morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-10
From: Campsite in PA

To: Buck Off Farms in Boiling Springs
Miles today: 8.1

Got an early start this morning and had breakfast on the trail. I don't know what it was about today, but I did NOT want to be hiking! I don't know if it was the longer day yesterday, not sleeping great last night, or the five climbs! There was a really neat section called a rock maze that had me going through crevices and climbing four foot high boulders with basically no footholds. Would have been a lot more fun without a pack!But, I made it through and got to the backpacker campsite just south of Boiling Springs. I lounged in the hammock for about an hour and a half before setting up camp, listening to the trains go by 20 feet from my hang. As I'm lounging, Lyle walks up without a pack, carrying some red fountain drink. Apparently they had been waiting for me at the ATC office thinking I would go there for water. He let me know that they had someone from a new, local hostel coming to pick them up in an hour. $10 for dinner, a shower, a bunk, breakfast. Perfect! Glad I had not set up camp yet, I pulled my hammock and headed into town. This was great timing because after the hike today I was really considering taking it easy tonight in a hostel, but the only place anywhere near the area was $40 and required either a hitch or a road walk.Kritter was hanging at the ATC office as well and decide to join us at the hostel. Lisa came to pick us up at six and gave us the grand tour. I hit the shower immediately and gathered all of my dirty clothes which Lisa washed for me for an extra $3. Good deal. I hung out in my rain gear and we made hotdogs, had chips, pickles, and beer around the fire with Lisa's sister, Sue, and Lisa's husband. They have been extremely accommodating, and I saw my first Q-tips in two weeks!! It was amazing (and gross). The company and conversation have been great. It's been really neat to learn about Kritter's lifestyle as a "traveler" and his time in the rails.Lisa is taking us back to the trail at 6:15 tomorrow morning. It will be good to get an early start since there is not camping in the Cumberland Valley, so I'll have about a 15 mile day. But, it will be flat through private farmland until the end where I will have a 900 ft climb up to the shelter. Hopefully I will be Ina. Better mind frame for the hike tomorrow. I had been looking forward to hiking through the pasture lands, but after the mile or so through the fields today I'm not as enthused. The trail through the fields is basically a rut. Unfortunately my stride is a little wider than the rut, so I'm either walking on the sloped edge or through the rough grass. Of course, part of that might have been due to my short, exhausted steps! The last climb today was something. Not bad when you have your trail legs I'm sure. But I'm getting there!
Date: 2016-06-13
From: The Doyle Hotel - Duncannon, PA

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

So much for a lie in, I still got up at 6am. But, I slept great and I did take two naps today!No breakfast options around here really, so I picked up a chicken salad sandwich at the quicky mart and had breakfast in the balcony with Jelly Dog and Panda. After breakfast and hanging around a bit I went back to my room for my first nap! ??Woke to a knock on my door and offered reassurance that I would be down to pay for another night. Had an early lunch and then spent a while hanging out with Otey, the creator of the hiker yearbook. He lives out of a converted short school bus. It's pretty sweet, all paneled in cedar, queen size bed, cabin kinda feel. He's been traveling along the trail visiting towns and festivals doing PR and getting material for this year's book, and is about to start a four week section hike.I then went up to my room for another nap and some reading. Figured out my resupply, and headed downstairs to hang out until the 4pm shuttle to the grocery store. Went I got back Andrew and Magma were here. They got settled into their room, then we had dinner and walked down to an ice cream shop about a half mile away. Have been relaxing since then, and will hit the sack pretty soon. I debated another zero tomorrow with Andrew and Magma, but I need to get on the trail. The rocks are coming!!
Date: 2016-06-15
From: The Doyle Hotel - Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: broken clouds

