morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-21
From: Rock 'N Sole Hostel

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

First off I cannot say enough good things about Rock 'N Sole hostel! I awoke to coffee followed by an amazing breakfast. Craig and Jody have a beatiful property and go out of their way to make sure that you have everything you need for an enjoyable stay. I headed to the Yeungling tour with Hammer, it was awesome and I got confirmation that the rumor of Yeungling coming to Louisiana is true and it would be there in August! Awesome, that's when I intend to be home too! I got some good rest and resupply, ready to hit it full on tomorrow.This has by far been the best hostel I have stayed at, highly recommend! The accolade toons are comfortable and the food is great and the portions are hiker sized!
Date: 2016-06-22
From: Rock 'N Sole Hostel

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 29.5
Weather: few clouds

Woke up to a great breakfast at Rock N Sole and drank way too much coffee. Craig dropped me off at the trail head and I took off doing more trail running than hiking, averaging over 4mph for the beginning of the morning. I slowed after an hour or two as the caffeine wore off, but still made great pace. Eckville is one of the nicer shelters with a caretaker, flushing toilet, shower, etc. I made good time getting there around 6, but of course the shelter was full. I went to the tenting and saw Big Stick and Odysseus! I was surprised to see them since I took a 0 but they had done lower miles the last two days and enjoyed Hamburg and Port Clinton. We all had similar plans for the next day so I ate supper with them then crashed to get rest for a decent day up ahead.
Date: 2016-06-23
From: Eckville Shelter

To: George W. Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up pretty early but was in no rush to take off. I ate breakfast and hung around the shelter before finally taking off with Big Stick in light rain. We hit the next shelter and the rain had slacked up and decided we would stop at Blue Mountain Summit B&B for lunch in a few miles. It was a very quick 3 miles to our destination due to it mostly being on an old road bed. I ate a burger, salad, fries, cheese sticks, and had a beer but still felt as if I didn't eat at all. Hiker hunger is for real, but my tab was already high enough so we closed out and hiked on. We hit Knife's edge and few other rocky areas that would not have been so tough if it wasn't raining again making the rocks very slippery!I hit trail magic just as they were about to leave and got a hotdog then hiked on to the next shelter and chilled for a while. I eventually made it to the destination a little later than everyone else but was glad to see some familiar faces again that I hadn't seen in a few days. I slept in the shelter with a section hiker having plenty room. Odysseus mentioned the possibility of doing 36 miles into Water Gap, I told him I was game but we would have to start early and worse case I wanted to do 30 miles to KirkRidge Shelter.
Date: 2016-06-24
From: George W. Outerbridge Shelter

To: KirkRidge Shelter
Miles today: 30.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up and was ready to roll right before 6. I saw Not Chris getting ready to roll and tried to talk him into doing 30 also.The day started with a big climb, literally a climb. Well the technical term is "scramble". But after that it was smooth sailing other than water being sparse with a lot of sources dried up. The first good source was a Shelter at Mile 17. I got there earlier and ate a big lunch then made the long haul into a bottom to get water. I then found a deer tick on me and pulled it off but did not appear to get a clean removal. Everyone else showed up to the shelter and I talked with them a bit then worried about the tick I made a call to see if I could get some antibiotics sent to the next town. All of this made for a lunch break over 2 hours so I know knew 36 miles wouldn't happen. It seemed like the others were thinking about calling it a day at 17 miles so I told them see ya, hopefully ya'll change your mind and show up at KirkRidge!I made good time and pulled up to the shelter to see it full but the guys there said they could make room for me. One of them ended up being Cousteau who is from Lafayette! I knew someone else from the area was on trail but he started about a month before me so I never thought I would meet him.
Date: 2016-06-25
From: KirkRidge Shelter

To: Tentsite
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

I got up and rolled out to town, Delaware Water Gap. I went to the church hostel and took a shower then hit the "all you can eat" pancake breakfast that was going on to celebrate the Town's Founder's day.I was a little aggravated, the lady kept giving me two pancakes at a time. I know she knew I was a hiker she could have saved time and plates and just stacked me a big plate to be over with haha but I just kept coming back for more. After 6 plates or so I walked around town trying to get a resupply. It was slim pickings but between a bakery and a gas station I felt I was good enough and headed out to finish up Rocksylannia and head into Jersey. I got into jersey and saw a lot of day hikers, then came to a bottle neck in the trail. A day hiker told me 2 hikers just saw a bear and I might want to wait before going down trail, my reply "Awesome, hopefully I can get some pictures" as I hiked on. I was feeling very low energy so had to stop and eat more at around 5pm and luckily had a 5hr energy. After the food and 5hr I was rolling again and headed to an area on a ridge that was prepped for residential lots years ago before being sold to the Forest Service, creating somewhat open ares for tenting in the woods that would have been yards. I rounded a corner to see a bear walking straight towards me. I tried to get a picture as he was really close but he spun around and took off. I got to the tent site and found many good spots to setup so once again I was sleeping in my tent, it had been a while before having to do so at Eckville Shelter.
Date: 2016-06-26
From: Tentsite

