morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-10-24
From: Rausch Gap Shelter, PA

To: Peter Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I¢m writing this in the morning before leaving Rausch Gap Shelter. After going to bed last night it began to rain and has kept up steadily all night and into the morning so far ¢ and seems to be getting heavier. We have 17.5 miles to go today. Lee is looking decidedly unenthusiastic. He is making comments like ¢It¢s going to be dark for a long time this morning¢ and ¢clothes are going to be wet¢. He does not remember ever starting in the rain, although he¢s been rained on while on the trail lots of times. Dave is nearly all packed up so I¢d better get started. Later: We are in Peters Mountain Shelter. It was a rainy day and turned cold as the day went on. Strangely, we met quite a few people. I wonder why they chose the first really rainy day we'd had for a hike. Two young men told us they¢d camped ¢on the top¢ and all their gear was now wet so they were going to Rausch Gap Shelter to build a fire and dry out. There were two other hiking parties gong there as well, so Rausch Gap Shelter will be crowded tonight. When we arrived at Peters Mountain Shelter the first chore was to get water. Down, down, down 293 stone steps, then up, up, up again. After 17.5 miles today it was quite an effort. Climbing today, excluding the water run, was 886m (down 874m). When we got back with the water there were lots of people about. Finally they all came together into the shelter and proved to be a group of around 20 Amish women (or Mennonite). They only stayed a short time then went back out into the windy, cold, rainy weather. They did not seem to us to be dressed for the conditions but then a man showed up who explained that there are roads and parking lots all around us so they probably did not walk very far. This shelter is very drafty due to facing directly into the wind and rain. Obviously the builders recognised this could be a problem and have hung a large roll-up tarpaulin across the main "window". It is quite a large shelter with a loft as well. Seems odd to us Kiwis to build a shelter in a place where water is so hard to get. We wouldn¢t do it at home - then of course we've got more water sources! Let¢s hope this latest rain has been widespread, especially down south, and that it will make a bit of a dent in the drought. Tomorrow, we go to Duncannon and stay at the Doyle Hotel.Peter Mountain Shelter
Date: 2007-10-26
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Darlington Shelter, PA
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: moderate rain

Rain, rain, rain at least now, after we arrived at Darlington Shelter. Earlier while walking we had our umbrellas up some of the time, but mainly because of a cascade of large drops from the trees from time to time as they caught the mist. After we got here the real rain started and has been fairly steady. We had no faith in the spring that is supposed to be here somewhere, so we knocked on doors at the houses on Miller Gap Rd until we found someone at the house and got water from her. 3.5 litres of water weighs 3.5 kilos (7lbs 12oz) and certainly makes a difference to the pack weight. Dave has about the same and it was an effort to carry it up 250 metres over the next 2 miles to the shelter. So far none of us have braved the rain to investigate whether the spring is running. I think we would be too annoyed if it is, so haven't made an effort to find out. Altogether we climbed 729 metres today (down 439m), quite a lot over 10 miles. It has been a short day because we know we are not permitted to camp anywhere between here and the next shelter which is 18 miles away. That 18 miles must be done in one hit. It is mainly farmland which is the reason why camping is prohibited. These 3-sided shelters are cheerless places when it is raining. We do not sufficiently appreciate (or maybe we do!) the hut network we have in New Zealand. We would be warm and cozy with the wood- or coal-burning stove fired up and anything wet would be dry by morning. We are very lucky with our back country facilities. Most of the huts, except those by streams, have water tanks and bunks with mattresses. There are thousands of these huts dotted around the back country, a lot of them having been built years ago by the now-disbanded Forest Service. They are maintained by volunteers in some cases or by the Department of Conservation. Our club in Wellington (ttc.org.nz) has been very involved in hut-building in the past and still maintains several huts in our local hills. In poor conditions these huts save lives. I suppose that is the difference ¢ here life is not at risk, only comfort.Transcriber comment: I thought it would be fun to post a photo from the internet of one of the huts in New Zealand. They do look nice!Speargrass Creek Hut in Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand (Photo by Sean & Pat Angela)
Date: 2007-10-27
From: Darlington Shelter, PA

