morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-23
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter

To: Toms Run Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: broken clouds

Today is filled with interesting critter sightings. My first greets me bright and early during my trip to the privy, when inside from my perch, I glance up to see what is by far the largest spider I've seen on the trip. He's easily 2-3 inches in diameter and if not a tarantula than a close cousin. I happen to have my camera in my pocket and get a pic before he scrambles back into a cranny. Funny and odd that Connor actually colored a picture of a tarantula and warned me about them just yesterday. Returning to the camp site I alert my camp mates to what lurks in yon privy before I head out on the trail.Later I come across a deer, head down, grazing on the trail. The deer in Pennsylvania are unlike their docile cousins in the Shanandoahs that are seemingly a step removed from petting zoo temperment. The deer in PA are clearly hunted, a testament to the bevy of signs along the trail in this region declaring 'No Hunting', a relief to those of us who happen to be hiking in the area. The deer on the trail senses me moments after I see it, freezes, and then puts on a great display of agility as it bounds through what appears be a near impenetrable landscape of dense, low bushes and shrubs.My next sighting is perhaps the most fascinating. Blueberries are ripe along the trail and I occasionally stop to grab a handful, on one such occasion I'm treated to the feverish activity of 2 dung beetles moving their round, marble-sized lode along the trail. They work as a team, one pulling and steering while the other pushes, providing most of the forward momentum. This is my first dung beetle encounter and I find the scene both fascinating and humorous, taking a short video of their efforts.Next up, at the shelter where I'll camp for the night, I'm sitting in the shelter, talking with Warrior, when Wayfarer arrives on the scene. Wayfarer hasn't even taken his pack off yet before he lets out a low "Whoa", and moonwalks to the side. I jump down to have a look and a young 2-3 foot timber rattler is sitting right beside the shelter. We grab our cameras and get some shots before Warrior decides the snake is too close to the shelter and attempts to escort him away from the shelter premise with a large wooden staff. The snake retreats into some tall grass and eventually from sight, but yet another reminder of the nature that abounds.The final interesting critter sighting is also at camp, though somewhat less menacing than the rattler. A large tree right by the shelter is apparently emitting some kind of sap that is an absolute insect delight, as bumblebees, wasps, flies, ants, gnats and more scramble all over it to reap the bounty. The odd thing is it's only this one tree, and it's attracting such a large variety of insects. Could be an X-Files episode in the making.... ;-) Walk on!
Date: 2010-06-25
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 3.9

I see a monarch butterfly this morning while walking between two fields, golden wheat on my right and tall corn on my left with the narrow strip of A.T. running between. After 1100 miles of walking this is the first monarch I've seen and significant only in that I recall them being much more common years ago, such that I immediately notice this loner perched on a flower and quickly snap a picture.After my hiatus in D.C. I plan initially to stop in Duncannon, PA at 5 days out for shower, laundry, and resupply but word on the trail is that the Allenberry in Boiling Springs at 3 days out is the place to stay. My hesitancy is that 3 days is too soon for this kind of 'nero' and even as I set out from camp I'm still undecided about this stop. They do have an AYCE breakfast buffet for $6 that's still a draw, also giving me an excuse to check it out and decide for myself if it's really all that.I arrive at the Allenberry and immediately have a good feeling about this place. It's situated on a large piece of land with old shade trees dotting the lawn, a clubhouse serves as the centerpiece with pool and clay courts behind, a river borders the back of the property, and old stone buildings and cottages are sprinkled about giving the whole scene a decidedly 'Dirty Dancing' old school feel. I like it right away and already feel the pendulum swinging toward the 'Stay' side.The day unfolds leisurely; breakfast buffet, a walk into Boiling Springs to check out the local scene of this picturesque little town, a dip in the pool (they even provide swim suits!) while I do laundry, capped off with the seafood dinner buffet. After all this I feel refreshed and glad for the stop, ready to 'hike it out' back on the trail tomorrow. Walk on!
Date: 2010-06-27
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

