morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-27
From: Stealth Camp at Mason Dixon Line

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: few clouds

I met 4 grad students from Virginia Tech yesterday who were doing the ¢Four State Challenge.¢ That¢s where you hike from Virginia, through West Virginia, through Maryland, and pass the Pennsylvania border. It¢s all done on the Appalachian Trail and it has to be started and finished on the same day. It¢s about 44 miles. They started at midnight and finished just before sunset, about 8:00 PM. They came to where I was camping this morning to take pictures of the Mason-Dixon- line which is the Maryland ¢ Pennsylvania border. After the picture taking, I slung on the pack and hit the trail. It was 7:45 but already was hot. My right heel feels a bit better today but I¢m still going to go slow and easy as it seems to be healing in spite of me walking all day. The heat will keep my speed down for sure.It¢s been awhile but I did a spectacular fall this morning. My foot slid out from me as I was stepping down on the side of the hillside. I somehow did a half cartwheel and slid about 10¢ down the hill. The backpack took the brunt of the impact and in fact cushioned me. I had to unsnap it though in order to get up and climb back up the hill. I only received a miniscule scrape on my arm.Stopped at a park for lunch and to try to cool down. It¢s around 90 degrees and the heat in and of itself is exhausting. I wanted to do another 7.5 miles but there is a 1,000 foot climb and I just don¢t have the energy. I¢m going another mile or so and tent by the next shelter.So happy I decided to stop at this shelter. The tenting area is large with an open grassy area in the middle containing a fire pit and picnic table. The tenting is on either side and could easily accommodate a dozen or more tents. A rock laden stream runs along the side and a spring is 50 feet up the hill. So happy I decided to stop here, going to soak my feet in the stream.P.S. Regarding my concern over getting to Duncannon before the July 4th weekend to get my mail drop, no worries, I had that one sent to the hostel where I plan to stay. Duh!
Date: 2010-06-28
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up at 4:30 AM to try to beat the heat but I so enjoy having a hot cup of coffee and hot breakfast in the morning and that usually takes an hour and then another hour to break camp so was on the trail at 6:30 AM. Only had an hour of hiking before it started to heat up.The right foot felt a little better today but started to throb 6 miles into the day. I slowed down and took a lot of breaks but it hurts every time I put weight on the heel.I knew it wasn't going to be a big mileage day which then raised the issue of running out of food because I'll be getting into my next resupply town a day late. When I came to Rte 30, I hitched a sweet round trip to the grocery store about 3 miles down the highway. Dennis, a retired local picked me up and offered to wait for me and drive me back to the trail. What a sweetie!Continued hiking to Caledonia State Park where they had a concession stand and had a cheeseburger, hot dog, fries and a coke. Continued on 2.2 miles to the Quarry Gap Shelter. They have tent platforms here so I set up my tent. What a beautiful shelter! There's a two 4 person shelters with an eating area in between all under one roof. The water source is a sweet spring about 30 feet away down a cool "tunnel" of rhododendrous. There's also a bear box (metal) to put my food in so I didn't have to hang it from a tree. This is one of the nicest maintained shelters I've been to.Hanso, whom I've camped with the last 3 nights, Hoofin' It (who I haven't seen since way before the Shennandoahs), Swift and Tiger Lily are here tonight too along with Chopstix and Rorschach who I probably won't see again as they are moving fast.We're supposed to get a one day break from the heat tomorrow and I'm so looking forward to it.
Date: 2010-06-29
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Toms Run Shelters
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: scattered clouds

It was "only" in the lower 80's today so still warm but not unbearable. Hoof It, Tiger Lily, Swift and I hit the trail within 20 minutes of each other and all ended up at the same place for 2nd lunch and yo-yo'd each other all afternoon. We ended up at Toms Run Shelters and Hanso came in a few minutes later so we're all tenting here tonight.We all made great time today. My heel felt better this morning but by mile 8 was starting to hurt and by mile 12 was painful. It's worse when I have to scramble over rocks and since Pennsylvania has miles and miles of sharp, pointy rocks coming up soon, I'm seriously considering skipping it for now and heading to New Jersey or just lay up for a couple days in the next town. Decisions, decisions.
Date: 2010-06-30
From: Toms Run Shelters

