morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Bears Den hostel

To: Camping on Loudoun Heights
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

I decided to go almost to Harpers Ferry today, camp outside it, & do a few things there in the morning without staying all day.First I re-packed my mail drops. I decided to send some food to the first town in PA, so that I wouldn't have to carry so much before that. I ended up spending a lot on postage, but it feels like a way to gain control of the situation & therefore of my pack weight. I also mailed the camp stove I thought I'd lost, but later found in my pack. It took a while to get out of the hostel -- certainly a pleasant place -- & when I got to the first road crossing (0.6 mile) there was trail magic. This was done by Sox, wife of Dreamer, whom I've met at several points along the Trail. He has a video camera & does a lot of interviews of people he meets. His wife started out with him, developed knee problems, has recovered from surgery, & is now ready to start hiking with him again. Just over a mile into the morning, I heard a lot of commotion among the group of hikers ahead of me. It was the 1000-mile marker!One of the hikers at the hostel said that rain was coming around 3:00. Instead, it started about 10:30 & continued all day. Had poncho on & off several times. Unlike the gravel-based trail in the Shenandoahs, this trail turned to mud, at least where it's not rocks. It's not as bad as Vermont, but I was concerned about either slipping in the mud or having mud on my shoes cause slipping on the rocks. I stopped at David Lesser Shelter for supper, spending the time with a couple of very ill-prepared section hikers who were planning to move on South once they got their clothes dried out (or at least smoked!) over a fire. I had easy trail for a while after that, so I was able to pick up my pace & reach the campsite just at dark. There was a SOBO section-hiker already camped there. After I got set up, it started to rain, & then a NOBO thru-hiker arrived & set up his tent. There was some wind with the rain, so I got some mud splatter in my tent.
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Alec Kennedy shelter

To: Darlington shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

After a few miles getting down the Mtn, it was flat land into town, thru corn & wheat fields. Beyond Boiling Springs, the Trail is also flat for the next 12-13 miles. Should be easy on the knees. My legs can just stretch out & go, without worrying about rocks. Not crazy about the sun tho. On with the sunscreen, even tho someone just told me it's going to rain soon. Can't tell yet!This flat area is the Cumberland Valley, near Carlisle, PA, which the Trail has to cross to get from South Mtn, which we've been following, over to second & Third Mts, to get around Harrisburg, after which it follows Blue Mtn thru the rest of PA. In this area of agriculture & rapid development, the ATC has managed to piece together a trail corridor, thru hedge rows, wood lots, & other odd pieces of woodland, that is at least 70% under some tree cover. Yes, there is some walking over fields & pastures, but it isn't the big expanse of open space I was expecting. It was hazy most of the day, which helped some, & we didn't get any rain all day, even tho a thunderstorm seemed to be chasing me up the Mtn at the end of the day (it must have been going somewhere else). I felt I was going quite quickly under the circumstances, but everyone still passed me. In the morning, I made it down into town first & had a nice breakfast at the Cafe. I was soon joined at the restaurant by Twigs, Garden Girl, Star Fail, Shady, & Guru, who had all been at the shelter. I find myself beginning to wonder about my medications. Do I really need statins when hiking always has brought my cholesterol level way down? I am looking forward to a zero day in Duncannon. On the way across the valley, I saw Button, Gump, Animal, Mogley, & Flavor-SaverBackground noises can be interesting while hiking: today a lot of train whistles in the morning; in the afternoon it was road noise, as I crossed two major highways. Once I was off the flat land, it was only a couple of miles to Darlington shelter. There was only one other hiker there ¢ the others had apparently tried to get closer to Duncannon.
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Darlington shelter

To: Duncannon, PA -- Doyle Hotel
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

I'm staying in Duncannon, at the historic (mostly that means "old") Doyle Hotel. Only walked 11+ miles today -- relaxing this afternoon, going to church in the morning, then another 11-mile day to Peters Mtn. Presumably to Rausch Gap next day.Since it was Saturday, I had called ahead to the post office & had them deliver my mail drops to hotel, so I could get them when I arrived & not have to wait till Monday. That worked out just right. I had lunch & supper at the Doyle. The food was really excellent, especially compared to the decrepit conditions upstairs (peeling paint, spider webs, creepy hallways). One thing you can hope for, in a place like this, is that the spiders will eat the other insects! I got a corner room, which at least had some cross-ventilation, once I could get the windows open. Also, the proprietor told me I was right next to a rest room [nice for an older guy!] ¢ trouble was, that one didn't work, so I had to go down the hall anyway. There were several groups of young people staying there, making a lot of noise, but I only saw a few hikers. . . in the dining room. The bar/dining room gave opportunity to use a computer for a while. Only one working outlet in the room, but I was able to get some charging done. Worst thing today was I broke my hiking stick! It got tangled in my pack when it fell off a rock. It's good & tough for vertical forces, but not for sideways. I'm trying to figure out a way to fix it. In the afternoon, I walked around the town a bit & found a poster that said there was free ice cream, pop, & cookies at the Duncannon Area Park. Of course, there were no directions to the park! After covering most of the town, I found a sign pointing to athletic fields, & from there I found the park. There was a gospel music group, & churches & other groups had booths where they were selling crafts & baked goods. Most of them were closing up because it was 7:00, but I managed to get a couple of cookies & buy some ice cream.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Duncannon, PA -- Doyle Hotel

