morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-11
From: Harpers Ferry WV

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I walked across the foot bridge today with my Grandparents. I guess that it is really cool that I have been able to spend so much time with them. I bought them each a pair of Waldies camp shoes at The Outfitter in Harpers Ferry. My grandmother gets on my gradfathers case when he wears his bedroom slippers to the mail box. So I think that they will like Waldies. I also bought my grandfather a T shirt with all of the famous peaks on it along the trail. As I walked away from the bridge (the wrong direction on the C&O Canal tow path might I add) I was thinking how great it is to live in America where we are free to do what we please.I fought a headach today that could have been caused by walking the wrong way. I decided to take a nap at Ed Garvy shelter. I had thought about staying there but it was carpenter ant city. I was also startled by a raccon that was hiding in the privy. It was about 2 inches from my ass when I saw it. I never got off a toilet so fast in my life.Tonight I am at Crampton Gap Shelter with Snort and Clover. This is the first night in a while where there have been more girls than boys at the shelter.
Date: 2003-06-12
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: clear sky

Days like Today really suck. I got a late start. I took a nap on a picnic table at Washington Monument Park. I pressed on and hiked over the foot bridge at I70 where people blew there horns while crossing over on the foot bridge.I decided to grab a burger at the Dogpatch biker bar and who is standing in front of the joint hitch hiking? Crazy Al and Sugar Dog. He is yellow blazing again.Once I left the bar and climbed up the ridge a thunder storm rolled in and blasted my hike with Thunder, Lightning, and hard rain. My butt is raw from walking in wet shorts and the last few miles today were hard.I got here to the shelter and I was broken hearted to find Al and Sugar Dog taking up more than there share of space in the shelter. I decided that I had to tarp because Red was also in the shelter and he is an obnoxious snorer. I knocked my dinner off of the table while it was cooking too so I just decided to go crawl into my tarp and call it a day. I hope for a better day tomorrow.
Date: 2003-06-13
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelter (VIA Harpers Ferry WV again)
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: few clouds

What a day!!I got up and broke camp quickly today to get a head start on the crown going 20 miles to a shelter. My pack decided that it also wanted to break... quickly too. One shoulder strap tore off while walking down the hill to this paved road near Cascade MD.I hitched into Cascade on a freshly paved road. After many a phone call to figure out what to do I decided to safety pin my torn strap and go back to the trail. I went back to the trail head at the freshly paved road. I walked about 2 miles and decided my pack was not going to work with the pins so I yogied a ride with a nice lady who offered to take me to Fredrick MD.From Fredrick I got a chunk of Cardboard from the Lance snack guy at an EXXON station and wrote Harpers Ferry on it.The PA Ridge Runner Josh just happened to be driving my in his truck and stopped to give me a ride. He was on his way there for a PATC meeting. The best part is that he also offered to take me back to the trail. However it would not be until 10pm. Laura at the outfitter store replaced my pack again and I also bought an MSR BUG HUT 1 from her.The Ridge Runner was done with his meetings at 9:30pm and we got on our way back to the trail. He dropped me off at a road crossing that was close to where I had quit the trail earlier in the day. I started walking and I came to the road crossing where I got the second ride earlier today. Now it was dark, but I know that it was the same place and I got real confused. I thought that maby I was walking the wrong way. I had never crossed the Mason Dixon line but there were Penndot trucks parked near the road crossing. The only thing that I have eventually figured out is that when I was taken back to the "freshly" paved road earlier today, it was not the same road that I quit on. So I hiked one section twice and never hike through Penn Mar Park.
Date: 2003-06-14
From: Deer Lick Shelter (VIA Harpers Ferry WV again)

To: Tumbling Run Shelters
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: broken clouds

I got to the shelters last night at 1:00am to find people with a tent set up in one shelter, and three folks spread out taking up most of the room in the other. This crap is just plane rude!!!Red was one of the three folks in the second shelter so I decided to wake the three folks up and ask them to move over a tad bit so that I could squeze in the shelter. They did and that was so very kind of them. Some time around four AM the two secton hikers sat straight up out of a deep sleep startled to death by a large tree that had fallen that had to be no farther than 50 feet from the shelter. I said something to the affect of "damn you guys are scared very easy. It was just a tree falling"I hiked down here 4 miles to Tumbling run and decided that I was tired and did not want to hike any farther. There are two nice shelters here and 100yds away is a very nice stream where I got completly naked and took a huge cool down bath tonight. Two very cool local overnight campers arrived here tonight and we chatted long and hard about gear. They are both prospective thru hikers that may hike within five years.Tomorrow it is Caldonia State Park and the Pool.
Date: 2003-06-15
From: Tumbling Run Shelters

