morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-06-16
From: Caughnawaga Shelter

To: Spruce Peak Shelter
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I am spending the night at Spruce Peak Shelter. That puts me at 1,087.2 completed miles. The official halfway point is 1,087.05 so I just hit the halfway point!!!!This usually happens at a place called Pine Grove Furnace, just north of the PA/MD line but since I am doing a section up north, Spruce Peak Shelter is my halfway point. It is also tradition among Thru-hikers to take the ¢Half-Gallon Challenge¢. The challenge is to eat a half-gallon of ice cream. I could do it tomorrow when I get to Manchester Center, which is less than 3 miles away, but I think I will wait till I get to Hane¢s. After all, Hane once challenged me to eat a whole Burger King cheeseburger in one mouthful (which I did) so it seems only fitting!I hiked the first part of the day with the two girls from the day before. Not only were they cute, but quite interesting. They really know a lot about the plants and animals we were hiking around. I wish I knew more about my surroundings out here. It would make the hike a lot more interesting. I went back to hiking solo in the afternoon as they were just out for a couple days and had to go back to work. I climbed Stratton Mountain where the idea of the Long Trail was conceived and in turn the A.T. came about from the L.T. (If I haven¢t mentioned already, I am currently on the Long Trail portion of the A.T. The Long Trail is a separate trail that runs from the Mass/VT border to the VT/Canada Boarder. The A.T. and L.T. run together for just over 100 miles.) Anyway, there is an old fire tower and building up on the top of Stratton Mountain and they are registered National Landmarks...pretty cool.I climbed the fire tower but it was too cloudy and foggy to see anything.The rain held off until later in the day but sure enough it came down. I don¢t know if this is a good thing but I have gotten pretty used to the rain and it isn¢t bothering me. It stayed cool again today...probably in the low 60¢s. It¢s 49o right now at 8:45 PM and I like it because it is nice and cozy in my sleeping bag, which is where I am going now.Good nightT
Date: 2005-06-17
From: Spruce Peak Shelter

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

Another day and more rain. It wasn¢t so much the rain from today that was a pain but rather the effect of all the rain overnight. Most of the trails had turned into streams. The problem isn¢t mud anymore but all the water on the trail. It has become such a hassle trying to jump from one log to another rock to avoid stepping in water.I also had to cross a couple rivers that were overflowing. I barely made it across both, but it makes me nervous with my camera and phone inside my pack. One wrong move and it¢s a very costly mistake. I have decided to call it quits early today in hopes that the trail will look more like a trail than a stream tomorrow.The exciting news of the day came late in the day after crossing Peru Peak. I was hiking down a steep, rocky hill and was starting to get frustrated because I didn¢t see any white blazes indicating I was on the A.T., OFF in the distance I could hear a thunderstorm approaching and I was not wanting to have to turn around and climb up this STEEP hill if I indeed was not on the trail. I kept on going and just when I saw the white blaze I was looking for, I lost my footing. Again, I repeat, I was on a steep rocky (more like boulders) hill when I lost it. When I couldn¢t regain my footing on the second and third boulder, that is when I went flying. I ended up going completely head over heels, doing a complete flip and would have probably done another if it wasn¢t for the Christmas tree on the side of the trail that stopped me. My one hiking pole was a few feet further down the trail and I must have let go of the other when I was upside down because that is how I found it standing next to a rock! I amazingly didn¢t get hurt but instead found myself laughing as I lay on the ground after I realized I was all in one piece.Despite the fall and bad weather, once again today I really enjoyed the day.I¢ll tumble for you!
Date: 2005-06-18
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: light rain

Guess What? It rained again today. It wasn¢t so bad though because it was only for about an hour in the beginning of the day. The trails improved slightly but there were still lots of trails submerged in water.I came across a Trail Angel today who had cooked up a jambalaya sort of dinner but didn¢t see any hikers except for myself. The guy seemed pretty weird but I think he is a really nice person when it comes down to it. The man was big and burly to begin with and then he wanted to let me know that he was carrying 2 concealed weapons so I wouldn¢t freak out if I saw them. He also talked about the NRA and how he was unemployed. Anyway, I tried to look at the positive side and thought it was really nice of him to offer me food and a ride when he is unemployed. Very nice but also very weird!One week ago I was riding around Syracuse in a limo...one week from now Klicker is going to be married.
Date: 2005-06-19
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Tucker-Johnson Shelter
Miles today: 17.4

