morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-09
From: Big Meadows

To: Pass Mountain Hut 
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: light rain

Thor the Red and I hiked together most of the day and at lunch time we stopped at the Park restaurant to have lunch. Vista was already there so we joined her and then Slim and his son came in later. Slim indicated that his son, Anders trail name was now Granders. We ended up stopping at the shelter for the night, however Slim and his son never showed up.
Date: 2014-06-10
From: Pass Mountain Hut 

To: Front Royal Hostel
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

Apparently, Thor the Red was up all night throwing up in the grip of the Noro Virus. I talked with him on my way out of camp and he said he was feeling better but he was going to stay in the shelter for a few hours to see how he felt later. I left camp and hiked 7 miles to the Wayside and had a second breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, and toast followed by a Blackberry Milkshake. I met a family of Russian Americans, including a Mother, Son, Daughter and son in law who were section hiking and sat and talked with them for a while. Constantine and I hiked together for a while and had a nice conversation. At the end of the day, I hiked to the Front Royal Hostel and met Chicken Feathers, Belch, and others. I received a text from Slim and as Thor and I had speculated, Granders shoes had blown out on a rocky section of downhill and they had hitched into town to get new shoes.
Date: 2014-06-11
From: Front Royal Hostel

To: Jim and Molly Denton shelter 
Miles today: 9.0

I slept very well last night in the hostel. It is amazing how well you can sleep in a bunkhouse filled with strangers. It rained during the night and the forecast for the day is for scattered thunderstorms.   Mike, the proprietor of the hostel brought us in to the town of Front Royal to resupply. After breakfast at McDonald's, I picked up a few supplies for the next 3 days on the trail. I started hiking at about 11:30 with the intention of going about 15 miles today. But, by early afternoon storm clouds were building and so I raced the storm to the nearest shelter. The Jim and Molly Denton Shelter is very nice and comes equipped with an Adirondack bench and a solar shower.   When I reached the shelter, it appeared that the storm had dissipated. But I decided that the shelter was just too nice so I decided to stay and took a nice shower. Plan B, The Rock, and Pond were already there.   Later, Slim and Granders showed up.Trail Scat : Heard the Storm Crow (Yellow Billed Cuckoo) calling in the woods this afternoon. A sure sign that rain was on the way. Sure enough, it started pouring at 6:30 PM.
Date: 2014-06-12
From: Jim and Molly Denton shelter 

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: moderate rain

I was the first one up at Miss Molly's Chamber. It's not that comfortable sleeping on a hard wood floor with just a thin foam pad, but since it rained all night, it was nice not having to break down a wet tent.   After visiting the privy I took a shower, not because I necessarily needed one, but because I could. Slim's son Granders woke up in the throes of Noro Virus so he and Slim were going to have to stay at the shelter for at least a day. I started hiking under foggy and overcast skies. It rained off an on all morning but I stayed drier than I normally do when it is hot and humid. About 3 miles into the hike I saw a small bear about 15-20 feet up in a tree.   The bear saw me a slid down the tree as quick as a fireman landing on the ground with a loud thud. It was the 7th bear I had seen in the last week. At around lunchtime, it started pouring and I made my way to Dick's Dome Shelter to get out of the rain to have my lunch. The creek in front of the shelter was swollen and I had trouble getting across. It rained most of the rest of the afternoon and at times the trail looked like a flowing stream. I didn't see another north bound hiker the entire day. I made it to the shelter at 4:30 and met some section hikers there.Trail Scat : There was bear scat all over the trail in the Shenandoah's. Initially, I had attributed it to some ominous reason such as the bears were trying to send us a message. But, it was later explained to me as the "Tickle" theory.   Bears choose the center of the trail because it is clear and there are no weeds or brush to tickle them.
Date: 2014-06-13
From: Rod Hollow Shelter, VA

