morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-06
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal Hostel
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Miles from Springer: 955.8 I left a Pop Tart wrapper inside my ziploc bag that contains my handbook last night. As luck would have it, a mouse chewed a small hole through the bag last night. I heard this going on when I woke up in the middle of the night and took a good wack in the vicinity. Evidently I'm batting a thousand because Montana Mac, who was sleeping a level below me, said something fell on him after I did that. It is satisfying to know I've taught one rodent a lesson.This morning the sun was out for a full half hour when we woke up around 6:30 am. I knew my day was set to be short so I slept until 7:45 am and did not start hiking until 9 o'clock. The sun was only temporary because the fog rolled into Gravel Springs Gap.Today's hike was pretty spectacular actually. I haven't seen a single view of Shenandoah NP since my first day, but I did get some partial views today. Climbing up South and North Marshall Mountains, the fog was thick but became thin. Eventually I climbed above the clouds and had views of a few mountain tops with undercast conditions. Undercast is amazing to see and I've always enjoyed photos of it from the Mount Washington Observatory. Today I got to experience it!At the border of Shenandoah National Park, I ran into Mike, the owner of the Front Royal Hostel (Terapin Station). Since I was early, he took me to the grocery store. I bought the usual supplies plus a huge foot long sub and a quart of chocolate milk for lunch. It was delicious.The rest of the day, I relaxed. I watched the Penguins vs. Capitals and the Celtics vs. Magic with Wyoming and Crispy who arrived here around 4 or 5:00pm. We each had pizza and snacks while enjoying a bit of normal life.
Date: 2009-05-07
From: Front Royal Hostel

To: Dicks Dome Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: moderate rain

Miles from Springer:   974.8I bought an awesome breakfast yesterday for this morning. It consisted of an orange, apple, 2 boston cream donuts, and a cheese danish. Talk about the best part of waking up! In case you're wondering how much weight I've lost since hiking, I weighed myself last night and I'm down to 159 lbs. I was between 175 and 180 when I left. So my main goal is not to hike anymore but rather to stuff my face.   This is going to be a fun next 1,200 miles! I love food!I left the hostel at 8:20 am and had partly cloudy, humid conditions to hike in. It began to rain a bit before I reached the first shelter for lunch at 11:00 or so. In the shelter, I had lunch and then it downpoured for the next half hour. I had rain pants on, but kept my rain jacket off. My lightweight synthetic shirt worked well in the rain and I wasn't cold since it was so humid. I didn't mind the wet weather too much.Three miles past the shelter, the sun came out and humidity only increased. From here, there was an 800' climb to Manassas Gap Shelter which I reached at 2 o'clock. I heard thunder in the distance, so I sat there for awhile. Four rounds of T'showers rolled through with intervals of sun between each over the next 3 hours. People at the shelter left once the sun came out the first time, but I knew better from looking at the clouds. I waited through all the rounds. I love having weather knowledge. It is extremely beneficial for this trip.I left the shelter at 5:00pm and hiked 4.5 miles to Dicks Dome Shelter under partly cloudy skies. The streams and creeks around here are flowing. In fact, some of them, which you are supposed to step across with stones, are unpassable with the usual route. We sure could use some dry weather around these parts.
Date: 2009-05-08
From: Dicks Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: few clouds

Miles from Springer:   993.1The shelter last night was quite different from the usual three walled shelters. This one was a dome but in some aspects it resembled a shed . Caribou and Tyler were there last night as well. I left before them this morning at about 8:20 am.The sun was out and it was nice to have my rain gear and cover within my backpack. The first five miles were through Sky Meadow State Park. Trails were well maintained and the scenery was wonderful. From here, I had a descent to U.S. 50/17, which is a four lane road followed by a weak ascent.I decided to hike to Rod Hollow Shelter for lunch. The final 0.2 miles turned out to be extremely difficult. With all the rain the past week, all the creeks and streams are well above their normal levels. Water is going down the trail and normal paths are flooded. I wound up relying on a log to cross the creek to the shelter.When I opened my pack to get to some tortillas, all of my gear below my water bladder was soaked! I have a tiny hole near the fill-up nozzle of the camelback. Unfortunately, this is the piece of gear that allows me to drink while hiking and now I have to resort to my spare bladder which will require me to stop and open my pack to drink. I laid out my wet gear in the sun during lunch and was hiking again by 12:40pm.Just after the shelter, a famous piece of the AT began called the roller coaster. The terrain contains steep 15 to 30 minute ascents and descents over 17 or so miles. The trail is also littered with jagged rocks so my pace was slow for the rest of my hike to Bear's Den Hostel.Bear's Den Hostel is a large, stone building on top of a ridge that is used by hikers and groups. I arrived at 5:00 pm and was ready to relax after a taxing day. The hostel is extremely comfortable and clean. A group rented the second floor and they are from Richmond. I guess they are part of the Potomac Appalachian Mountain Club. There were four other hikers tonight, but I am the only thru-hiker. For dinner, I had a large, supreme Tombstone pizza and a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food ice cream. I highly recommend Phish Food because it is heaven.
Date: 2009-05-09
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: few clouds

