morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2020-03-21
From: Rock Gap

To: Aquone Cabins Hostel
Miles today: 6.0

The morning started out dry and I was ready to head out. Got a good start and about 11 am the rain started and by noon I was wet, cold and exhausted. These mountains are tough. I decided to get into the next shelter (Siler) and get dried out. I hung my stuff to dry and had 3 others join me in the afternoon, "Tree" is hiking with her dentist, Bruce aling with Holly from Maine. Small talk, dry shelter and a good night sleep was in order for all of us.The next morning it quit raining. I was heavy on my food supply and Holly had been eating cold meals for the past 2 weeks. I made a big batch of oatmeal with granola in it and shared it with the group. Bruce was having issues with his pole collapsing and I had some duct tape in my pack. I was able to fix his poles and we all got on our way.Some of the "kids" had to leave to go home with thr pandemic. "Can man" was from the Netherlands. He had a full can of fuel and offered it up to me before he departed. I've met some great people on the trail.  Living the dream.
Date: 2020-03-22
From: Aquone Cabins Hostel

To: Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.0

I started the day off well rested and ready to go. It was only because I had the best night rest, dry gear and clean laundry! I feel bad for the fellow hiker Ann (can't remember her trail name) who fell off the trail and sprained her ankle. The German lad helped her up and I had an ace wrap in my pack so we wrapped her up and helped her along the trail. We asked where she was heading and she told us of this hostel. When I got there I asked if they had an extra room and they did. Aquone Cabins is such a cozy and relaxing place. The people were great! All our gear was out on the porch and nothing was allowed inside with the worry of coronavirus. We also had to wipe and disinfect all of our electronics and they disposed if the garbage I had collected up! With pancakes topped with bananas and 5 cups of the best coffee I've had in days I hit the trail early.So facing your fears. Two things I am not fond of is heights and snakes and I encountered and tolerated both today. I climbed a firetower to the top with ease and not even a jitter. My wife asked how I got to the top of a firetower when I can't climb a ladder. I'm pretty sure it's these trails! At points today the trail was as wide as my shoulders with straight down both sides of me. Ine wrong move or slip and your gone! I couldn't turn around so no place to go but straight ahead. Then I found myself heading down the trail and it was so steep and rocky I had to slide down on my butt. (The Duluth trading pants I have are REALLY holding up to this trail, top notch). No man would build a trail this narrow, they have to be the original made by the Native American Indians. This trail is NOT for the faint at heart!Now...about that snake. I really didn't think I would see snakes this early. I guess that's what thinking did for me! He didn't look poisonous, you know like an alligator looking head on it ( my perspective) so I moved on, quickly! I will say I could feel the Tri-County guys lurking around a tree laughing at me with this snake. Matter of fact they probably paid someone to plave them all the way to Katahdin! By the way guys- these Trekking poles are awesome! Trekking on!
Date: 2020-03-24
From: Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Awoke this morning to the heavy down pour of rain and lightening. (The lightening seems a little closer way up here ?). I decided it would be a good zero day to hunker down and stay put. By mid morning the rain let up and subsided where my comrades and I decided to hike while the sky was dry. Soon we were at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser, NC. The center was closed as was most of the town. The outpost storewas open with limited supplies. They let us charge our phones and electronic devices. One of my fellow hikers had been fighting a leak in his tent. He had called the company to tell them and you will not believe it! The owner drove up here in his Mercedes Benz and replaced his tent! You know why? It was MADE IN AMERICA! Now THAT is customer service! The name of the company is "Lightheart" https://lightheartgear.com/ near Ashboro, NC and his wife hiked the AT a few years back and was carring a 4 1/2 lb tent and decided there needs to be a lighter tent. SHE understands the need for reliable equipment. I was so impressed!I had a place to weigh my pack and it was at 37#, ugh! I was able to lighten it to 32# by getting rid of things I don't use and my food is getting low which lightens the load and this is a good thing because the hill ahead is a monster. I'm heading to Sassafras Gap Shelter and it is now 3:30 pm as I start out. Most of these fellow hikers are marathon runners and skinny little, athletic people. "Hops" is one lad who geta his name from working at a brewery. They remond me, in stature, of Zeke and Jake Drake back home. I'm just a 56 year old short pile of frump trying to keep up. Well watch out kids, Old Chief is getting his trail legs under him and I feel a lot stronger! I hiked from 3:30-8:00 pm and arrived up at Sassafras Gap drenched in sweat at about 5000 feet. One thing I saw out here on the trail, at the top of this huge mountain is the plaque I attached in the picture. William Sutton died near here in a forest fire in 1968-69. It just hit me ALL the sacrifices people have made so I can enjoy this adventure of a life time. Another thing fellow hikers and I have noticed is your dreams are different out here. I can't explain it yet but your whole life is different.I am at 5000 feet and tomorrow's hike is UP the mountain so I better get to bed.Sweet dreams
Date: 2020-04-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Hey folks , I got home last night from Newport Tennessee by renting a U-Haul truck and driving 11 hours . I will update my journey from my last entry . I lost my new cell phone battery bank and could not update for a week . Yes it was awesome but the window of hiking closed until the virus is under control. Sorry for the delay. OldChief
Date: 2011-11-18
To: Home
Miles today: 687.8
Weather: clear sky