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained heavily all night. We are hoping it is widespread and will help the streams and springs to come back. Today is all farmland. As long as there is no wind our umbrellas will do a great job if it keeps raining. Dave is going to wear his parka today! He¢s been carrying it for 3 months and has had it on once. I¢ve had mine on a couple of times for chilly wind. The men seems a little more monosyllabic than usual on this rainy morning. Dave observed cheerfully that we have 18.5 miles to go to the next shelter.Dave and I have really been noticing the noise of transportation. The interstates and trains go all the time and the noise is terrific. I was just reminded of this by a plane going over that made me feel I needed to duck. It is on its way to land in Harrisburg, probably. They just made it over our ridge. Well, here we are at Alex Kennedy Shelter and it was a very easy and enjoyable day. It never really rained, just a bit of mist and drizzle. Then at about noon it cleared up to a beautiful afternoon. We got to Boiling Springs (pronounced by Lee as "bawlin") and spent 3 hours eating and shopping in the supermarket. The lake in the middle of town has natural artesian water boiling up to form a beautiful clear river, hence the name "Bawlin". Now we are here at Alex Kennedy Shelter along with 3 boy scouts, 2 parents and another adult. This is the most crowded shelter we¢ve been in for a long time. Saw two white-tailed deer today and huge flocks of birds which flew from tree to tree making an enormous racket. This is Amish Country and is kept very tidy and neat with all the houses and other buildings in perfect condition. There are many feedlots and fields of crops. There are a few cattle but most of the fields are unfenced. It looks very prosperous. We saw soybeans, lots of corn destined possibly for the feedlots, alfalfa and something with frizzy heads that I couldn¢t identify.Alec Kennedy Shelter
Date: 2007-10-28
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA

To: Ironmaster Mansion Hostel ( Pine Grove Furnace SP)
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: broken clouds

We did 15 miles today with ups and downs and a few rocks. It was not too tiring a day, with 862m of climbing (924m down). We arrived at Ironmaster Mansion Hostel at about 3:00 p.m. It is an international youth hostel so doesn¢t open till 5pm, but the people running the place were confused about when/whether the clocks had changed so we had a slow start and lots of explaining before we could settle in. Luckily there were others also trying to get in at 5pm who knew the clocks had changed. We thought this but would not have been as certain as the others were.Once we got in, the hostel was reasonably passable, but there was nowhere comfortable to sit. If you want to sit, you sit on the dining room chairs. I would really have enjoyed sitting in a comfy chair. It is amazing how much you miss the small pleasures of life at home that we take for granted. I must be getting old!My pack is a lovely bright red again! Dave always puts his pack in the washing machine and lucky he does since otherwise it develops the most disgusting smell. I have never done that but I am at the point where I can't bear the sweaty horrible thing any more, so in it went. I really wondered if it would come out in one piece, but not only did it survive, it looks almost new again! Today we passed the unofficial halfway point between Katahdin and Springer (beginning and end of the trail)! Nobody knows how long the trail is due to constant re-routing and that sign was put up several years ago. So there is plenty of doubt about whether it is correct. Here at the hostel there is a more recent sign claiming the same thing, but this is as unlikely to be correct as the other. One way or the other, we are approximately half way to Springer and almost to the day 3 months since we started. Will we finish? Ironmaster Mansion Hostel photo by Trail Dancer and WillieGoat
Date: 2007-10-29
From: Ironmaster Mansion Hostel (Pine Grove Furnace SP)