I finally escaped the town vortex! I said my goodbyes to Andrew and Magma and then hit the trail. The first two miles was a leisurely, flat stroll through town, leading to crossing the Juniata River and the Susquehanna River. Crossed a couple of railroad tracks, then headed up the ridge that I've been looking at for two days. It was a nice climb of about 1000 ft, then ROCKS!! The first mile or so along the ridgeline was very rocky. I was using hands and poles, climbing over rocks from one side of the ridge to the other, practically bouldering a couple of times! I got to the first shelter 4.5 miles in and stopped for lunch. I also reupped my water because the only water source for the next 13 miles was a seasonal spring at the next shelter about 7 miles further up the trail. I debated staying at that first shelter for a while. It was only 1pm, but I wasn't going to make it 7 miles in any kind of reasonable time if the terrain continued as it had been. Finally I decided to press on, and I would find a place to stop and camp early if I needed to. Fortunately, the terrain really tamed up after that first shelter and it was pretty smooth going. Though at the end of another eleven and a half mile day I was glad to arrive at Peters Mountain Shelter. There were at least 11 other people here when I arrived, but it's a big, two story shelter, so there was plenty of room. We all sat around doing the dinner thing. I wasn't about to waste water cooking and cleaning pots because, although the seasonal spring is running well, it's a 300 ft elevation drop to get to it!Some of the guys got a fire going and we hung out for a while chatting and sharing trail stories. I'm here with Mango, Gulp, Salty, Yeti, Kritter, and a bunch of other people who's names I don't know. The next shelter is 18 miles up the trail, so I'll be camping somewhere between here and there tomorrow night. Unfortunate since it is supposed to rain tomorrow night. I have not yet had to deal with wet gear on this trip and I'm not looking forward to it. There's a nice rain coming down now, but we are all dry in the shelter.It was a good day. My feet are doing good. I've readjusted my laces again and the toe numbness isn't as bad. I'm not sure if they are still goingbablittke numb or if that's just residual even after two zero days. I was pretty damn worried about the rocks after that first mile on the ridgeline, but the rest of the trail was beautiful. Though, part of that is me just getting used to the smaller rocks EVERYWHERE! Lots of great views today. If Pensylvania keeps up like this where it's really rocky for a mile or so, then not so bad for a while, I will be a happy camper.Town was great, but I'm happy to be back on the trail and back in the woods and mountains. Do wish I had some grapefruit juice though...
Date: 2016-06-16
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: campsite
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Pretty uneventful hiking day. Woke to a foggy morning after last night's rain. That continued into a foggy day with showers here and there. Saw very few people on the trail. The last few miles were rough, though not so much because of the trail. When I noticed the 3.5 mile climb that I would be ending my day with it just kinda put me in a "meh" mood. But, the climb wasn't bad. I took too many breaks mostly because I was dreading such a long climb, but it ended up being a pretty hike. I'm on another ridgeline now.I got into camp and got set up. I love hammock camping, and I love listening to the rain while I'm sleeping in my hammock. But, killing time or doing various camp chores (like eating) in a hammock in the rain is a bit of a pain. I'm the only one here tonight. I got settled in around 630 because I didn't have anything better (or dryer) to do, and I read for a bit. Still plenty of light out, but I think I'm going to call it a night. The rain should pick up in earnest this evening, but should be over by about 5 tomorrow morning. No one likes to deal with wet gear, but I'll be happy if I don't have to deal with wet gear in the rain. And if I don't have to get up in the middle of the rainy night to pee! :-)Did meet a couple of cool folks at the shelter this morning as I was heading out. Groceries and Boy Floyd are doing a 600 mile section southbound. They are a super sweet couple, and he and I got to geek out a bit as he is a mathematician as well, teaching college freshmen out in Arizona. Too bad they were going to other way, they would have been fun to camp with for a couple nights.Everything is kind of damp, and I'm a bit chilled. But I'm thinking (hoping) as I settle in properly I'll end up toasty enough for the night!
Date: 2016-06-17
From: campsite

