morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-10
From: Pen Mar State Park

To: Rocky Mountain Shelters
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke early on the stage of the pavilion and hiked out with only a quick snack. The number one rule of stealth camping is don¢t get caught. We didn¢t intend to. After a fast few tenths of a mile, we came to the state line. Six states down!!! Waahoooo!!!! Some people were camped here so we snapped a few photos and headed off to the water source where we ate a more substantial breakfast.The rest of the day was about making miles. We were exhausted from the late night and early morning. We figured the sooner we got to camp, the sooner we could go to sleep. It¢s also a nice change, pushing a fast pace. It¢s easier hiking in this weather too. It¢s so dag gone hot that once I stop for a while, I don¢t want to get going again.We ate lunch at the Antietam Shelter after bathing in the stream. Boy did it feel good! I laid down in the swift current allowing the cool, spring-fed water to wash away the sweat and stench of days of hiking. The shelter was built in 1940, an original from Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The shelter site was filthy with trash in the fire rings, broken glass everyday, and a ham-bone decomposing in the stream obiously pitched in there after someones dinner. The shelter overeer of the next shelter said it will soon be disassembled and placed somewhere else on the trail.We hiked for a while with The Don and kept bumping into Cruzer, Thumper, and Texas Hippy. Such good people. It was really nice hiking with The Don. It¢s only been Firecracker and me for a while now. Different company and conversation was nice change of pace.The shorts I bought yesterday performed SOO well. Almost zero chaffing. I started to on one occasion but pulling them a little higher allowed the fabric of the legs to take the friction instead of my inner thighs. This may be too much information, but I wore them without under as they have a liner. Worked well.We sat and talked with The Don and 13-Sunrays before heading down into the shelter. Even after talking for a while, we were still here by 6pm. This is really great for us. I¢m proud. Water was nowhere near the .5 that AWOL says and the shelters ¢ there are two each sleeping four ¢ are flawless. The site isn¢t used much. The logbook dates back to November 2014. We were the only ones here until dark when another couple rolled in.
Date: 2016-07-11
From: Rocky Mountain Shelters

To: Caledonia State Park
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

7-11-2016 Day #125Rocky Mountain Shelters (1078.8)Caledonia SP (1082.3)3.5 Miles ¢-> Total AT Miles: 907.3Well, I¢m all tucked into my tent for the night under some hemlocks in Pennsylvania, my home state. It feels good to be here, familiar in some weird way. The rest of the trail has this same sentiment. I rode a bicycle to Maine in 2012 passing through nearly all of the states I¢m now about to walk through. It will be nice. On the bike, I saw the coastline. Walking, I¢ll see the interior of these states.We did not go far today. We posted up at the shelter before rt. 30 last night then hitched into Chambersburg this morning. The screen protector on Firecrackers phone cracked so she needed to have it replaced. We intended to go into town early, but we got stuck in the shelter this morning. Me, writing and importing photos; Firecracker, sleeping in for a change. An older woman picked us up moments after sticking out our thumbs. She¢s a hiker herself and knows these woods well. In November, her and her husband hiked rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon and used a loop off the AT to train. She worked hard reducing the loop time from four hours to three. Nice work! She lives only a few minutes from the trail but was kind enough to drive out of her way to take us into Chambersburg. The Verizon store warrantied her screen protector. We bought hummus and pita chips for lunch at the Giant next door. Then, we plugged in our electronics at the coffee shop and I stepped into my mobile office.Hours past before we left the coffee shop. We had a 1.2 mile walk back to rt. 30 in under the scorching sun. Those shopping centers are deserts. This is really emphasized when the last four months of your life have been lived in the woods. My goodness are those treeless stretches of pavement hot. A Mcdonalds dollar cheeseburger called my name when we arrived at rt. 30. The golden arch did its job pulling me in. Normally, I avoid fast food. It doesn¢t make me feel so good. But, when you¢ve walked as far as we have, I think I¢m entitled to a cheap burger form time to time. Get that fire hot enough and it¢ll burn anything you put in there. Then again, on a bike tour I ate a footlong hotdog as thick as my wrist. I was sick to my stomach for the rest of the night.By the time we tried hitching out of town it was after 7pm. Cars kept wizzing past and Firecracker gave up hope. She called the hostel in Fayetteville to see if they would shuttle us to the trail. ¢Only if you spend the night at the hostel,¢ they said. But, it didn¢t matter. Before anything was settled, a man stopping for full offered us a ride. ¢I¢m not going that far but let me ask my brother.¢ They came out and their SUV whisked us away to the trail.I don¢t know what or why, but I was super happy for the rest of the night. I had that bubbly, infectious happiness that can only be expressed in excited shouts. I¢ll take it wherever it came from. It¢s time for bed now. We have to be up at 6am if we intend to make it to the half gallon challenge before the store closes at 7pm.
Date: 2016-07-13
From: Pine Grove State Park