To: Quarry Gap Shelter, PA
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

We arrived at Quarry Gap Shelter after a very pleasant 6 or so hours of easy travel. I guessed we¢d climbed 850 metres and in fact, it was 847 (642m down). I generally lead the way since I am the slowest (this is not to say I'm slow!) and today I saw a black furry cat on the trail just ahead. This, of course, led to jokes about wicca, black cats and Halloween (31st Oct). We also saw a group of Amish who had come in with 2 horse-and-buggies. There were a couple of adults and a lot of children. We were objects of great curiosity for the children who ran around each other and peered around each other just like anxious steers do if you invade their field. It was a beautiful fall day, but pretty chilly. We stopped for lunch at Birch Run Shelter which is very nice and tidy with bunks and a polished floor. We sat in the sun and drank hot chocolate. Lunch at Birch Run ShelterRed blueberries Tonight the thermostat is reading 7 degrees C as we go to bed, so it could be pretty cold later on. I keep a couple of hand warmers (the kind used by skiers) in my emergency gear as a backup if it gets colder than our light weight sleeping bags can deal with (Phantom 32, rated to 32 degrees F or 0 degrees C) but since I have only been able to zip my bag up fully a couple of times I do not think I will need them tonight.Quarry Gap Shelter in JulyCollecting water
Date: 2007-10-30
From: Quarry Gap Shelter, PA

To: Deer Lick Shelters, PA
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

In the morning we found it only reached 5 degrees last night, so we had no problems with being cold in our sleeping bags. These shelters (Quarry Gap and yesterday's lunch stop Birch Run) are beautifully maintained by volunteers who obviously take great pride in them. In addition, the trail south of Quarry Gap is very well looked after with several carefully cut rhododendron tunnels to go though. It was an up and down day today with a few rocky outcrops to clamber over. All of us had a food drop to pick up at the Post Office in South Mountain, a mile off the trail. Sorting maildrop at South Mountain POWe climbed almost exactly the same amount as yesterday ¢ 854 metres (861m down). The temperature dropped to 2oC (35oF) as we got down to the picnic facilities of Caledonia State Park on Highway 30. Rocky Mountain lived up to its name but did not slow us down too much, except when we found a nice rocky face and took some rock climbing photos.Getting to South Mountain (little town) was easier than any commute we¢d done yet. The first car stopped for us, then on the way back a kind woman who¢d been at the Post Office went out of her way to take us back to the trail. All in all we lost only about 34 of an hour. Deer Lick Shelters are pretty good but it took us a long time, at least an hour, to get enough water from the seep that passes for a water source. Lucky no one else is here as we drained it and it was very slow to re-fill.We have now taken 2 million 500,000 steps, says Dave, and we have 2 million 500,000 steps to go! I really needed to know that. Deer Lick Shelters photo by Marta/Five-Leaf
Date: 2007-10-31
From: Deer Lick Shelters, PA

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter, MD
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: haze

Dawn refuses to break this morning. I've had breakfast and am supposed to be packing up and it is still completely dark. Get used to it - this is what it is going to be like soon, as the days get shorter.Later: I am writing this now from Ensign Cowall Shelter, having arrived here about 3:45pm after 15 miles. It was a beautiful sunny and cool day (6-21C), perfect for hiking. We climbed 945m today (922 down), so a fair bit of up and down, also quite a lot of rocks. We crossed into Maryland today so it¢s goodbye to Pennsylvania after what seems like a long time. Lee has not been very complimentary about Pennsylvania but apart from the rocks (which I¢ve got sick of), it has not been too bad at all. In fact, I venture to say that I¢m quite enjoying the trail now. For a long time I have found it exhausting and dealing with foot problems due to bad luck with boots has made it really too hard to enjoy very much. But I am now cruising along with not much in the way of problems, so things are looking up. We arrive in Harpers Ferry on Friday and will have a zero day there. Lee is finishing there so we will lose him. I feel very sad about that as I have got used to having him around. He is good value.One thing we are dealing with is all the dead leaves on the trail. Yesterday Dave tripped over something concealed amongst the leaves and did a full face plant onto the trail. Today Lee did the same and hit his head on a sharp rock, causing quite a nasty cut above his eye. We patched it up as best we could but it might need a stitch. He has gone to the Free State Hostel just down the road from the shelter, and we will meet him again at Rocky Run Shelter tomorrow night. I suspect he will not bother with a doctor. We went with him down to the hostel as we needed water. The spring here is dry.As I was sitting on the sleeping platform cleaning my teeth and not looking at anything in particular, I vaguely noticed a large black stump about 10 metres out in front of the shelter. Then it got up and walked away! We had seen our first bear, or more correctly I had, since Dave missed it. We have stashed our bear-proof food bags very carefully as you can imagine and hope the bears stay clear of the shelter tonight. It is wide open in the front and I can¢t help feeling vulnerable.Maybe we should change our trail names to Stumbledee and Stumbledum. I certainly felt like it today with rocks and leaves conspiring together to trip me over. Pennsylvania rocks!Garter snake
Date: 2007-11-02
From: Maple Tree Campground