It was a slow day today. I have only knocked out 10 miles by 2:00 PM. I then hung out on the Peak of Killington Ski Resort until 4:30 PM. The gondola and lodge restaurant on the peak was supposed to be up and running but they were not so I just hung out and enjoyed the view and solitude.I opened up a gondola door and just hung out and ate lunch. It was nice to be able to relax up at the peak and not get right back to hiking.I am on a schedule to get to Hane¢s but once I get back to Harpers Ferry I am going to slow it down and enjoy my surroundings a lot more. I am really looking forward to this.I am exhausted and going to bed.JudeP.S. I almost forgot. It Didn¢t Rain Today!
Date: 2005-06-20
From: Tucker-Johnson Shelter

To: Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 18.9

Vermont all of a sudden got tough. I climbed over what seemed like 100 mountains today but what really bothers me is my data book doesn¢t mention any of this in the elevation. It¢s one thing to climb a big mountain and another when you aren¢t expecting it. I will tell you what else is bugging me is not having my Thru-hiker Companion. It¢s a more detailed book than the data book so I have been feeling pretty lost out here. The weather was nice again today!One more full day of hiking until my next 4-5 day break!
Date: 2005-06-23
From: Hane's; Essex, VT

To: Burlington, VT
Miles today: 0.0

So, the mayhem didn¢t end yesterday with forgetting my equipment and then having to hike all the way to Hanover and sleep on campus. I woke up in the middle of the night because it was raining. The problem was I never put the rain fly on and just left all my equipment lying out in the grass outside my tent. With the rain falling I reached out my tent and put the fly on half-assembled and went back to bed. When I woke up in the morning there was a few liters of water that collected in the corner of the tent. My sleeping bag got pretty wet which is a big no-no since it is down.However, the bigger problem was the campus police officer I saw walking towards my tent when I peeked my head out. Before he had a chance to say anything I started to apologize and told him my sappy tough luck story from the night before. He took my drivers license and told me he would have to make a report of a vagrant sleeping on the campus lawn. I think I made the student newspaper crime section! The officer was actually really nice and he asked me a bunch of questions about the A.T. and Tampa.Hane and Alexis picked me up a few hours later and hopefully you read the special journal entry from Hane the day before. Thanks Hane. I guess it¢s good to get the perspective of others as well. After we had lunch in Hanover, Hane asked me to take Luca outside because she was crying. I could only imagine what that looked like! I looked like such a dirty smelly bum and I am holding this little newborn baby out on the street and she¢s crying like crazy on top of that I barely know what to do with little babies to get them to stop crying. What a scene. It probably looked like I was trying to kidnap little Luca.Later that night Hane and I went down to Lake Champlain to throw the football around. It was so nice out and we saw a great sunset over the lake. We went up to Church Street to a couple bars when the sun went down. We spent most of our time at Nectar¢s, which is where Phish played before they became big. I am guessing that is how the album ¢Picture of Nectar¢ got its name. We listened to a couple good local bands with a Phish sound and had a good time. We also tasted a bunch of micro brews from up there and boy there are a lot. I think I liked the Long Trail Ale the best; which is also a trail that I just recently hiked. After a few different beers, we saw people drinking these mini pitchers, so of course we had to have one of those. Many local beers and 1 Molsen Canadian (because the tap had a hockey helmet on it) later and we ended up cabbing it back to the house. And oh yeah, we also had the gravy fries at Nectars...Good Stuff! Good Night!
Date: 2005-06-24
From: Burlington, VT