Journaling - I make my best effort to draft my journal entries each evening or the day after at the latest; any longer and my recollection of detail suffers or begins to blend with the other days I still have to draft. I draft my entries on a mobile email device called a 'Peek', about the size of a Blackberry, that works on the T-Mobile network which unfortunately has the worst coverage on trail (Verizon has easily the best coverage, with AT&T a far distant second). This explains the occasional 3-4 day lag between updates as this represents the time between opportunities to connect with the network. I email the entries to my wife who posts them to the Trail Journals website, and a big 'Thanks!' for her help with this.The humidity is back today and I'm sweating through my shirt inside the first 1/2 hour. The mileage options aren't ideal, either 12 or 29, with the first being too short and the other too long, so I opt for the shorter. Several others have the same idea and there are about a dozen people at the shelter tonight, the most I've seen in a long time. The forecast tomorrow is rain and then hopefully mercifully cooler temperatures after that. Walk on!
Date: 2010-06-28
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Rain is forecast today but I'm not sure what time it's supposed to roll in. It poured last night, of which I lazily took note before rolling back over to sleep, satisfied with my decision to stay high and dry in the shelter. The morning greets me with sunny blue skies but I'm not fooled or lulled, considering this a grace period with the clock ticking down to imminent storms. With this in mind I'm on the trail by 7:10a, running some rough calculations of arrival times to shelter. By now every hiker knows their pace for hiking a mile; my pace is around 20 minutes/mile or 3 miles an hour, so figuring 18 miles of hiking today would be 6 hours plus another hour or so for lunch and breaks and I'm looking at a 2:30ish arrival. With these clear skies at the outset it's possible I could get there before rain hits.The trail is wonderfully mild today, not too rocky and the few hills to climb are at a relatively tempered grade. Pennsylvania is known for its rocky terrain but so far it hasn't been too bad, though I've heard the rockier sections lie a bit further north. I make good time, stopping for an early lunch by a lazy little stream around 10:00a and back on the trail by 10:30. I press on, the skies darkening around 1:30, and I quicken my pace in response. It's not hiking in the rain that bothers me but the wet socks and wet shoes that come with it. By 2:15 it starts to shower. I think I'm close to the shelter and briefly consider making a break for it (although 'break' is a relative term with a 30 pound pack at the end of 18 miles) but decide to play it safe and stop to put on my pack cover. I continue on and as 2:30 passes I quickly begin to get agitated when the shelter doesn't appear. It begins to feel like the clock in a World Cup soccer game and now I'm in 'extra time' and like soccer I have no idea how much time is left on the clock, only that it can't be too much. Finally at 2:42 I see the sign for the shelter, still mostly dry. Tomorrow should return to nicer weather as I also cross a significant milestone going under 1000 miles remaining on the trail. Walk on!
Date: 2010-06-29
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: scattered clouds

After 1100 miles and sleeping around so many hikers in the shelters and hostels I've become acquainted with a variety of snoring styles but last night I encounter some truly epic snoring. Epic or near epic snoring can be tricky to deal with because no matter how much noise or banging you make to interrupt the snoring it most likely won't be sufficient to overcome the caucophanic waves of snore that are rolling over you. Below is a short list of the more common snores; last nights was 'The Awakening Volcano'. Enjoy!The Bathtub Drain - Sounds like that last little bit of water getting sucked out of the tubThe Crescendo - Starts softly before gaining in volume to a full-throated symphonyThe Humpback Whale - A snore with slightly melodic tonal quality.The Squeaky Door - The sound of a door slowly opening on rusty hingesThe Awakening Volcano - Weak, shallow, breathless snore that erupts in a giant, explosive, snoring gasp for air. Body may physically convulse as well.
Date: 2010-06-30
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: clear sky

