morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-12
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 20.3

Wednesday, June 12 Bear's Den Hostel to Harpers Ferry 20 miles. Cumulative miles 1,018Weather: Hot and Humid. Hi 90 Lo 73Today was a day of many accomplishments and milestones. First we passed the 1,000 mile mark, then we finished with Virginia, all 500 plus miles of it! Lastly we entered Harper's Ferry, the home of the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) and the symbolic half way point on the trail. We walked the last two hills of the roller coaster and were hoping for flatter terrain into Harper's Ferry. What we got instead for the next 11 miles was mostly rocks, the kind that tear up the bottoms of your feet. Plus we were trying to beat forecasted severe thunderstorms for the late afternoon. We trudged through the rest of the day in less than breathtaking scenery and arrived at a juncture marking the final 1.9 miles to town. As we started down the trail we quickly came upon Lost who had tripped and fallen and opened a deep gash in his leg. He cleaned it out a bit, wrapped it up and set out to finish the day. We soon arrived at the ATC headquarters and registered with them. I registered as the 448th thru hiker of the year to pass through this point. Lost, who is from Germany, got a ride to a nearby urgent care center to treat his leg cut. He was understandably concerned about what the care and cost would be like because US healthcare is characterized as horrific throughout Europe. He later returned and was stunned by his experience. They treated him immediately, cleaned and sanitized the wound, stitched it shut, and dressed it all for $180. We had dinner and a couple of beers then retired for the night by 9:45, well after hiker midnight!
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Thursday, June 13. Zero in Harper's Ferry. Miles 0.Weather: morning showers followed by afternoon clearing. Hi 88 Lo 70. My first zero in nearly a month and boy do I need one. My feet and left ankle are pretty sore as is my left shoulder. So the plan is to laze around doing as close to nothing as I can stand. We start he day with a wonderful all you can eat waffle breakfast complete with a big bowl of delicious berries. Then its off to the post office to mail some things home, and then I sort out my maildrop and resupply. Then I walk a couple of miles to historic downtown Harpers Ferry and I'm treated to a wonderful history treasure. I walk around visiting the self guided museums and exhibits of this historic town. I nice lunch and back to the hostel to rest. We then went to a pizza parlor that had a byob policy so we brought some beer and had a great time.   The perfect zero.
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Maryland border
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

Friday, June 14 Harpers Ferry to Maryland   3 miles. Weather: Sunny and warm. Hi 82 Lo 64Today was, in effect, a second zero. We toured the museums in downtown Harpers Ferry again and visited the point where the Susquehanna and Potomac rivers converge. We then walked the three miles along the old Chesapeake and Ohio canal into Maryland and to another hostel for the night. There we and the other 6 hikers staying there all combined to cook up a great meal of hot dogs, hamburgers, salad, garlic bread, and two pastas, with brownies and cupcakes for dessert. Really great teamwork! I found a scale and I'm quite happy to see that I've only lost about 5 pounds. That was, of course, after 2 zeros with tons of town food. Tomorrow we finally start really hiking again! I am looking forward to getting back on the trail after 2 days rest.
Date: 2013-06-15
From: Maryland border