With 2012 seeming right around the corner, I have at least the dates and general plans scoped out for my 2012 AT hikes. I decided to start a new journal this year Vs carrying over my old one as the number of entries were getting too long and managing pictures was becoming problematic from my Droid phone.2012 in some respects represents a new phase in my AT hikes. Having done from Rangeley Maine all the way down to DWG on the PA side - my hikes are getting further and further away from home and every trip from here on out will be more challenging logistically given the distance just to get to the trail. I will also be hiking this year with a new friend, Greenie, who I ironically first met many years ago doing the Presidential range on a hut to hut hike with the scouts - and in some of the worst weather I have EVER hiked. I met Greenie again via the AMC on a day hike we did together and then two section hikes on the LT. Superman and Wingman may make part of my hikes this year - but that has not come together yet.As I close in on 2013, and my goal of completing half the trail by the end of that year I am also getting close to my target year, 2014, to try to finish the balance of the trail. It still remains to be seen if I will hit my goal, but I continue to work toward that reality and await to see how things play out.My plans for 2012 are to hike PA from DWG to at least Port Clinton. On the Maine side in September I will complete from Rangeley to Caratunk. Both sections will be difficult so I am still keeping my daily miles down based on what I will find on the ground...like rocks and difficult footing. If the trail turns out to be kinder, then I will do more miles - but I would rather be realistic and enjoy the ride Vs being a mileage hound and not enjoying my time of the trail.
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Greetings!Later this week Greenie and I will head down to PA to take on the dreaded rocks of Pennsylvania! We will be covering the section of trail between Port Clinton and DWG over several days - the first of which will be simple slack packs with my Sister and her boyfriend to get us into the rhythm of the trail.The days will break out in terms of miles as follows if everything flows as planned:6.4 miles9.8 miles17.4 miles12.8 miles10.8 miles13.8 miles - and -6.4 milesIf the week turns out anything like NJ did last year, I am sure we will make some modifications based on the weather and our pace. Last year, rain kept us moving in order to hit towns to get out of the crappy weather - and hopefully this year we will catch a break in terms of rain. I shouldn't say this as not to jinx our hike, since last year when I made the comment that the only place I did not want rain was Mahoosuc Notch - and that was what we got...pouring, soaking, cold and miserable rain... but the only place I hope the weather is cooperative is LeHigh Gap. Rock scrambles and extreme exposure in conjunction with bad weather (especially thunderstorms) is not a good combination and would cause us to modify our hike.Otherwise, I am really looking forward to this trip. I have been training as always including a recent short jaunt on the AT out in the October Mountain State Forest leading an AMC trip of folks new to backpacking (pictured above). I met a hiker at the Kay Wood shelter doing a flip-flop that started at Port Clinton a few months ago - he termed hiking that section heading north as more like "stepping" than hiking.At any rate, the trail is what the trail will be and I will make the most of what it tosses in my direction.
Date: 2012-05-26
From: Port Clinton, Pa

To: Windsor furnace
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: broken clouds

We got a late start today and did not hit the trail until 11:00 AM. After spotting a car near the side trail to Windsor Furnace, we drove down to port Clinton and began our walk for the day. It was about 87 degrees by the time we got started, so it was slow going in the initial 700 foot out of Port Clinton.   Shortly after reaching the ridge line, we stopped to eat lunch and hydrate The trail today was easy with few patches of rocks. Much of the day followed an old woods road and while the views were limited, the forest was beautiful.We stopped at Pocahontas Spring and watered up. The spring was flowing well and was clear and cool. Later we passed Minnehaha Spring which was not as nice. Before Windsor Furnace we crossed a nice stream flowing vigorously. A thru hiker by the name of Haystack was sitting by the stream fiddling with his cell phone. We stopped and talked for a minute and then walked on.We got back to the car just as a thunder storm was brewing up. We are staying at Pamelas bed and breakfast in Kempton tonight and will get an earlier start Sunday.
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Windsor furnace