Today is a real meat grinder as Pennsylvania finally begins to live up to its moniker as the rockiest state on the trail. I set out from the 501 shelter and am immediately beset among a rocky minefield with stones of all sizes jutting up from the ground as if placed there so that a corner edge is usually facing, with a fair sprinkling of these edgy loose stones lying among them as well. The only plus is that a cool front came through last night and the temperature is a fall-like 58 in the morning, energizing me after the last week of oppressive heat and humidity. I make fair progress at first with legs, feet, and mind fresh in the morning hours, stepping gingerly, staring intently at the ground as I pick each footfall. The preferred hierarchy for each step as follows; 1) soft, flat leaf or dirt between rocks, 2) a flat rock, preferably the length of the foot, 3) the rounded edge of a rock, 4) two adjacent rocks that allow the foot to land equally supported on both, and last 5) the sharp edge of a rock; every step a split decision among one of these options. There's a cumulative effect to hiking in this terrain as well, and as the day goes on the mind, legs, and feet get more tired and run down until by the end of the day my feet feel like they've been tenderized before being run through a meat grinder. The remaining 5-6 days of PA and first in NJ hold more of the same and I may have to cut back my mileage to a more reasonable number given the conditions.My fortunes see-saw as I arrive in Port Clinton. I arrive into town at the same time 'The Wizard' who also started the day at the 501 shelter and together we walk to the free tenting pavilion. At the pavilion the scene doesn't look very inviting, especially after 24 miles of grueling rocks and we agree to split a hotel room, making our way to the best, most affordable option, the Port Clinton Hotel. At the hotel dismay sets in upon seeing a plain handwritten sign on the door stating simply, 'closed from 6/28-7/8'. I glance at my watch to incredulously confirm that it's really 6/30. The only other hotel option is now 2 miles away, a hitch, and almost twice as expensive. Our fortunes begin to turn when I run into Bob at the candy shop next to the Port Clinton Hotel and after striking up a conversation he takes an interest in our plight, agreeing to drive us to the other hotel. We chat and on the drive Bob generously offers to take us by one of his favorite sub sandwich shops first so we can pick up a sandwich to take back to the hotel. It goes to show you never know where, when, or how people may surprise with their generosity as just 20 minutes before we were sitting with leaden spirits on the steps of the Port Clinton Hotel not sure exactly where our next steps would take us. Bob then runs us by the hotel where we exchange farewells and our heartfelt thanks at his generosity before checking in and enjoying sub, shower, and a bed. Walk on!
Date: 2010-07-01
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckesville Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Since I arrive into town late yesterday I have resupply activities to take care of this morning. I stop first at the Cabela's sporting goods store, conveniently located across the street. This place is enormous and in addition to all of the merchandise it is also an homage to any trophy animal ever taken down in North America with probably a hundred taxidermy animal heads lining the walls that lead back to the main showpiece, a 3-story tall artificial mountain with even more animals arranged in 'natural' poses littering the base and sides, and further, there's an additional separate room (no merchandise, just more animals) recreating an African savanna apparently with everything worth killing in Africa too, framed around the centerpiece, a full size taxidermy bull elephant which gets me thinking what it would cost to have an adult male elephant taxidermied! But I digress, I came for camp soap and Clif bars.After Cabela's I need to go to a grocery store as well but unfortunately it's located 1 1/2 miles up the road. I try the thumb but no luck on this busy right of way and end up walking there on the shoulder of the road with cars and trucks clearly speeding by quicker than the posted 55 mph limit. I shop quickly, anxious to get back as checkout is at noon, and not wanting to walk on the freeway again (this time with a bag of groceries) I approach someone in the grocery parking lot who obliges me with a ride back to the hotel.I pack my gear and am out of the hotel just before noon, grabbing 2 sandwiches at Wendy's, one for now and another I'll carry with me for dinner at camp, hitch another ride back to the trail and am back on the A.T. by 12:30. Other than the rocks and boulders the hike is 'business as usual' with the exception being that somehow myself and 2 hikers behind me miss the turn off for the shelter, hiking an additional mile before realizing our mistake, and then having to hike back, adding an additional 2 miles the day. This is the first shelter I've missed but don't feel quite so silly since 2 other hikers with me also make the same mistake. Walk on!
Date: 2010-07-02
From: Eckesville Shelter