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

Today was such a great 20 mile day. I hiked 10 miles to the road at Caldonia State Park and went to the Pizza Shop that was .3 miles west of the trail for lunch. I ate a large pepperoni pizza and had three pink lemonades. When I walked out of there I was stuffed.I decided after a bathroom break at the park to YOGI some phone juice for my cellphone and then decided to shower and go swimming at the state park. I hat the $2.50 that the books say to have to go swimming but now it costs $3. I sold some post card stamps to an elderly couple for $1 so that I could pay admission to the pool.Before leaving the park Jester from the Traveling Bill's Red Blazers hooked me up with a soda and a beer. I ate dinner tonight at Quarry Run Shelter where I met the coolest shelter care taker along the trail. Very nice place that he takes care of complete with hanging floral baskets and solar powered low coltage lights that illuminate the trail to the privy.I got to Birch Run Shelter very late to find Red and four sections hikers there. The new shelter there is very very nice.
Date: 2003-06-16
From: Birch Run Shelters

To: Tagg Run Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up today and left the shelter some time after both the section hikers and Red. I passed all of them in the first four miles of hiking. I got down to Pine Grove Furnace State Park first and I was very dissappointed to find that the store there does not take credit cards.I really wanted to eat my Ice Cream. Red arrived later and started to eat his and then he offered to spot me $5 to pay for my half gallon. Thanks a bunch Red. I still owe you.It took me three hours to recover after eating my half gallon of ice cream at Pine Grove Furnace. I hope that the sugar buzz that I am on this evening lasts till Maine.Since I was out of food Red gave me two pack of Ramen and some one else left us bannanas and muffins. I will make it to Boling Springs in the morning now to Re-Supply.
Date: 2003-06-17
From: Tagg Run Shelter

To: Boiling Springs PA
Miles today: 12.2

I hiked 12 miles today in a little under four hours. That is a very fast pace. When I got here to town I had intentions of hiking farther but it was actually very far, like another 16 miles to the next shelter. So I decided to stay.Red and I were going to camp in the back yard at a B&B for $1. The guy there was so kind to let us do that. Then we ran into Jug and Ishmail who offered to take us over to his place to stay for the night. Jug said that there was an AT cabin and another cabin in the guys back yard. That was great. He also took us to the grocery store.
Date: 2003-06-18
From: Boiling Springs PA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night the hospitality from Ishmael was great. Today I decided to start hiking instead of going to breakfast with the group in Carslile. I took a long break at Scott Farm and considered getting off the trail for a day or two to go and get my dog. I really miss her and I hope that she is doing alright. It was very buggy today. Skeeters bit my ass even with deet on. I am very tired after the last up hill charge to get here. There is a south bounder here who does not know what day of the week that it is. He got drunk at the Doyle Motel over the weekend and he could not believe that today was Wednesday. Tomorrow morning I hope to make it to the Doyle for breakfast.
Date: 2003-06-19
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: light rain

Today was a good day of hiking with a short town layover in the middle of the day. I got up this morning and was motivated to make town to hit the Doyle Motel for breakfast last call. When I got there I found Crazy Al, Sugar Dog, Bear Bait, Splash and Cobra, sitting in the bar using the internet and finishing up there own breakfasts.Crazy Al has been at the Doyle for four days now drinking it up. Him and Sugar Dog are "done with PA now". They are hitching over to New Jersey to get away from the rocks. I guess that Sugar Dog's pads are hurt from the rocks.This afternoon I spent two hours at the Methodist Church using the net there in there library. I hit the AYCE truck stop on the way out of town and decided when I reached the firs shelter 4 miles away that I would push on to the next one. I am glad that I did although I got here late. I nearly got hit by a car tonight at the PA 225 road crossing. I have never seen such a dangerous blind curve in my life. I hope to get up early tomorrow and grind out 20 miles if Possible.
Date: 2003-06-20
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: mist

Right now at 4:00pm I have been here at the shelter for two hours. I cant believe that I hiked 17.5 miles in just a little less than 7 hours. I may as well have been swimming today. It rained so hard and so long I never thought it was going to stop. I literally could ring out my boots when I got to the shelter. There must have been a liter in each boot.I am also bumbed because i left a good pair of Wigwam Ultimax Lt Hiker socks back at Peters Gap. It is also probably no warmer than 55* outside today. I cant believe how cold that it is. The shelter is full already and there are others still to arrive I suppose. I really wish that this rain would stop and that summer would arrive.
Date: 2003-06-21
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: light rain

