morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Dahlgren Campground
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Up early at 0630 and ready to go. Tony is feeling better today so we will get back on the trail and see what¢s in our next state of Maryland today. We ate breakfast at hotel before we check out and since the trail is only .1 from here it¢s not far to walk. We will hike over the same .4 miles of trail we did a few days ago until the ATC cutoff trail. From there we will continue on and through the town and into Maryland. We had the Harpers Ferry historical area to ourselves and saw only two other people out this morning. We crossed the bridge over the Potomac River and began an easy walk along the old C & O Canal tow path for the next three miles. It was an active trail with joggers, bikers, and even a police car. It was a good way to get our legs back into hiking again. After we crossed the railroad tracks the trail started going up toward Weverton Cliffs and then to Ed Garvey Shelter for early lunch. We hiked the ridge until it dropped down at Gathland State Park near Crampton Gap. We find some trail magic here with sodas and snack from ??. The park is a great place for a break and has water, restrooms, and a war monument to correspondents. There are old ruins from Civil War times and it¢s like a piece of history as you walk through the area. We saw some more gypsy moth devastation in three different areas today. We also got to see Torpedo, Nice Enough and Melody as they were hiking south today. We continued on until the side trail to Rocky Run Shelter and saw Stonewall, Wrong Way and Jungle Jim at the trail head. We needed water and know this shelter is closed for renovation but it still has tent sites for use. They said there was a group there that are working on the new shelter and are located in the tenting area. After we get some water we decide to push on to the Dalhgren Backpack Campground after looking in the guide and seeing it has a bath house with showers and flush toilets. After we get there we knew we had made the right decision. We see that Skip, Aristotle, and two others are here too and know that Jungle Jim, Wrong Way, and Stonewall are also coming. It¢s a nice area with picnic tables, a grassy area for tenting, plus the bath house. Everyone is feeling good after a long hiking day. Maybe the extra day of rest is what we needed. Tenting: Handyman, Tony Tiger, Wrong Way, Stonewall, Skip, Aristotle, Jungle Gym, two others. Wx: warm, humid. Little to no breeze
Date: 2007-07-01
From: Dahlgren Campground

To: The Free State Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Date: 07/01/07Start: Dahlgren Campground Stop: The Free State Hostel Miles: Wx: cool and breezy, mid 70'sHosteling: Handyman, Tony Tiger, Tortuga More Gypsy moth devastation of forest. Saw first washington monument Saw annapolis rocksWalked through civil war sitesMorning trail climb steep but easyRocky trail in afternoon slowed us downStaying at hostelHiked some w/skip todayMade decision to go to dc a day early after Jennel said she would shuttle me to hagerstown Awesome hostel Exited trail and bonepac stopped and picked us up.
Date: 2007-07-02
From: The Free State Hostel

To: Washington DC
Miles today: 0.0

Date: 07/02/07Start: The Free State Hostel Stop: Washington DCMiles: 0.0Wx: cool and breezy, mid 70'sHosteling: Today is a sad and happy day. Sad because I am not hiking with my fellow hikers. since I am taking some time off the trail to see my son. Happy because I will be seeing my son. I wish I could have hiked one more day with them into Pennsylvania as planned. Sometimes things happen on the trail that you cannot predict. Such as staying at the hostel and getting a shuttle ride to where you need to go. I will be able to see Washington DC a bit more than I thought I would. I got dropped off at the greyhound bus depot in Hagerstown. The depot is located behind McDonalds off I-70/Hwy 65, exit 29.
Date: 2007-07-15
From: Washington DC

To: Tumbling Run Shelters
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: few clouds