To: Eckville shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Rained like crazy last night but we were comfortable in the carriage house at the B&B. We were up early and had breakfast at 7:30. After finishing breakfast the inn lost power, but since we had already eaten and had our coffee it was not an issue. We were on the trail shortly after 9:00 and made great time to pulpit rock where the views were slightly shrouded by wispy clouds. We walked over to the astronomical observatory where we saw a couple of large black snakes. The hike to the pinnacle was fairly easy with only occasional Section of famous Pennsylvania rocks. We stopped at the pinnacle for lunch and the continued on. The trail was an easy old woods road with mild rocks and stones. We met up with a group coming off of one of the side trails who turned out to be from the Delaware AMC chapter doing a training hike for a trip to the whites in July. After stopping to talk we continued on. We made it to the car by about 2:30. Greenie ran ahead to the shelter to get a spot for is (which he later moved to pitching his tent for some reason).We are at the shelter with Arizona, Hay Stack (who is from Quincy Mass), baked beans and one big surprise, Stumpknocker. Right now it is threatening to storm again. Greenie may regret moving to his tent and Stumpknocker had a large branch crash through his tent in the storm last night. Tomorrow, we are all moving North so the week should prove fun with a great crew of northbounders.
Date: 2012-05-28
From: Eckville shelter

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

To say today was tough would be an understatement. We were up and on the trail by 6:25 to beat the heat of the day. Arizona left at the same time as we did and the only one out before us was Stumpknocker. Arizona stayed with us for about the first half hour and then kicked it up a notch. We did not see him the balance of the day.We made the Allentown hiking club shelter by 10:00 and felt really good about having done 7.4 miles by that time. We had some really nice sections today with wide open woods roads but the we had some nasty sections with big rock jumbles that really slowed us down. We started referring to the harder sections as "rock dances". We made the New Tripoli camp site by 1:00 where we broke for lunch, to dry some of our gear out and to water up. After lunch the heat of the day really intensified making the idea of keeping a good pace unlikely.We traverse the appropriately named knife edge section and finally made it to bake oven knob which was a nasty boulder scramble adding insult to injury where we were now really tapped out and very hot. We pulled into the shelter at 4:00, hot and spent from todays miles and excessive heat. Tomorrow we will need to be up and out early again to beat the weather and clear LeHigh Gap before weather sets in.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Bake Oven knob shelter

To: Little Gap
Miles today: 12.8

We were up and out early again this morning knowing that we could be up for thunderstorms around mid-day. After having our breakfast, we watered up and hit the trail by 7:00. We tented last night across the AT in a clearing above the shelter. It was a perfect spot as we had a breeze most of the night and no company. The tenting spot next to the shelter had a big old widow maker of a tree and I was not about to tent there.We started off with a rock dance, but the trail took a turn for the sweet, nice and beautiful! We had all sorts of mountain laurel of all colors, fields of ferns and more. We saw a large doe at one point just staring at us from a position of about 20 or 30 feet from the trail. We made the next shelter by about 10:00 making great time with the beautiful trail. After a break and watering up we continued on. We made LeHigh Gap in no time. The heat of the day was building as we began the climb.There was more shade than expected on the way up, but when we hit the exposed section it was absolutely roasting.We stopped for some pictures and kept walking. A section of the AT is re-routed after the north end of the winter trail taking us along the side of the mountain range on an open grass covered road way. We stopped on the trail in a shady spot to have lunch.After lunch we continued on when Greenie all of a sudden jumped back. A large timber rattlesnake was right in the middle of the grass road and right where we could not go around it. We waited as it moved off the road and then ran like hell as far from it on the opposite edge of the road.We passed through the Palmerton super fund site which was largely denuded of vegetation. We expected another spring to draw water, but found none. We were almost out of water when we popped out at Little Gap at 2:30 well ahead of expectations. There at the trail head was a cooler with beer in it. Greenie's first trail magic!We are now in Filbert's bed and breakfast in Danielsville, clean and content. Tomorrow we have a short day so we will take a later start. Now for dinner and relaxation!
Date: 2012-05-30
From: Little Gap

To: Leroy A Smith shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

What a difference a day makes! Today was soooo much cooler and comfortable in terms of temps. We were up and moving a little later given the short day. Kathy at Filberts B&B served us breakfast at 8:00 consisting of fruit cup, coffee, four eggs (farm fresh) scrambled with cheese, farm fresh Bacon, sausage, French toast, hash browns and toast! We were dropped off at the trail at 9:00 and began walking north. We had a 400' climb out of the gap and a short rock dance. After that the trail was flat and easy with occasional rock waltzs. We stopped at an overlook and took some pictures. There was a section hiker there with his dog who spent the night in the awful storm. We spoke to him and then went on.We stopped at Smith Gap road for lunch. A Biologist doing studies on timber rattlers stopped and asked us if we had seen any, but during our conversation he got a call which ended the discussion.We met up with a northbounder at the side trail to the shelter by the name of Orange lightening who works at Saracuse University (he maintains the lights at the sport facilities), spoke for a while and moved on. The shelter is a bit worn considering it was built in 1982, but with the wood ticks we are now finding it was not a tough decision to tent camp tonight. Several NOBO thru hikers are here tonight including Baked Beans who we now have met up with three times at shelters, several hikers we have not met, and an AT ridge runner. It seems that Massachusetts is well represented tonight with several of us from the area at the shelter.Tomorrow is a 13.8 mile day and the back of my left knee is a little "off" so I hope it will not be a problem tomorrow. The weather is looking fantastic until we get off the trail on Friday. I am hoping that the trip finishes as well as it has gone up to this point.
Date: 2012-05-31
From: Leroy A Smith shelter