To: Pine Grove Furnace SP
Miles today: 0.0

Wednesday July 13th, 2016Pine Grove Furnace SP (1101.7)Pine Grove Furnace SP (1101.7)0 Miles ¢->Total AT Miles: 926.7I¢m sitting at the Pine Grove Furnace SP General Store suppress the urge to eat another half gallon of ice-cream. I did eat a small amount of ice-cream after a burger and a bunch of french fries. I immediately regretted the decision. I should have just bought the 1.5 quart tub! I do love my ice-cream.Our day turned into a lazy one. We woke at 9am rewarding ourselves for our efforts yesterday by sleeping in. We walked to the lake where we ate breakfast and drank coffee. We swam some laps in the refreshingly cool lake tiring our limbs just as the rain began. We hid under the canopy of trees until the downpour passed then walked to the shower. After washing free the sand and sediment from the lake, we walked to the general store where we¢ve been ever since. It was fun watching hikers come through and force down their halfway reward. There are so many fewer hikers now. The end of the bubble is near. Some young section hikers attempted the challenge as well. Some fared better than others with most stopping short in the first 1.5quart tub. A kid on a day trip with his family crushed the challenge and with an interesting technique: he squeezed the ice-cream from the tub chowing down without a spoon. It is after 7pm now. The general store is closed. Still, a few hikers remain. Two girls, section hiking on break from college, are walking on to complete a marathon hike (26 miles). Another hiker sits cooking mac n¢ cheese with tuna for dinner. We will sit a while longer then walk to the campground to shower and sleep. Tomorrow, we plan to hike to Boiling Springs where we¢ll camp just before town. I am waiting on a package from my mother. Happy Trails everybody!!! Kodak signing off.
Date: 2016-02-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I'm back or will be in a few weeks. Had to get off the trail last year close to Franklin, NC because of an ankle injury which I later found out was a sprain. Took 3 months to recover from that injury and in the meantime there was a death in the family and I spent the rest of the summer helping get legal stuff sorted out. I'm starting around Harper's Ferry this year and hiking north. Hope to flip flop and complete the rest of the trail this year. I'm busy dehydrating a little and organizing. It's really nice to have all the equipment already, just a few things to buy.Getting excited and ready to go!!!!
Date: 2016-03-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Looking forward to getting started on the trail. Unfortunately, it's turned cold and icy again so not doing any training today. Spent the day trying to get finances arranged so bills will be paid while I'm hiking. I remember the stress of making all those equipment decisions last year. This year just have to get food ready for several dropboxes. Basically just entering a short paragraph so I can see if my journal will appear after the next entry.
Date: 2016-03-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Did a couple practice hikes with Pam, my hiking buddy and good friend. We hiked at Morgan Monroe SF on Wednesday for 6 miles. It was a gorgeous sunny day. I carried 18 lbs and was only a little tired at the end. Then we hiked at Ft Harrison SP for almost 4 miles a week later and had 25 lbs in my pack that day. That was a good hike also. Time is passing so quickly and I still don"t have all the drop boxes done. Better get to it...
Date: 2016-04-01
From: Harper's Ferry

To: View Entry
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: light rain

Mile Marker 1023.4 to 1026.3      Visited the Appalachian Trail Council office. They are a great resource and very excited when a thru hiker stops in. They keep a picture log of each thru hiker going back to 2000. That's a whole lot of pics. Judo, thanks for all the great tps and logistical help.Then Mom, Brenda and I hit the trail for a short day hike. We did the towpath between Harper's Ferry and Weaverton Rd. It was hot...got up to 76. So I have the first 2.9 mi done. (of course it was actually 5.8 mi because we had to go out and back). Treated ourselves to ice cream afterward. It was a good day! Tomottow we play tourist in the area.
Date: 2016-04-03
From: Weaverton Rd

