morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-06-24
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Ironmaster's Mansio

To: campsite 1m north of PA 94
Miles today: 11.6

Bug and I, Ms. Priss had planned to leave much earlier than we did today. After recieving a message from my mom earlier in which she had spoken with another doctor who said it sounded as if I had an ulcer, I put in a call to my doctor back home. Once I had explained all the symptoms I was having, they were quick to call in a prescription for Carafate. It was a bit of a headache though, trying to communicate without good cell signal and not many minutes on the phone card.On a great note...Bug got his hiking kilt today! Hopefully, now he will be much cooler in hiking and the chaffing will decrease. I think he looks mighty sexy if I do say so myself! It is the Abercrombie tartan (www.sportkilt.com); we wanted to go with a family name tartan but the choices were sparse. After hiking today he had already had great results.My prescription had been called in to an independent pharmacy in Mt. Holly Springs. I called before reaching the road and spoke with the pharmacist; I asked how much it would be since I wasn't getting it under insurance. The pharmacist replied that it would cost me $650.21, as I gasped and asked if he was kidding, he replied, "What? Don't all hikers carry that much cash?" I was a little speechless, and was trying to figure out how he knew I was a hiker. At this point I had figured out that he was teasing me, and he informed me that my doctor had told him I was hiking the trail. He was very kind, and his wife delivered the prescription to me at Green Mountain General Store so that we wouldn't have to go all the way into town.The medicine is nasty but it makes me feel better so I will continue to take it. After splitting a sub sandwich and a pint of coconut ice cream (didn't get enough yesterday), we hiked back into the woods. It was pretty much dark, but we still hiked about a mile. We are camped in the woods and not on the most level spot, but it is late and we are tired so this is where we will sleep.
Date: 2005-06-25
From: campsite 1m north of PA 94

To: Boiling Springs, PA (Garmanhaus B&B)
Miles today: 7.8

It was a short day mileage wise, but we never thought we would get to Boiling Springs today! It has been unbearably hot, so the goal was to hike as fast as we could to get into town and maybe a bit of A/C.At one point today, Bug nearly stepped on a snake while climbing up some rocks. Not to worry though, it was a black racer and not another rattler. We walked into Alec Kennedy Shelter which was waaay off the trail, but it provided us with a nice rest.Pretty soon, we were out in beautiful open farmland. We are learning new things everyday out here and I have been amazed at PA. I always thought that Pennsylvania was all industrial, but there is really some pretty farmland up here.As we rolled into Boiling Springs, we were greeted by the sound of live music and laughter. There is a local community pool (that we didn't patronize much to my chagrin), and the whole town had to be out there swimming, staying cool, and enjoying the day. Rather than swimming, Bug and I enjoyed a nice stroll around the lake. The lake is man-made and formed in the 1700s; the water comes from springs over 1800' below the earth's surface and over 21 million gallons pump into it daily. The springs don't actually boil as the name suggests, but are 53 degrees and only appear to boil because of the way they bubble up.We walked around town for a bit and ate a very tasty stromboli at a local pizzeria. Bug and I sat at the lake and soaked our feet while watching the Canadian geese, ducks, and swans. After setting up our tent in back of the B&B, we headed to Leo's ice cream, a local place that makes their own ice cream right there. Bug split a pint of Ginger ice cream with me thinking that might settle things a bit with my digestive system.It's late and we are in the tent on such a nice patch of grass. It has been a great evening and a great day. Can't wait to do it again tomorrow.
Date: 2005-06-26
From: Boiling Springs, PA (Garmanhaus B&B)