To: Peters Mtn shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I had met Bearfoot in the hostel in Troutdale, Va., but not seen him again till last night in the hotel restaurant. For breakfast, he recommended a little place across the street, so I ended up having a good breakfast with him & Simple ¢ an opportunity to hear all about the ALDHA [American long Distance Hikers Ass'n]. Next I checked out of the hotel & headed for church. Yesterday, I had located 5 or 6 churches, all along the same street or 2, & discovered that they all had services at about the same time. Christ Lutheran would have been my first choice anyway [unless I could have gotten a much earlier start at another one], & I was there in time for Bible class, which included some of the same people I'd seem running the both at the park last night.When I came in, I was welcomed by a 12-13-year old girl who took it upon herself to show me around. I even had time to clean up a little beforehand. This was one of the best services I've attended on my hike, led by a young pastor who was still in her first year in the ministry. I got to talk with her some afterwards & meet her husband, who is also in training for ministry. She asked for suggestions on what the churches might be doing to help hikers. I'm not full of ideas, having just spent one night in Duncannon, but I'll send her some eventually. Many people in the congregation wanted to learn about my hike, & one man even gave me $5.00 to toward my lunch. I wanted to stop for lunch on the way out of town, but there wasn't really any place open except a truck stop across the river. By then, it was getting very hot, & I didn't want to go .3 mile [or whatever is was] out of my way. So I proceeded on across both long bridges [Juniata River & Susquehanna River] in a mad rush to get to the shade on the next Mtn. By then, I was hungry & thirsty & wished I had stopped. Too late!4-5 hikers passed me on the way up the hill, & we all stopped for a break at Clarks Ferry shelter. Some of us went on 6.7 miles to Peters Mtn. shelter, not difficult hiking, but it started raining, & I was getting tired & got there just before dark. It's a big, relatively new shelter, tho the cooking area was awfully congested when everything was wet. Last time I came thru here, the old shelter was still here too; but no longer. The previous "Peters Mtn." was North of Pearisburg, Va. I think there's another one near Greenwood Lake in NY. Almost as common a name as "Bear Mtn."
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Peters Mtn shelter

To: Second Mountain
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light rain

In the huge shelter were Garden Girl, Star-Fail, Twigs, Shady, a section hiker, & an older woman [only a few years younger than I] named Turtle. I started just before 7:00 on a very misty morning. I thought maybe I could go more than 20 miles & get in good position to get to Port Clinton before the PO closes Wednesday (Thursday being a holiday). I was able to sleep thru the night in just my silk liner. Not as hot as yesterday ¢ really pretty nice for hiking. I walked with Turtle off & on; she's slower on the rocks, but faster than I otherwise. When I stopped to clear up a blow-down, a hiker from the other direction, who introduced himself as a Veteran, helped with the tree. It was too big for my saw to cut, but old & rotten, so with two of us, we could move it out of the way.Rausch Gap shelter was full, tho they made room for Turtle -- I went on for another hour, during which it rained again, & then camped. Tenting up on Second Mtn, I was listening to various kinds of small-arms fire from Camp Indianhead Gap, an Army installation between here & Harrisburg. I hadn't thought there would be so much activity on a weekday.
Date: 2013-07-02
From: Second Mountain