To: The TownÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Inn (Harpers Ferry)
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Sketch of Town's Inn from the internet.We had 10 miles to go to Harpers Ferry. What a lovely little place it is. Lee was very excited to finish the trail (he'd section-hiked all the rest over the last few years) and we had a photo session just over the bridge on the way in. Lee victorious!Having arrived early, we had the opportunity to do our chores and have a proper day off tomorrow. So we have done our grocery shopping and bought new watches and some fleece pants for the colder conditions we are expecting.The Hilltop House Hotel has hiker rates but unfortunately has no room available for tomorrow so we may be forced to move to the Comfort Inn for twice the price. We are wait-listed for a cancellation but haven¢t much hope. I was amused at the bathroom in our room. It is absolutely tiny and possibly was previously a built-in wardrobe. I can't imagine how you would use it if you were in the least bit overweight, as so many people are. Maybe the "hiker rooms" are all the rooms they've got that have these tiny bathrooms, because no-one else can fit in.Later . . .predictably there were no cancellations at the Hilltop House Hotel, but I found a place in the little town which has only just opened and here we are. It is called The Town¢s Inn, located at 175 High St. It has a lot of personality, includes kitchen facilities, is located right in the centre of town just down the road from the Hilltop, and is half the price of the Comfort Inn. The woman who runs the place is very friendly and helpful. Lee has also abandoned the Comfort Inn. They have a variety of accommodation options here, including bunks and private rooms, but the place is pretty small and would be overwhelmed if full, so we hope not too many others turn up. Having made the move our next objective is to get on the internet at the AT Headquarters. Later tonight Lee and his wife Linda are taking us out for dinner to the Hilltop Hotel restaurant to celebrate his completion of the trail and our part in it.Dave and I are leaving tomorrow morning early. Next stop is Linden in a couple of days¢ time.Harpers Ferry - Studebaker a.k.a. TUNA BAG - Stewart Kincaid photo
Date: 2007-11-03
To: The TownÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Inn (Harpers Ferry) - ZERO Day 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We are at AT Headquarters in Harpers Ferry and on their computer. We are going out to dinner tonight at the Hilltop Inn to celebrate Lee's finishing the trail. The hotel has a buffet dinner and we are looking forward to that, also to the great views out over the Potomac and Shenandoah River valleys from the windows of the restaurant. It is sad to lose Lee, but we are very happy he has achieved his objective.Overview of Harper's Ferry photo by Red Wing & Hopeful in June 2005ATC Headquarters - WhiteBlaze.net photo
Date: 2007-11-04
From: Harpers Ferry, VA