Tony picked me up at the airport yesterday and took me back to where he was staying. We caught up on what has been going on the past couple weeks and planned out what we will do the next two weeks. Tony is still recovering from Lyme disease and should be able to join me at Duncannon in 5-7 days. This morning Tony shuttled me to the trailhead and I was able to start at 0915. Tony is awesome! I didn¢t have to go far to the Ensign Cowall shelter, .2 miles, and this is where I changed into my hiking clothes of shorts and t-shirt. I met Rutabaga and Crutch at the shelter. I had met Rutabaga and Crutch before and it felt like I hadn¢t left the trail. I also met Calm Water, Capt Insano and Flood Dog as they were getting ready. After a short visit I was off and enjoying the trail runner shoes I switched to while in Florida. They feel like there is nothing on my feet. I am happy to be hiking again and the miles fly by until I get to Pen Mar County Park on the PA/MD border. There are many people here having a festival with music, dancing and food. FOOD! I can¢t resist the chance for some real food out here. I stop for a late lunch and have some hot dogs, drinks and cheeseburgers. While eating, I see Rutabaga and Crutch again when they arrive. A lot of people stopped and asked me questions while I was eating and resting. It¢s great to see their reaction when you tell them you are walking from Georgia to Maine. It¢s priceless! After eating and a break I continue on until I get to Deer Lick Shelter where I see Yogi. I hadn¢t seen him for a long time. We chat for a few minutes before I head on to the Tumbling Run Shelter. I get there about 30 minutes before dark and setup my hammock. There are two shelters here, one is labeled for snoring and one for non-snoring. How funny. There was one other hiker here that I can¢t remember his name and he already had a fire going when Calm Water came in an hour later. There is a lot of space to setup at this shelter and the water source is a nice spring nearby. There is also a clothes line behind the shelters. My feet are tired and sore from today¢s hike and are still getting use to the new shoes. They don¢t have the stiffness in the sole that boots do so I will have to choose my foot placement when walking in rocks. I can feel them a lot more with these shoes. I entered the state of Pennsylvania today and so far the trail was nice and so are the shelters. The last three shelters (Deer Lick, Antietam, and Tumbling Run) are really close to each other, 3.6 miles, so it was hard to decide which one to stop at. I opted for this one. I did stop at the water source near Antietam for a liter of easy water from a spigot at the Old Forge Park. Overall, it was a very good day and it feels great to be back on the trail. Shelter: calm water. Wx: cool-am, warm-mid 80's
Date: 2007-07-16
From: Tumbling Run Shelters

To: Birch Run Shelters
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: broken clouds

I was up and out early because the temps are getting hotter. I want to get as many miles in before lunch while it¢s still cool. The first climb happened right away as went up to Chimney Rocks and around Buzzard Peak. It wasn¢t bad this early in the morning but I know it will be in the afternoon heat. The trail is still great to walk on and the fear of the PA rocks is still in the back of my mind but that is still a few days ahead. My goal now is to get to Caledonia State Park before lunch and take advantage of the snack bar there and take an afternoon break from the heat. The trail is easy as it slowly descends the 6 miles from Buzzard Peak to US30 and the state park. I can see the snack bar and it¢s right next to a big swimming pool. Oh that looks so good but I¢m hungry first. I stop at the snack bar and get two big cheeseburgers and a couple big lemonades. As good as the pool looks I want to conserve my energy in this heat so I find a shady place to lay down and take a power nap instead. A big lunch and power nap is all I needed to get going again. The first part of the trail out of the park is very steep but about 1.5 miles down the trail I came upon a shelter that looked like someone¢s home. Quarry Gap shelter is very well maintained and has hanging flower pots, two sleeping areas, and is just awesome. I stopped to take a few minutes to enjoy this shelter if nothing else. While I am here I met Sarah and her dog Raja. They are out for a short hike from ridge road ahead and stopped here for a break. It was a nice stop. The trail steadily climbs from the shelter until it gets to the road and then it parallels for about 4 miles. After a short drop into a gap where Milesburn cabin is the trail climbs up to Big Flat Ridge. The ridge is aptly named because the trail is easy to walk and I make great time until I get to my stop for the night at Birch Run shelter. There are three hikers here out for a few days. They are Lindsay, Adam and Greg. Calm Water also gets here for the evening and we both setup our area away from the shelter. We both would rather not sleep in a shelter unless we need to. The water source is a short walk and I was told there is a beehive nearby too. I approach the area carefully and can see the hive area and stay a good distance away as I get water. My feet are a little sore from the mileage but I feel good. So far PA has been fun to hike in despite the summer temps. Shelter: calm water, lindsay, adam?, greg? Tenting: meWx: warm-low 90's
Date: 2007-07-17
From: Birch Run Shelters