To: Mashipacong Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

I sprung up early and headed down trail. It was a little rocky but for the most part pretty easy trail. At 12 miles I venture off trail a bit to Gyp's Tavern for a burger and beer. There I met Squid, Hornet, and several other hikers. I had 2 beers and a burger, and realized the 2 beers hit me a lot harder than they should of. Running a calorie deficit and hiking all day will definitely do that, so I decided to shorten it to 23 miles. Got back on trail and 2-3 miles later run up on trail magic and Squid is there, and also beer. I couldn't turn down another beer,also ended up finding a tick on my head which freaked me out. Trying not to fall asleep I hiked on. I got to a shelter at 20 miles to see Squid, Hornet and a Ridge runner. I planned to go on but the Ridge Runner said " Do you have somewhere you need to be by a certain date?" and I said no and he basically said no point in going any further unless you really need to. I took his words of wisdom and called it a night. Squid mentioned hiking a marathon to a church hostel the next AM and I said I was definitely in.
Date: 2016-06-27
From: Mashipacong Shelter

To: St.Thomas Church Hostel
Miles today: 26.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I took off a little before everyone else but was caught by squid after a mile or two. I was feeling super sluggish and had some tightness in my calf that was starting to get painful. I saw squid taking a snack break later on and kept going since I was going so slow, he eventually caught back up to me and asked if I was going to make the 26? I said yea man, just low on food and caffeine once we stop in town for lunch I'll be like a new man. I came to Unionville, NY and went in to pick up a package. The town had everything a hiker needed but was very dead! Not much going on there at all. Didn't see any packs outside of any of the buildings so wasn't sure were squid was. I went into he pizza place and of course that's where I would find him. Hornet showed up shortly after. I ate pizza, resupplied, got and energy drink and we took off. I had no trouble hiking fast after being fueled up! We pushed it pretty hard and made good time to get to the road. Hitching is illegal in NJ but not really enforced in that area, but we still decided to just split a taxi for the 2.5 miles to the hostel.The hostel was awesome, just a church basement open to hikes for a recommended $10.00 donation but it had everything you need, shower, laundry, computer, tv with dvds,microwave, etc.There I met Autobahn, AJ, Scooter, Hawaii, and Racoon. Well I think Racoon's trail name was Racoon, I forgot but it sounds right. He recently found out he had Lyme Disease and was zeroing and drinking Margaritas so I called him Tequila and Lyme.We all crashed around 10.
Date: 2016-06-28
From: St.Thomas Church Hostel

To: Wild Cat Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

Squid and I both decided the night before to get up early and head out for 5am. As you can guess those early ambitious plans never happen. We got up around 6:30 then grabbed breakfast at Dunking Donuts. Then squid talked me into hanging around until 11 to get Chinese. We were only going 17 miles, since you could only camp at designated areas in NJ and NY our options were 17 or 33 miles and we had to start the morning with a very steep climb named "Stairway to Heaven". We got Chinese then Squid mentioned Zero'ing I thought about it for a second and said Nah man we got to hike today!We got to the trail head at 1:15 and smashed stairway to heaven quickly! It was tough but we flew through it and hiked really hard until hitting the state line and crossing into NY which involved a lot of walking on slippery rocks so we slowed it down. We got to the shelter to see it was full which sucked because rain was coming but got our tents setup and road it out.
Date: 2016-06-29
From: Wild Cat Shelter

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: moderate rain

Took off a little late around 8pm but figured it would be fine with only 22 miles planned. Hiked with Squid till the first water source which was supposed to be a waterfall but was more of a trickle, anyway it was enough for a us to tank off. I was feeling sluggish and I could tell he was too. The day was going way too slow but we came upon some trail magic of water, Cantaloupe and other goodies. I took off and started feeling sluggish again after a few hours. I got to the shelter at 19.6 were AJ and Scooter were headed and decided I would just call it quits there. The planned shelter had a great view of NYC at night but was over a half mile off trail and I was feeling reallly tired. The next day was going to suck. With New Yorks stupid rule of not allowing dispersed camping the only options were a 16 mile day or a 30 mile day. Squid and I both decided we would have to do the 30.
Date: 2016-06-30
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Fahnestock Park
Miles today: 30.4
Weather: few clouds

