morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-02
From: Boiling Springs PA

To: Darlington shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up around 4AM, lay awake, and finally decided to get up around 5. I walked out to see the sun rise over the farm fields, then packed up and went to sit by the pond in Boiling Springs before breakfast, and was joined by Fizz after a while. After breakfast at a local pastry shop, I stopped at the post office, convenience store, etc. I finally got onto the trail out of town at 9:30 on a sunny/hazy and warm morning. The trail followed wooded hedgerows between farm fields for much of the way across the wide flat Cumberland Valley. By the time I reached the PA Turnpike, it was hot and more hazy, and I was tired. It helped to dowse my head under the spigot at the ATC farm where the trail crosses Conodoguinet Creek. I pushed on to Darlington shelter, where I stopped instead of pushing on to Cove Mtn. There was a threat of thunder but no rain. Ace, Stripe, and I sat around and talked about planning and other topics. Jug (aka Michael from CA) and Lion King were also there.
Date: 2003-07-03
From: Darlington shelter

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night a group of thru-hikers arrived around 8:30,including Jenn, Last Minute, Willow, Tank, Mothman, and Mtn Jack. Ace, Stripe, Jack, and I went to bed around 9 and listened to the conversation of the younger folks until we fell asleep. Today we early birds rose together and were on the trail shortly after 6. We walked down and across the valley, through a hay field studded with huge bales. We saw a very large bird (eagle?) take off. We walked up Cove Mtn and pushed for Duncannon without a rest, pursued by hungry mosquitoes. (This was the first bad mosquito attack of the hike, thanks to the cool rainy weather through VA). The sun had burned through the damp haze (it had rained last night) by the time we came to the high overlook above Duncannon. Then we walked down the steep trail into town and went to the Doyle Hotel bar for an excellent breakfast of omelets and beer. You enter the hotel through the bar, which has nine stools, three big tables, and the usual array of beer signs and insignia. The rooms are funky but clean, and there are two bathrooms per floor. I showered, did laundry, and napped. I ate Hoppin¢ John (black-eyed peas stewed with ham hocks) for dinner in the bar and talked with Ooopala (who is from Alaska) for a while. Ace, Stripe, Fizz, and I walked down the street to the ice cream place, enjoying the old houses, the day lilies, and the summer heat. We returned to the Doyle to catch a set by local singer/guitarist Sue Grace while some of the local denizens of the bar whooped it up. Good fun and some good music too. I went to bed at 10PM so I can hike tomorrow. My room is 8x12 with cracked plaster, no screens on the windows, and my clothesline stretched across the width of the room (the dryer wasn¢t very hot so the clothes came out damp).
Date: 2003-07-04
From: Duncannon

To: Peters Mtn shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I awoke around 5, packed up, and went across the street to the restaurant for breakfast ¢ pancakes, sausage & coffee at the counter while guys down the line discussed fixing a ¢big-assed generator¢ at a local nursing home. The forecasted high today is 95 degrees. I went out back to take some early morning pictures of the Susquehanna River. I went back across the street to check my email at the Doyle, and found some of their regular customers already swilling beer at the bar. I started hiking at 8:20 ¢ down High Street past houses to the Clarks Ferry Bridge over the river. I mounted Peters Mtn, moving slowly. There¢s a nice view down to Duncannon across the river. At a pipeline crossing, you could see downriver to the famous stone bridge at Harrisburg. I got water and took a breather at Clarks Ferry shelter with Ooopala. Afterwards, I walked alone along the ridge, stopping at Rte 225 and at Table Rock, which had a big view to the south. Saw an indigo bunting there. Someone told me that Bounce fabric softener sheets repel mosquitoes; I tried it without much luck, but it sure makes you smell fresh!It was a nice day with some cumulus castellanus forming, but mostly blue sky. I reached Peters Mtn shelter at 2:30PM. I chatted with Jug, Oopala, and Lion King, who showed us some tape he had taken of a big diamondback at the spring I had visited earlier at Clarks Ferry shelter. Jug and Lion King moved on to attend a party Jug had been invited to at the next gap. I went down to the spring, which was 300¢ below the shelter and returned with several jugs of water. Two weekend hikers showed up later in the day. There was not much of a breeze in the shelter, so I spread my ground cloth and slept in the open inside my net bivy.
Date: 2003-07-05
From: Peters Mtn shelter