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Hung around camp for a while today and got a late (9-9:30) start. It never did rain properly, but everything was a little damp so I let it all dry out. The hiking today was about the same as yesterday, though no real elevation changes. I stopped for lunch for about an hour and relaxed with some reading. Not too many people on the trail the last couple of days, mostly thru hikers, a section hiker here and there. I only had eight miles planned. About a mile from the shelter I felt a weird sensation in my left hamstring, seemly in one of the large tendons. It was like a sudden, mild stinging feeling that kind of radiated. It happened mid-stride on pretty level ground. I continued to feel it every now and then as I would stride forward with that leg. Not bad, but a little disconcerting. Settled into the shelter with Grub, Sunny Side Up, Bigfoot and Sacagawea.   Several others are tent camping, Emerald, Taco, Doubtfire, Moonshine, Chestnut, maybe others. This is a pretty sweet shelter with a large fire pit, a table built around an old tree stump, and a pipe spring right out front. I'm listening to the water trickle as I lie in my sleeping bag. Would like to do 13 tomorrow to get to the next shelter, but that might be a little too ambitious right now. Will see how it goes. I will have to decide if I want to go into town tomorrow to resupply, wait another day, or try to make it 40 miles into Port Clinton on what I have. Might go into town tomorrow and get a room, then do 10 the next day to the 501 shelter where I can have a pizza delivered!
Date: 2016-06-19
From: William Penn Shelter

To: Pine Grove PA
Miles today: 2.3
Weather: broken clouds

Had a leisurely morning around came with Emerald, Grub, Trix, and Madusa and headed out a little after 10. I called and booked a room for two nights before I broke camp. Just a quick nero (low mileage day, or nearly a zero) today, but those couple of miles were nice. Mostly level terrain, no rock scrambles, beautiful weather, etc. not long after I got to the road, I ran into a family that I had seen on the trail. Didn't take too much effort to get a ride into town with them.Got to the hotel about noon, and the room wasn't ready so I headed next door for lunch. I then hung around the lobby until my room was ready at 3. Pretty lazy afternoon. Took a bath and hand washed my hiking clothes, watched Brave on cable, read a book, walked over to Dollar General for something to do (and a jar of pickles,). Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow in this king size bed. The hamstring was a little sore waking up. We will see what a day of rest tomorrow will do for it.
Date: 2016-06-20
From: Pine Grove PA

To: Pine Grove PA
Miles today: 0.0

Uneventful day. Rested up in the hotel room all day. Picked up lunch from McDonalds next door and resupply from Dollar General, also next door.Can't really say much about how the leg is doing since it has been mostly fine until a few miles in. Even then, when it acts up, it's easy enough to hike through. My concern is that if I have a partial tear in my hamstring tendon and I continue to push it I will risk rupturing it fully. That would be extremely painful, would require surgical repair, and I don't know how well I would be able to hike out with that injury.Something that most of you may not realize that feeds this concern is that last fall when I had my ACL reconstructed, they took the graph from my hamstring tendon. A little research today confirmed that the graft was indeed taken from the area that is giving me problems. When they take such a graft they do so by removing the middle third of the tendon. So the problems I'm having now are probably because that little bit of me was already compromised.I would like to push on the next 28 miles to Port Clinton and see how it does. I would be even more comfortable with this if there had been some precipitating event that had caused the pain I'm having now, maybe some kind of over extension, or a fall, or a weird twist. Since it simply happened while walking on a fairly level section of trail I'm guessing that it's an over-use type of injury. That being the case, I don't know what to try to protect it from or how.One option that I'm looking at is just taking things super slow if it continues to act up, doing very low mileage days. So I've picked up resupply for about five days, usually WAY too much for 28 miles. But, even between here and Port Clinton the terrain is supposed to start getting rockier. Not much in the way of elevation changes, but I hear tell of some worthy rock scrambles. Another option is to head home, get my passport renewed, then jet off to the Virgin Islands for a couple of weeks, then Australia for a couple months! Pretty decent consolation, but I'm not ready to leave the trail yet.I don't know what I will do yet. I might try to get my surgeon on the phone tomorrow. As tired as I am of this hotel and as ready as I am to get back on the trail, I might need another day here so I can figure out what I am going to do.
Date: 2016-06-21
From: Pine Grove PA