To: George W. Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I spoke with my daughter on the phone last night who during our conversation said' "Daddy, I want you to take me to school." Ouch. This is a punch to the gut to hear from your 4 year old and and although I've felt in recent days that I've really been making progress and the goal is within sight, suddenly with 2 months still remaining I feel like I've landed on one of the 'chutes' in a Chutes and Ladders game and slide back several paces. I hike today with this mantra in my head, driving myself to a bigger 24 mile day then the original 17 I was planning.Today is another long, rocky day and to this mix can also add dry and warming. The cool front that has been so enjoyable to hike in the past couple days is losing out to an angry July sun and I can feel the temps creeping up again. By afternoon the heat and sun is like an extra pair of hands pushing down on my already over-burdened shoulders and my toes snub more frequently on jutting rocks causing brief stumbles. It's also incredibly dry. At the 17 mile mark I intend to refill my water supply at a location listed in my guide but after traveling a .25 mile downhill and passing 3 dry streams I give up and turn back. In addition to rocky, Pennsylvania has easily been the driest state with streams being far less frequent than in all states prior, and those streams often further off the trail and more difficult to get to. I have under a liter of water remaining and decide this will have to suffice. I frugally take small sips of water over the remaining miles although I'm parched and long to gulp thirstily. Blueberries have ripened in the heat and I supplement with a few handfuls but the reward-to-effort ratio is questionable in my current state and I don't tarry long with these as long as I might have otherwise given my current state. I finally reach the 24 mile shelter around 7:30p, just over 12 hours from when I started hiking this morning, and fortunately find the nearby and reliable water source indicated in my guide, drinking greedily. I make camp and dinner before settling in for much needed rest.I have 2 days left in PA and am eager to put these miles behind me. Each state has been trying or challenging in its own way and PA is no exception. What the state lacks in hills and climbs it makes up for with rocks, heat, and more arid conditions. The next 4 states (NJ, NY, CT, MA) will no doubt have their trials but make up for some of this with their brevity as each state crossing will take less than a week to traverse, providing a psychological boost that the end is actually in sight. Walk on!
Date: 2010-07-04
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: clear sky

The 'Triple Crown' of hiking is recognized as a completion of the 3 long trails in North America; The Appalachian Trail (AT), The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and The Continental Divide Trail (CDT). Last night at the shelter Steve (no trail name) tells me that fewer than 100 people have completed the triple crown and he's considering the PCT next. I ask him if it's just the accomplishment he's interested in or if he really enjoys hiking that much. Laughing he says, "Hell no, the hiking is the worst part of this whole thing!" I run into a section hiker on the trail today and he uses the analogy of the man who keeps hitting his thumb with a hammer and when asked why he keeps hitting his thumb replies, "Because it feels so good when I stop." And this pretty much sums up my mood today. I know a number of factors are contributing to my malaise; 96 degree heat and pushing 100 for the rest of the week, water sources drying up forcing me to adjust to this necessity, relentless rocks on the trail that both slow my pace and grind up my feet, and the fact that today is July 4th and I'm sad to be missing a favorite evening of the year sitting on the Decatur square and watching the fireworks with my family. Perhaps I've been pushing myself too hard, too many miles, without a break. Still, there it is. I hope everyone has a great July 4th, and I will walk on.
Date: 2010-07-05
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: clear sky