I took off right before 6am. It was a long and slow day. Hiking through Bear Mountain with a ton off people and the trail side zoo slowed me down a lot but I did get ice cream and plenty of snacks all day. I stopped at a deli at 16 miles thinking I would see Squid but never did see him again. I hiked on to Fahnestock and got there after dark, unable to find the tenting area. I saw another hiker on the beach so I just did the same and set up on the beach, planning to get up early to roll out before anyone showed up.The large amount of people with no hiking etiquette and having to pass through the trail side zoo which just seemed odd to me, couple with having to hike a 30 on a day that I was not feeling up to it made this one of my least favorite days on the trail. But all in all it was better than being a work, and still have some good moments and great sights.
Date: 2016-07-01
From: Fahnestock Park

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: few clouds

I got up around 5 and picked everything up then took a nice shower at the park to help wake me up after a terrible night's rest. I planned lower mileage for the next few days to get me to Great Barrington on the 5th for a Near-0 and Zero as I near the final stretches of the AT! I felt great for the first 2 hours then tanked, but luckily there was a deli near trail which I stopped at for lunch. After a meatball sub and some coercing from thunder I felt like a new man and took off almost running to my designation, arriving at 3pm. It was early but the rain was coming and I had no need to hike further. I took a nap then decided to try to find water. I went .6 down to the road and found a little water left from trail magic and a Mtn Dew. I grabbed them and went back to the shelter. When I got to the shelter I heard someone yell my name to turn and see Sundog! I thought he was ahead of me but apparently I had passed him. Caught up with him and mentioned having a room booked in Great Barrington if he was interested.
Date: 2016-07-02
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Mt. Algo Shelter
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Headed out and caught up to Sundog and hiked with him for a bit then he let me pass and after a mile or two I started feeling good and took off. Got to the Appalachian Railroad Station to find trail magic provided by another thru hiker, Elle's parents. It was awesome trail magic and really fueled me to continue with a quick day. I cross into Connecticut, making New York a think of the pass and decided to stop at a country store with about 7 miles left. I ate a late lunch and was feeling a little slower and the trail got a little tougher. Sundog caught me right before the shelter. We went to the shelter and decided to eat and then hike another 7 miles to the next shelter. After eating I decided the extra mileage wasn't needed with my plans to be in GB for the 5th so I stayed and had the Shelter to myself. I told Sundog I might do a bigger day the next day and see him at Limestone Springs shelter.Mosquitos were pretty bad but I didn't want to setup my tent so I put on my head net (first time I wore it all trip) and bundled up tight in my quilt to protect the rest of my body.
Date: 2016-07-03
From: Mt. Algo Shelter

To: Belter's Campsite
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I sprung up and realized I was out of any caffeine products! I knew this would be bad and and headed north feeling very very tired. At the first road crossing I ran into another Thru Hiker's (New Hampshire Bob) daughter and her husband and children. They gave me a banana and some bagels which was much appreciated. I got to the next shelter around 11,ate and took an hour nap but still felt really bad. Eventually I got to a road with a gas station nearby so I made it that way to grab an energy drink, 5 hrs, and a little more food. Feeling much better I pushed on to Belter's Campsite and setup for the night. I could have made it to Limestone but the beginning of the day was so slow that I would have arrived very late so I opted against it.
Date: 2016-07-04
From: Belter's Campsite

To: The Hemlocks Shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept pretty good making it hard to get moving in the am. I took off around 8am for one of my more interesting days on trail. I felt pretty good and was hiking hard. I eventually came to 3 big climbs,2 of them being Bear Mountain and Mt. Everett. This zapped a lot of my energy so I slowed down some. Bs'd with a local guy for around 20-30 minutes. He hikes the Mountain there twice a week and this was his 100+ Summit! I also saw another hiker I met a while back that commended me on how fast I was doing the trail and basically said bye I'll never see you again! Seeing him I just knew he had to had yellow blazed (hitched and skipped part of the trail) and when he came up to join conversation then saw me and wouldn't make eye contact and then left quickly I knew my assumption was likely correct. Hike you own hike and all but if you are going to yellow blaze, own up to it and don't call yourself a thru hiker (just my thoughts although many agree). He's not the first that I have encounter like this though and I'm sure he won't be the last.I crossed into Mass, crossing CT off the list and hit the 1500 mile marker leaving on 689 miles! 689 miles was my mileage for month to so the reality of the trail coming to an end is really starting to sink in. Hike on to the Hemlocks shelter which was really nice and met Spider, Chili Pepper, and El Auto. El Auto ask me if I knew anything about Toto and I was clueless. He then gave me the story of ToTo the Toyota Hubcap that was found on the PCT last year and passed off from hiker to hiker until he made it to Canada and is now being passed hiker to hiker on the AT until he makes it to Katahdin. And then he said we have Toto right here if you want to take him! I wasn't going to at first but figure why not, it'll be fun to hike with a hubcap for a day and make a good story! They rolled out to hike a little more then Hedgehog showed up and we decided to light a fire for the 4th. Eventually a guy shows up hiking in "Tighty-Whities" which was odd but you never know what you'll see on the AT! He was an interesting character to say the least but seemed like a decent guy regardless.
Date: 2016-07-05
From: The Hemlocks Shelter

