morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

It seemed like our group was growing and we were all trying to get to Port Clinton for the hiker party on Saturday. The plan was to head to 501 Shelter where we could order food to be delivered. The last shelter where we did that was at Partnership Shelter with SNIPER!, Bowleg and Bono, and me. Now here the 3 of us are again. I realize if you're reading this it is several days later, but today is the day to celebrate the summer solstice. There is another name for it out here on the trail - naked hiking day. Yes, this is another one of those traditions on the trail. So now some of you are wondering whether I participated, some are thinking no way - but want to know if I saw any, and some are saying sure she did. Before we left the shelter this morning, Sniper said if she did it, I had to do it. I figured she would be ahead and I would never know. We all take off alone at our own times as usual. High Life decides to partake using his pink scarf hanging in front. Someone had left a cooler with sodas and I sat to have one, he walked on taking the soda with him. Thanks Carol and Engineman! As I continued, I ran into a man and his daughter hiking South who mentioned they had seen a woman and then a man hiking naked. I knew it must be Sniper so I knew I had to do it too. I attached my clothes to my pack and headed out. I figured I would just hike naked for a few minutes, but it felt really good. After awhile, just as Trail Blazed came up behind me, we heard kids. We walked by an Amish family with 2 kids. The mother said hi with a smile and then noticed we were naked and stopped abruptly. The husband looked up at the sky. I debated whether to stop and explain, but decided it would be too awkward. Trail Blazed just had his shirt off and shorts rolled up. He later hiked naked feeling "Grandma" (me) had one upped him so he had to. The trail started to have lots of briars so I decided it was time to put the clothes back on. So, yes, I hiked naked for about 45 min. Some of the others stayed that way all day. You had to worry about chaffing from the pack. We stopped at the William Penn Shelter for some lunch. I ran out of room.
Date: 2007-06-23
From: Port Clinton

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

It was so nice knowing I was going to take a zero today. Kodak was there with a bunch of cookies that his wife had made for us. He had a flatbed truck so a bunch of us climbed on the back and he gave us a ride to 3Cs restaurant for breakfast. There were 11 of us so it took a long time. A few of us needed to get to the Post Office by 11:00 so Kodak took us there too. I went to the Hotel after (we called it Doyle II although they are not as hiker friendly here) and got a shower and did laundry. When I got back, the PA Dutchman (putting on the picnic) and crew were there cooking up some burgers and sausages. It was a beautiful day. Scott from Ye Olde Backpacker came and gave a bunch of us a ride to his store and other stores for resupply. The Pavillion is good size with tables, a couch, some chairs and still room for people to sleep on the floor if they want. Across the street there is a field with lots of room for tents so that's where I slept.
Date: 2007-06-24
From: Port Clinton