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: broken clouds

Mile Marker 1026.3 to 1033.8   Wow did we have a wind storm last nite...Lots of people lost power. Glad we were in a hotel. Made a stop at Walmart for some stomach medicine then to the drop off point at Weaverton Rd. Said my goodbyes to Mom and Brenda. There"s no way u can do this hike or even prepare for it without lots of support from family and friends.   Thanks so much to each of you!!I started hiking at 9:30--it was still very windy and cold. The first stop was Weaverton Cliffs. A little bit of a climb to get there but worth it. Met lots of. day hikers and section hikers headng south to Harper's Ferry. They said they"d had a rough nite with the wind storm. The Garvey Shelter was packed and lots of people in tents. There was a group of Boy Scouts heading home and a father-daughter duo practicing for her thru hike. She"s starting in GA in a couple of wks.Had lunch at Ed Garvey shelter...nice shelter w/ a loft. Hiked on to Crampton's Gap Shelter for the nite. I was the only one in the. shelter but 3 hikers were camped nearby. I got cold because of the wind but the temp only got into the 40s.
Date: 2016-04-04
To: Dahlgren Backpacker's Campground
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: broken clouds

Mile Marker1033.8 to 1040.6   Well for those of u who thought I was crazy for attempting this hike ...after reading this entry you will know u were right. What a day...Hiked out of the shelter around 9:30 and it was already in the upper 50s so got rid of the jacket I wore all day yesterday. Didn't see a hiker until after lunch. A couple of people out for a hike with their dogs. Everyone has gone back to work and school after spring break.Started raining around 1:00 so I hiked for 30 mins to Rocky Run shelter. A father and 2 boys were there eating. They were out for a few days snd staying at a cabin tonite on their way to Harper's Ferry. Also met Jaywalker who started in January in GA and plans to summit in ME in early June. It stopped raining so I started hiking again. Only made it 5 mins and it started raining again. It stopped around 4:30 and I hiked on to Dahlgren Backpacker's Campground. The sun came out but I was still concerned about tenting it because they were predicting lows in the 20s and windy. I called the motel up the road and they"re closed on Mon. So I pitched my tent and pulled everything out for dinner. Just as I did that the dark clouds rolled in so I moved everything to my tent vestibule, lit my stove and boiled some water. When I poured it in the freezer bag it started leaking so I moved it out of the tent and started some more water. Reached around to the end of the tent to get a baggie to put the leaking one in and turned back around to discover the wind had blown the tent flap and.the stove had burnt a hole in it. What a nite!So now I sit in the campground bathroom typing this entry. I've been here since 3:30am and it's now 6:05am. No, the tent hole didn't send me here, the cold and wind and snow flurries did. I patched the tent hole. It was on the fly so no biggie. I couldn't get watm and the wind was howling so I decided to come to the bathroom. When I opened the tent flap it was flurrying. This place isn't heated but at least it's out of the wind. Waiting for a new day to start.Thanks Kevin for helping me on the internet and thanks Yvonne for the baklava(?) neck gaitor.
Date: 2016-04-05
From: Dahlgren Backpacker's Campground

To: Knight's Inn
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Mile Marker 1040.6 - 1045.6   Slept about an hour since I didn't sleep in the bathroom the nite before. Got on the trail around 11:30. Walked thru Washington Monument State Park where the first "Washington Monument " is located. The monument itself was closed due to a lightning strike.It was a hard day until about 4:30. I had just walked across the I-70 footbridge where the truckers honk their horns to say hi.   Beside me appeared a woman (Sandy who had brought her husband Doug to start his thru hike) and a beautiful collie. We had met on Sunday and we talked and hiked. We started up a big hill and I complained "Where is that shelter?"   Sandy said it's back there a ways. I had missed it. I just stopped . I was so tired.   Sandy said they were staying at a clean inexpensive motel and she would give me a ride. I didn't hesitate, so we waited for Sticks( Doug) and went 12 miles to the Knight's Inn close to Harper's Ferry. Sandy is a Trail Angel for sure. Had a hamburger and fries for dinner...yum!That nite had trouble with the heater and it was throwing out cool air 1/2 the time. So had another less than warm nite but nice to be in a bed.
Date: 2016-04-06
From: Foxville Road