To: Deer Run Campground
Miles today: 14.3

Everyone was already packing up when I woke up at 6:30 AM so I broke camp in record time, ate a cold breakfast, didn't have my coffee and got on the trail with everyone else. We went 4 miles in 90 minutes to the Pine Grove Furnace State Park, passing the midway point between Springer Mountain, Georgia and Mount Katahdin, Maine (the start and end points of the AT) on our way. Had coffee, a Coke and a cheeseburger at Pine Grove Furnace.The "Furnace" moniker is from the huge stone kiln furnace that still stands in the park and was used to smelt iron in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.About 75% of today's walk was a delight on good treadway. The other 25% was over killer rocks which I took slowly to favor my still sore right heel.Stopped at the Green Mountain Grocery off PA34 which is owned my a close friends of Hoofin It, who is getting off the trail for 2 weeks to celebrate his 30th anniversary, see his new grandbaby and go fishing in the Keys. His friend drove Tiger Lily and Swift to Boiling Springs as she's not been feeling well for a couple of days, has a few suspicious looking bites and suspects Lyme Disease so she's going to get diagnosed and lay low at the Allenberry for a few days which is where I should be tomorrow night.Glorious day in the mid 70's. Perfect for hiking. Went .5 miles off trail late in afternoon to a private campground with a $10 hiker rate. They have showers, laundromat, a pool, game room, camp store and complimentary coffee. Sweet deal. Will sleep soundly in my tent tonight. P.S. Hanso came in to the campground late evening.
Date: 2010-07-02
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 0.0

Hanso and Alexandra dropped me off at the Saint Thomas Episcopal Church hostel in Vernon. I told him I'd have my satellite tracker send him my GPS position nightly so if he wants to meet me uptrail in a few weeks, he'll know where to find me.And who do I run into at the hostel? Cheeseburger ¢ the young German guy I last saw in Tennessee who has made swearing in English into a creative art form. He always makes me laugh. Six Shooter also was here and Pacer and Kentucky, all people I haven¢t seen for weeks. Amazing how a fast forward puts you back in the pack again. I know, however, that it will be a very lonely 235 miles when I finish Pennsylvania at the end ¢ but that¢s in the future and for now everything is good except for my right heel which still gives no indication of improvement.I¢m taking a zero today and the pastor at the hostel is letting me stay two days so I¢m going to zero again tomorrow too.
Date: 2010-07-03
From: Vernon, NJ

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 0.0

Dropped off a prescription for refill at the pharmacy and went to the post office to send some extra food and my wool long johns (it¢s going to be in the 90¢s for the next 7-10 days) up-trail and to return my gaiters to REI to be replaced as two seams and one buckle failed on them.Then walked to a local pub that opened at 8:00 AM and met Cheeseburger and Six Shooter there to watch the German/Argentina World Cup game. Good game even though Argentina was obviously outclassed by the German team. Between the emotional antics of the Argentinians and the expletive-laced outbursts of Cheeseburger, I was laughing all morning ¢ or maybe it was the Bloody Mary and Yuengling beer before noon. I had a good time.Picked up my prescription and some food for dinner and went back to the hostel. New arrivals included Blueberry and husband Ken, and Fireman and Mud Foot who I last saw down in Daleville. It¢s so interesting the ebb and flow of hikers on the trail. Interesting too is now the hikers on the trail are much more serious about completing the hike. Everyone¢s focus is more and more on Katahdin as from here it¢s only 831 miles away ¢ a very doable distance after having already hiked over 1,300 miles.
Date: 2010-07-04
From: Vernon, NJ