To: Bear's Den Hostel, VA
Miles today: 9.9

I left the shelter fairly early and started hiking north with the intention of only going 10 miles or so and stopping at the Bears Den Hostel. I figured I would decide to go further or not when I got there. The day was humid and the threat of rain was present. I found a nice tub sized pool of water at a river crossing and couldn't resist stripping down and getting in. I made it to the Hostel at 12:30 PM and decided I would have lunch and hang out a while. I was feeling a little guilty about stopping so early and I didn't really know anyone at the hostel when I got there. In the last two days I had not seen a single northbound thru-hiker, so I was tempted to push on. I'm glad I didn't because after a short time many old friends started showing up including Tennessee Jed, Real Talk, Chinook, Scout, and Pockets. We all had pizza and ice cream and warched it rain from the comfort of the stone faced Bear's Den.Trail Scat : The Rain Crow called from the woods again today and as the legend tells, it rained again.
Date: 2014-06-14
From: Bear's Den Hostel, VA

To: Tea Horse Hostel, WV
Miles today: 20.5

Although there was no peak to climb, I was suffering from a bad case of summit fever yesterday having stopped at the hostel at the 999.1 mile mark. I was very anxious to get across the 1,000 mile plateau, which for me is a significant milestone. I was planning to get up early but I was wide awake at 4:00 AM, so I got out of my bunk and went upstairs to the kitchen and made a pot of strong coffee and then made some pancakes. For $30, you got a bunk, a 12-inch pizza, a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and pancakes. I was on the trail at 5:50 AM; it was my earliest start ever. Being the first one on the trail meant I would be the one cutting through all of the webs that had been erected across the trail. I was across the 1,000 mile mark in minutes and never looked back. It was the fastest 20 miles I had ever hiked and I crossed the Shenandoah River at about 1:00 PM and made my way over to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy office to have my picture taken. I was the 569th hiker to reach this point on the trail.   Only a handful of those had started after I did.   I picked up two packages, one had my new shoes and one had some replacement clothes from home.   I walked to the outfitter and had Baltimore Jack replace the tips on my Leki poles and then I headed to the Hostel.   Chinook and Scout and I had a great dinner at the Anvil restaurant and then it was off to Walmart for resupply. The big problem I have is what to do with the old pair of shoes. It is difficult to simply toss away something that has protected my feet so well.
Date: 2014-06-15
From: Tea Horse Hostel, WV

To: Dahlgren Campground, MD 
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

We had a great breakfast at the Tea Horse Hostel and then I walked through town on my way to the trail. I carried my old Salomon shoes with me so I could figure out what to do with them. On the way, I passed a church where the service was about to start and one of the members saw I was a hiker and he informed that they left the church open for hikers if they needed a place to stay. I asked him if there were any homeless shelters near where I could donate my shoes and he said he would take them to a charity he works with. It was tough leaving a town like Harper's Ferry.   It is filled with history dating back to Thomas Jefferson. I finally walked out around 11:00 and crossed the Potomac River and entered the 301 area code of Maryland. Scout and Chinook had left early and were chasing Pockets to give her a guide book she had left behind. Maryland is the 6th state I have crossed into.I was unispired during my hike today and my legs were tired. I was also sad because it was Father's day and I was missing my family. Nevertheless, I made it 17 miles and camped in an established campground that has hot showers, which is a nice way to end the day. The only problem was that Pockets, Scout and Chinook had hiked 23 miles, which put me 6 miles behind them.
Date: 2014-06-16
From: Dahlgren Campground, MD 

To: Falls Creek Campground, PA
Miles today: 24.3

It turned out that camping at the site with the hot showers was not the best decision after all as shortly after dark a group came in with small children and they were very noisy. Worse yet were two section hikers who carried on a loud conversation just outside my tent till almost midnight. I ended up moving my tent and all its contents to the other side of the campground.In the morning, I had planned to hike a 28-29 mile day to catch up with Scout, Pockets and Chinook. I hiked passed the original Washington Monument and later in the day got some great Trail Magic from Shaz. I ended up eating 2 hot dogs and a hamburger along with an apple and chocolate covered donut. I also was given some fudge by a young girl with her family in Pen Mar State Park. Late in the day, I crossed the Mason Dixon line into Pennsylvania, but still had 4-5 miles to go. I climbed a hill and noticed three people camping in a small campground and looked closer and realized it was Scout, Chinook, and Pockets who had ended up stopping short of their original destination. I was relieved and ended up camping with them.Trail Scat : I continue to hear many Scarlet Tanager's in the woods of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The other day I was in a clearing and I watched a Black Vulture circling low overhead with one talon dangling down, almost like it was looking to make an emergency landing. While I watched, a Raven flew over and then in a flat glide, flipped upside down and folded its wings and then croaked. It followed this pattern 3 times only I presume just for the fun of it.
Date: 2014-06-17
From: Falls Creek Campground, PA