To: Somewhere in Massachusetts
Miles today: 0.0

I rented a car and drove down to Matt¢s today and then drove about another hour to where the wedding/hotel/rehearsal dinner would be. We had a short rehearsal and then Matt and I had some running around to do.   In my typical fashion, I had a scare where I thought I lost my wallet and then minutes later locked my room key in my room.   This was all just about an hour before Matt gave me the marriage license. I think he was a lot more nervous about me holding onto the license and rings then the actual ceremony.Anyway, we had a great dinner that night and it was good to see all the guys again. We went back to the hotel bar afterwards and had a good time playing ¢quarters¢ and ¢flip cup¢ just like the good ole days!That¢s all for now.
Date: 2005-06-25
From: Somewhere in Massachusetts

To: Somewhere in Massachusetts
Miles today: 0.0

Today was the big day!No, I didn¢t walk 1,000 miles overnight to Katahdin, but it was Matt¢s wedding day.We had a relaxing afternoon, ate lunch, and played ¢asshole¢ at a bar a few miles away.The wedding went great and I was so happy for Matt and Shailagh.They are great together.Congrats guys!
Date: 2005-06-26
From: Somewhere in Massachusetts

To: Ocean City, MD
Miles today: 0.0

It was a rough morning. I had to get up at 6:00 AM after only 4 hours of sleep.Thanks so much Ryan for taking me to the airport so early!I got to BWI at 11:00 AM where Uncle Bernie and Aunt Marguerite picked me up. I wasn¢t sure if they were going to take me right to the trail or maybe stay a night at their house in Hagerstown.Well, it was none of the above. They told me they were heading to their beach house in Ocean City for the week and asked me if I wanted to go there or back to the trail. It was a tough decision. Actually it was easy and we were off to the beach. We stopped off at Aunt Trudy¢s on the way. It was good to see them again.Anyway, I¢m now at the beach and looking forward to a good week.
Date: 2005-06-27
From: Ocean City, MD

To: Ocean City, MD
Miles today: 0.0

Well, the weather didn¢t co-operate with Uncle Bernie and my plans. We did get a nice 12-mile bike ride in this morning but we were also planning on taking the boat out into the bay to fish for flounder and also pick some clams in the sand bars. The weather kept raining off and on and the water was quite choppy.We did take a ride down to Assateague Island National Park. The weather cleared up some down there and we saw some wild horses and deer on the island. Just a relaxing day near the beach.
Date: 2005-06-28
From: Ocean City, MD

To: Ocean City, MD
Miles today: 0.0

The weather finally cleared up today and we took full advantage of it. We went for a 20-mile bike ride this morning before getting on the boat. It is a whole lot easier to bike 20 miles on flat land than to hike 20 miles up and down mountains with 40 lbs. on my back!After the bike ride, the three of us got on the boat and into the bay in search of flounder and clams. We didn¢t have any success flounder fishing but did get about 6-7 dozen clams! We cooked some up when we got back and they were great! Nothing like FRESH seafood! We saved a bunch for this weekend when Matt and his kids get here. Today was such a fun and relaxing day. Everyone deserves to live this way.
Date: 2005-06-29
From: Ocean City, MD

To: Ocean City, MD
Miles today: 0.0

What is with this rain?It came back again today along with some strong winds, messing up any outdoor plans. I did get to learn Aunt Annie¢s Florida Rummy and we played much of the day. I got addicted to the game and will at least have it to play if we have more bad weather. Matt, my cousin got in today with his kids and we grilled up dinner and had a good time.I read Hane¢s entry today from the day he picked me up and I must admit most of it was true, but I think he, like any good writer, exaggerated a bit. I guess pictures don¢t lie though.Any way, hopefully we will have a nice sunny day tomorrow.
Date: 2005-06-30
From: Ocean City, MD

To: Ocean City, MD
Miles today: 0.0

Not much hiking related stuff going on as I am still enjoying the beach. Actually there is one bit of news. I washed my sleeping bag today for the first time. Up until this point I was not sure if I could wash it because it is a down feather bag and I have been told not to get it wet. Anyway, I hand washed it and was nervous the whole time until it finally dried. The only problem was it still smelled after washing it twice.   I didn¢t think it smelled that bad but Marissa told me it still stunk and kids tell it like it is. It was good to get her opinion because I ask people a lot if I or my equipment smell and I think they usually are just polite and don¢t say the truth. So, anyway, my stuff still stinks but I think my body is finally 100% clean again.
Date: 2005-07-01
From: Ocean City, MD