If PA and its horrific terrain was what was ailing me then perhaps NJ is the cure...at least for today. I rolled into Delaware Water Gap yesterday beaten, battered, and bruised by the relentless terrain and went to sleep at the Church of the Mountain Hostel generally dispirited. I consider a low mileage day today as a possible remedy with options of 10 miles, 17, and 24.8. I reach the 10 mile point around 11:30 and stop for a leisurely lunch and nap and wake feeling refreshed, ready to tackle more miles and so I press on. It's another hot day and I make a point to stop at the few and far between water offerings to refill. I top off my Camelback and hike on, taking a sip from my water about 15 minutes later but nothing comes out. I assume the hose is kinked so I remove my pack and take out the Camelback only to find that all of that water I had just filled has somehow vanished. I say 'vanished' because I feel around inside my pack and there's no water, and no water has leaked out of the pack either so in short I have no idea where it went, but I do know that I don't have ANY water now. Fortunately another hiker, Dewlap, passes by and inquiring about my plight offers me a liter of her cache. This is very generous and I'm grateful. At the 17 mile mark I still feel pretty good and wanting to take advantage of this condition I move on again to finish at 24.8 the mile shelter. Even though the day is hot the trail is not nearly as severe as PA and this no doubt contributes to my progress.
Date: 2010-07-06
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

The tagline for today is 'Brutal Heat'. Temperatures climb to 100 and humidity is through the roof. I stop at a roadside store called Joe to Go in the morning and grab a deli sandwich (lunch for later), chocolate milk, donut, and banana, the total coming to about $8.50. Since the day is so wamr I return and ask if he wouldn't mind filling my Nalgene bottle with water to which he says while shaking his head, "I'm in the business of selling water, not giving it away." I'm stupefied, especially after I just spent money in his store, but I guess there's all kinds in the world, and this is one bitter old man. As fate would have it someone had just set out some trail magic about 200 yards up the trail with Gatorade, water, and beer. I pass on the beer but help myself to a Gatorade and water.I hike with Papa Smurf most of the morning and we spend a fair amount of time chatting. Our yapping has unfortunate repercussions when we both somehow miss the shelter sign where we'd planned to refill our water. This weather is not the kind you want to run risks with running out of water and yet in passing this source the next opportunity lies about 7 miles up the trial. Papa Smurf is dry by the time we reach the source and I'm running on fumes only because I've sipped so frugally to wet my mouth though I'd long to chug the remainder. We make it though and drink thirstily like giddy kids who just scored an ice cream from the ice cream truck. I'll have to be more careful as the heat ratchets up and the water gets more and more scarce. The hard part now is that even though my guide lists a water source I can no longer count on it since everything is so dry.The noteworthy site of the day is the Culvers Fire Tower located on a mountain top. I climb to the top with Papa Smurf and enjoy the breeze as much as the view.
Date: 2010-07-07
From: High Point Shelter

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 18.9

The heat is unbelievable and affects everything about my hike right now -- what time I get up, what time I start my hike, how fast I can go, how often I rest, how long my breaks and lunch are to get out of the heat, my energy level and stamina, the water sources that are quickly drying up, my mental state, everything. The going is tough right now to say the least and just when you think you're saying goodbye to one trial (the rocks in PA), the next is waiting around the corner (brutal heat).I take my first ender today and attribute it in part to the heat as well. Coming down a slope my right foot catches and then slides on a piece of loose shale and my other foot is unable to find purchase to recover. It stuns me in the midst of all this that I won't recover as I begin to tumble head first, twisting as I fall to land on my right side and rolling onto my back to allow the pack to absorb most of the impact. No serious injury other than a scrape on the forearm and a bruise between my right pinky and ring finger where a rock jabbed into my hand. After 1300 miles, while I've had a few slips I've never hit the ground or tumbled before today. I mention the heat as a factor because in addition to the list above it slows everything down including my reaction time to an incident like this.I hike with Sugar Ray today who I last hiked with in VA. It's good to hike with him again and I enjoy his company. We have some good luck later in the day when a section hiker we passed on the trail, Hot Pants, shows up at our hike endpoint, which is still about 2.5 miles from the hostel we plan to stay at. We ask if her and her mom wouldn't mind giving us a lift to the hostel and they're happy to oblige. To our surprise they show up again later at the hostel and offer to give us a ride to the grocery store and the DQ! Mana from heaven these trail angels!!