morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-26
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: 2 miles past Pogo Memorial Campsite
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: haze

Nobody ever got any bragging rights by climbing the mountains of Maryland. That's why it has such a feminine name. It's a little girly state. Don't tell any of the girls out here I said that because most of them can and would kick my butt. The trail is super easy and mostly travels an old forestry road. I was making some great miles when I came upon a campsite with bathrooms and free showers. How great it is to be clean again. Soon after that, there was a trail angel giving out cold sodas and cookies. Double stuffed Oreo cookies to be exact. There have been many civil war battles fought here and there are many museums, ruins, battlefields, and memorials. Also, George Washington grew up here, so there was a memorial here for him, too. I have always been fascinated by the distances soldier had to walk to do battle. They also didn't have quite the gear we have today. I don't have much of an appetite today for some reason. All I had for dinner was an apple and a pack of crackers. It is going to be another warm night. I can't believe summer just got started. Tomorrow I will be in Pennsylvania. Good night.Peace,DutchI'm going where the climate suits my clothes.
Date: 2003-06-27
From: 2 miles past Pogo Memorial Campsite

To: Deer Lick Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: broken clouds

Perfect weather today. My right foot has a new pain. It may be a blister from walking 22 miles yesterday in my Tevas. It is on the bottom which is the worst place. I switched back to my shoes for today. I stopped for lunch at a road crossing. A guy that looked like a hit man for the mob came out of nowhere. He asked if the shelter was 3 miles away. I said I wasn't sure but I offered him my map. He said, ¢No, maps are too heavy.¢ I said, ¢I'm just offering it for you to read, not carry.¢ Then he said he's not a forestry person and doesn't know how to read maps. He said he was heading south to Georgia. Nothing he said made sense but his gear is what made me really suspicious. He was wearing blue jeans and white cotton socks and a t-shirt in 90 degree weather.   His backpack was a military duffle bag which he kept closed with a big heavy padlock. He didn't have anything to purify his water. I've developed a natural suspicion of anyone in blue jeans, but this guy really didn't add up. I finished my lunch and put as many miles between him and I as I could. Later, I stopped at the Penmar Park because I saw a soda machine. Then I noticed Max Power on a pay phone. I waited for him for 45 minutes to get off the phone. Max is military issue all the way. He looks like the poster child for the US Army. He stands at about 6 foot 5 inches with a mohawk crew cut. He also has a deep scar that runs across his cheek and his eye. After he finally got off the phone, I called in my pocketmail and noticed a menu of a place that delivers. And they have cheeseburger subs for $4.75. This one was made on a roll made from pizza dough. Just awesome, I tell you, and a great way to celebrate the Pennsylvania border in 0.2 miles. I wound up spending over 2 hours there, but Uncle Mark and Schwag caught up and we headed off to the next shelter together. I asked them if they saw the blue jeans guy, but no one did. It is amazing how deserted the trail feels. Sometimes I like it this way but then wonder where everyone is. Nobody has seen Loser since Gazelle whisked him away in Waynesboro. There are a few people ahead of me, but I would have to walk 20-mile days everyday to catch them. I really have no need to walk that fast and takes away form the enjoyment. 15 mile days are just perfect for me. It feels good to be in PA and I can't wait to take some time off at home. Well, goodnight.   Peace,DutchI'm going where the climate suits my clothes.
Date: 2003-06-28
From: Deer Lick Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Woke with a chill last night. I looked at my watch. 7:30¢¦ hmm, it is still dark out. Damn thing doesn't work anymore. Turns out the Mickey Mouse watch I bought in Erwin won't be going to Maine. It was a late start this morning. I keep getting new blisters. You'd think they would be in the same place but my shoe finds a new place to torture everyday. It amazes me that when I pop a blister it seals up and fills with fluid again. Some are healing while others are just getting worse. I need to slow down and I need the days off I have planned. The maps through here are ridiculous. Today¢s had 17 miles of the trail on it. It was only printed on one side and weighed about 1/4 pound. I got to Caledonia State Park around 5:30. There were a lot of people so I had to check it out. They have a concession stand, a pool, showers, and a pay phone. I used all of them. The pool was free after 6:15 since they close at 7:00. Somehow, the pool got stains out of my swimming trunks that washing machines couldn't. From there, it was 2 1/2 miles to the next shelter. My feet are beat so it is a good place to stop. It¢s a nice shelter and there are solar-powered landscaping lights by the spring and up to the privy. I talked to some section hikers from Lititz. Tomorrow I should be able to get to the halfway point. If it weren¢t for that, I would have Jess come get me so I could take some time off. I originally only planned to hike from Georgia to Pennsylvania. It was only just before I left that I decided to hike all the way to Maine. There is a strong temptation to go back to my original plan. I thought long and hard about it today. Over 1,000 miles is still quite an achievement. I really don't have a purpose or reason to hike to Maine. Then I thought about all the pain I've been through. If I stop now it won't be completely in vain. Bragging rights were a big part of why I wanted to do this but they don't seem relevant now. Especially after having my doors blown off by little old ladies. I finally decided that I should try to finish. I want to finish sometime and I am definitely in the best shape of my life. I don't want to have to go through another break in period again; it is just too painful. So I will try, but about 40% of the hikers that make it here still drop off. The northern half is the harder of the two. I do enjoy hiking where I know the towns and roads. Today I crossed route 30. I'm almost home. Peace,DutchI'm going where the climate suits my clothes.
Date: 2003-06-30
From: 1 mile past Pole Steeple