The summer solstice has arrived but you would not know it by the weather.I hiked naked today for about 10 miles until I got to a busy road crossing at Swarta State Park. Hiking naked was very interesting. I passed one young lady who find it very comical and I also passed a group of scouts. It was wierd because the scouts did not even realize that I was naked. Then about 200 feet behind the group was Dopy scout, the one with the frame pack twice his size and the jacket sleeves that are 8 inches too long. He shoute out to the group that there was a guy who walked by naked.My boots have a liter of water in them from another wet day. 90% of the trail today was covered with at least one inch of water. At one point today I had considered walking barefoot as well as bare assed because my boots were so heavy from the water. The thought of carrying 10 lbs of boots on my back thought was not as bad a the thought of walking in them.It feels so good to be inside a shelter tonight. This shelter here has 4 walls and a reall cool sky light in the middle. We ordered food from a Pizza joint and all is well. Tomorrow I might take a zero day if it is still raining in the morning.
Date: 2003-06-22
From: 501 Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I took a zero day today here at the shelter with four walls. It poured rain until about noon. Red and I hitched into town to eat pizza and do laundry. The hitch back out here was difficult and I am tired from the trip. I would really like to spend zero days doing nothing instead of running around.
Date: 2003-06-23
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton Pavillion
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: clear sky

I am very sore tonight after the walk today. PA ROCKS, and I am getting tired of rocking. I will be happy to be out of this in a few days. I took a long break and a 2 hour nap today beside a little babbling stream. It was great to sleep during the heat of the day and to be next to the water and hear in trickle of the rocks made the sleeping even that much better.Bree and Eucher passed me today while I was sleeping and I did not even know it. I passed them a short while later while they were breaking at the shelter. I went to burger king for dinner and I got to meet one of the PA duchman from 2003. He is a dary farmer and he brought down some fresh milk in a cooler for us.The Pavillion here is noisy as it is close to a hwy. I hope that I can get some sleep tonight.
Date: 2003-06-24
From: Port Clinton Pavillion

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: clear sky

It took me a while to get motivated and get of of town today. My Knee brace is falling aparot and I took the better part of two hours to work on it and get it fitting right again. They sent me soem replacement parts and I also did some rigging of my own to get it back so that it feels good and snug. I also did some paddling today for a newspaper photo shoot. The guy that was supposed to do it owns a local business that has recieved a lot of ink latley so he thunk it best if I was the one in these photos. That was cool I think. I wont get much sleep tonight because the snoring contest is under way. And in this corner we have Red, hailing from Burlington Vermont, and in this corner we have the caretaker of the PATC Pass Mountain Hut in SNP...I could have, would have, should have tarped tonight but the bugs are bad.
Date: 2003-06-25
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 28.9
Weather: few clouds

It is very late...I just arrived here at the shelter to find no one in it and a half mouse eaten register that exclaims a large number of black snakes that live in near and around the shelter. I have no place else to go so I am stuck here for the night. I hope that I survive.The hike today was long and hard. The last 2 miles over Bake Oven in the dark were hard and some what dangerous. I almost slipped and fell two or three times. The walk was more like bouldering.
Date: 2003-06-26
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Palmerton Community Hostel
Miles today: 7.5

I seam to go short day long day and then I wind up with a 17 mile average.It was hot as hell today. I decided to come to town for a shower and when I got here the hostel is in the basement of an old stone building so I decided to stay the night in the cool temp and bug free bunk room down here.Palmerton is like a car show. People drive there decked out sports cars of all eras past and present up and down the main drag here like it is going out of style. It is kinda cool to sit and watch.I might make a push all the way to DWG tomorrow.
Date: 2003-06-27
From: Palmerton Community Hostel

To: Delaware Water Gap Church Hostel
Miles today: 36.2
Weather: few clouds

In my mind I dont even know where to start writing about today.I will never again hike over 30 miles. The last five miles to get here I could not even feel my feet. I arrived here just in time to meet up with Just Dan at the Deer Head Inn to have a beer and a Pizza before it closed. I have not seen him and Wally Gator in well over 6 weeks. It was great to do all the miles to catch up with and see those folks but still. MY FEET HURT.I saw some really cool things today. I saw multiple snakes that had very fresh and shiny skin. That was really cool. I also got to drink some beverages about ten miles back that some saint placed in a tree. If it were not for that person and the anesthesia that they provided in the form of 99 bannanas and After Shock shots I would have never made it here to town.I will probably take a zero day here tomorrow and totally relax.
Date: 2003-06-28
From: Delaware Water Gap Church Hostel

To: Delaware Water Gap Church Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I took a relaxing zero day today and had some good food and some good re-hydrating drinks and some ice-cream.I decided to stay here again tonight and take a zero day late in the day because there are many many skeeters in the woods in Jersey and it is a situation where there are not many places to camp due to state land regulations.Tomorrow I will head out for the first shelter or beyond.
Date: 2003-06-29
From: Delaware Water Gap Church Hostel