Miles from Springer: 1013.4I had a phenomenal sleep last night. A comfortable mattress and cotton sheets put me on cloud 9. I started my morning routine around 7:00 am and used the kitchen to make oatmeal and hot chocolate. The hiking group was making eggs, sausage, and a huge fruit salad. I have to admit, I was salivating at all three, but especially at the fruit salad. Luckily for me, they offered me the leftovers! I finished off the fruit salad which was probably 3 servings for a normal individual.My feet were on the trail by 8:45 am and I had five miles left of the roller coaster, which I was happy to see end. About 3 miles in, I saw the sign noting the border of WV/VA. The trail follows the border for the next 9 miles, but it felt really good to somewhat leave VA after 540 miles in that state.About 5 miles beyond the sign, I completed mile 1000 of the AT for me! There was nothing noting this accomplishment other than my mental state. I stopped at David Lesser Memorial Shelter for lunch at 1:00 pm and filled up with water. At this point, I was still 9 miles from Harper's Ferry and I knew the Appalachian Trail Headquarters closed at 5:00 pm. So I was hauling from the shelter which I left at 1:50 pm.I got to the descent from the ridge to US340 which has a long footpath beside the busy road over the Shenandoah River. I made it to a sign that said "AT Headquarters 0.4 miles" at 4:30 pm and expected another sign leading me to the building, but I went all the way to the downtown area which is 0.7 miles beyond the AT office. I retraced my steps and got to the building at 5:01 pm. Thankfully, the volunteer working kept the office open so I could have my official AT picture taken.From here, I walked back downtown to buy a new bladder, 3 miles to 7-11 for a resupply, and then back downtown to stay at the Town's Inn Hostel. A guy staying in the bunkhouse with me, Johnny, is biking along a new path that goes from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA. He and I went across the street for dinner at the Secret Six Tavern. Each of us ordered the Surf and Turf special and drank a couple beers. It was great to have a good conversation and sit outside facing the Potomac River.Today was a great day on the AT and I feel like this trip is going to be over before I know it. There may still be over 1,000 miles of trail left, but I just finished the largest states and approach home territory (the north). Tomorrow I'm in Maryland!
Date: 2009-05-10
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Stealth Camping Beyond Washington Monument
Miles today: 20.6

Miles from Springer:   1,034Yet another great sleep last night. My body really enjoys any form of comfort. I woke up at 7:00 am and wrote some journal entries while chowing down on two jumbo, glazed honey buns (each with 500 calories). I packed up and said good bye/good luck to Johnny before leaving the Town's Inn. I explored town and took plenty of pictures for the next hour. I was waiting for the outfitter to open at 10:00 am before skipping town. I have actually become a tourist feature. Many folks were snapping pictures as I walked downtown. The stick, beard, and backpack must give me away.Once I purchased denatured alcohol from the outfitter, I decided to have breakfast at the inn next door. I had 2 eggs, orange juice, and french toast. It was all delicious, but not as filling as I needed to be, so I added a cliff bar and 2 fruit snacks.I used the footbridge across the Potomac River and entered Maryland. The first 3 miles of the trail was on the C&0 (Chesapeake and Ohio) towpath with an old canal. People were biking and hiking in abundance on a splendid, comfortable Mother's Day. The sun was out and a nice breeze persisted all day.After the canal, there was a good climb up the ridge before a relaxing walk on top. The trail crossed Gathland State Park which was a giant arch built by a civil war correspondent. The arch is the size of the one in Bushnell Park in Hartford. I had lunch and filled up my water here at 2:00 pm.The next 6 miles were all ridge walking. I got to my original destination (15 miles beyond Harpers Ferry) at 5 o'clock and decided to continue hiking until I made it a 20 mile day. This required me to hike up to the Washington Monument. It is a stone structure similar in size and design to Fox Hill Tower in Vernon, CT. I took a few photos and hiked a mile or so beyond before I found a place to camp.
Date: 2009-05-11
From: Stealth Camping Beyond Washington Monument