To: stealth site at tagg run trailhead
Miles today: 17.1

I must have been tired from yesterday¢s hike because I didn¢t get up as early as I wanted. I did get on the trail at 0720 but will have to deal with the trail and temps as they come along. The trail continues on the ridge until I cross Woodrow road and then descend to Toms Run shelters for a short break before moving on to Pine Grove Furnace and a possible attempt at the half-gallon ice cream challenge. It¢s already hot out and I¢m feeling drained. The trail has followed a couple of roads and the one at Michaux Road is a scorcher. It¢s exposed and the sun is just beating down on you and reflecting up from the road too. I can¢t wait to get back on some dirt and in the trees again. The trail passes by some old ruins as it turns into the trees again. By now I¢m not feeling like eating ice cream and only thinking of real food once I get to the store. The heat is definitely affecting me today and I¢m not enjoying this section now. I keep plodding along until I get to the road at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I follow it and the signs until I can see the general store and a covered eating area. I drop my pack and go inside to order two cheeseburgers and grab two Gatorades and one soda for lunch. The thought of ice cream now makes me sick so I am going to pass on the half-gallon challenge. Diesel, Nugs of Knowledge and Juice are here also and finished their half-gallon challenge. I will have to see how I feel after lunch and a rest as to how far I will go today. The heat is definitely affecting me. One thing that also bothered me this morning is my left calf being sore. I may have stressed it yesterday and now I¢m feeling it. Hopefully I can massage and rest it and hope it is all I need. After a long lunch I start hiking through the park and come to another snack bar near the lake. I stop and get a shake and find a shady spot on the grass and take a nap for about 1.5 hours. I must have needed it because I¢m feeling much better afterwards. I start hiking again and meet Ken Link who is out for a short hike to the Pole Steeple trail before turning around. We stop at the half-way pole marker and he takes a couple photos of me there. Half-way, everything is downhill from here now. Yeah right!! It was a long climb up Piney Mountain and then a steady descent to James Fry Tagg Shelter. By the time I get to the trailhead for the shelter I am pretty tired and don¢t feel like going to the shelter since there is a nice place to camp near the creek and trail. I find a couple of trees and setup my hammock and take the rest of the evening to relax and rest. I feel run down and the thought of Lyme is on my mind too. I haven¢t had a tick on me in a long time but that doesn¢t mean one could have and then gone. I also got a blister on my right heel today. Aarrgh!! I should have modified the insole to fit the shoes when I first got them. I am now! Today was a tough one with the heat. I hope it¢s better tomorrow. Wx: cool-am, warm-mid 90's
Date: 2007-07-20
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero day! I need it after the last five days. I pushed myself pretty hard to get here after a 10 day vacation. My leg is sore and so are the feet. Rest will take care of them I hope. The Doyle Hotel is a unique place on the trail. It is a hotel with a long history over the past 100 years. I didn¢t have a good night¢s sleep due a domestic argument outside about 1:00am. Since the weather was warm I had the window open for ventilation. I ate breakfast across the street at Goodie¢s Caf© and the food is great. I will have to eat here again before getting back to hiking. Today was a relaxing day doing errands and visiting with all the other hikers here too. I met Rosie and Mello, also here are Cul-de-sac, Calm Water, Diesel and Juice, Nugs of Knowledge, Tron, and Flood Dog. The food at the Doyle is also good and so is the hospitality. I called Tony to let him know I was in Duncannon and to see when he will be coming to continue hiking again. He said he was almost ready but wanted to wait one more day before arriving. Barb will be able to come then too. An extra day of rest might help might sore feet and leg so all is not lost. This afternoon Toba and I caught up on when we were hiking in the early days of the AT. She updated me on her group and I did the same with Coach, Mate, Genesis, Doodle, Yogi, and Theresa. Toba is also trying to cut down on some extra weight and wants to build an alcohol stove after seeing mine. All we need are two soda cans, and some aluminum tape. We get the tape and denatured alcohol at the Hardware store. I needed to get alcohol too so it was a good stop for both of us. I showed her how to make the stove and we tested it and it works great. The only problem we had was a pot stand. I made mine from a coat hanger before starting my hike. All the coat hangers here are plastic and would not work. We eventually found one and made the pot stand. Now Toba is ready for a super light stove. Hotel: Toba, rosie, mello, Diesel and juice, nugs of knowledge, tron, flood dog, calm water, cul-de-sac,
Date: 2007-07-21
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I Slept in until 0700 today. I guess I needed the rest. I went to eat breakfast again at Goodies across the street and had the pancake breakfast. I couldn't finish it and was stuffed. Toba came in and sat with me during breakfast. She is ready to hike out today and I will wait for Tony Tiger to show up this afternoon before hiking out tomorrow. I walked with her for a half mile through town to keep my legs loose and to go to the Post Office on the way. We parted ways near the post office and will see each other again somewhere down the trail. Again she is a day ahead of me. I had lunch then took a nap, wrote post cards, wrote two letters of thanks, met Barb - Tony's girlfriend and enjoyed the rest of the day. We ate at Sorrento's Italian restaurant which has very good Italian food. Later that evening I met Lumpy who wears a tie and slacks to hike. Moose is also here for the night. I¢m ready to get back on the trail in the morning and I hope Tony is going to be okay.
Date: 2007-07-22
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mt shelter
Miles today: 11.4