To: Parking Lot by I-70
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: clear sky

Mile Marker 1055.8 to 1045.6      Started out easy then started climbing and lots of rocks. Met Mosey who started in GA on Jan 18 and plans to finish first part of June. Interesting, laidback guy with abundant knowledge of edible plants. Showed me wild mustard greens. Also connected him with Sandy so he could get a ride to resupply. Passed lots of people out for the day and a Boy Scout Troop. Passed by Annapolis Rocks with beautiful views. Sandy and Doug picked me up and we went back to the motel. Still getting very cold at nite. I switched rooms and was toasty warm.   Amazing how we take heat for granted. I now have a trail name -- 3 Sox -- because I wear 2 socks on one foot and one on the other.
Date: 2016-04-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Raining, very cold and windy most of the day. So I moved from the Knight's Inn to the Day's Inn in Waynesboro. Both managers in these motels are very hiker friendly and accommodating. Went to the post office to pick up my drop box. Used this day to visit Gettysburg with Sandy and Sticks. I was very impressed with the museum there. We spent over 2 hrs. going thru it. Had an early dinner at the Farnsworth House Inn. Fun day!
Date: 2016-04-08
From: Foxville Rd

To: Waynesboro,PA
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: few clouds

Mile Marker 1055.8 to 1065.4   Checked out of the motel and started back at Foxville Rd. with a very full pack since I'd just gotten my supplies. Walked across Little Antietam Creek with my pack on but when I went back to get water and while trying to avoid newspapers and trash in the water my foot slipped off a rock and one whole side of my boot was wet. My sock didn't get too wet so I just kept on hiking. I don't know why people think it's no big deal to leave trash in the woods.Got to the next shelter around 1:00 where I'd planned to stay the nite and it was cold and windy and way too early to stop hiking. The next shelter was too far for me to get to and it was supposed to snow so I keep on hiking while trying to figure out what to do.Leapfrogged with Jot and Huck most of the afternoon. We all crossed the Mason Dixon line just past Pen Mar park and we were done with Maryland and into PA (one state down and GA last year so 12 more to go). Kept hiking and finally got off the trail and started walking on a deserted road. A nice man, Larry, offered me a ride and I hopped in his pickup. This was a big step for me because it's been years since I've hitched a ride and never by myself.   Larry is a true Trail Angel. He brought me all the way back to the motel in Waynesboro. He also offered to take me back up the mountain in the morning to where I got off the trail. Thanks Larry!! nother nite in a motel. Staying warm and dry but it's stressing my trail budget.
Date: 2016-04-09
From: Waynesboro,PA

To: Waynesboro, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Didn't think I'd be holed up again. It's supposed to be 21 degrees tonight. Raining tonite here early morning with a little snow up on the mountain so I'm staying put at the Days Inn.For those of you who aren't familiar with the AT, here are a few details:It runs from GA to ME and is 2,189.2 miles long which varies each year due to rerouting for improvements, etc. Thru hikers complete the entire trail in 12 months or less. Usually takes 4-7 months and you walk approximately 5 million steps. Approximately 1/4 of the hikers are female. Those hiking from GA to ME are called NOBOs and from ME to GA are SOBO and those starting in the middle are call FlipFloppers.
Date: 2016-04-10
From: Days Inn Waynesboro

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Mile Marker 1065.4 to 1072.6No, I wasn't gambling. I must have dropped it in the motel parking lot while waiting for the shuttle. Went back to look before we left but couldn't find it. Started on the trail at 11:00 because I was the last drop off. Trail was busy -- mostly dayhikers. Talked with a couple from the Cincy area who were out with their 3 kids. The parents had done the AT in '94 and were passing on their love for hiking to their children.Ate lunch at Deer Lick Shelter where I met "Just a Few More" from Detroit, MI. He had planned to stop there but decided to hike on to Tumbling Run with me. As he passed me I though he smelled really good for someone who'd been hiking for a few days and then he was far ahead of me. I still smelled that nice odor but couldn't figure out where it was coming from because none of the flowers or trees were blooming. Further up the trail I touched the side of my shorts and there were wet but I figured I'd gotten snow on my pack and it rubbed off on my shorts when I put it on. Kept hiking but again touched my shorts -- they were soaked. Finally figured out what had happened -- my hand sanitizer on my pack belt had lost its cap and all the liquid poured out onto my shorts...what's what I'd smelled. Thank goodness that stuff evaporates quickly and doesn't stain.Stayed at Tumbling Run Shelter with New Hampshire and Just a few More. Nice evening and nice company. The privy here is like the Taj Mahal of privies. It even had a door bell (which didn't work). Slept cold again except for my feet which Rambunny told me to put in plastic store sacks. Thanks Rambunny!
Date: 2016-04-11
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Rocky Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: light rain