To: Pine Grove PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Another uneventful day lounging around the hotel. Called me surgeon but have not received a call back yet. I'll hit the trail tomorrow and just take things easy and see how they go. I'll just do a couple of miles to the 501 Shelter. There is a road there, and that's the last bail out point before Port Clinton.At least from Port Clinton I should have more public transportation options if I need them.
Date: 2016-06-22
From: Pine Grove PA

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 1.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Caught a midday shuttle back to the trail! Very easy Nero to the 501 Shelter. I knew this was an awesome shelter and I really wanted to stay here. Also I wanted a chance to assess my situation before I left the last bail out point.Pretty two miles today. There were some really great views of the valley. Stopped for a bit to enjoy an apple and the sun on a rocky overlook. Got to the shelter early where I found three thru hikers including Hawk and Yard Sale who were just stopping in after a resupply trip to town. They went on their way after a while, and before long a few more people came by. There were a couple of guys from Germany who stopped in to use the solar shower, and Dueces and another guy stopped to relax a bit, while Sweets stopped just love my enough for lunch.I put off ordering pizza as long as I could, thinking if other hikers showed then the delivery guy might not have to make so many trips. Finally at 6:30 I gave in and placed my order. Another couple, Carter and Caitlin, rocked up around 8. They had picked up dinner in town, but managed a couple of slices of pizza since I way over ordered. We hung around for a while talking about our hikes, gear, people we know on the trail, and various other things before hitting the sac.This shelter is pretty great. It's a proper building with doors and bunks for 12, solar shower, picnic tables, a power outlet on the front porch of the caretaker's house next door, games, books, pizza delivered, a sky light that would be amazing during a thunderstorm. Definitely a comfortable place to be tonight.I didn't really do anything in the way of mileage today, but I'm happy to be back on the trail. Can't say yet how my hammie is going to do, but I'm ready to find out. While laying around the hotel the other day I almost went ahead and bought a one way ticket to Australia. Seriously, the Virgin Islands and Australia sound pretty awesome right now, but being out here I know that I'm not ready to get off the trail yet. If I decide to get off the trail I will be okay with that. But I don't want to be forced off by injury, and I'm not ready to give up this adventure yet, as much as I might be looking forward to the next.
Date: 2016-06-26
From: Port Clinton Hotel

To: Port Clinton Pavilion
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

9 am checkout at the hotel. Blah. I caught a ride into the World's Largest Cabella's with a hiking couple that was at the hotel last night and at the shelter the night before that, T-ore and Data. I had a few things on my list, but ended up only purchasing a new midweight layer. I then trekked over the parking lots and roads to the nearby Walmart for resupply. I hit up the Subway in Walmart, saving the other half of my sandwich for dinner. I met Wind Walker and a couple of other hikers just outside of the store as we repackaged our resupply. Packaging is often bulky and redundant so everything usually needs to be broken down and replaced into the food bag. This also gives other people a chance to see you. Wind Waljer commented that he often feels like he is on display like an zoo exhibit. But, this is a great way to get a ride back to the trail. Often times someone will stop to chat then offer a ride.I really didn't want to do the 1.7 mile road walk along the highway back to Port Clinton, especially with a full resupply and a couple of redundant items from my new purchases weighing my pack down. I sat outside of Walmart for a while, even asking a couple of people if they were heading into Port Clinton, but had no luck. Finally I decided to get it over with and hit the pavement. I didn't get too far with my thumb out before a woman and her teenage daughter pulled up behind me on the highway to give me a quick lift. My first hitch hike with my thumb and everything and I didn't even die!!! Yay!!! Check that one off the bucket list!Back at the Port Clinton hotel I ordered an appetizer and hung around for a couple of hours reading before deciding to go on down to the Pavilion. There I met Duct Tape and Dweller who had gotten in last night and were staying another night with their tent set up under the cover. I hung my hammock and pretty much spent the rest of the day reading. It was glorious! Tomorrow I will head to the post office which unfortunately doesn't open until 12:30 to send home the items that today's purchases made redundant and a few things I haven't been using enough or have decided I can live without. Dropping weight little by little!
Date: 2016-06-27
From: Port Clinton Pavilion