I didn't sleep to well last night with all the noise outside. Some idiot was continually honking his horn for about 10 minutes at 0100 and woke everyone up. I slept in until 0630 today. Tony, Barb and I ate breakfast at Goodies. Tony and I hiked out today and plan on doing 11.4 miles so he can get back into hiking since his two week layoff. We had to hike through the rest of Duncannon to get to the bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River before starting our climb up to Peters Mountain. The hike to Clarks Ferry shelter wasn't bad with only a few rocks on the trail. We saw Diesel and Juice, Tron, and Nugs of Knowledge at the shelter. They got there the night before and were lounging around. I went to get water since I started with only 1 liter and wanted to make sure I had enough to make to the next shelter. Tony and I took our next break at the foot bridge that crosses over PA 225. I saw Yogi after a few minutes coming south from the trail. I hadn't seen him for about a week. Our next stop was lunch at Table Rock overlook before our final push to the shelter a mile further. We got to the shelter about 1530 and the ridgerunner was there. His name is Night Lion and he told us about a den of copperheads about 4 miles further near the Shikellimy trail. We will be there early tomorrow and hope the cool morning temps will keep them quiet. Diesel and crew stopped in for a break before moving on toward PA 325 for the night.   Starfish, her brother and nephew also stopped at the shelter and will stay the night. The shelter is really nice with a loft area and a big ground floor. The overhang covers the area where the table and cooking area is too. The original shelter that Earl Shaffer built is about 200 ft away and could sleep 4 if needed. The water source for this shelter is down a steep decent with about 300 rock steps. What a climb back up with two gallons of water. It was a nice short day to get things going again. The weather was nice for a change. Shelter: Starfish, her brother and nephew, Tony Tiger, Handyman. Wx: cool-am, warm-mid 80's, slight breeze
Date: 2007-07-23
From: Peters Mt shelter