To: 501 shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: light rain

I started out in a very dark morning. I wanted to make good time & maybe do 20 miles again -- instead I took 2 detours near Swatara Gap because of poor trail marking:First, there was a blaze on a gate leaving a parking lot. It seemed to indicate that the Trail followed the old road straight ahead, but there were no further blazes to substantiate that. I followed the road thru overgrown farmland on the edge of the woods for at least a quarter-mile, seeing nothing to reassure me that I was on the AT. So I turned around & went back to the gate, looking for a possible turn-off. Seeing none, I approached the gate again to see if there were any clues I¢d missed. None.Feeling a little silly, I went down the old road again & found a blaze on a post at about .3 miles & another one a little beyond that. Then the Trail entered the woods with blazes galore. I think that after every ambiguous situation [like that gate], there should be a blaze in the first 20-30 feet, to reassure the hiker. They could take that second blazed post & move it back near the gate where it might do some good.Second, soon after crossing the old steel bridge, the Trail seemed to follow a road to get under I-81. After the previous experience, I figured I¢d better stay on the road till I saw a blaze. And there WAS a tree with blazes ¢ on both sides, yet ¢ a hundred yards after the overpass: So I continued on, past an intersection where I would have expected a sign or a blaze, probably 34 mile altogether. Even tho it appeared that they had given me the kind of sign I was asking for on the previous section, my faith eventually began to waver, & I returned to the overpass.There I found one, up pretty high on a bridge pier to the left & covered with graffiti, at a point where a person¢s gaze is naturally attracted to the right, to the elegant balancing of 2 lanes of traffic on a single series of columns. I know the trail club can¢t be responsible for all the effects of graffiti, but even without it, this blaze was pretty far up out of the normal line of sight. They did have a reassurance blaze up the Trail a bit after the turn. It would just be nice to have something BEFORE the turn to warn that it is coming.The sounds of the day: I-81, which we crossed & paralleled much of the morning, plus the sound of artillery from Fort [it's been promoted!] Indiantown Gap. At least 2 dozen hikers passed me in the course of the day. A couple of them were hitch-hiking at a road crossing, to go into town for breakfast. By noon, they were back out of the Trail & had already passed me! Sometimes, I really feel slow. Some of those I saw today: Goldilocks, Lone Wolf, Jabberwocky, Button, most of whom I hadn't seen since Southern Virginia.A large group of hikers ended up at 501 shelter, where they could order pizza delivered. It's an enclosed building with a domed skylight & outdoor shower, right near someone's house [Trail Angel, I assume]. A bit crowded, but it worked.
Date: 2013-07-04
From: PA Rt 183

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Although a few people may have got up & left earlier, I was up by 6:00. Mtn Squid was offering to take us up to a restaurant a half mile North that advertises "best breakfast on the AT". Only trouble is, they aren't open on 4th of July. We ended up going to Cracker Barrel, back in the big shopping-center area. There were at least 6 of us who went, including a mother-daughter hiking pair. Pretty good meal for the price.Next I needed to get back out to Rt 183, where I'd left off yesterday. Mtn Squid kindly gave me a ride, so I could get started by midmorning. It wasn't raining most of the day, but this section of the Trail was very wet. By that I mean FLOODED. For several miles, I spent most of my effort trying to find dryer ways to get around the wet sections. Sometimes others had led the way on that, but not always successfully. Often there was not much alternative but to wade. Tedious.When I finally got to a dry area of trail, I ran into another problem. When I hike, I often find myself humming, whistling, or singing various songs. This afternoon, what was running thru my mind was an old Johnny Cash song about "a burning ring of fire." I suddenly felt a fire burning in my ear. I was being stung by wasps! Then they were all over me, & I was busy swatting them, retreating, & trying to get out of my pack. When I got far enough away, I could see that they had a nest in a hollow tree sloping away from the Trail. I couldn't see very clearly, tho, because in the process I had knocked my glasses off into the woods. So first I had to dig out my spare glasses. Then I worked my way back up the Trail to see if I could spot them. The wasps were still buzzing around the Trail, even tho their nest was 6-8 feet off to the side. About that time, a day-hiker came from the other direction. Not having been stung, he was less concerned about walking thru where the wasps were. He found my glasses for me, & then I went thru the woods to stay away from the wasps. Thank God, I'm not allergic to stings! On my way down to Port Clinton, I found some blueberries ¢ that was nice! I was passed by a couple of thru-hikers from the Czech Republic (& their dog). We ended up together with a lot of others in the pavilion in town.
Date: 2003-06-13
From: Hot Springs, North Carolina, Elmer's Sunnybank Inn