Mile Marker 1072.6 to 1079.2Started off at 9:30 up a 1,000 ft. climb. It was a killer. Only saw one other hiker today and I thought he was coming to Rocky Mountain Shelter where I am but I guess he changed his mind. I don't blame him. The shelter is .3 mile off the trail and water is another .2 mile further -- all downhill which means uphill in the morning. I didn't have much choice because the next shelter is too far for me, so I stayed.Couple of lite showers today but it's only supposed to get to 46 tonite. Good day but I'm beat!
Date: 2016-04-12
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Mile Marker 1079.2 to 1084.8Met some of the yourh group from Outward Bound that were camping down the hill from the shelter last nite. They are 7th and 8th grade boys from Baltimore, out for 5 days of camping, hiking and rock climbing.Left the shelter around 10 and hiked until lunch in Caledonia SP. Ate by the river and sat in the porch swing right on the bank of the river. Very nice park, but there was a huge uphill hike out -- which the sign said "most difficult" for the local hikers. Hiked until 3pm and stopped at Quarry Gap Shelter. It's very nice...the "innkeeper" has planted daffocils and potted pansies. It's like walking into a backyard. I'm the only one here agin. It's supposed to get down to 31, so I'm trying different things to stay warm. Hope I'm successful! Met one other hiker today named Mousachi(sp?). He's headed for the hostel tonight.Had a hiker come in the shelter at 9:30 last nite. That's very late for hikers. I could tell it was a man because of the long stride and heavy boots. I couldn't see him because he stayed in the other shelter but he made a lot of noise coming in. I had been really asleep and warm but when he woke me up I started getting cold and didn't get warm the rest of the nite. In the morning I was very quiet because I didn't want to wake him but when I didn't hear any noise from his shelter I peeked in and there was no one there. Don't know when he left or even what he looked like. He may have been the one to leave a Bible and devotional book at the shelter.
Date: 2016-04-13
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Ironmaster Hostel
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: clear sky

Had a good hike today. Met Old Tools and Cigar Girl before lunch. They were out for a day hike. They lead hikes for the Road Scholar program so are very familiar with the hiking in that area and in MD. I stopped for lunch at Birch Run Shelter and they were on their way back to their car. They offered me a ride to the hostel which I quickly accepted. So we walked the last 1.5 miles to their car and drove to the hostel. While we were walking I saw the biggest wild turkey I've ever seen but it was too fast for me to get a picture. Thanks Old Tools and Cigar Girl for the ride!! It was about 2pm and the hostel doesn't open for check-in until 5pm, so I just visited the sites at Pine Grove Furnace SP. They used to make iron ore there and have remnants of the furnace. The General Store isn't opening until 4/16 (this is where they have the 1/2 gallon ice cream challenge. If you eat a whole 1/2 gallon of ice cream you get a special spoon. It's a big deal on the AT.) The AT museum was also closed until the weekend.The hostel is very nice. There is a men's and a women's dorm room with bunk beds. Nice to be out of the cold. It is an old house built in 1829 and very pretty inside, they even have a baby grand piano. Did laundry and took a hot shower. I was fortunate to have changed my plans and stay on 4/13 as they were going to be closed to hikers for the next 3 days since they were booked with a Boy Scout group. Cell service was spotty and we had to stand on a stump in the backyard in order to make calls. I needed a ride back to Shippensburg Rd. where I stopped hiking. Made several calls and got prices of $20-35 which I felt was a little steep. A new woman had checked in and when I realized she had a vehicle I asked if she would be able to help me. She (aka Beagle) said of course and problem was solved. Trail Magic again!!