To: Duncannon, PA (Doyle Hotel)
Miles today: 25.6
Weather: clear sky

We were up, out, and on the trail by 7am this morning. After a wonderful night's rest, we were ready to get up and make some miles. It's a good things, because there were lots to be done.We saw quite a few jack rabbits on the trail as well as tons of mulberries. The morning was great for hiking since we were out so early. This section of trail is the Cumberland Valley and was nothing but flat farmlands. We saw many runners on the trail throughout this section. We hiked a pretty fast pace, only stopping for a short break at the ATC Scott Farm work center. Travelling at such a quick pace it wasn't long before we were at Darlington shelter.The shelter isn't completed yet, but it is well on its way. The privy looks as if it will be a palace all by itself. Bug and I opted to take it easy here for awhile. He napped while I catalogued pictures for the website. Just as we were packing up to leave, a nice guy by the name of Josh stopped in. He is from the area and was out on the trail for the first time today. We had a great time talking with him and he was kind enough to offer us hot dogs grilled over the fire for lunch. Even though I have been under the weather with this ulcer, that was one of the best hot dogs I have ever had! Thanks Josh! Shortly thereafter, we began to hike again and had an easy downhill and flat croplands in the afternoon sun. What we didn't realize however, was that we would have to pay for all of the flat walking we had this morning! Waiting for us over the hill was Cove Mountain, and boy, was it a booger of a climb!We huffed and puffed our way up the mountain taking a few breaks along the way. The decision was made not to hike the .4 mile roundtrip to the shelter, but rather take our break on a rock across from the blue-blazed path. Bug ate a snack and I choked down my medicine before hiking the last 4 miles into Duncannon.At 7pm we began our final leg into Duncannon. We stopped for a brief moment to take in the view from Hawk Rock before descending. The Pennsylvania rocks have started in full force today, and this is just the beginning from what I understand.Just after 9:00, we rolled into Duncannon to recieve a warm welcome from friends we had not seen in awhile. Fig and Just Visiting were on the balcony of the Doyle, along with Buffalo Bob; LB was just getting back after a couple of days off with friends, and it sounded as if we had only missed some other friends by just a couple of hours.Once we had checked in, we came on down to the Italian restaurant for a late night meal. Here is where we sit, glad to be off our feet after 26 miles of hiking today. Can't wait to head on up to the hotel for a good night's rest.
Date: 2005-06-27
From: Duncannon, PA (Doyle Hotel)

To: Clarks Ferry Shelter
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Ahhh! It was so nice to sleep late! We slept until check-out time today...atually we got up and took showers and then went back to bed. The Doyle Hotel is legendary on the AT and is one of the original Anheiser-Busch hotels (it celebrated 100 years this past April). It was a beautiful hotel in a historic sense. Once we packed up and checked out, we walked around town running some errands, i.e. going to the PO, grocery shopping. Before walking to the grocery we decided it might be best if we ate some lunch. At The Pub we ordered somevery tasty food, a huge reuben and the biggest burger Bug has ever eaten (it had to be 1/2 lb. in meat alone...mmmm).We went back to the hotel after walking about 2 miles roundtrip to the grocery. Rest was in order; it was incredibly hot and humid and the heat sucked all the energy right out of us. We watched as a thnderstorm passed over, and although no rain fell, it cooled things quite a bit.We saw many other hikers today who hiked in: GOA.T. Boy, Milkman, Sooper J and Mule. We also met a guy by the name of Pootz, who is out sectioning through Pennsylvania. We spent the afternoon chatting with friends and eating food before hiking out.7pm and we finally hiked out of town. Bug and I hiked a huge 4 miles out of town, but we have found that sometimes it is good to just get out of town, even if you don't hike far. As we have said before, towns have a way of sucking you in.We hiked until dark, and we are tented behind the shelter. Can't wait to sleep. Nite nite!
Date: 2005-07-02
From: Port Clinton pavillion