To: Rausch Gap shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept OK in the net bivy. I packed, ate granola, and got on the trail at 7:30. It was warm and humid but not as hot as yesterday. I ate lunch at Second/Sharp Mtn. There were some rocky stretches, but they were not too bad, and the trail was quite level. I took a detour to see ¢The General¢, which was marked on the map and on a sign at the side trail. Is it a giant tree? A rock formation? It turned out to be a large abandoned steam shovel used for strip mining coal and left to rust in the woods. The trail passed through an abandoned coal mining village, and the coal was evident on the trail and in old piles as I approached Rausch Gap shelter. I missed the trail to the shelter owing to a misplaced sign and a hard-to-see blue blaze, costing an extra half-mile. A nice guy and his father on a weekend hike were in the shelter. Oopala and Latecomer camped nearby. One of the weekend hikers I¢d met yesterday also camped near the shelter and we spent some time shooting the breeze. I¢m getting a little blister on the second toe of my left foot. Saw a hooded warbler today.
Date: 2003-07-06
From: Rausch Gap shelter

To: 501 shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: overcast clouds

My shelter mates left before I got up at 6. I ate breakfast, cut a piece of mole foam to protect my blister, and left around 8. A man and his boys who were bike camping nearby said they saw a bear near the shelter this morning. I made it out of the woods and into the meadows near Swatara Gap. I heard a black-throated green warbler and another warbler with a rising song like a northern parula but without the drop in pitch at the end. Crossed the iron bridge and finally stopped at William Penn shelter for lunch with Latecomer. Some sections of the trail are smooth, and others are total rock fields with difficult footing. I had planned to go to Hertlein but decided to stop at the 501 shelter, which is a tenth of a mile from the highway. The shelter has a shower, which I used. I later used my cell phone to order pizza; two of us walked down to the highway to meet the delivery guy. Spent the evening BS-ing with the guys at the shelter.
Date: 2003-07-07
From: 501 shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: light rain

I got up before 5, packed in the semi-darkness and left the shelter at 5:20, headed for Port Clinton. When I reached Hertlein shelter 2.5 hours later, Thermo was camped by the spring. I got water, went on for a mile, and left a deposit in the woods. It was cooler today, but very humid. Not much climbing needed today. The trail included both some rock fields and sections of good trail. It was mostly an endurance day. I stirred up a flock of ground birds of medium size with reddish backs and broad fan tails- grouse?. Met Lion King who was headed south; he had left a rattlesnake warning note on the trail but the snake was gone by the time I happened by. With 3 miles to go to town, it started storming and raining hard ¢ the first real rain since the day before Front Royal, 6 weeks ago! I put up the umbrella and descended into Port Clinton on steep trail but with good footing and some steps.The Port Clinton Hotel was closed (because it¢s Monday) so I joined Sassafras and her husband Bump on the deck next to Union House B&B waiting for the staff to show up and open the door at 5PM. Had a beer and peanuts with Wayne, a house painter working on the building. I registered when they opened and had a shower in a tiny basement alcove. Had a decent dinner with homemade wine being offered by the owner, Hermy. After dinner I chatted with Sassafras and Bump; he manages the Portland ME Civic Center. They were joined by Mtn Butterfly as we talked. I went to bed early, having done nearly 24 miles today, but it saved a day, which I¢ll spend at home.
Date: 2003-07-08
From: Port Clinton

To: Newton MA
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up at 3:30AM and couldn¢t get back to sleep. I finally left at 6 and walked down to the Peanut Store to catch the bus to Boston via NYC. At the bus stop I had a nice chat with an older gentleman living next door. On the bus, I made a to-do list for my visit home and wrote these notes. It was kind of nifty in a way to come off the trail and walk down 8th avenue in Manhattan near the Port Authority bus terminal ¢ quite a contrast!
Date: 2003-07-14
From: Newton MA