To: Cowboy Camp on Top of Cat Rocks
Miles today: 16.8

Packed up my stuff and went to church before hitting the trail. One of the parishioners gave me a ride to the trailhead which was 2.5 miles away.Arrived in good time the 6 miles to the first shelter and stopped for lunch. Stayed about 45 minutes then started hiking again as I was planning an ambitious 18-mile day and had 12 to go. There was no close-by water at the shelter. As I¢m hiking along I cross one dried-up stream after another. Finally found one and decided to carry 3 liters rather than my usual 1.5 liters as the temperature is up in the 90¢s and the water sources in this area appear to be unreliable.Saw a young adult bear crashing through the woods away from me about 100 feet away. About 30 minutes later I saw a bear cub scrambling up a tree about 40 feet from me. Immediately I scanned for mama bear and she was standing at the base of the tree definitely eyeballing me. I didn¢t make eye contact and just continued up the trail. She must have signaled her cub and he came down from the tree and the two of them wandered back into the woods. Both sightings were near water sources at lower elevation so my sense is that the animals are coming down from the mountains during this dry spell.The trail got real interesting taking me on 400 foot climbs over a distance of 100 feet. That¢s almost vertical. I do like the bouldering and rock climbing aspects of this hike but with the heat, the exertion was exhausting. I was almost out of water again and planned to knock on a door of a house at the next road crossing to see if I could get some at their outside spigot. When I got to the road, a trail angel had left 10 gallon jugs of water for hikers so I loaded up 3 more liters and didn¢t have to knock on any doors.The day wore on. The temperature climbed to 100 degrees. I was stopping to rest and cool down often and certainly wasn¢t covering ground very fast. The day was getting late when I finally got to the last road crossing 2 miles short of the shelter at 8:00 PM.As soon as I got back in the woods, I had to use my headlamp as the light was failing fast. And then the trail takes me up and over a cliff, rock scrambling all the way. When it brought me up onto a second cliff, I could not find where the trail went. Oftentimes they put the blazes right on the rocks but I couldn't find it in the dark. As I looked around, however, I realized the top of the rock formation was flat and big enough I wouldn't roll off the edge. There was a breeze that kept the bugs at bay. So I just laid out my sleeping pad and bag, no tent, and cowboy camped on top of the mountain. I stretched out gazing at the stars and saw two satellites and a couple shooting stars before falling into blissful sleep.
Date: 2010-07-05
From: Cowboy Camp on Top of Cat Rocks

To: Cowboy Camp on Buchanan Mountains
Miles today: 6.2

Woke up early and was packed up and ready to go at 6:15 AM to take advantage of the morning cool. Unfortunately I hiked almost a mile before I realized I was going in the wrong direction so made it back to where I camped and started hiking in the right direction at 7:15 AM.Turned out I was less than a half mile from the shelter. I stopped there and ate breakfast and topped off my water. Met Vincent and his girlfriend, who had started hiking yesterday and were headed south to Georgia each with their 60 pound packs and canned food. They asked my advice and I told them to lighten their loads and get a trail guide so they would know where the shelters and water could be found.Continued on, temperature got impossible hot very quickly with all the water sources dry. Found more gallon jugs of water at a road crossing. Again, going was slow and had to rest often. Again, many more vertical rock climbs and I knew I wasn¢t going to make the miles and set up another cowboy camp on top of Buchanan Mountain after only 6 miles. I crossed into New York yesterday and had no idea it was going to be this hard. Coupled with the heat and the fact I only have 16 oz. of water left, I went to sleep very discouraged.
Date: 2010-07-06
From: Cowboy Camp on Buchanan Mountains

To: Arden Valley Road
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Another early start, this time in the correct direction. No water so no breakfast. Found jugs of water 4 miles up the trail at the road crossing. Thank you trail angels! Stopped and had breakfast and continued on in oppressive heat into Harriman State Park. The terrain abruptly changed to very old, stately trees, large rock formations and hardly any understory, just grass, blueberries and ferns. It was very much like walking through a park.I stopped to rest after a steep 500 foot climb that normally I wouldn¢t even breathe heavy and it thoroughly depleted me. I couldn¢t stop sweating and had already gone through more than half my water.I had a cell signal and called my friend, Cris. When I told her I was hot, tired and just wanted to go home, she wisely asked what would make me feel better. I said a cold drink, a cool shower, air conditioning and watching a good movie. She advised I take a week long break at a motel and rest up ¢ take the time to decide if home is the answer.This is the second time this hike that a string of not so good days has put me in a negative mind set. The physical hike is hard, but the psychological part is even tougher.I hiked a couple more miles, going through the Lemon Squeezer which is two vertical slabs of rock that you walk between. It narrowed near the end and I had to take my pack off to squeeze through. Good thing I¢ve lost all this weight!Made it to Arden Road, got off the trail and walked a half mile down to the beach and ranger station and try to figure out how to get into town. The Coke machine was my first stop and as I was savoring the cold sweetness of the drink, a 2007 thru-hiker started talking to me. His name is TJ and he says it is 103 degrees and recommended a mom and pop motel, Bear Mountain Bridge Motel in Fort Montgomery, AND offered to drive me.So I¢m ensconced in a small but well appointed, very clean and air conditioned room. After a shower and a deli sandwich I fell asleep at 4:00 PM and slept for a few hours, made some phone calls, watched a movie and slept until 8:30 AM in the morning.
Date: 2010-07-07
From: Arden Valley Road