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

Deep thoughts by Bug: A journal entryLast night just as we were preparing for bed we got the much awaited, and much needed, rain. However, when we woke up this morning we were greeted to sunshine but noticeably cooler temperatures. Everyone was stirring by 6:30, and we all were headed to breakfast at the local eatery. We shared a table with Bag 'o Tricks, and listened to more hiking tales over coffee and the biggest breakfast samplers on the menu. Today was the first day in a long time that we allowed ourselves to just veg and give our bodies time to rest. We sat around the pavillion and watched other hikers come into town. Buffalo Bob, Pootz, Kitchen sink, Freeze Dried, and several others came into town today.Fig and Just Visiting came in and were debating as to whether to stay or go. They finally decided to stay, which we were happy about--we have found them to be great company! Priss and I decided to have some tasty ramen noodles for lunch for 2 reasons: (1) it saves a little bit of money, and more to the point (2) it lessens the weight we have to carry out of town.Several people were interested in going to Cabela's, so I called and they agreed to come pick us up. Although they agreed, they weren't just overly friendly about it. The lady at the reception desk was fairly abrupt over the phone and again in person at the store.For those of you who don't know about Cabela's, it is a "250,000 square foot store that is packed with all the top-quality gear found in Cabela's world-famous catalogs. Shopping in the store is like a complete outdoor adventure, with magnificent trophy animal displays and three freshwater aquariums holding 55,000 gallons of water and more than 24 species of fish native to North America."Cabela's propoganda aside, it was a pretty impressive place and when I was a kid ordering from their catalog, I had no idea how massive this place was. We ate dinner there at the store restaurant, compliments of Kitchen Sink (Thanks!), and we all headed back to the pavillion.There, Kitchen Sink shared more by pulling out a 1 lb. box of fudge he had bought there and insisting that we all eat. It is very cool this evening and I think it will bode well for tomorrow's hike. Well, time to hit the sack if we plan to get an early start. Nite!
Date: 2005-07-03
From: Port Clinton pavillion

To: Allentown hiking club shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: overcast clouds

After a hardy breakfast at 3C's, it was time to pack up and hike. Bug and I were well rested after our rest yesterday, so we had a great morning. We spoke with many people out for the day around Pulpit Rock. The day has been just gorgeous, but the tone began to change rather quickly. On our way up to The Pinnacle (a rock outcropping with outstanding views), I decided to take a picture of Bug hiking across some of the PA rocks. I figured that some of you might like to see the infamous rocks that we hikers complain about here in Pennsylvania. No sooner did I turn on the camera and hold it up to take the picture, than it dropped and crashed on a rock! The good news is that the camera still takes pictures; the bad news is that we can no longer preview as the LCD screen was busted in the fall.That was the first awful thing. Bug was great about it and didn't get upset as it could have happened to either of us. Then, on the Pinnacle I spilled almost an entire 20 oz. bottle of Root Beer. You might say, There's no use crying over spilled "root beer", but you would be wrong...you see? I carried that 20oz. for 8 miles to enjoy the refreshing taste. After a good rest and snack break at the Pinnacle we continued hiking.It was a fairly easy day with regard to terrain and gentle rolling trail. We ran into Fig and Just Visiting again at Eckville Shelter. This was a very nice, fully enclosed shelter with caretaker. It included a flush toilet as well as a solar shower, and best of all you could buy ice cream sandwiches and mountain dew for a donation! That made things a little bit better. Before leaving we were able to charge the phone and talk to Mom and Dad for a bit.So many people have asked us, as a couple, how we manage being out here together 24-7.   Well, today was one of those days where all the little things built up to a big thing. We got into it on the trail. After walking in tense silence for about 30 minutes or so, we sat and talked things out. That is one of the wonderful things about being out here....we are unable to run from each other and have to face problems head on. This journey is difficult and if we wish to make it all the way to Maine, we can't let petty things get in the way and we have to work as a team.All of that being said, it has been an exhausting day, both physically and emotionally. We rolled into the shelter and set up tent around 9:30. Dinner was a Snickers bar and now we must sleep.
Date: 2005-07-05
To: Leroy Smith shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