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

It was another nice day. I knew it would be a fairly short day so I was looking forward to a leisurely pace. We were suppose to get the nicest view in PA today and we had the right weather for it. I headed out of town - this is another town where you walk out of town on the trail, but not as long as the Duncannon walk (and not as hot!). We had heard from a SOBO that the Pocahontas Spring was running well so we didn't have to carry much water up the climb. I opted not to stop at the shelter for lunch since there were 2 nice views She gave SNIPER! half of her sandwich while we were at The Pinnacle (she'll eventually realize how great that was!). Sharon, I really hope you go for it! You will love it! The Pinnacle is a beautiful spot There were quite a few people there since it is a Sunday. I guess it is a popular spot for locals. I can see why. It felt good to take my time and hang out there. It was a very easy hike from there to Eckville Shelter. The shelter is a building in the backyard of the caretaker's house. There is a "privy" which is actually a flush toilet (although BYOTP) and a solar shower (translation: cold shower). I took a very quick shower. Mick, the caretaker, said the no-seeums get bad at night so a bunch of us decided to set up our tents in the tenting area across the street where there was lots of room. In the end we had about 15 people and about 10 tents set up. I was sitting in the dark in the shelter talking on the phone when someone came in and turned on the light. I just hadn't thought that there might be a light...I'm not used to that! Mick let us order pizza and then took Dog and GaMe On in to town to pick it up. Not everyone was there yet, so only a few of us got in on that. Just before they left to get the pizza, Woodchuck pulled up bringing us a couple of boxes of ice cream bars. Thanks Woodchuck! We went through them pretty quickly. A few arrived that were thinking of putting in more miles today but in the end decided to stay. The plan for tomorrow is Bake Oven Know Shelter. I hear it is suppose to get hot and humid as the week continues.
Date: 2007-06-25
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up and started packing. The tent was pretty wet from the dew so I was leaving it until the last minute. I had eaten breakfast and had everything ready except my tent when all of a sudden we heard the rain coming down the road. It started to pour and we ran to tents or shelters. Bowleg and Bono had already left. Sublime didn't have a tent so he came into mine. It didn't last long before it turned to just a sprinkle. Sublime went out and I laid down and started to write in my journal. SNIPER! came over and said what about doing the brewery tour that we had been talking about going for a few days. I said I was in for it! Soon we had 9 takers. The rest of the people went on. We were able to reach Scott from Ye Olde Backpacker (he had a sign at the shelter for shuttle services) and he said he could take us and pick us up at 11. We all shared a snack and chatted at the shelter while we waited. When we got to Pottsville, we first visited a thrift shop. Some of us bought some clothes to wear on the tour. I bought a searsucker, blue and white pin striped suit (skirt and jacket) along with a fuzzy sleeveless orange shirt for under the jacket. Sniper, Diamo, Driftwood, Sublime, Hyde, and Bo Cephus got some stuff too. GaMe On and Jewdog opted not to get anything. After a quick lunch at Subway, we headed over to Yuengling Brewery (the oldest continuously running brewery in America). The tour started at 1:30. It was a great tour, very interesting. They have huge hand dug caves for storing the barrels. They still had parts of the brick walls that were built by the government during the prohibition. The either fill bottles or cans and today was cans. This process was the most fun to see. I took a little video of it. We had someone take a picture of all of us before the tour. At the end of the tour we all got 2 samples each. Then we walked back to the thrift shop and gave them back most of the clothes. We went to an AYCE Chinese buffet and then called Scott to pick us up around 5:00. Another zero and lots of fun. I'm sure we'll all head out tomorrow, but it was a nice break on the feet (and my heel especially).
Date: 2007-06-26
From: Eckville Shelter

To: 1m past Bake Oven Shelter
Miles today: 18.4

Most of us decided we were heading for Bake Oven Knob Shelter (although it didn't sound appealing). I couldn't help calling it Easy Bake Oven all day. I took a short break at Dan's Pulpit where there were - big surprise here - rocks. I went on to the Allentown Shelter where a few others had stopped for a break. We were trying to decide whether to go down the side trail to get water. Most of the water sources in PA seem to be far off the trail and down a few hundred feet. Where there mentions a "first"spring which might be dry, it usually is. So then you have to go further to the next spring. Sometimes you have to go to a third. GaMe On went down to get water and it took a long time for him to get back. I had enough to wait until I got to Rt. 309 where a B&B had a water spigot for hikers to use. They also have room out in back and will often let hikers camp there. Very nice. Bowleg & Bono were there when we got there taking a break to let Bono rest his paws. The rocks are hard on them. Poor Bono. He does have booties but he blew out 3 of them. He'll have new ones in Wind Gap. The rocks seem to come more and more often now. They are quite jagged, all kinds of shapes and sizes, many loose rocks (I should say boulders). Not long after 309 you come to the PA knife edge. It's not as long or as exposed as the one in Maine,but I can still see why they named it. It was actually fun to cross, yet I was glad it wasn't any longer. Although, the rocks didn't totally end there. When I got to the Bake Oven Knob, there were lots of...ummm...rocks. One big one had Bake Oven Knob painted on it. The shelter was small, hot, and felt smothered in underbrush. Several of us decided to go on to find a camping spot. It's a good thig our tents are small since we squeezed in 6 tents into a small area.
Date: 2007-06-27
From: 1m past Bake Oven Shelter