To: Quarry Gap Shelters, PA
Miles today: 19.9

Today I hiked all day with Scout, Chinook, and Pockets. We had a late lunch at the State Park consisting of a burger, fries, and a milk shake and then swam in the creek in the park. We hiked towards our planned stopping point at Quarry Gap Shelters and just before getting there we entered a rhododendron tunnel and the air temperature appeared to drop by 10 degrees or so and then we entered the shelter area through a small gate with a welcome sign and fresh flowers hanging from baskets near the shelter. It was unusual because we have not seen rhododendrons for several weeks now. It was like stepping into a Disney storybook setting as the shelter was immaculate and there were other nice touches including a sun dial. There was also a nice spring running right in front of the shelters. It was just me, Chinook, Scout, Pockets and Shroomer staying there. It rained during the night and just before midnight, I heard a lone coyote howling in the distance.
Date: 2014-06-18
From: Quarry Gap Shelters, PA

To: Ironmasters Mansion Hostel, PA
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: scattered clouds

It was another good day of hiking as Scout, Pockets, Chinook and I all hiked together again. On the way out of the campground, the rhododendrons disappeared and the temperature rose noticeably as we climbed a small hill.It was a fairly easy day and we made our way past the official halfway mark and then the unofficial point where a large sign had been erected. We posed for several photographs and then made our way to the Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel where we would be staying for the night and the general store next door. At the general store you could participate in the half gallon ice cream challenge which would require you to eat all of the ice cream in one sitting.Only Chinook and I would be participating. Chinook finished his Moose Tracks in 22 minutes and I finished my chocolate in 26 minutes and enjoyed every spoonful. The mansion was constructed in 1828 and includes a secret passageway through the floor that may have been used to support the underground railroad. We all had a wonderful stay and it seemed like we had developed a nice hiking family.
Date: 2014-06-19
From: Ironmasters Mansion Hostel, PA

To: Alex Kennedy Shelter, PA 
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

I left the Ironmaster Mansion Hostel a little after 7 AM and a few minutes after Pockets, Chinook and Scout. The options were somewhat limited in regards to a destination for the day. It was either stay at the shelter after only 15.7 miles or camp near or stay in the town of Boiling Springs.   It started raining just after noon, so we opted for staying at the shelter to avoid having to set up camp in the rain.   It was only myself, Chinook, Scout, Pockets, Dependable Pete, Dirt, and Dreamer at the shelter for the night. Bamboops showed up but decided to push on for a 30+ mile day. Trail Scat : After 1,100 miles, my body feels as strong as ever. My knees, ankles, joints, and feet all feel great. We will see how everything holds up for the second half of the hike.
Date: 2014-06-20
From: Alex Kennedy Shelter, PA 

To: Cove Mountain Shelter, PA 
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night it was very cool and I was glad that I still had my down sleeping bag.   This morning, we broke camp early and after a quick breakfast, we hiked 3 miles into the very quaint town of Boiling Springs, PA. We stopped and had a fantastic 2nd breakfast at the Cafe 101. It was me, Dreamer, Scout, Chinook and Pockets and we all ordered the hiker special, which included eggs, toast, bacon, home fries and a plate of French toast.   We stopped several hours later and had lunch in the shade by a small pond and watched some swallows flying near the pond and a white heron trying to catch fish.   A good portion of the trail today walked us right through corn and wheat fields.   It was a nice change from being stuck in middle of the woods. We met Mo Mo and Double R at the shelter tonight.Trail Scat : After reaching the shelter, we heard the Storm Crow call three times from the woods, then came the clouds, followed by rain all through the night.
Date: 2014-06-21
From: Cove Mountain Shelter, PA 