The morning hike began with a big rock scramble up an exposed rockface out of Lehigh gap. The plant life in this section of trail is non-existent, almost like a scene from "The Twilight Zone." The devastation along Blue mountain near Lehigh gap is the result of nearly a century of zinc smelting in Palmerton. In 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency shut down the furnaces and, in 1982, put the affected area on the Superfund cleanup list. Revegetation efforts are underway, and the mountain is slowly coming back to life. A product called Ecoloam--consisting f municipal-waste sludge, fly ash, lime, fertilizer, and seeds--has been spread on the slopes. This has been on of the toughest scrambles up the denuded rocks that we will face until we reach New Hampshire.Despite all of this, it was incredibly fun climbing to the top.   It was a challenge and got us out of the monotonous day to day of simpy putting one foot in front of the other. You had to think of every step you took and where to put your hands so as to get a good handhold.We had a late start out of town (as if that is anything unusual) and were a bit worried about getting started when the sun was brightly shining. This climb is often referred to as Dante's Inferno. However, the day was overcast but not rainy making it a perfect day for climbing! It is funny how one gains perspective on things out here. I used to have a certain image in mind when thinking of a perfect image day, and now I realize sunny and warm isn't always "perfect".We decided to hike on beyond the "Metallica" Spring to get water elsewhere. Knowing what we know about the zinc spill, we didn't want to chance glowing in the dark after consuming the water.After stopping for lunch at the turn-off to Delp's Spring, we continued on towards the shelter. The rolling terrain wasn't bad, but it really was tough getting motivated to hike fast over painful rocks. Supposedly we have the worst ones tomorrow, but I hate to even imagine what that will be like. We finally got to the shelter and had an enjoyable evening with friends as we listened as Tenbears played guitar for us. It was a wonderful way to wind down after a long day. Now that I am nice and relaxed, I do believe I will get some sleep.Ms. Priss
Date: 2005-07-06
From: Leroy Smith shelter

To: Kirkridge shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

Team Tardy at it again! We were the last ones to leave the shelter this morning and even then it was tough to make ourselves leave. The rocks were so tough on our feet yesterday and they are quite swollen and sore today.We faced our worst rocks today, 8 miles of pure H-E-double hockey sticks on the feet. Big rocks I like; the ones that are large enough you could sit on if you wanted. These rocks weren't big, they were small, ankle-twisting rocks. Some were the size of softballs and baseballs and were loose on the ground; others were buried in the trail and sticking up at an angle so that they pierced into the center of your foot. The rocks are so bad that you can't even raise your eyes to look at the woods because you have to concentrate on the trail.We would have walked right past Train and Raindrop in their bright orange Hubba Bubba tent had they not called out to us, and we did walk right by Hareball. Soon enough though, we arrived in Wind Gap. We walked about 200 yards down the road to the local motel to get water there. Bug and I walked in with Hareball and arrived to see Fig, Just Visiting, and Fido sitting outside. We dried our tent in the sun and enjoyed an ice-cold mountain dew while visiting with our fellow hikers. Before leaving, we came to the conclusion that it would be well worth it to walk to town for ice cream.After hiking a mile in the baking sun we arrived to the Turkey Hill convenience store where we each purchased a 1.5 pint container of ice cream and sat in front of the store and ate it. Once we had fully and completly stuffed ourselves, we found ourelves a ride back to the trailhead. It was a good thing because the climb was somewhat steep.Along the way, we met some people with the National Forest Service who specialize in endangered plantlife. They were trying to figure out how to save a rare sedge (?) from invasive plant life. They also informed us of some of the edible berries we would find and where we could find some big patches of them.We continued on our merry way when we came across Freeze-dried laid out on a huge rock up at Wolf Rocks. After taking a moment to talk with him, we pushed on. Just before the road, we spotted a family camped out to our left. We didn't stop to chat, as we were hungry and ready to get to camp for the evening. Bug and I only had .6 left to go to get to the shelter. We are here now and it looks extremely buggy! Bug went to get water and I am hoping and praying there is a place to set up a tent. Well, I must see what we are going to eat for dinner this evening. 'Til next time....
Date: 2005-07-07
From: Kirkridge shelter

To: Delaware water gap, PA
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: light rain