To: Port Clinton Pavilion
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Woke up fairly early considering I had to wait around for the PO to open at 12:30. Walked down the road the the 3C's Family Restaurant for breakfast which was great. Walking back to the pavilion, all I really wanted to do was lounge around and read, so I made a decision... My plan had been to get 5 miles up the trail this afternoon to the first shelter, then push on the the next tomorrow. Well, the second shelter is only 15 miles up the trail, so i decided I could get an early start tomorrow and do the 15 miles to the Eckville shelter. So, a day for reading and still make the same mileage!At the pavilion tonight we have an older German couple, Firefly, Arrow, Fish, Giggles, and sole guy who's name I didn't get. Q-Tip was in earlier today, but then decided to push on after all.Maybe after the trail I can find a way to get paid to hike a little and hang around in my hammock and read a lot. I don't want to review books or even discuss them necessarily. I just want to read them. Think someone will pay me to do that?I'm very glad I brought my Kindle, even though most people end up sending theirs home.Speaking of sending home... Today I sent home my 2L hydration bladder, rain paints, base layer top, fleece, and MY STOVE! Yep! I've decided to be one of the stoveless on the trail. In the last two weeks I think I have only used it twice. I don't really want the pasta and rice sides that most people cook on them. I've been carrying around the same ones for a couple weeks because I never want to eat them! And I don't want to have to deal with cleaning my lot. So, by giving up the stove I also got rid of my pot and fuel canisters, so that should save me a little weight. I'll probably have it sent back with my cold weather gear when a hot meal will be more appreciated.
Date: 2016-06-28
From: Port Clinton Pavilion

To: Port Clinton Pavilion
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Went back to 3Cs for breakfast this morning, then packed up and headed into downtown. The server at the restaurant warned me of really bad weather with "line winds" (whatever that means) expected for the afternoon, so that was in the back of my mind all morning. As I headed into town I decided to go for, I was going to get a haircut. A serious haircut. I stopped at the barbershop and spent a little while enjoying good company and good music. A local, Tex, came in to jam. He played a bunch of old songs, told a bunch of corny jokes, and entertained us with all the gusto he could manage! He was adamantly against me getting my head shaved, but as is my standard, I completely ignored him. The Shepherd came in with Sequoia, and tried to convince me to keep some of the color by getting a Mohawk. When that didn't work he tried to convince me to get the AT symbol shaved into the back of my head. I ignored him too. But, Sequoia decided to go with the shaved in AT. I was worried about the shape of my head, that it might be lumpy or excessively pointy. But I've got to say, I have a great shaped head! I had it shaved not quite to the skin, and I absolutely love it!Arrow and Firefly came in after their trip to Cabella's and they, along with Sequoia and The Shepherd caught a shuttle up to Blue Rocks Campground to get a cabin and wait out the storm. Meanwhile, Skibo came in off the trail and while we were hanging out Denim showed up as well. Skibo and I were debating the weather issue and settled in splitting a room at the hotel. But, his finances fell through, so we headed back down to the pavilion to wait out the storm.It was another lovely afternoon of hanging out and reading. Throughout the afternoon and evening people trickled in and we ended up with about 15 in and around the pavilion. What didn't show up was the bad weather!!! Argh!!It did rain a bit later in the evening, but it definitely wouldn't have been an issue with hiking. Oh well, at least I've got a badass haircut!