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Harper's Ferry Hostel to Pine Knob Shelter. 20 milesWeather: Sunny and warm Hi 80 Lo 67We started the day at the Hostel at 7:00 with a do it yourself pancake breakfast. I liked the hostel but got a little tired of doing a great deal of the cooking. I'd rather pay a little more and have someone else do the cooking. We hit the trail by 8:00 and climbed up into the Maryland highlands and pretty much stayed at a relatively similar elevation the whole day. The ironic thing about Maryland so far is that it is flat and easy but you can't go all that fast because of the rocks. These rocks are a real pain in the butt. They are small, jagged, and at all angles making it impossible to get into a rhythm or a stride. It is supposed to get much worse in northern Pennsylvania. I visited a few interesting parks featuring Civil war battles and one that features the original monument honoring George Washington. Very cool. I called it quits after 20 miles today a d after running into Lost at the Pine Knob Shelter. I think I'll stay here for the night and chat with him. B-line and Why Not showed up around 6 and decided to stay the night as well.
Date: 2013-06-16
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Pen-Mar Park
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Sunday June 16 Pine Knob Shelter to Pen Mar Park. 18 miles. Weather: overcast with stray, light showers. Today was a strange day. I got out of the shelter by 7:00 and made good miles early until once again I ran into the rocks. These are the small, jagged haphazard rocks that suddenly spring up and last for a few hundred miles up to several miles. They are killers on your feet and slow you down to half your normal speed or less. They suck. Today there were more of them than any day so far and they took their toll on my feet and on my mind. I had managed 18 miles when I slowly began to hear music off in the distance. As I got closer to the sound I suddenly came out into a clearing that was part of a large park. The park had a large pavilion with a live band playing big band music. On the huge dance floor were at least 150 people in their 70's and 80's dancing. It was a surreal scene to say the least. I then noticed a hot dog stand and went and bought a couple of hot dogs. All of a sudden I heard my name being called and looked up to see Srocket, who is off the trail with her boyfriend. They were serving up trail magic and after that we went into town for a beer and dinner. The day instantly went from a real drag to a real blast in seconds. That's the AT!
Date: 2013-06-17
From: Pen-Mar Park

To: Gettysburg,PA
Miles today: 0.0

Monday, June 17 Pen-Mar State Park to Gettysburg PA18 miles. Weather: Sunny and warm. Hi 84 Lo 68Last night we decided to stealth camp in the overlook gazebo right in the park. After trail magic and a town dinner with beers, hiking more miles just wasn't in the cards. It was a beautiful setting if it weren't for the drunk kids that showed up twice overnight to wake us up. I still slept well though. The hike went a lot better than yesterday. Less foot pain and blister issues. I tried stowing my hiking poles and this greatly alleviated the shoulder discomfort. Lastly, I drank a lot more water which helped with the dehydration and related fatigue. A much better day. Within the first mile we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line i to Pennsylvania. This is a big milestone because we will now basically be doing low, flat ridge hikes until we reach Vermont. The challenge will be the infamous rocks of Pennsylvania. On he flip side, there is more off trail diversions to distract us. We finished our 18 miles by 2:00 and hitched into Gettysburg. Our plan is to zero tomorrow and tour the park and the battlefields. We got our laundry and shower done but still need to resupply. If you've never been to Gettysburg, the place is a zoo. Without a car it's pretty hard to get around and hitching is a lot harder than in the south. Oh well, at least the steaks are better! I promise I will get back to more serious hiking soon. Just hiking my own hike right now
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Gettysburg,PA

To: Gettysburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Tuesday, June 18 Zero in Gettysburg. Toured the battlefields and the museum of Gettysburg today. It was very good and informative, but I can't help but be distracted by how car centric we are as a society. The only option if you don't have a car is a ridiculous bus tour. Walking anywhere is all but impossible. There, I feel better. Cranky old hippie gypsy hiker. Back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-21
From: stealth site

To: ATC Regional Center
Miles today: 0.0

Friday, June 21 Stealth site to ATC regional Office 22 miles. Weather: Sunny and warm   Hi 83 Lo 66A beautiful solstice day. It really felt like the perfect summer day today. We hiked 10 miles to Boiling Springs PA and stopped at the Boiling Springs Tavern for a couple of beers and a sandwich. After about a 3 hour break, we set out to do the final 12 miles of the day. The area we had to cross does not allow camping which normally would have meant we had to do 26 miles but we got permission to camp out behind the ATC regional office. This was the flattest 12 mile stretch of the entire AT and from now on things will start to get rocky again too. Oh boy.
Date: 2013-06-22
From: ATC Regional Center