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: scattered clouds

The plan for today was to camp just past Stemp Spring. It sounded like there were a couple spots so enough for a few tents. I headed out taking the first break at the George Outerbridge Shelter. I wanted to get up out of Lehigh Gap before it got too hot. I don't think that was possible though because it was already hot at 9:30! I had climbed this section last Memorial Day weekend so I knew what to expect. The heat made the climb more difficult (not to mention a bigger pack!). Part of the climb is a rock pile that you have to scramble up. The heat was getting to me so I had to take a break. I hydrated and continued the climb. Once you get to the top, it looks like a wasteland. It's the result of zinc smelting over many years. It's exposed for a few miles. The clouds started getting dark and thunder started rolling. It looked like the storm was off to the left and the wind was blowing that way so it seemed okay. It was still very hot. The trail became an old road for awhile. I saw another hiker who was shushing me to approach slowly. There off to the side of the trail was a huge male bear wallowing in a mud pond. He was rolling around in the water and panting. I got a few pictures. The hiker was Barry Manilow. I hadn't seen him since Hot Springs. We pushed on because the thunder was getting louder and more frequent. The trail turned left off the road heading in the direction of the storm. The lightening was increasing and lighting up the sky It was a bit scary so Barry, Driftwood and I waited a little since it looked like we were going to be climbing and weren't sure how exposed it would be. It was pouring now and we were just standing there in the rain. The thunder and rain let up some after a bit so we continued on. I finally got to the Stempa Spring. We had agreed to get water here and then camp at some sites 0.1 m away.I dropped my pack and went to get water - 0.6 m one way with over 300' of elevation change. The water was good at least. Sniper and GaMeOn were waiting ... ran out of room again..
Date: 2007-06-28
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Wind Gap
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: broken clouds

A bunch of us had put in a soda order with my friend Nancy who was to meet us at Wind Gap at noon. There were 9 of us hanging out in the parking area when Nancy got there. We were making introductions and talking when TomB pointed to the cooler and asked if it had our sodas. So we all toasted Nancy and thanked her for bringing them. Now to get everyone to town. The first load was those who planned to hike on to DWG today so they could get started eating. Then the rest of us piled in with our gear. Poor Nancy, the car smelled terrible! We had a nice spot for lunch under some trees that were the mid-point between Arbys, McDonalds, and Burger King. People were going back and forth for multiple courses. Nancy had brought my car which was fun and yet strange. I drove Hyde, Sublime (my 2 surrogate sons - they call me Mom) and GaMeOn back to the trail since they were going on. The weather report was hot, humid, thunderstorms, and hail so the rest of us decided to call it quits for the day. We loaded up the car with me driving, Nancy and Sniper in the passenger seat. In the back seat we had Driftwood, Jewdog, Diamo, and TomB. I dropped everyone off at the hostel where we claimed bunks and had showers. It just so happens that Thursday is when the church puts on a free potluck dinner for hikers - good timing! After dinner Sniper, Driftwood, Nancy, and I went to do laundry and to a nearby tavern while we waited. We played trivia and had a beer. The cleaning lady at the laundromat kept yelling at everyone for tracking stuff from the sidewalk in on their shoes even though we wiped them on the doormat. When we got back, everyone was out listening to a jazz band at a place down the road. They were really good. Nancy talked to one of the drummers since she is studying the drums. She must have made an impression because he gave her his drumsticks. It was kind of a late night but fun and a little different.
Date: 2007-06-29
From: Wind Gap