To: Bears Den Hostel, VA
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We got on the trail at 6:10 a.m. It was still a little too dark but we just had to walk along the road to the bridge over the Potomac and there were street lights, so the dark wasn't a problem. The clocks have changed so that it will be light earlier in the morning and dark earlier at night. So we have to start earlier and end earlier. The trail today was much more rocky than we had been led to believe. This was a bit of a disappointment as we were really hoping to get a break from rocks. They are very hard on the feet. However we were not slowed down a great deal by them and arrived at the Blackburn Trail Centre at 11:00 a.m. after 13 miles, with 7 to go. They have a very nice establishment just off the side of the ridge down a steep zigzag track. We probably would not have gone there except for the fact that they have a water spigot and there is no water on the ridge. So we sat on their lovely covered-in verandah and had hot chocolate for lunch.There were more people on the trail today than we have ever seen in one day before. I can't think why it is such a popular hiking area. There are a series of PUDs (Pointless Ups and Downs) and few view spots as well as a lot of rock on the trail. But people were out in great numbers. I think fall is a popular time to hike as the temperatures are perfect and the trees with their changing leaves are very attractive. We saw quite a few deer today. We climbed 1423 meters today (1094m down), quite a lot and more than we have been used to recently. The trail is covered with oak tree leaves which are more leathery than others and are quite slippery on the rocks. Lee and Linda took us out for dinner last night to the Hilltop Hotel restaurant. It has a fabulous view overlooking the Potomac River where it is joined by the Shenandoah, and with the sun setting it was a wonderful scene. We had the best food we've had yet in America.We are now at the Bear's Den Hostel, 20 miles from Harper's Ferry. It is a great place, built like a castle out of huge stones. There is a history but I can't remember it. I read about it on a sign on the way here and promptly forgot it. The managers were out when we arrived but had left the combination for the lock on the front door so we could go in and make ourselves at home. Thru-hikers like us pay only $13 and all the facilities are provided including laundry, internet, free long distance phone and fully equipped kitchen. I wonder how they can do it and survive financially. Obviously the managers take huge pride in the place as it is spotlessly clean and beautifully maintained, a pleasure to stay in. Two other people are here as well and they shared their wine and wonderful green salad. It was a real treat to eat a salad not made with iceberg lettuce. Inside Bears Den HostelBears Den History Sign
Date: 2007-11-05
From: Bears Den Hostel, VA

To: Dicks Dome Shelter, VA
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

Bear¢s Den Hostel was a lovely place to stay last night, not least because we had it to ourselves. I have noticed that a lot of places do not have a separate bathroom and toilet, so if someone is showering no one can use the toilet. We have wondered how it would work if there were a lot of people staying. There are certainly some advantages to hiking southbound.Today we had a lot less rock. We really noticed the difference after finishing what thru-hikers fondly call the Roller Coaster. The Roller Coaster is a series of PUDs, maybe 7 today and 3 yesterday, averaging about 150 meters high. Generally speaking they are rocky. Since leaving them behind things have improved and my feet are better today than they¢ve been for a long time. We climbed 1537 meters today (1516m down) in temperatures of about 16 degrees. It was a lovely sunny fall day, perfect for hiking, and we saw only 2 people out planning a Boy Scout trip. No other people, no animals, no birds. The bush is really quiet. There was plenty of water as all the streams are running.Sky Meadows State ParkDicks Dome Shelter is a funny little place in a sort of octagon shape but quite small, so really only the two of us can fit comfortably. Any more would be a squeeze. The little stream in front is running, so water here is convenient for a change. Later in the evening after it got dark we could hear some animal threshing about in the leaves on the other side of the creek. We assumed it was a deer.Dicks Dome Shelter photo by Marta/Five-LeafA question we get asked from time to time is whether New Zealand has the same problems with obesity as America. We do of course, but it is partly explained because we have a large Pacific Island population who tend towards obesity. We have seen a lot of tremendously fat people here and I really wonder how they fit into some of the tiny facilities such as showers, and in the case of the Hilltop Hotel, the bathroom in our room. At the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon the shower was so tiny I couldn¢t wash my feet. In some of the small towns we¢ve been in nearly every person we saw was overweight. At the Chinese Buffet we found in Charlestown we couldn¢t get over the difference between the tiny, sliver-thin staff and the enormous patrons. We¢ll have to remember this when we get home and have to cut back on the gluttinous hiker eating habits!Washington Monument, Church, Potomac River & C&O Canal. Great photo selection by Don't Mind & Don't Matter (Lisa&Kit Letchworth)