It was a short walk into Delaware Water Gap this morning. After a hearty oatmeal breakfast we bade farewell to Hareball and Freeze-dried as we got going on the trail. The morning was a graded road walk and nice, smooth terrain....something we haven't seen in a long while! We grabbed a few great views of the Gap from above and continued our descent on in. We were quite ready for showers and the veggie stand we had heard so much about. The first order of business as we arrived into DWG was to get settled into the hostel. We are staying at Church of the Mountain hostel and the shower was divine! We ran into Train and Raindrop as well as Team Hustle, who were all headed out today. We did see, however, a sign on the front door stating that there was to be a hiker feed this evening.Since it was around noon, we decided to hit up the local pizzeria for lunch. Other people had good experiences there, but even though the food was good, we were treated rather rudely by the people who run the place. If there is one thing Bug and I have come to understand more, it is discrimination. Most of the time, people are very kind if not curious about us, but occasionally we do get people who are pretty cold or others who stare, and worse yet, those who make side remarks.We stopped in at the veggie stand/bakery and sampled some of the goods before walking back towards the hostel. Bug and I stopped in at the PO and picked up our mail and sent off some other things. Bug went back to the hostel for a much needed nap and I went to the beauty shop for my first haircut since starting the trail. The lady there had the cutest little Bichon Frise with a personality very similar to Pima's. He was a cutie! The hairdresser took off about 2 inches making it much cooler on my neck. Bug has decided to just let his beard and hair go from here on out. The last time he had it trimmed was in Troutville, VA.Tonight was a huge potluck/hiker feed put on by the church congregation. We had a great time getting to know members of the church and sharing about our trip. Bug and I also got to know Wag Daddy this evening, he is trying to finish the trail in a mere 89 days since he has to be back to teach school by mid-August. He is a good-looking guy and a fellow Christian. He was funny though, he overheard us talking about Jennifer (Odyssa), our original hiking partner and all but fell head over heels right then and there. We are now back in the hostel taking it easy before heading off to bed. More to come tomorrow...
Date: 2005-07-08
From: Delaware water gap, PA

To: Church of the Mountain hostel (Delaware Water Gap)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Ahh, this morning we got up super early and planned to take the bus into nearby Stroudsberg to do laundry and resupply. However, as we were on our way, we ran into Hareball who informed us that the 8:00 run had been cancelled. With that news, we felt that it was a good idea to go fuel up on breakfast.We ate at the local diner and each had huge portions of food. As we sat eating, the rain began to pour. We just stared pitifully out the window, hoping against all hopes that we wouldn't have to get out in all that mess. It eased up a little and we took the opportunity to get out and make a run for the outfitter's. Hareball, Bug, and I decided it would probably be best to just take the shuttle offered by the outfitter. This way we were guaranteed a ride and would be dropped where we needed to go.We had the driver take us to the laundromat since our clothes simply reaked! Then we walked to the outfitter there so that Hareball could get herself some new socks. Once we left the outfitter we began making our way to the grocery store, but somewhere in the process it began the down-pour once more. We were drenched by the time we arrived.We quickly did our grocery shopping and then went outside to call for a pick-up back to DWG. Bug and I split a pint of Godiva's Raspberry Chocolate Truffle....one of my favorites, but 1st time finding it on trail!When we got back to DWG we were toying with the idea of taking a zero day and talked ourselves right into it since we had just finished coming over the horrendous PA rocks.Hareball was wanting a blueberry crumb pie, so we stopped in at the fruit and veggie stand. While there, Bug began talking to a few people sitting at a table and as it turns out, it is the AT 2005 Expedition. We asked if Warren and Terry were around since we had had trouble meeting up with them down south. They told us that they were all staying at the Ramada down the way.Hareball made her way back towards the hostel, and Bug and I walked to the Ramada to see if we could touch base with the Doyles. Warren was out, but we had a good time talking with Terry.Back at the hostel who did we meet up with, but Pootz, Mudpumpkin and Stats, and met two new hikers, Brandon and Bear Fodder. They asked if we wanted to go up the street to hang out and eat at the local grill. We agreed and spent an enjoyable evening with new friends. It is late now, and we REALLY do need to get an early start in the morning, so I am going to call it quits for the night.