To: PA 191
Miles today: 8.6

We worked out a way to let everyone slack for the day. We drove to PS 191 where Nancy and I got out. TomB drove my car to Wind Gap - we had an extra set of keys - and then they would all slack into DWG. Nancy and I would hike to Wind Gap and then head back to NY. Before TomB had locked the car, Bowleg and Bono arrived at Wind Gap so TomB was able to give them a ride. The first mile was pretty nice without too many rocks. Then we got up to Wolf Rocks and had rocks the rest of the way. Nancy took a video of us walking on the rocks to give people an idea of what they are like. We got back to my car about 12:30. It was nice to have Nancy along for the hike. I drove back to NY, ran some errands and then went to Crew in Poughkeepsie. It was great to see everyone who came out! Thanks! The plan is to stay at Nancy's for tonight and then tomorrow head to Terri's to go to the Dylan concert and get to see my son John!
Date: 2007-06-30
From: PA 191

To: PA 191
Miles today: 0.0

Today is concert day! Remember that "emergency" I had back near Mt Rogers when I wanted to get tickets? Well, today is the day. I don't have a lot more to tell about. I was very disappointed that my son ended up not being able to go. I will take a day off when I actually get to NY to spend with him. The concert was great. The Bethel Woods venue is a beautiful setting. It hasn't been open very long. I highly recommend it. Trying to get out very slow going. In the vehicle next to us, the guy said "We're going to starve. You got any trail mix or granola bars over there?". Gee, I felt like I was on the trail. I pulled out a Bit O'Honey and we threw it over to him. We joked back and forth for awhile and then forgot about it. The next thing we know, he walks up to our window yelling out "get your Bob Dylan autographed Bit O'Honey here". It was pretty funny. It was a nice day off and nice to see friends (Terri, Matt, Harry, Nancy, Bruce).
Date: 2007-07-01
From: PA 191

To: Backpacker Campsite
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I met up with Nancy who had decided to come back and hike with me for a few days to get some more section hiking done on the AT. We spotted a car at the Mohican Center and then headed to PA 191 to start the hike. It was a pretty easy hike down into the Delaware Water Gap (DWG). It seemed kind of strange since we had already stayed there on Thursday night so we knew our way around there. We didn't stop anywhere though...just hiked through. The bridge over the Delaware seemed like it must be as long as the bridge over the Susquehanna. The climb out of DWG was pretty with water falls and nice water pools for swimming. There were quite a few people out enjoying the day since it was a Sunday. We stopped at Holly Springs Trail and I went down to get some water. On my way back from the spring, I saw a bear cub coming down from a tree. As I walked on I saw the mother bear getting the cub to move on to where there was another cub starting up a tree. I kept hearing a loud banging sound and some yelling. Then I realized it was Nancy yelling to me. It turns out the bear had been walking toward her on the spring trail so she made lots of noise and got the bear to turn around. But that meant it was going toward me so she was trying to warn me. It was all okay though since the bears had gone into the woods. We went on the last 2 miles to the Backpacker Campsite and set up camp. There were a few others there, but it was pretty spread out with several tent sites. There were bear boxes and hooks to use for our food. We cooked dinner away from our tents and then called it a night.
Date: 2007-07-02
From: Backpacker Campsite

To: Blue Mtn Lakes Rd
Miles today: 13.0

Today was kind of an unusual day because we hiked North for awhile, ran around with the cars and then hiked South for awhile. After the first half mile we were at Sunfish Pond. It is such a beautiful spot. It's too bad you can't camp there. It's a little rocky around it, but has several nice views of the pond as you walk around it. We got to the Mohican Center after 5.7 miles and decided to stay there for the night (after some more hiking). We paid for the night and got some sandwiches for lunch. Then we went back and got my car that was at PA 191, took Nancy's car back to the Mohican Center, and drove my car to Blue Mtn Lakes Rd. It was a lot of driving. It was a pretty easy hike back to the Mohican Center. We had to stop and climb up the Catfish Fire Tower of course. It is a high tower. The top was locked, but we had nice views from the top floor. When we got back to the Mohican Center (again!), Kiwi was there! He was there with Evileye, Pootz, the male M&M, Bluesky, and TomB. Kiwi had fallen so he wasn't feeling well. I took Evileye and Kiwi into town and we got some drinks and pizza to take back to the Hostel. There was also a glider pilot staying there who seemed interested in listening to our conversation. Nancy fit right in. We had a great time.
Date: 2007-07-03
From: Blue Mtn Lakes Rd

