducked under a HUGE willow tree and dropped my pack. I sat in the grass and let the worst of it pass. It only took 10 minutes of so. The grass was soaked and quickly saturated my boots. Oh well. The trail went over marshes and through beautiful pastures. It passed the site of Shay's Rebellion (I'll need to look that one up), and then headed back into the woods. Finally, it crossed a creek and a railroad tracks. I saw a little white car parked beside the road. Beerdra! My friend! We went to the grocery store and then grabbed some delicious appetizers at the Route7 Grill- duck confit, fried calamari, and hot wings accompanied by beers. We went to her mom's house. I took a shower and washed some clothes. We played catch up, and then headed out for me food at 20 Railroad- awesome spring rolls and more beers. We chatted with a couple of locals. It felt so good to feel "normal." But it was getting late, and we both want to hit the trail tomorrow. So we made one last stop for ice cream (pumpkin for me, it tasted like pumpkin cheesecake, OMG). I know tomorrow my brain is going to wish I hadn't had some much "fun" tonight, but that's to be worried about tomorrow.