To: Rausch Gap shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

Up at 0600. At 0630 while finishing breakfast we heard loud music from the valley below. It has to be a church camp of some kind since the music was religious in nature. How rude to BLAST it out like that and disturb the peace. Anyway, Tony and I finished and departed at 0700. We could still hear the music an hour later. Unreal! We made pretty good time in the morning because the weather was cool and perfect for hiking. We came upon Shikillimy rocks where the snake den is and saw the signs warning of them. It was to cold out for them to be active but we still proceeded with caution. We saw the ridgerunner, Night lion, on the trail down to PA325. At the parking area after the road crossing a father/son saw us and asked if we needed water. We said yes and he came over and filled up our containers. What a great day. We got back on the trail and started our accent up Stony Mt. The trail looked like an old road but resembled a riverbed of rocks. It was a hard climb for both of us for about an hour. After we got to the top and found an old foundation for a fire tower we stopped for lunch. It was pretty chilly out with the overcast sky and wind and I had to put on another shirt to stay warm. Cold in July! Yeah right! We kept going after lunch and came upon a white mailbox in the middle of the forest where the remnants of Yellow Springs village were. Actually the remnants were down a blue blaze trail we decided not to take. We pushed on until we finally got to the shelter. The shelter is an older one made of stone and logs located off of what used to be an old road. The weather is funny because now the sky is clear and the sun is out but it's still chilly and the wind is blowing. If the weather would only stay this way for the next few days it would be nice. My feet are a little sore from the rocks but better than if I was still using the trail runners. I switched back to my boots for this section and the infamous PA rocks. The left leg is almost okay with a bit of stiffness. Not as much as the past few days though. I will keep stretching and massaging the area of soreness. The water source here is a pipe into a trough n front of the shelter. It¢s not flowing now. The mice are pretty active now and it should be an interesting night sleeping in the shelter. Shelter: Tony Tiger, Handyman. Wx: cool-am, cool-mid 50's, breezy, sprinkles
Date: 2007-07-24
From: Rausch Gap shelter

To: 501 shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

Up early. It was chilly last night and I used my stocking cap and long sleeve shirt for additional warmth. We covered a lot of ground early while it was still cool. We also had a bit of trail magic this morning. Carol and Engineman had left a cooler full of soda and icy pops near PA443. The climb up Blue Mt was a challenge with its steepness. Once on top the trail was rocky for the first 3 miles but eased up the last miles before the William Penn shelter. Prior to this we saw a timber rattler on the trail. It was about 3-4ft long and in the middle of the trail. I almost stepped on him as I was hiking. After we side stepped around the snake we were back on the trail. About an hour later I had the crap scared out of me by a turkey taking flight about 20ft away. At the Wm Penn shelter we tried to get water and the spring was almost dry. The area around the spring was muddy but no water. We got to the 501 shelter about 1530 and we were both ready for the stop. Besides, the chance for pizza was too strong to go further. There is also a solar shower here. We met James at the shelter and we ordered 2 large pizzas, 2 large salads, and two 2 liter sodas. The feet were sore today from the rocky trail. Water was another issue again with unreliable sources.Handyman hint 501 - ear wax removal. Try using a camelbak with warm water and pushing down on the camelbak to create pressure to use the bite valve to squirt the warm water into the blocked ear. This may help soften or loosen the buildup. If not, it is funny watching someone else give it a try. Right Tony? Shelter: Tony Tiger, Handyman, James. Wx: cool-am, warm 80's
Date: 2007-07-25
From: 501 shelter

To: Eagle's Nest shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up and got ready. Departed at 0710. Right away the trail began with the rocks. The terrain was pretty much level but the trail was rocky. We made good progress throughout the morning despite the trail of rocks. We did see Coyote coming south. He flip-flopped to Delaware Water Gap and is hiking back to Troutville. I had not seen him for a couple months, since Damascus. The major concern Tony and I are having on the trail now is water. That is sources for water. Most of the listed sources are dry or are drying up as we get to them. If this is going to continue then we will have to carry a full day¢s load of water with us. That will be very heavy but a necessity if we need to do it. The day was mostly uneventful. We hiked on and did what we needed to do. At Eagles Nest shelter the water source is very sorry. It is down to a slow trickle into a puddle of water. One thing I did get done today was to finish writing the rest of my post cards. That would be 18 total with the 8 today. I'll just drop them at the post office in Port Clinton tomorrow and get my mail drop. Wx: cool-am, warm 80's