To: Peters Mountain Shelter, PA 
Miles today: 15.0

For the second straight day we had a short hike into a town, in this case Duncannon, PA. We hiked into town and then walked 0.7 miles up a hill to a grocery store to resupply. The grocery store offered a free shuttle back into town so after resupply we walked to the town center and the historic yet run down and delapidated Doyle Hotel/Hostel. Hikers were practically coming out of the woodworks and we saw quite a few people we knew.   We had breakfast at a small cafe and then ordered beers at the Doyle. I had my first Yeungling.We walked out of town and crossed the Susquehanna River and headed back into the woods. Today was naked hike day in celebration of the summer solstice. We didn't really see anyone participating until near the end of the day when Surge approached us from behind. I looked back and did a double take and I think he wanted to pass us but ended up dropping back and disappearing for the moment. When we got to the shelter, it was packed with weekend section hikers, so we ended up tenting. On the way to camp, Pockets and I saw a Chukar, a striking partridge that was introduced from Eurasia.
Date: 2014-06-22
From: Peters Mountain Shelter, PA 

To: Spring Camp Site, PA
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

Today started out nice and easy and at about 10:30, we crossed a road with a nice creek and so we stopped to eat a snack and swim. Although the water was cold I submerged myself for 15 minutes or so and let my body relax completely. As we were getting ready to leave, two families stopped and asked if we wanted something to eat and of course the answer was yes. They cooked us burgers with fresh tomatoes pickles and lettuce and plenty of other snacks, soda and beer. I ended up drinking several beers and even took a few with me. It was tough to leave but were on our way again.   We ended up camping at a site near a flowing stream where I could cool my beers down before I drank them.   MoMo, Pockets, Snickers, Hoops, Squirrel and her dog Zima were there. Chinook and Scout camped a few tenths of a mile ahead of us.
Date: 2014-06-23
From: Spring Camp Site, PA

To: 501 Shelter, PA 
Miles today: 17.69

I woke up this morning and found out that Pockets was not feeling well and may have been coming down with Noro Virus. Scout and Chinook had already left camp so I hung back to make sure that I could at least get Pockets out to a road gap so that I could get a shuttle to get her into a nearby town to recover if needed. Pockets and I hiked together in the morning and by noon she seemed to be feeling much better, so I pushed on and did most of my hiking in solitude. I ended up naming the virus that Pockets suffered from as the "Nero" Virus, since it did not take her down like the Noro Virus had affected so many others.  The plan was to make it to the 501 shelter 17 miles down trail and camp there.   We knew the shelter had a shower and you could have pizza delivered, but when we got there we found out the pizza place was closed on Monday's, so I had to settle for a ramen dinner instead. I am now under 1,000 miles from the finish line.
Date: 2014-06-24
From: 501 Shelter, PA 

To: Eagles Nest Shelter, PA 
Miles today: 15.1

The sun was shining when Pockets and I broke camp, but an hour into the hike, a light rain had started to fall and the woods had become very dark. It was not altogether unwelcome though as the morning hike was very cool.   After 3 miles Pockets and I stopped at a nice overlook and sat and enjoyed the view as the weather was starting to clear. At about 10:30 AM, we ran into Surge, Machine, Tye Dye and they had found a spot on the creek where an old dam had the been built. The water behind the dam was emerald green, deep and cold.   There was a rope swing tied to a branch above the dam and we all took turns swinging and jumping into the cold water.   It was take your breath away cold.Later in the day I saw my third rattlesnake of the trip.   This one blended perfectly with the trail and had I not been looking for roots and rocks in the trail, I may have stepped on it. I waited for Pockets so that I could show her the snake because up until now she had not seen one. Today was a short day setting up an even shorter day tommorow to pick up a mail drop and resupply in Hamburg, PA. We met Dependable Pete, Surge, Machine, Dirt, and Double R at the shelter. Just before getting to the shelter, I saw a blue blaze near the right side of the trail and made the incorrect assumption that the shelter was to the right so I hiked very quickly down the trail. Soon I realized that I had gone further than It was supposed to be and when I looked up, I saw a white blaze and realized that I had hiked about 1/2 mile north on the AT and so I had to back track back to the south and to the correct blue-blazed trail to the shelter.
Date: 2014-06-25
From: Eagles Nest Shelter, PA 