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up early and right away I started wavering again on going home. For the last 2 days, I kept saying I'm going home for a day or two. Then, by the end of the day, I decide I can make it one more day and another couple miles. Today was looking the same way. I was going to slow down and enjoy the easy miles of southern Pennsylvania. I can do some 12 to 15 mile days and rest my bones. That is where the problem began. I am completely unable to slow down. I have one speed and I don't stop. I ran into the military might of Max Power around noon. He and I walked across the fields before Boiling Springs. I'm pretty sure Boiling Springs is Loser's home town. I told Max I'm going home and invited him. I was calling around trying to get a ride when Very Small Animal came pulling up in a car. I couldn't believe my eyes. I haven't seen her since Damascus and I knew she was hundreds of miles behind me. She skipped a section until later and will be hiking PA for a while. I still am in disbelief, but she had a car and was able to drive me, Max Power and all the military secrets he has to Duncannon. From there, I called my in-laws and they graciously came and took us to my house. I left a message that I was coming home, but Jess never got it so she was surprised to see all of us. It is really good to be home; I haven't been here for 3 months. I will be taking tomorrow off to rest my feet. Then I will spend a couple days hiking with Max Power and all his military might. Peace,DutchI'm going where the climate suits my clothes.
Date: 2003-07-02
From: Boiling Springs

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today Max "the scarer of small children" Power and I got an early start and drove to the trail. I dropped him off in Duncannon and went to Boiling Springs. He hiked south while I hiked north. At the midway point I handed the keys to him. The hiking is incredibly easy for the first 15 miles. It is mostly farmland, which I like because it reminds me of home. More notably, it is completely flat. The last 10 miles are pretty hilly and rocky. There were 3 places where people left trail magic. When I got to town, Max had already brought the car to Duncannon. We did over 25 miles, a new record. In case anyone was wondering, I brought my gear and plus I added a CD player with 20 CDs. Well, I'm beat goodnight.Peace,DutchI'm going where the climate suits my clothes.
Date: 2003-07-03
From: Duncannon

To: PA 325, Clarks Valley
Miles today: 17.8

I just love being close to home. I could get very use to sleeping in a bed every night. Jess got the day off so she decided to hike with me today. I don't recommend this to anyone. Not only are thru-hikers at their top physical ability, they also are sadistic and enjoy seeing people suffer who didn't hike in 6 weeks of rain in pain. Jess is the only person that I know that stands a chance of keeping up with me. Max Power, Jess, and I headed out to drop Max 18 miles to the north. We hiked north while he hiked south and then he would bring the van to where we dropped him off. It was already 12:30 before Jess and I started. I tried to dazzle her by showing my physical stamina going up a big hill. She kept right up with me. I really turned on the jets when we hit the flats. Still she had no problems keeping up. We hit some rocky stretches and I knew this is where she would have to falter. But to no avail; nothing slowed her down. Still, the whole point of long distance hiking is the long distance part. I imagined around mile 15 or so she¢d be weeping, begging me to carry her the rest of the way. Needless to say, she did no such thing. She is one of those natural athletes. I see them out here all the time. Then there are people like me who force their bodies into shape against its will. She did 18 miles of PA rocks in 7.5 hours. That is moving about as fast as a person can. Afterwards Max "the defender of all that is good and American" Power was waiting to whisk us away. We went to Red Robin¢s for some truly awesome cheeseburgers and bottomless fries. They don't know about thru-hikers appetite and were a little taken back by our strong desire for more and more fries. Hiking big miles and eating greasy food gives me a euphoric feeling. Again, a bed tonight. I will take the next three days off to spend with Jess. For the first 6 weeks, I felt like a fraud out there. Like I was trying to fit in with hikers. Now it feels so strange to be driving, sleeping in beds, and conversing with so many non-hikers. I now feel more natural at a shelter with strangers than at home with a cat that keeps hissing at me. I just hope I'm not going to get lazy and used to all the comforts of home. I still have 1,000 miles to get to Maine. Well, only time will tell.   Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-04
From: PA 325, Clarks Valley