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Saturday, June 22. Stealth site to Duncannon PA 15 miles. Weather: Sunny and warm Hi 87 Lo 71Today I hiked into Duncannon. The rocks that were so hyped up turned out to be nothing at all. The walk into town only took about 6 hours. Lost and I hiked a nice brisk but even pace. When we reached Duncannon, we walked straight to the Doyle. The Doyle is a legendary hiker hostel on the AT. It was built in the early 1900's by Anheiser Busch who built a number of them. They were boarding houses that featured a bar and restaurant. The Doyle is quite run down to say the least. It looks as though nothing has been done to it in at least 50 years, and I mean nothing. Thru hiker Long Gone said it best when he said "it was the most decrepit place be stayed on the trail but totally worth it. The beer was cheap and the food was good. All the clientele was thru hikers so it was great just sharing trail stories. Hiker heaven. Today I ran into Newton who i have been hoping to catch for some time. It will be great hiking with him. Tomorrow we roll out of town in the heat and try for a campsite at 17 miles.
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Duncannon, PA

To: stealth site
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Sunday, June 23 Duncannon PA to stealth site 18 milesWeather: Sunny and hot. Hi 90 Lo 73. Today I left the Doyle at 7:00 after an unsound night's sleep. Trains passed loudly about every hour through the nights and at 5:40 an incredibly loud siren sounded for several minutes. The temperature in our room was probably in the low 80's and bugs were flying around the room all night because there was no screen. Long night. I hiked today with Newton and Srocket and really enjoyed it. We went at a moderate pace and stopped frequently for short breaks. The company and the hike were fantastic. As I was saying to Newton, to me the best part of hiking the AT is the hike itself. I enjoy all aspects of the journey but I truly love the hiking. Many people don't appear to. They seem to just want to get from town to town or hostel to hostel. These people seldom finish their thru hike. Oh well, to each his own. The hike started with a two mile walk out of town followed by a two mile climb of over 1,000 feet. Then we basically walked fairly level along a ridge top for most of the day. There were several nice views and overlooks that made things interesting. Mostly I enjoyed good trail conversation with Newton and Srocket for most of the day. The day seemed to fly by and I felt great. We then found a great stealth site by a wide stream. We dunked in the stream to cool off and cooked dinner by a campfire that helped ward off the bugs. I feel so blessed and fortunate to be out here on the trail that sometimes I can't even believe I'm doing this. All in all, another great day on the AT!
Date: 2013-06-24
From: stealth site

To: Swatara Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Monday, June 24 Stealth site to Swatara Gap, PA16 miles. Weather: Hot and humid. Hi 92 Lo 73. Today Newton and I left camp at 7:30 and headed out to a 1,000 foot climb in 1.7 miles which is big by Pennsylvania standards. The day was not difficult hiking but the heat slowed us down. Also, the terrain was not attractive. In fact, this was the first day that I did not take one single picture. We got to our campsite at Swatara Gap at 3:40 and though we had plenty in us to keep going there was really nowhere to go. No water or camping for the next 8 miles made stretching out the day difficult to do. So we set up camp early and just enjoyed the summer afternoon and the company. I was really happy to be hiking with Newton during the day because our pace is similar and we have lots to talk about. My hearing is very poor so he speaks loudly and clearly so I can hear him well and conversations are a pleasure. He's a great guy to be around. We had another little stream at the campsite and once again it served the purpose of cooling us down some. I even did an evening skinny dip just before going to bed for one last cool down and it really helped. Off to bed with a 21 mile day planned for tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Swatara Gap

To: stealth site
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Tuesday, June 25 Swatara Gap, PA to Stealth site21 miles. Weather: Hot and humid with a strong afternoon thunderstorm. Newton and I got out of camp at 7:00 which was good because we had a 21 mile day ahead of us. We made good time after a big climb to start then made 8 miles to the first shelter in about 2 hours and 50 minutes. The terrain went back and forth from smooth flat soil to horrible jagged rocks. That's Pennsylvania. I think they have an inferiority complexbecause of the lack of actual mountains so they purposely route the trail over these horrid rock sections to increase the difficulty. All they are really doing is increasing the misery factor. After 5 more miles we came to the famous 501 shelter. It's famous because its one of two shelters where you can order pizza. Newton and I ordered a 16 inch deluxe topping pizza that we consumed ravenously along with a two liter bottle of Pepsi. Now that was a lunch. Just as we were about to get back on the trail a thunderstorm hit so we sat in and waited it out. Finally, after a total lunch stop of 3 hours we got back on the trail. We had 7more miles to go and got into camp about 7:00 pm. We set up camp, had a quick dinner and got into our tents just as another strong thunderstorm hit. I love being in my tent for a good storm so this will be fun!
Date: 2013-06-26
From: stealth site