To: Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, Hot Springs - Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Waking up in a comfortable bed here in the Inn was a very peaceful experience. I was awake well before dawn as usual, but just lay there quietly in my bed. Soon the early morning sound of birds beginning to stir drifted through the windows. There was no traffic in the street, no sound of human habitation at all. Then an occasional car or pickup truck would go past on the street, and fade into silence. I heard the distant sound of a train whistle, reminding me of my hometown. Eventually a few voices could be heard out on the street as workers met, parked their cars and arranged rides to work sites, I guess. As the morning progressed, the employees began to show up at some of the businesses in this area, and many visited the diner for coffee, then chatted quietly on the sidewalk or in parking lots as the day began. Somewhere along this time, I became aware of muffled voices within the Inn, supposing that breakfast was in the making downstairs. It had been many years since I had listened to a small town waking up. Today began with a slightly later time to get out of bed, a shower, then breakfast downstairs with Elmer, Casey, Paul, another Dave, and a young couple hiking together. We had waffles, melon, granola, apple juice, coffee, various teas, and quiet conversation. After that I had my quiet time with the Lord, followed by some reading and then a general preparation for leaving. I went to Bluff Mountain Outfitters for supplies ¢ alcohol for fuel, band aids, a bottle of Gatorade (so I could use the bottle for a canteen), 2 postcards (office and Marlene), and to the Post Office to mail home some stuff and the post cards. I read and rested in my room and outside on the large second story porch, then ate at the Smokey Mountain Diner and went to the library to send email to Marlene and to Charlotte for the gang at the office. I finished ¢As Far As The Eye Can See¢, and went to a small church-affiliated Thrift Shop to buy another paperback for 46 cents ¢ ¢A River Runs Through It¢ ¢ which will be my pastime the next six days on the trail. I ate supper at the same restaurant as last night and am back in my room. I am completely packed for a quick getaway at sunrise. I hope I sleep well tonight. My pack is heavy with six days food, full fuel bottle, etc. I hope the rest has been good for me ¢ only getting on the trail will tell. As always, the town and river are between two mountains and a long climb awaits me. We shall see. I have tentatively planned the next six days so that the last day (Thursday) is not very many miles ¢ maybe 7 ¢ so I can get into Erwin around noon. I will see how it works out. Not sure if I will have company but it seems like I will be alone to start. That¢s ok since I enjoy those times alone. Need to get to bed. Goodnight Sweetheart. dp
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Eckville shelter

To: Outerbridge shelter
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: light rain

24.2 miles! My longest day in quite a while -- 15 hours from start to finish (with several breaks, of course). And I felt good. I must finally be getting over the various things that have slowed me down for the past month or so. Praise The Lord!I set my alarm for 4:50 to get going early, but I'm so slow getting going that Turtle got out ahead of me & the Czech couple were also ready to go. It didn't take me long to pass Turtle & be passed by the others. Some SOBO section hikers at the shelter had reminded us that part of the rocky Trail ahead of us included something called the "Knife Edge." Sure enough, after walking on rocks all day, we came to a series of slanted rocks we had to walk along the top edge of. Some places, it was a little hard to find the Trail. But overall, it wasn't too bad. I was able to stay ahead of some of the younger hikers too. Actually, I do better on the difficult rocks than I do on the easier ones.I stopped at Bake Oven Knob shelter for supper and to get some water [another hot day]. Turtle & several others decided to stay there for the night, but I wanted to get at least as far as Outerbridge shelter, so I could get into Palmerton for church in the morning.The last Mtn. was pretty slow for me. I could see the Lehigh valley down below, but the ridge just kept going on & on. Going over the edge to the East, where the shelter is, meant it got dark rather fast. I got to the shelter just at dusk ¢ it was full!. The tenting areas down the hill didn't look very good, so I decided to "cowboy camp" on the grassy area next to the shelter. It had a weird slope, & the grass harbored mosquitos; but I needed to stop, so that was the place.
Date: 2013-07-07
From: Outerbridge shelter

To: Palmerton -- Zero day in hostel
Miles today: 0.5
Weather: moderate rain

I didn't sleep well. There were probably more bugs around me in the grass than there would have been in the shelter. It was too hot to cover up enough to escape them completely. At least there was no rain & not a heavy dew either. I got going fairly early & down the rocky trail to the highway. I was able to hitch a ride into town quickly & was soon at the hostel, referred to by hikers as the "old jail" but really just the basement of a municipal building. I got to take a shower & get breakfast in time to be ready for church at 10:00. I had been to Holy Trinity Lutheran 13 years ago when I hiked thru here, & the pastor claimed to remember me. He offered to get me to the trailhead in the morning (later found out that meant getting someone else to do it). Someone after the service suggested the municipal pool, but it sounded too far away in the heat. We had a nice fan in the basement, which seemed like the coolest place around. I did go across the street to the laundromat & down to the Chinese restaurant -- no buffet, tho the food was good ¢ but it was too warm inside.After a leisurely afternoon of rest & pack organizing, I went up the street to the pizza place to have salad. The clock at the bank said 96 degrees. When I came back an hour later, it said 71! There'd been a brief thunderstorm in between. It didn't rain out the band concert in the park, which was followed by fireworks. That made it too noisy to sleep, so I went out to watch them for a while. I arranged for the Reinhards from the church to pick me up at 6:30 -- I probably should have asked for an earlier time. I thought maybe Turtle would want a ride then too, but she was asleep already.