To: Great Barrington
Miles today: 8.0

Took off around 8:30 to Great Barrington with Toto in tow. No rush to leave early since I figured I wouldn't be able to check in to my hotel until maybe 12 at the earliest. I got a hitch into town pretty easy but my hitch was in a rush so she just dropped me off in the center of town. I ended up walking about a mile tot he hotel but it was an easy walk. Sundog met me at the hotel and we went to the Brewery for beer and a pretty good supper!
Date: 2016-07-06
From: Great Barrington

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Woke up and smashed the breakfast at the hotel. It was a legit full breakfast which was really nice. Sundog rolled out to get back on trail and I passed ToTo off to him. I then got a resupply and now taking the time to finally update my journal! Going to spend the rest of the day taking and ice bath, watching netflix, drinking beer, eating, and hitting the hot tub!I'll slaughter the breakfast at the hotel again tmw am then get headed north again. The plan is to do 20 or so miles tmw then a big day of 30+ and hopefully catch Sundog in a week or so. Would be nice to have someone from NH to hike with in The Whites!
Date: 2016-07-07
From: Great Barrington

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

Way behind. Updating what I can remember well than will do the rest state by state touching on important/memorable moments.Left Hotel for 11:30am, planning to do 20+. Went ahead and just called a cab, figured it would save time and wouldn't cost much. Well the cab saved time but like most shuttles to/from trail it was way overpriced. Mass. doesn't allow dispersed camping so after looking at my guide I realized I would only be able to do 18 miles due to the time that I started hiking.I was feel pretty sluggish, it was a pretty warm day and I stayed up most of the previous night getting caught up on Netflix. I was tempted to stop a little short but pushed on. I saw a young bear about a mile from the campsite and watched it for a while. Coming into the campsite I heard something coming through the woods and knew it had to be a bear and would come out really close, so I got my phone ready for a picture but a soon as the bear hit the trail it saw me and bolted not giving me enough time to snap a close up. I found a god spot to setup my tent and settled in for the night.
Date: 2016-07-08
From: Shaker Campsite

To: Kay Wood Shelter
Miles today: 27.6
Weather: broken clouds

Headed out early and made my way North.I stopped by Upper Goose Pond for an early lunch. I really wish I could have stayed at the Cabin there, but unfortunately it did not work into my mileage. I soaked my feet in the cool water and watched small bream and crawfish swim around.Around 2pm or so it really started pouring! By far the hardest rain I experience on the AT. The trail flooded almost immediately and I pushed on mostly in ankle deep water. I got to October Mountain Shelter for a 19 mile day ready to call it a day early with the rain. As soon as I pulled in a camp of about 15 kids came in and crowded the shelter immediately, I picked up my things and continues North to the next Shelter.The last 2 miles or so to the Shelter it finally quick raining. I got to the shelter soaked to see El Auto and Chili Pepper again. It's always nice seeing people along the trail again, even if you did only meet them once briefly.I was also glad to see an open bunk in the shelter!
Date: 2016-07-09
From: Kay Wood Shelter

To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: light rain

Rolled out around 7 or so. I made it to Dalton, Mass which is a good bit of road walking through Neighborhoods. One house a lady was just coming outside to put out apples for hikers, which she does everyday. I gladly accepted and apple and continued on into town. I stopped at a Gas Station to get breakfast and more importantly caffeine. I was feeling pretty down physically, and was just hoping I could ingest enough caffeine to fix this. In the store I met Tom, a local trail angel that lets hikers camp in his yard and fill up their water. He offered to take me a town or so over to the Walmart for resupply since he was headed there anyway. Unfortunately I over supplied in Great Barrington and still had plenty of food. He gave me heads up on what was in the next town and wished me well.Got to Cheshire and was really tempted to call it a day and stop at the Church Hostel there. It had been raining most of the day, though much lighter than what I got the day before, and I was just flat out tired. Nevertheless I stopped in at the Dunkin Donuts, grabbed lunch, candy, and more caffeine and pushed on North. I finally got back to a decent hiking pace and was able to zone out and push forward. Rain picked up a little and it was starting to get a little chilly. I planned to go on to a shelter around 21 miles but had to stop at an earlier shelter to inspect the Privy.After taking care of business I went to the Shelter and saw only one other person there at the time, Walnut. It was a nice new-ish Shelter, typical Mass style with bunks and loft. I fell into the Shelter's lure and grabbed a bottom bunk. It was early, but I was cold damp and tired. I figured if I would have pushed on to the next shelter it would have likely been full by the time I got there, forcing me to sleep in my tent in the rain. We ended up having a packed house.