To: Port Clinton 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I left home later than planned because I had to take my older son to the doctor to treat a strep throat. It was a nice visit home. I shopped and put together food drops for the second half of the hike, and bought a new pair of boots (Garmonts) to replace the Vasque boots, one of which was losing its outsole. I used the opportunity to buy a new backpack ¢ a Granite Gear Ozone Nimbus, which weighs 3 pounds versus 2.2 for the Golite Trek I had been using, but with a much heavier-duty suspension system. I¢m hoping this reduces the pain in my shoulders that I have regularly been experiencing. While I was off the trail, I went to my younger son Greg¢s summer camp for a Dad¢s weekend. It was great to see him, my wife Sheila, and my older son Matt. They¢re all having some difficulty getting used to my long hair and beard. I got to Manhattan around 6PM, caught a bus to Reading PA, and another bus that got me to Port Clinton just in time to get into the Union House B&B again before they closed at 10.
Date: 2003-07-15
From: Port Clinton 

To: Eckville shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

I had an excellent breakfast at the B&B ¢ eggs, potatoes, peppers and onions ¢ with Double Dare and Duff. I was back on the trail at 9:10; it felt like a normal hiking day with no disorientation from having taken a week off. The new pack felt pretty good ¢ still some shoulder cramping, but not bad considering I was carrying a full resupply and two liters of water. The boots also felt good, except for a bruise on my left ankle where the stiff collar was pressing against my shin on steep uphills. There were great overlooks at Pulpit Rock and especially at the Pinnacle, where you can see the ridge descending to green farmland and wood lots below. There were lots of rock-strewn stretches on the trail, but none of them was too bad. I met Double Dare at Gold Spring. Saw a male-female pair of scarlet tanagers; the male is bright red and the female is yellow. The last 2 miles of trail was on bull-dozed roadbed, a startling and not very aesthetic change from the trail through the woods. DD and I walked together for the last hour into Eckville Shelter, which is 3/10 mile off the trail. The shelter is run by 3-time thru hiker Lazee and is located in his back yard. He has a list of rules, but, hey, it¢s his back yard. Among the hikers there were Blueberry and Pinot, Moose Munch, T-Bird, Loser, Charity, 2-Dog Night, Moxie, Spin, Cheesecake, and others. There was a lovely clear sky as the sun set. Loser was joined by friends who live nearby and who brought a guitar. They joined him and T-Bird singing and playing. Someone pointed out that this was a night we would all remember and feel nostalgic about some day, and it was truly a great evening.
Date: 2003-07-16
From: Eckville shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up at 7, out at 8. It was very humid and cloudy as I climbed the main ridge of Blue Mtn. There were very rocky stretches as well as rock piles, which are actually easier on the feet because you can hop from one large rock to the next. Past Allentown shelter, the trail was seriously painful, with lots of sharp cobbles of fractured quartzite. Even the stiff soles of my Garmonts aren¢t enough foot protection on this. As Wingfoot says in his book, you can¢t step between the stones and you hate to step on them. I was hot and still in pain as I reached Route 309, where I met a woman waiting for a hiking partner to meet her. She gave me a Gatorade, which tasted like the nectar of the gods just then. Charity, Cheesecake, and Spin came by as we rested on the porch of the nearby restaurant where we went to fill our water containers. I felt better on the next leg of the trail. There were interesting scrambles at Knife¢s Edge and on Bake Oven Knob, which also had a terrific panoramic view of the farmland below. The Pennsylvania section of the trail is exactly what Earl Shaffer meant by the ¢long, green tunnel¢, but I find the views out to open farmland especially beautiful.I stayed at Bake Oven Knob shelter with Charity, Double Dare, and Karma. We commiserated about the state of our feet and discussed the terrors awaiting us tomorrow. It was a long hike to the shelter¢s spring.
Date: 2003-07-17
From: Bake Oven Knob shelter

To: Leroy Smith shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: clear sky