To: Ocean City, MD
Miles today: 0.0

Just another day of enjoying my vacation here in Ocean City, MD from my bigger vacation (hiking).We all went out on the boat again today. I caught a flounder but it wasn¢t big enough to keep.It has been a lot of fun hanging out with Matt¢s kids, Marissa, Jasmine and Nick. I think they like having me around to play with them. I thought Ella was a lot of fun but it is only going to get even better when she and Luca get a few years older.Only a couple more days left here at the beach. I will miss it but I am also looking forward to getting back out there.
Date: 2005-07-04
From: Ocean City, MD

To: Hapers Ferry (cowboy camped-porch)
Miles today: 0.0

Well, as I sit here and write this, I am back on the balcony of the Outfitter¢s at Harpers Ferry. It seemed like such a long time ago when I made it here and it actually was a long time ago...almost 4 weeks I think.Anyway, Uncle Bernie and I drove here from the beach this morning. I had a really good week at the beach. It was so nice and relaxing and was also great to catch up with everyone. I especially enjoyed hanging out with Matt¢s kids. They were so much fun and great to be around. I also had a lot of fun with Uncle Bernie. We are both so competitive and it was fun trying to catch more fish, ride my bike faster and beat him in cards. Good Times!Uncle Bernie and I went for a 20-mile bike ride on the C & O Canal when we got to Harpers Ferry before he left.I was getting pretty excited to start hiking when I woke up this morning and it continued through the day. I am happy to report that I am excited and ready to get going again and finish the last 1,000 miles. I almost feel like I am starting all over again since it has been exactly 2 weeks since I have hiked.Anyway, the owner of the Outfitter¢s said I could sleep on her balcony again tonight, like I did 4 weeks ago before I stopped. I also saw Rebecca, the cute girl that works here. It is too bad she lives in WVA.Oh yeah, one last thing. Today is the 4th of July. I was hoping to see some fireworks so I climbed to the top of Harpers Ferry and hung out at an awesome overlook at Hillside Hotel and Restaurant. I didn¢t see any fireworks but I met a few Thru-Hikers and had an awesome view of the Potomac River and Maryland, which was on the other side.It was a good way to end the day.
Date: 2005-07-05
From: Hapers Ferry (cowboy camped-porch)

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

I am officially back on the trail again. Before leaving Harpers Ferry today, I checked in at the ATC headquarters and got my picture taken. I am #564. That means I am the 564th Thru-Hiker to come through. Not that it makes a difference but I would have been #200 had I checked in before I got off the trail. It was fun going through the picture book of Thru-Hikers. I got to see a lot of people that I met along the way. Some of which look a lot different from when I first met them.I hiked 15.5 miles today and the 14-day lay off really took a toll. It felt like I was starting all over from the beginning. Not only did my feet hurt as usual but also my ankles and knees. Hopefully I will get back in shape quicker than when I started at Springer.I also officially completed WVA today when I crossed the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry. I will be in Maryland for the next two days before crossing into PA.Glad to be back!
Date: 2005-07-06
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Foxville Road
Miles today: 16.9