To: Deckertown Turnpike
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

We planned a big day today so needed an early start. The guys made a nice big breakfast for us. We drove to Deckertown Turnpike (thank goodness for Nancy's GPS) to head South on the trail back to my car. We were at the Mashipacong Shelter quickly so we checked the register but didn't stay. On our way up Sunrise Mtn, we saw another bear. There is a parking area before the summit with a privy with toilet paper! A couple of small buses came up with just the drivers spotting one of the buses so we figured we were likely to meet a group of hikers. The top of Sunrise Mtn is really nice. There is a pavilion with benches up there which makes a nice picnic spot. We knew the guys who stayed with us last night were headed to Gren Anderson Shelter for the night. We didn't go in to take a look at the shelter, we knew they wouldn't be there yet. We met Slow and Steady, a SOBO section hiker, near the Culver Fire Tower and had a nice chat with her. We all headed up in the tower for some great views. Through the day we met Loner Boner and Hyde who had each stopped in at "Joe to Go" which is a little deli. The owner is not very hiker friendly. They each complained of their experience there. When we got to Culver's Gap, we decided not to go in there. We went to the gas station and got a soda from a machine. Batman had mentioned Gyp's Tavern and we saw it was close to the trail. We decided to stop in at the Brink Shelter and the guys were all there. They were debating whether to just stay there instead of going on to the Gren Anderson Shelter. We told them they could go to Gyp's and we would come there and take them to a motel. They seemed to like that idea. We said we would check for them there. Nancy and I still had 7 miles left and then a drive. It was a long day so the car was a welcome sight. When we got to Gyp's, the guys were there so we got them to the motel and then went to get Nancy's car. It was kind of a late night. In the meantime, I had heard from Driftwood who was planning on finishing his thru hike on the 4th. They expected to be at the Waywayanda Shelter ready to celebrate by noon. I changed my plans to hike a short day so I could get there earlier. Matt and Jay said they would join us for the hike on the 4th so tomorrow is going to be a great day!
Date: 2007-07-04
From: Deckertown Turnpike

To: High Point Monument Trail
Miles today: 6.5

We met Matt and Jay H at the Deckertown Turnpike. It really fells like I'm in home territory now. It's great to see friends.We chatted a lot and got all caught up on things in the "other" world. New Jersey has really been beautiful. I was rather surprised at how nice it was. There are lots of views and lots of green. The time went by quickly today hiking with 3 friends. We stopped at the observation tower and it started to rain lightly. We headed on and came to the spur trail to head up to the tower. Fortunately, the tower was open. Nancy, Jay, and Matt went up in the tower and I took the time to look over my maps and data. Once they came down we decided to try for a ride down. A young couple were just about to leave in a nice big SUV so they were able to give us a ride back down to Jay's car that he had spotted there earlier. We headed back to Deckertown Turnpike and got the rest of the cars. Hyde had called so we said we would stop to pick him up to take over to Waywayanda. We stopped and got food and drinks for the party including a cake and a bottle of champagne for Driftwood. It was a great party with about 15-20 people including Nancy, Matt and Jay. They got to see a part of the "community". I got my tent set up right away. It was a good thing since it started raining pretty hard later. Nancy, Matt and Jay headed out and the rest of us continued with the celebration and had a great evening. I made arrangements with Driftwood to take me to the trail and then take my car up North further so it worked out really well.
Date: 2007-07-05
From: High Point Monument Trail

To: Lott Rd
Miles today: 7.6

I'll come back and fill this in later. Just to let everyone know, today is 7/6 and I will be entering NY tomorrow on 7/7/7...I like numbers, what can I say. Here is a link to my pictures and journals that is better than I could ever have expected:http://www.highpeaksclimbing.com/MM2007/ Thanks so much to Ed for doing this!!!!