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

This morning we were up and out by 7:20 making our way north. The weather today was the pick of the trip with low humidity and cooler temps. We took the time to stop at some of the overlooks as we headed north, not feeling rushed by the weather or our schedule.The one thing I can say about today is that the rocks were in their full glory. We pounded through mile after mile of nasty footing with little respite.We stopped in Wind Gap to water up at a motel near the trail at 10:00. I wanted an ice cream but they had sold out with the recent heat. Greenie tried to buy a soda, and after several tries ended up with a sprite as they were out of most flavors. After watering up and resting we were on our way. We met up with Beowuf who we met at the shelter last night. We hop-scotched each other for a while and then he pulled ahead of us to stay.Northbounders are pushing for DWG to take in the Thursday night free feed at the Church of the Mountain so all of the NOBO guys we saw last night are in the same mode.We encountered a spring marked on the trail before wolf rocks that was not on the map. Greenie got some water and we moved on. At Wolf rocks we took a break. The Turkey Vultures were winging on the up-drafts as we sat. Baked Beans past us as we stopped to talk to some hikers at Fox Gap. We put into the shelter by 3:15 and after looking for, and not finding a place to tent, we put into the shelter for the night.Tomorrow DWG and home. It has been a fantastic week at every turn. Greenie marvelled at the fact we never used our rain gear the entire week as I wrote this entry. Sometimes things just work out without a hitch!
Date: 2012-06-01
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: DWG - Lake Road
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: clear sky

To our surprise, Haystack arrived last night at around sunset. It seems that he was in Palmerton and caught a ride from a guy that convinced him it was best to not take on Lehigh Gap on his own and dropped him at Wind Gap instead. Haystack took it as a sign that his trail angel would consider it too dangerous given the heat and number of snakes in that area to do on his own - so he took the advice and decided he would go back at a later date in cooler weather and do that section at the end of his thru-hike.We also had the undesired company of some (drunken) local Yahoo's lighting off fireworks at about 11:30 last night near the shelter. As it turned out the Ridge Runner responsible for that section of trail had them stop their antics, but opted to spend the night in his car rather than scare the heck out of us sleeping in the shelter last night by arriving so late. He arrived at the shelter in the morning and sat with us while we prepared our packs and ate our breakfast.After sleeping in until after 6:00 this morning and taking our time to get up and out, we hit the trail at almost 8:00 - the latest start we had on the trail since last Saturday when we started his trip. We said our goodbyes to the Ridge Runner and Haystack and headed north.We crossed a nice grassy opening where the Yahoo's had gear strewn about like a tornado had hit a camping area, took note of the view east, and moved on. We passed lunch rocks but did not stop to take a look.As we made our way toward DWG, the trail turned to a nice open woods road - what a pleasurable way to finish this trip Vs having our feet banged around any further by rocks.We stopped at some of the overlooks and took some pictures while we enjoyed the beautiful morning. High clouds were working their way into the morning sky, forboding rain which was forecast for later in the day. We would be well on our way home before any weather would hit the area.We passed a nice area near Mt. Minsi where some folks were camped and began our descent into DWG. We passed through some magnificant Rhododendron tunnels where the blooms were still tightly closed but Mountain Laurel were in various stages of display.We passed a few day hikers heading south and Greenie made note that he could smell their soapy cleanliness for a long time after thay had passed us.Emerging onto Lake Road we made our way to a friends house where my sister had left my car earlier in the week after she left us on Sunday.I can truly say that I enjoyed the northern 1/3rd of PA even in spite of the rocks. We had so many areas of easy trail and beautiful things to see mixed with some great encounters with other hikers.Next, off to Maine in the fall to continue my journey north to Caratunk. I would like to add one last comment regarding the conclusion of this hike - That is, when I got home, I tossed my boots in the trash. The soles took a real beating to the point that they were coming off in places. I wear Keen boots, which are not exactly known for their "durability". As they say - Pennsylvania is where boots go to die!