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The fourth of July. What a great reason to get some rest. Max "the unknown soldier" Power was in no hurry to get to the trail. Around 6pm, I dropped him off. He has 11 miles to do so he'll be hiking pretty late. When I got home Very Small Animal and Mr. Pumpy had called, so I went back to Duncannon and picked them up. We went to the Reinholds Inn to make fun of the local drunks. It has been a very long day. No rest for the weary.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-05
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night¢s festive mood completely changed into gloom this morning. Mr. Pumpy decided to leave the trail and go back to New Jersey. Very Small Animal and he have been hiking together since the beginning and she wasn't sure what she was going to do. We drove Mr. Pumpy to the train station to go back to the Jersey swamplands. When we got back, Very Small Animal had conjured up a plan. We gave her a ride to Gap, PA where she was picked up and taken to Delaware. From there, she will catch a ride with Miss Janet and Baltimore Jack to Waynesboro, VA to hike with Reason and Cruiser. Still no rest for the weary.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-06
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Finally, Jess and I are alone. I should have planned more time with just her. You can take the hiker off the trail, but you can't take the trail out of the hiker. While we were relaxing, the phone rang. It was Loser, which makes sense since he was the only person I didn't hear from. He asked me to meet him at Duncannon where his church will be giving out trail magic tomorrow. I planned the second half of my trip. I didn't know I would actually be able to get this far, so I only prepared my mail drops for the first half. Still no rest for the weary.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-07
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I went to Duncannon again to see Loser. I was delighted to see him, but he was predisposed with all of his friends. Gazelle came by. I may have wrongly predicted that she and Loser would be a good match and hook up. Actually, now that I see them together, she is way too pretty for him. She has been bitten by a Brown Recluse spider on her leg. Her calf is swollen and purple with festering blisters in the center. She went to a doctor and a friend is going to pick her up today. She thinks the spider was in her sleeping bag when she got bit. Soon enough, Martha Graham came in and I asked if she wanted to come home with me. My house is now known as Dutch Wonderland. I still have to buy supplies for my mail drops, so we headed to Wal-Mart. In Ephrata, my car started making awful grinding noises. It is leaking coolant, so I drove the 3 blocks to my mom's house. We borrowed a van and continued our journey. At Wal-Mart, I bought a new pair of boxers that have sparkly gold stripes. They will be my hiking shorts for now. At home, I frantically put together my mail drops. Still no rest for the weary.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-08
From: Home

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today I have to hike. I can feel myself getting more and more out of shape. Martha Graham and I went back to my mom's and she drove us to where I left off on the 3rd. This is the first time I've hiked a section that I hiked before. There are ruins here and it is really pretty. I checked my feet after 5 miles, and sure enough, there was a blister the size of a quarter that ripped open on my right heel. I don't understand it. My boots are top of the line and very popular with hikers. They are completely broken in and so are my feet. Martha helped me out, bandaging my wounds. At the shelter, I was glad to see I knew almost everyone. Loser, Chicken Legs, CC, Skittles, Morph, and MG are all here. I was afraid I wouldn't know anyone because I stopped for 4 days but it allowed people to catch up. It took a while for me to go 11 miles. I can tell I stopped. It does feel good to be back hiking. Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-09
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: moderate rain

CHECK OUT THE NEW PHOTOS! (dated 6/19)My first night in my hammock since about a week ago. I am with a pretty big crowd of some really cool people. Meeting new hikers is fun since everyone hears of each other. It is strange to hike where I've already hiked before. I crossed Rt. 72, 81, 645, and 501. The terrain is incredibly easy. I somehow lost my headphones to my radio when I came to the William Penn shelter. I practiced a 4 mile hike here before I left for Georgia. I hiked 4 miles and decided I was ready to tackle the whole trail. How naive I was. I got to the 501 shelter for the first time. It is great; it even has 4 walls and a door. Carolina Cruiser is here filming his documentary. There is a huge skylight that gives good natural light. I have been wearing new shorts. They are silk black boxers with bright gold glittery stripes. I get quite a few comments on them. Loser is here entertaining the masses. We were able to order food from OIP and I got a cheeseburger sub. I am stuffed and tired. Time to hit the hay. Goodnight. Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-10
From: 501 shelter