To: campsite just outside of Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Wednesday , June 26. Stealth site to Campsite just outside of Port Clinton PA.   18.2 miles. Weather: Hot and humid. Hi 92 Lo 71We all left camp by 7:00 and S'Rocket shocked us by getting out by 6:50. She usually sleeps in a bit more. We walked our 15.6 miles into Port Clinton were we raced around doing laundry, food resupply, post office, and a town meal. Today S'Rocket's friend Chrissy came out to join her on the trail. She's a welcome addition to the hiker community and I wish her the best! We then got back on the trail and walked 2.6 more miles to a campsite for the night.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: campsite just outside of Port Clinton, PA

To: Allentown Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Thursday. June 27 Campsite just outside of Port Clinton to Allentown Shelter. 19.6 miles. Weather: warm and humid with heavy rain showers after 4:00. Today S'Rocket and I celebrated 3 months on the trail. Its had to believe how far we have come. I've really enjoyed her company and enthusiasm and her approach to hiking the AT. She's been a great hiking buddy and is as tough as they come. We all left camp a little after 7:00 this morning. Chrissy started with a couple small blisters from yesterday that later in the day would flare up. We walked along in beautiful summer weather enjoying several excellent overlooks at a leisurely pace. We made the lunch destination at 13 miles in excellent time averaging around 2.5 miles per hour. The shelter where we had lunch featured a shower and we spent almost two hours there. Chrissy needed the rest. We left the shelter around 2:45 and set out to cover the final 7 miles. Newton and I went ahead as S'Rocket indicated that she and Chrissy might have to pull up short. It began to rain and the rocks, which were truly awful most of the last 4 miles, became extremely slippery. I made the shelter around 6:15 and Newton came In soon thereafter. We found space in the shelter which was welcome in the steady, hard rain. S'Rocket and Chrissy never made it because it had become just too painful for Chrissy. I have to say how extremely impressed I was with her effort on the day. The girl covered over 17 miles of some pretty tough terrain, at a good pace and later on in the rain. That's more than I could have done my first day out. I hope tomorrow is a good day for her and she doesn't get discouraged. Newton and I will push into Palmerton tomorrow to stay at the famous "jailhouse" hostel and hopefully S'Rocket and Chrissy make it also, or at least have a good day!
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Allentown Shelter