Before I get started about today, I have to tell you about last night right before I was about to fall asleep. A big thunderstorm blew through with very heavy rain. I felt a little spray of water but didn¢t think much of it. Then minutes later I felt more and when I leaned up to investigate; I felt a lot of water under me. I pushed my hand down on the ground beside me and realized that there was about two inches of water under my tent all around me. It was like being on a waterbed! It then started to seep through the floor of my tent. My tent is supposed to be waterproof but I guess when there is that much water you are out of luck. I felt pretty hopeless and desperate. The rain was still coming down like cats and dogs as I began to wipe up the puddles that were forming in the tent. The storm finally passed through when I began to get really nervous because I thought I was going to be sleeping in a pool of water. I ended up being pretty lucky because if the rain continued I would have been under water. When I got out of my tent in the morning, I realized I set up in a spot where all the rainwater was collecting from the hill behind me. I will try to pay more attention in the future when setting up my tent.It ended up being a pretty nice day hiking and I kept my miles kind of low going less than 17 miles. The trail runs really close to the Lesky¢s so they picked me up at the end of the day and took me back to the house. I was able to get a shower, check my email, do my laundry and eat a great lasagna dinner.Uncle Bernie then took me out for a ride after dinner in his 50th anniversary Corvette. Boy can that thing accelerate. He got it up to 90 MPH in 2nd gear. When he shifted from 1st to 2nd we were already going really fast and the tires squeaked and the car shifted a little from all the power. It was pretty neat. Anyway, it was nice to have a place to stay for the night. Thanks guys!
Date: 2005-07-07
From: Foxville Road

To: Old Forge Road
Miles today: 16.3

Uncle Bernie joined me for the first half of the day. He hiked to Pen Mar Park, which is right on the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. He wanted me to write in my journal that this was the toughest part of the whole A.T. to try to make himself look good. I will admit that it was the toughest part of Maryland but Maryland is only 40 miles long! He did do well though especially for an Old Man! Seriously though it was nice having him do a section with me. After Uncle Bernie left, I crossed the Mason-Dixon Line and into the state I grew up in and spent 18 years of my life...PA baby!I ended up hiking another 8 miles to a road crossing where Matt picked me up for the night. He also lives pretty close to the trail so he let me stay the night at his place. We had a T-bone steak dinner and then took his kids to Mickey¢s for ice cream! We were originally going to camp in the back yard with his kids but we got washed out with tropical storm Cindy dumping a few inches of rain on us. At least I had a roof over my head again tonight.Thanks Matt!!
Date: 2005-07-08
From: Old Forge Road

To: Milesburn Road
Miles today: 17.4

We got a lot of rain overnight and I was thankful to be able to avoid it by staying at Matt¢s. The forecast called for more rain today but it never came. I hiked the first 10 miles of the day with Red Wolf. He is a nice guy I met back when I first started the A.T. We caught up on a lot of stuff since we last saw each other. I then ate lunch and relaxed at Caledonia State Park for a couple of hours. Today was such a beautiful day and it is nice being in PA. I am also really enjoying my hike a lot more by not pushing myself so much. I have only been back on for four days but I am enjoying this slower pace so much more!Life is Good!
Date: 2005-07-09
From: Milesburn Road

To: James Fry Shelter
Miles today: 19.6

Today was another beautiful day and one in which I am so thankful to be able to be out here. It is so nice to be out here and not putting pressure on myself to hike a certain amount of miles. I took about a four-hour break today at lunch. I still got in 19.6 miles, as the trail was pretty easy again today. The big news of the day was the ¢Half-Gallon Challenge¢. Today Pine Grove Furnace Park marked the halfway point of the trail. As you know, I hit the halfway point in VT because of the section I did up there a few weeks ago. I said I was going to do the ¢Half-Gallon Challenge¢ at Hane¢s but I chickened out. Today I did not! I ordered a half-gallon of Hershey¢s Vanilla and stared at it for a few minutes before starting. I had a crowd of about five Thru-Hikers to cheer me on but I was not sure how it was going to go. I felt pretty good after a few minutes but noticed that I barely made a dent. After about 10 minutes I still felt fine and realized that it was about half gone. I ended up finishing off the whole half-gallon (3,400 calories and 400 more calories than what I am supposed to eat in an entire day) in 18 minutes flat!! All the other Thru-Hikers I was with chickened out and only had a pint. The register that records all the other Thru-Hikers that attempted the challenge had about an average completing time between 40-60 minutes. I don¢t know what it is. I love to eat and I am pretty good at it too!Now you know why I took a four-hour lunch break. I actually did not feel as bad as I thought I would but I did need some time to chill out. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, after eating all the ice cream I had a cheeseburger and coke to top it off.