A clear, dry morning. Up and out by 5:40; I¢m doing a 24-miler today. I filled up on water at Outerbridge shelter, which had a lovely, cold spring with lots of flow. There were blueberries on the ridge above the shelter. I crossed the Lehigh River and climbed the steep talus slope and ledges, which included a challenging scramble ¢ definitely the highlight of the day and reminiscent of climbing some of the White Mountain trails. There was a nice breeze at the top and a sort of above-treeline look at first. The trail then followed a road though a desolate area that had been destroyed by zinc pollution from the former smelter in the gap. There were a few living trees along the road and a sea of bare rocks and dead trees on either side, plus a few hazy views to the valley below. I was expecting Mel Gibson to show up in his leathers carrying a sawed-off shotgun (movie reference). Another climb followed (less extreme) out of Little Gap, where I stopped for a rest and met Stinger. I pushed on, resting every 1.5 hours. I talked to Stinger again and met Moose Munch, Beav & Blaze at Smith Gap. The last 3 miles were tough, with lots of small, painful rocks. Reached Leroy Smith shelter at 5:25 PM, where I met a section hiker named Big Wing, who left after a while. I was joined by Stinger, Doc, Llama, their dog Coy, Green Turtle, and two others.
Date: 2003-07-18
From: Leroy Smith shelter

To: Kirkridge shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I was out of the shelter at 7:30, but went down to the spring for water and started hiking at 8. The moon had been out at 4AM (observed while peeing), but a big raft of gray clouds now covered the sky. There were light sprinkles a couple of times before I reached the next shelter for a break. It was more rocky going today. The trail went down to Wind Gap and under the noisy Highway 33, followed by a long stretch with no landmarks until the Wolf Rocks, which called for some ledge walking. I made Kirkridge shelter by 2:30. I talked for a long while with Big Wing-- a Pink-Floyd-lover, elk hunter, bear hunting guide, rattlesnake wrangler, and Chinese linguist who used to hang out in a navy radio shack in the Formosa Strait eavesdropping on Chinese communications. We were joined by Doc, Llama, Coy, T-Bird, Mr. Pumpy, and Wave. T-Bird and Wave played the guitar and sang. Mr. Pumpy and I discussed old films; he¢s a Hitchcock fan. We were joined by Anishnabe, a super fast woman thru-hiker who left Springer on May 11 and had hiked from Palmerton to Kirkridge shelter in 11 hours today, no mean feat. Coy settled in with us for a while and then left to join his owners in their tent. Kirkridge shelter faces an open vista to the next parallel ridge, and we watched awesome thunderstorms in the distance. We saw repeated glowing red lighting strikes on the distant ridge, and several cloud-to-cloud discharges traveling horizontally along the valley below us at eye level.
Date: 2003-07-19
From: Kirkridge shelter

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

It was a nice morning. I left at 6:40. The rocks weren¢t so bad today. There were nice views to south from a pipeline cut and again from Mt Minsi with views of the Delaware River, one of the big milestones of a thru-hike. The trail went down through rhodo tunnels and hemlock glades, across a creek and past a lotus-covered pond to the road to Delaware Water Gap village. On the way down there were views of the river, boats, and the highway below. The highway din also became increasingly audible. I had a breakfast of eggs and pepperoni at the Trail's End Caf©; Ace and Karma were also there. DWG is a lovely little village. The morning is sunny and all is cool. (My body feels fine except for some pain in the arch of my left foot when I pronate and a backpack rash on my lower back ¢ no big deal).I had lunch at the Trail's End with Big Wing, then started hiking at 1PM, over the Delaware River bridge next to traffic and past the picnic area along the river, which was full of people. The trail went under I-80 and then up a steadily rising wide path. An older gentleman was harvesting oyster mushroom from a fallen tree trunk. There were many day hikers on the trail, and they often stopped to say hello. I soon reached Sunfish Pond ¢ a National Natural Landmark. I could see giant tadpoles and many fish in the clear water. It was still a beautiful day, sunny with some fair weather cumulus. Spin and I swam in the pond while Cheesecake looked on. The trail continued along the pond over some bad rocky stretches and then climbed gradually to Mt. Mohican. I caught up to Cheesecake and Spin who were taking pictures of a large bear eating blueberries less than 30 feet from the trail and seemed indifferent to the people standing around watching. The top of the ridge was open, with lovely views to both sides: the Delaware River off to the north, and distant mountains just visible northwest. The rocks were worse now. I made it to Camp Road at 6PM, walked the 1/4 mile to Mohican Outdoor Center, showered, laundered, hung up laundry, cooked, and ate. I lost a patch of skin on my left heel, so I put J&J Compeed on it. Mello Yellow was there with Constant Motion, who was nursing a sprained ankle. Later, I had a nice time listening to local musicians playing in the lodge with Ace and others.
Date: 2003-07-20
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Gren Anderson shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I was alone in the front bunk room. Up at 5:30 and back onto the trail by 6:45. It was dry and cloudless until late morning. There were nice views down from the ridge and from the fire tower. I met Chicken Legs and CC, who had camped near the tower. I felt rather tired most of the day. Had lunch under a pine tree on Rattlesnake Mtn. I unintentionally blew past the Brink Road shelter, where I had planned to get water, but I was being pursued by a cloud of mosquitoes and later learned that the shelter is one of the buggiest on the whole trail. I realized my mistake when I was long past the shelter, but from the views of the lakes below I could tell I was near Route 206, and walked the rest of the way without water. I stopped at the Worthington Bakery, where I filled my water reservoir and washed down two apple turnovers with two bottles of iced tea. The last three miles of the day were tiring but OK. I pulled into Gren Anderson shelter, which is famous for its unenclosed privy. I do like good ventilation in a privy! I learned that a hiker who stopped for water yesterday left his pack at the trail junction and returned from the spring to find that it had been ransacked by a bear. I had dinner with Journey, Mello Yellow, Sketch, and Gazelle, and crashed early.
Date: 2003-07-21
From: Gren Anderson shelter