To: Arden Valley Road
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Lazy, total R & R day. Slept, hand washed hiking clothes, called the post office in Fort Montgomery and found my sleeping bag, took a nap, checked the weather and decided to stay another night until this dangerous heat breaks. The motel has received dozens of calls from hikers trying to find a place to stay and get off the trail - I'm lucky I came in when I did which underscores Trail Truth #3: "You are exactly where you should be".
Date: 2010-07-08
From: Arden Valley Road

To: Arden Valley Road
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It is the last day of high heat. Today it's coupled with humidity so good call to stay another day. I am getting itchy feet so will head out tomorrow morning. I forwarded my sleeping bag to northern Massachusetts as I won't need it until I hit Vermont.Pretty sure my right heel pain is due to some tears in the ligament on the bottom of my foot. Self diagnosis is plantar fasciaitus. Bought some gel inserts for my shoes which will hopefully ease the pain as I don't like to take Ibuprofen all the time. Knees are much better but something is definitely going on with my right one. I suspect it is torn cartilage but it doesn't hurt when I'm walking, only a bit achy at night so I'll continue to be careful and try not to fall any more. I only have 799 miles to Katahdin and then 230 left in Pennsylvania/New Jersey. The spirit is willing but the body is feeling its age. However, even the 20 something thru-hikers are dealing with injuries and pain, so it appears to be just another component of the thru-hike.I've always considered myself as strong willed and having good mind over matter skills but I've certainly had many mega-wuss moments out here. Although I'm doing the physical miles, I wouldn't still be out here if it wasn't for the nuggets of advice and encouragement from fellow hikers, friends and family. Several weeks ago, it was Swift who said to me, "Croft, you're too damn stubborn NOT to climb Katahdin!" So true.
Date: 2010-07-09
From: Arden Valley Road

To: Graymoor Friary 
Miles today: 19.4

Nice early start in the cool of the morning but with clouds filling in that promise some rain today. Watched the news before I left the motel which is the first time in 4 months I've looked to see what was going on in the world. Trail telegraph (word of mouth among hikers) let me know about the big stuff like the oil spill, Iceland volcano messing up European air traffic, and World Cup results. Watching the news again though was like watching a soap opera that you haven't seen for 4 months; just watch one episode and you can figure out everything that's happened in between.The motel owner dropped me off back at Arden Road where I left the trail a few days ago. Had one rather gradual 1,000 foot climb up Bear Mountain and a couple short steep ones. The heel pain is still there but greatly minimized and I made good time of the Trailside Museum and Wildlife Center just south of Fort Montgomery. Admission is free to thru-hikers and the trail takes me right through the zoo. The lowest point on the entire trail is in front of the black bear habitat at 124' above sea level.Hiked over the 1/2 mile bridge spanning the Hudson River and then back in the woods. Stopped at the Appalachian Market, a gas station/convenience store on Rte 9 right where the AT crosses.Stopped for the night at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, home of an order of Friars who have allowed thru-hikers to camp on the ball field since 1972. Spring Kat, Churchill, Rusty, Pony Man, Taxi, Dragon Tail, Kevin and Sherpa and I all tented here tonight.They have an outdoor shower (cold) and a covered picnic pavilion, port-a-potties, water, laundry tub and clothesline - everything a hiker needs. The shower, even though gaspingly cold was really refreshing after the heat of the day.
Date: 2010-07-10
From: Graymoor Friary 