To: Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Friday. June 28 Allentown Shelter to Palmerton, PA17 miles. Weather: Sunny, hot, and humid with heavy afternoon showers. Newton and I left the shelter about 7:45 and hiked along at a good clip over some nice views. The rocks were more tolerable today because they were larger and I was able to jump from rock to rock. After a while I caught up to some other hikers we have been seeing a lot of lately and it was fun chatting with them also. We soon had covered the miles and descended into Palmerton, PA. Palmerton is know Asa good trail town and it features one of the trail's iconic hostels, the Palmerton Jailhouse. The hostel is actually in the old city jail. It's a really unique place and is set up well. I grabbed my bunk, a fabulous shower in the old prison gang shower, then set out with Newton to do our laundry. We also found out that Chrissy was unable to make it to town so she and S'Rocket had to bail out and hitch into town. Then poor S'Rocket had to go back out on the trail and finish the last 8 miles of the hike. In the meantime we all had gone to the Tavern to celebrate Obie's birthday. The Tavern turned out to be a lot of fun and the food was great. All in all a great town stop.
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Saturday, June 29 Palmerton PA to Leroy Smith Shelter. 15 miles. Weather: Sunny and warm. Hi 86 Lo 70We started the day by going for a good hiker breakfast and resupplying so we didn't get back out on the trail until almost 11:00. The climb out of town was great. 900 feet in a out 7 tenths of a mile. Really steep! The views into Lehigh Gap were outstanding. We then walked through a 4 mile stretch of a superfund cleanup site which was a little weird. The site was a former zinc mining operation that has left the land toxic and barren. The cleanup is slowly making a difference but its going to take a while. The day seemed to drag on as there were virtually no points of Interest to see and the rocks were once again awful. Newton and I slogged along and completed the 15 miles by 6:00. It was then that we learned that Chrissy was going to call it quits. I can't fault her for that. What she tried to do was very difficult and the terrain was brutal to someone without trail toughened feet and hiker legs. She gave it her all, but in the end she just hurt too much and could not have been having fun. We'll miss her and we wish her well.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Sunday, July 1. Leroy Smith Shelter campsite to Delaware Water Gap.   20 miles.   Weather: overcast, warm, with a threat of showers all day. Today's hike was long and really tough on the feet and ankles. Newton and I left camp at 7:30 and set out at a nice even 2 to 2.5 miles per hour. The footing was brutal almost the entire day. Pennsylvania rocks were everywhere and relentless. On other days we got occasional breaks of good trail conditions but today didn't provide that until the very end and by then the damage had been done to our feet. Once again there was nothing noteworthy to see on the trail and practically no water. We had to set out with 3 liters and depend on some trail magic water to get through the day. Some mid day showers added to the misery by wetting the rocks and making them slippery. Newton and I both literally limped into DWG around 5:00 and quickly showered, did our laundry, and headed straight to dinner and a beer. Just then I got a text from S'Rocket that she was going to push all the way into town. We didn't expect her until the next day because she was seeing her friend Chrissy off the trail. She wound up covering 28.3 miles over awful trail conditions with occasional rain to boot. That was very badass to say the least. We finished dinner and headed back to the hotel all a bit wounded but glad to be in town and loving the AT.
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Monday, July 1. Zero in Delaware Water GapWeather: Strong thunderstorms throughout the day. I spent a relaxing zero in Delaware Water Gap. We had a big breakfast then took care of some odds and ends like Post Office, outfitter, reorganizing our bags, etc. tonight we are planning a pizza and beer kind of dinner then off to bed.We are now through with Pennsylvania and I say Amen! The trail is much less scenic and the footing is in many places just plain miserable. The people and places were still nice and I have many fond memories but the trail itself was a bit less than enjoyable. We now are approaching 900 miles remaining. I can't believe how fast it seems to be going. Even though my current hiking buddies Newton and S'Rocket and I have all agreed to slow things down and enjoy the entire experience fully, we have still averaged nearly 18 miles per day the last few weeks. It's about right however to get us to Maine no earlier than mid September which is what we want. That's right, we want to go slower! Some people out here don't get that but it makes perfect sense to us. Hike Your Own Hike!
Date: 2013-07-02
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: stealth campsite
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

Tuesday, July 2 Delaware Water Gap to Stealth Campsite. 16 miles. Cumulative miles 1,306   Weather: warm and humid with late afternoon showers. Hi 85 Lo 73We awoke to more rain showers and sent to the diner in town for breakfast. We hiked out around 9:15 and crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey. Although the trail remained somewhat rocky it was a far more tolerable, even enjoyable surface, compared to Pennsylvania. I never thought I'd be so happy to enter New Jersey!The trail climbed to a ridgeline and followed it for most of the day. Along the way we passed Sunfish Pond which was billed as one of the seven natural wonders of New Jersey. Although a nice pond the billing was way overstated or else New Jersey is void of natural wonders. Soon we arrived at the Appalachian Mountain Club facility called the Mohican Center. We had lunch there and moved on. We had once considered staying there but all felt it wasn't worth the $30 it charges for just a bunk! Crazy!After lunch we had just 6 short easy miles to our campsite. We kept watching the sky because there were showers in the forecast all day. Just as we set up our tents the skies opened up and it really poured. It finally let up long enough for me to cook dinner. We are really trying to be careful with ticks. Lime disease is highest in the US from here to Massachusetts. It's the one thing I fear along the AT. It an really make you sick and is very dangerous if left untreated. Unfortunately the early symptoms are fatigue and sore joints which all thru hikers suffer from practically all the time! Tomorrow we have a long 23 mile hike coming up so I'm turning in for the night!