To: secret shelter
Miles today: 18.6

Nice morning. I ate granola and packed, then used the open-air privy and was on the trail at 7 or so. It soon became cloudy above and foggy below. I took a long rest with Journey and Mello Yellow at the ¢Parthenon¢ ¢ a pavilion on top of Sunrise Mtn. The trails continue to be rocky. We took another rest at Mashipacong shelter and ran into Anishnabe there. Mello Yellow, Journey and I had lunch at the state park headquarters area and were joined by Gazelle and Sketch. We walked to High Point, where the trails turns eastward and, hopefully, gets out of the rocky terrain we¢ve been following since Port Clinton. We walked through woods and pastures to the ¢secret shelter¢, a collection of nicely crafted rough wood buildings constructed and made available by a thru-hiker benefactor. It even has an indoor hot shower and a clothes dryer.It was a very pleasant evening eating and chatting with the crew I¢d been hiking with today, enjoying the breeze and watching the clouds go by. CC and Chicken Legs arrived after awhile. A strong thunderstorm broke around dusk. Rain and wind forced us off the porch of the little building with a sleeping loft where we had been sitting. Thunder and lightning continued for at least two hours, with a couple of close-by lightning strikes literally shaking the ground. I climbed into the loft with Anishnabe, Gazelle, and Sketch, while others tented or hammocked and CC & Chicken Legs curled up on the cramped first floor.
Date: 2003-07-22
From: secret shelter

To: Vernon NJ
Miles today: 13.3

Slow start today. I got up at 7 and on the trail at 8. The weather gave some signs of clearing but remained humid. I walked around a wildlife refuge (and mosquito hatchery), where I saw two great blue herons and an indigo bunting. Climbed up and over Pochuck Mtn to the shelter, where Journey and Mello Yellow were just leaving from a break. I caught up with them at the new boardwalk crossing a large wetland, an awesome piece of trail relocation which saved a couple of road miles and reportedly took 20 years to implement. The boardwalk goes through a lovely freshwater cattail marsh with only one loose-strife plant visible; (although pretty, they¢re invasive and will soon take over the whole wetland). We made it to Rte 24 at 2 PM, and went to Heaven Hill Farm for ice cream and baked goods. Who should I meet there but Leaf, an old trail friend who I first met in Georgia and last saw in the Smokies. I started hitching into Vernon and scored an eagle (i.e., picked up by the first car that came along). The car was driven by a trail maintainer, who told me about the boardwalk. I checked into the motel just outside Vernon, then walked to town to pick up a mail drop and groceries. Returning to my room, I sat around musing about the spiritual nature of an AT through-hike. Is there a spiritual destination comparable to the physical goal of reaching the summit of Katahdin? And, once you¢ve reached it, can it be revisited again and again or is it like an enchanted spot in the forest that you can find only once?