To: Eagle's Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

While I was getting ready, MG told me I should check my pockets for my headphones. I told her I already looked, but she insisted I check again. Sure enough, they were in my hip belt pocket. T-bird had found them hanging in a bush (because headphones don't grow on trees) and MG snuck them into my pocket. This stretch is the first place I ever backpacked. I remember it being very hard. Now it is incredibly easy. The weather is nice, cloudy and cool. Another nice surprise is miles and miles of blueberries. Not the kind you get in the store. They are smaller and have taste. They are the perfect tartness. I could eat them by the handful. Hikers are not supposed to eat the wild food to save it for the wildlife. It is too much to ask a thru-hiker to pass up perfectly ripe fruit that they didn't have to carry 100 miles. Not only that, I, quite frankly, feel like the wildlife. We had a good time at the shelter, but there is some gloom. Some of the hikers are running out of money. I wish I could help, but I am a poor hiker, too. Jess could say to me we are broke and it is time to go home. It is really quite sad. I hope things work out for everyone, but you know, no money, no food, no walk. It is going to be chilly tonight so I am using my backpack to put my feet in. I think it will work well. Tomorrow I have an easy walk into Port Clinton where Jess will pick me up. I can't wait to see her. I didn't get to spend enough time with her last week. Goodnight. Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-11
From: Eagle's Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: broken clouds

I went to hammock early, but around 10pm some very rude weekend warriors come into the shelter. They started shining large flashlights around asking if there was any room. They then set up a tent right beside my hammock. They kept flashing their lights waking me up. Soon the talking started, until MG asked them to shut the hell up people were sleeping. Then the snoring started. I've heard a lot of snoring but not like this. I think it was sleep apnea since there was nothing for a minute then ssssnnnaaaaaaaaaa real loud. The guy named Sam B kept waking me up and I was about 40 feet away from the shelter. I was fearful for his well being from all the other hikers that had to sleep next to him. There was plenty of complaining but luckily no violence this time. But all should beware of coming out and keeping the real hikers awake. They may not be so lucky. While everyone was packing up, we noticed an extra flashlight. Since it took 2 D batteries, it was obviously one of the loud section hiker¢s. I was the only one packed up so I said I'd take it to him. There is an unwritten rule that if someone finds something, they do everything they can to get it back to its original owner¢¦ even if they snore. It took about 2 hours, but I found them resting at the top of a hill. Written on the flashlight was Sam B. Troop # 94. I said, "Is there a Sam B. here?" The guy looked really surprised and said, "Yeah." I asked, "From troop # 94?" I got another "yeah". I said, "I have a delivery for you," and handed him his 1 pound flashlight. He was very grateful and insisted I take a can of pork and beans as a reward for my honesty. I told him I don't carry a stove and couldn't make them. He insisted I take these stupid 1 pound can of beans. I finally took them, but I am completely insulted that my honesty wasn't as expected as it was given. I hope he chaffs in the groin real bad. Now my food weight just doubled. The rest of the hike was filled with memories of when I hiked for the first time. I found where I camped and met my first thru-hiker. I really remember the big hill leading down to Port Clinton. I am glad this time I was going downhill. I went straight to the hotel. The bar in the hotel has fantastic cheeseburgers. I enjoyed a couple of beers with my new friends and waited for Jess. She finally came and we bought some trail magic. There are about twenty hikers staying at the pavilion. Everybody is hanging out for a barebque to be given by none other than Baltimore Jack. The dude is everywhere. Jess whisked me away to our house (Dutch Wonderland).   Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-12
From: Port Clinton

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

What a great day with Jess. It doesn't take a very big dose of her to remind me what a great person she is. Her support has been essential in my hike. Not the obvious financial and logistical, but to know when I am done I get to come home to her. She is by far my favorite person and the one I respect the most. We went shopping and I bought my 4th pair of shoes and my 4th radio. The shoes are an Asics running shoe and I broke down and got a more expensive Sony sport radio. Tonight is my last night at home until I'm done. My cat just hisses at me whenever she sees me. I told the stupid cat that she was the reason I'm leaving again. I made scallops, shrimp wrapped in bacon, and salmon for supper. I must be one of the luckiest men on earth. Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-13
From: Home

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I am ready to get hiking again. I can't wait to see old and new friends on the trail. Jess and I watched some movies and then she took me to the grocery store for supplies. We stopped for supper at the Port Clinton Hotel. Groovy, who I haven't seen since the Smokies, was there. I hiked out of town before I got caught up and started drinking. I did a quick 6 miles to the first shelter. It feels right to be out here. I think I'm going to try to crank out some miles this week. I've hiked it before and know what to expect. I've only spent about 5 days in the woods this month. It is now time to pay the rent.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-07-14
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I found out that Mr. Pumpy is back on the trail. Furthermore, he is just a few hours ahead. I set out early and found him leaving his camping spot at the Pinnacle. He is back, and Niagara shuttled up from the Shenandoahs to hike with him. The trail is now very rocky. It is a shame the entire state gets a bad rap for the last 70 miles being rocky. A lot of hikers are seeing rattlesnakes. I took a late afternoon siesta to wait out the heat. The bugs are horrible here and I am hiding in the safety of my hammock. My feet are really sore from walking rock to rock all day. Well, I'm hitting the hay.Peace,Dutch