To: Stealth Camp Atop Shenandoah Mountain
Miles today: 16.3

Was up and out early and hiked about an hour and then it started raining. Didn't bother to put on my rain gear as it wasn't coming down very hard and the forest canopy takes most of it anyway. If course, you don't really know when the rain stops because the leaves drip for quite awhile. As I crossed a road near Canopus Lake, a Korean Hiking Club had just finished a day hike and was eating slices of watermelon. They handed me one. Cool, sweet watermelon never tasted so good. Another simple pleasure greatly appreciated.The sun was getting low in the sky as I summited Shenandoah Mountain. There was a great view and a large enough flat spot that I could set up my tent. I had planned to go another 1.5 miles to a campsite with water but this was too good a spot to pass up.I had just enough water for dinner and a cup of tea but found a concave section of rock that had a 4" deep pool of rainwater in it from earlier in the day. I grabbed a half-liter out of it and luxury of luxuries, bathed with the rest of it. Another simple pleasure; being able to wash off the sweat and grime from the day. So I sipped on my tea while dinner was rehydrating and watched the sun set feeling clean and refreshed with that wonderful tiredness from hiking all day. Life is sweet. It doesn't get much better than this.
Date: 2010-07-11
From: Stealth Camp Atop Shenandoah Mountain

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: scattered clouds

So my great plan of camping on top of the mountain so I could watch both the sunset and the sunrise went a bit awry. Was awakened a bit before dawn by voices. A young couple had hiked up from the road to watch the sunrise. Unfortunately, we were all skunked and we were sitting in a cloud with condensation on everything. Packed up the wet tent and put on wet hiking clohes.Finally got out of the cloud as I got to lower elevation and hiked the 1.5 miles to the Shenandoah camptsite where there was a pump for water. Bear Claw overnighted there so he and I had breakfast together. He was going to zero there due to a chafing problem so I introducd him to Boudreaux Butt Paste (diaper rash ointment) and voila, he hiked on. I use it on my feet if my socks are wet so I don't get blisters and I also mix it with powdered aspirin and rub it on my knees for a topical anti-inflamatory. Good piece of "gear" - multiple uses.Hiked on to the RPH Shelter where the mantainers had cold sodas and fresh fruit and I met Just Sauce, a really nice, smart section hker with only a few days left of his hike.Stopped at a deli .4 miles off trail for lunch and picked up 2 meals of food as I'm running short.I'm still losing weight and it's hard to carry enough food. I'm eating between 5,000 and 6,000 calories a day now and I'm almost always hungry.Made it to the shelter where I tented. I set my tent up right away so it could dry out before I climbed in. Just Sauce, Bear Claw and several others were tenting too.Just Sauce got a joke line going in the shelter register. "You may be a hiker if ______" and you fill in the blank. Some of the tag lines were:...If you say with a striaght face you "only" have 800 miles to go....If you know the exact weight of your toothbrush....you stop at every trailside deli in Connecticut and get a pint of ice cream.Read in the register that the water pump at the Shenandoah campsite where I was this morning had tested positive for E Coli. Great! Both Bear Claw and I had been drinking the water from there UNTREATED all day. Either the information was wrong or we both have really good constitutions - neither of us got sick. But from now on I'm going to treat even the well water.
Date: 2010-07-12
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Native Nursery & Garden Center
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up eary but got a late start as I dawdled over coffee knowing I would regret not taking advantage of the cool morning hours. The upside is that the time allowed my still wet tent and clothes to dry. The downside is that I hiked in the heat of the day which was in the low 90's and humid. Carried extra water both due to the heat and because upcoming water sources could be dry. Found one stream where I replnished my water supply. Took a lot of breaks mostly to cool down as it was very easy to get overheated.Yesterday and today I noticed a lot of leaves have fallen off the trees, expecially near the tops of mountains. Other than the scattered rain of a coupe days ago, this whole area is exremely dry and the trees are suffering.The last .5 miles I hiked today on the trail was across a huge marsh on wooden planks. Then I went a little over a mile round trip of trail to a deli and had a huge sub and an orange soda.The garden center at the trailhead allowed a whole group of us to camp in their back lot between the railroad tracks and the road. Convenient but not the usual woodland noises. We're only about 30 feet from the tracks so when a train goes by all the tents shake. The street traffic is 50 feet on the other side. I'm sure, however, that sleeping will not be a problem. Even with the short mileage, I'm exhausted.