To: Ken Etowa Pec YMCA Camp
Miles today: 17.8

My day started early today with a trip across the I80 NJPAJBA toll bridge over the Delaware River on Interstate 80. The bridge was cool. It shook really hard when trucks went by.On the other side I ran into both of the young NJ ridge runners and I stopped at the visitors center to re-fill my water containers. The climb out of the Water Gap was a steep one with a creek on one side. It was a heavily used area and I passed probably 100 day hikers. I also saw many Rattle Snakes today too sunning them selves on rocks along the trail.I stopped off at the Mohican Outdoor Center of the Appalachian Mountain Club for a sandwich and a nap. It was a refreshing nap and I am happy that I took it. I felt so good walking late this afternoon if it were not for the damn skeeters.I got down to Rattle Snake Spring and filled my water bottle up and starting walking north again and I came across a large bear that was very hostile. It sorta charged me once and it was apparent that the bear was injured or hurt because it was completly dragging one of its back legs. It was actually kinda scary as it was kind growling and standing up. It really scared the shit out of me.After getting past the bear I kept making my way to Blue Ridge Mountain Road wherer there are supposed to be two screened shelters at an old boy scout camp.I made my way down to the camp and was greated by a very attractive young woman camp counselor name Allison who pointed me in the right direction to get to the shelters and the water.There was a Muslim group at the camp for a few days so I decided to see if I could YOGI a snack or some dinner from them. It worked out like a charm. I went over to the mess hall to put my phone on charge and whalla, chicken, flat bread, sausage, cheese, milk, orange juice, tea, and some pretty good company talking to a large group of older kids who could not believe what I was doing out here.The shelter here is cool. There are millions of hungry skeeters just on the other side of the screens on the front of this place.I will sleep good tonight because I am here by my self.
Date: 2003-06-30
From: Ken Etowa Pec YMCA Camp

To: Sunrise Mountain Pavillion
Miles today: 12.5

Well I just go done watching the best sunset I have seen in months. With all of the rain I have not had many chances to sit and watch the sun set. That was one of the things that I wanted to be able to do out here. My self, Ultrtyea and two section hikers from central Jersey are here tonight. There is a parking lot near by and I gather that many folks party here so we are going to have to fight that a little bit tonight.My walk today was tiring. I only walked 12 miles and it was very difficult. I really did not feel much like walking. I hope that I am not hitting another lull where i dotn want to do any thing. I did stop today for a little lunch at a deli at Culver Gap callet Worthingtons. Very hot little cutie about 20 years old was working the counter there. It was a great sandwich and an expensive Gatorade for lunch but it tasted so good.
Date: 2003-07-01
From: Sunrise Mountain Pavillion

To: Murray Property (Seceret Shelter)
Miles today: 14.5

This shelter is flat out the coolest place yet. There is a sign that says Well Water 300ft back at the AT. When you walk over here you find a little building with a clothes dryer, bunk shelf, electric, hot water shower, and well water. What a great place.Thanks Jim Murray you are the greatest. Your donkeys fight like hell with each other but I still think this place is cool. I took a long hot shower, and the two section hikers along with Ultryea are here again. The section hikers have trail names now. Bug Bite and Big Blister respective in there own rights to the problems that both of them have.Tomorrow it is Vernon Va and the Church Hostel. I might wind up taking some time off over this 4th of July weekend.
Date: 2003-07-02
From: Murray Property Seceret Shelter

To: Vernon NJ Rt94 Church Hostel
Miles today: 14.5

The Skeeters today were the worst they have been yet. I feel like a snack plate at a bug party. There was this one section today near the Wallkill National Mosquito Wild Life Refuge where I thought that I was going to be carried away by the damn things. What is with this? No wonder West Niles Virus lives here.However there was one really cool thing about todays trip. There is a huge boardwalk today. I mean this thing is wide enough for three people to nearly walk side by side and it is probably over 1 mile long. It is elevated over some wet lands near Vernon NJ. It is very cool. About half way across it there is a large suspension bridge. That has to be the most expensive part of the entire trail as far as dollars per hiker step are concearned. Very cool none the less.The hostel here is cool too. I have been able to update my journal here and shower and do laundry and get a hot meal from the Chineese to go place.
Date: 2003-07-03
From: Vernon NJ

To: Vernon NJ (Did not hike a single step today)
Miles today: 0.0

It is 5:20pm. I have spent two hours updating this journal, one hour trying to se a Dr. One hour Nap, one hour at the PO and one hour cooking and eating a whole pound of bacon and about six eggs. Add all that up and consider that I did not get out of my sleeping bag and off of the floor here till around 9am that means that I am not going to far. The skeeters here are really bad today to per the people who are coming off the trail right now. I am going to stay here again tonight and then run over to RT17A or rt 17 tomorrow and get a Jeeping pal to come pick me up and let me stay at his place tomorrow night and try to catch some fireworks some place.Three zero days in ten days is not cool!!Must keep on pushing on to Maine.