To: Port Clinton, PA 
Miles today: 9.0

I haven't updated in a while because the company I work for is having a contest for our Clients to guess where I will be on July 4th to win a prize. Until the contest is finished I need to stay low key. I can assure you that I am still making significant progress heading north. Insects and bugs are an ever present nuisance on the trail. But, I have to say that it hasn't been so bad as to make me run through the woods screaming while flailing my arms in the air. There are minor amounts of mosquitoes, Deer Flies, No See-ums, ticks, and black flies. The black flies are slow and take a long time to settle in and bite, but if they are successful, it results in an oozing, itchy sore that lasts for several days. Up until just a few days ago, I had not seen a single tick. But since then, I have pulled 3 off of my legs. Lyme Disease is a real concern and is fairly common in this area.Got up early and hiked to the Post Office in Port Clinton to pick up a mail drop. I was thete by 10:00 AM but unfortunately my mail had not arrived. MoMo and Pockets arrived there also and I met a couple from Germany, Little Germany and G-1, and we had a nice conversation. I called Cabellas in Hamburg and they picked all of us as well as Double R and Machine and shuttled us to their store in Hamburg.We shopped and had lunch at Cabellas and did resupply at Walmart. After dinner, MoMo, Machine, Pockets and I had a few beers and called it a night. We were all happy to be inside as it was storming outside.
Date: 2014-06-26
From: Port Clinton, PA 

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, PA 
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked out of Port Clinton and saw a Bald Eagle on my way out of town. Pockets and I hiked together for most of the day and it was a long day filled with rocky terrain and mostly uninspiring trail. At the shelter we met Surge, Tye-Dye, Happy Feet, Snickers and Pockets.
Date: 2014-06-27
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, PA 

To: Jail House Hostel, Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 18.0

Mostly uneventful day. Had some nice views especially on the Knifes Edge. Picked and ate ripe wild blueberries right off of the trail. Had some trail magic on the trail consisting of snacks, fresh fruit and water. We crossed the Lehigh River and hitched into the town of Palmerton, PA and then checked into the Jailhouse Hostel which is in the basement of the towns administration building. The hostel is free and includes a bunk and a shower. Later, Pockets, Surge and I went out for dinner, ice cream, and then a few beers. At the hostel were Surge, Tye-Dye, Happy Feet, Pockets, and two section hikers.
Date: 2014-06-28
From: Jail House Hostel, Palmerton, PA

To: Leroy Smith Shelter, PA
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: broken clouds

Pockets and I had a great breakfast, went to the library and then hitched a ride back to the trailhead and started the steep climb out of LeHigh Gap. At times the climb was hand to hand over huge slabs of rock. The view from the top looking back down at the Lehigh River was beautiful. From there, the trail followed a ridge with exceptional views of the town of Palmerton, PA. The trail also skirted a Superfund site contaminated with Zinc where continuous remediation is ongoing. Water was scarce along the trail so at one of the gaps, MoMo, Pockets, and I caught a ride to a nearby ski resort and filled up our water bottles and hit up the vending machines.At the shelter we met Dependable Pete, Dirt, Surge, Happy Feet, Tye Dye, and Ramblin Rose who I had not seen since Harper's Ferry.
Date: 2014-06-29
From: Leroy Smith Shelter, PA

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was filled with an annoyingly rocky trail and boring scenery for the most part. I had lunch on Wolf Rock, an exposed rocky ledge and there were nice breezes that kept the bugs at bay and was later joined by Pockets and Ramblin' Rose. At the end of the day, I made my way to the Delaware Water Gap, which is near the New Jersey border. Tonight several of us stayed at a donation based hostel sponsored by a local church. When I arrived I had a nice conversation with Pastor Sherry about the highlights and lowlights of hiking the trail. Several of us went to dinner and had a nice time including Ramblin Rose,Surge, Dependable Pete, Pockets and Tye Dye.