To: Deer Lick Shelters
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: clear sky

Miles from Springer:   1,059.1 I rolled out of camp at 8:20 am and it was cool so I wore my rain jacket and pants. I had a couple Pop Tarts for breakfast and that satisfied me for a couple hours.It wasn't long before I crossed I-70 on a overhead footbridge that is labeled "Appalachian Trail". Since it was Monday, there were plenty of cars and trucks going by. I enjoyed the fact that they were likely thinking I was crazy for hiking an entire trail; I thought they were all less fortunate since they were going to work all day! Suckers!Just beyond was Pine Knob Shelter. A trail angel left sodas inside so I sat and enjoyed a cream soda. There was a good climb, for Maryland standards, up to Annapolis Rocks. The view wasn't really worth mentioning, but it was better than the usual green scenery on trail. I ate lunch a bit further down trail.Once down the ridge, it began to spit hard enough to require me to put a pack cover on my backpack. The trail zig-zagged and wasn't too well defined as it went through a low elevation forest before going through tall grass fields.It was a steep, rocky climb up High Rock ridge and a treacherous descent a couple miles later. I define a trail as being "rock" if I focus on stepping on rocks rather than dirt between rocks. On the way down, I was stepping from sloped boulder to the next. Plenty of opportunities for injury through here.After 20 miles of hiking, I arrived at PenMar Park. This is the Mason-Dixon line, so I celebrated by ordering a large, onion, pepperoni, pepper, and hamburger pizza with a slice of cheesecake. The delivery came at 6:00 pm and I almost finished the entire pie by 6:30 pm. I packed out the cheesecake and a couple slices for the final five miles to the shelter. It rained the whole way and I was not happy. There was no official Mason-Dixon sign, I was tired, and my stomach was unsettled.I pulled in late, around 8 o'clock, and immediately went to sleep.
Date: 2009-05-12
From: Deer Lick Shelters

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Miles from Springer: 1,082.3Despite my sour mood yesterday, I am elated to be in Pennsylvania. I feel like I'm home. Just being in the North made it easier to hike today. The sunshine helped as well. I began the day at 8:05 am and passed two shelters within 3.6 miles. The three Pop Tarts didn't last long in my stomach, so at the second shelter I pulled out two slices of leftover pizza and a candy bar. A guy at the shelter was a Penn State student so we had a good conversation for a half hour.From here, I climbed Chimney Rocks. Just before, I got sprayed by a helicopter which is treating for gypsy moths. I was pissed despite the numerous signs informing hikers that the spray was not harmful and would occur from May 4 to some later dates I can't remember. It made the air smell terrible and I covered my nose. I hope that doesn't happen again.On the ridge, there was a few rocky spots. I had a great view at one point of a ridge to the east. Pennsylvania is beautiful even when I'm not in Happy Valley. I intersected US30 on the descent of the ridge and walked 0.8 miles west to Henicle's Market for a little resupply and lunch. I had a half length sub with everything on it. It was delicious. An apple, black cherry cola, and pint of Hershey's Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream supplemented the sandwich.I treked back to the trail while I ate the ice cream and entered Caledonia State Park.I took a break for foot care and left at 3 o'clock. It was 2.5 miles uphill to Quarry Gap Shelter and once I arrived, I decided to keep going.With the sun, low humidity, and comfortable temperatures (mid 60s), I went an additional 7.4 miles to the next shelter. One noticeable scenery difference today was the quantity of evergreen trees. I hit a thick patch at one point that made me think I was in N.H..Once at the shelter, I set up my tent and made instant mashed potatoes for dinner. Today was a top 3 day for me on the AT. The pleasant weather has also ushered the section hikers to the woods tonight (5 total). Just Montana Mac and I are thru hiking.
Date: 2009-05-13
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 25.4
Weather: broken clouds

Miles to Katahdin:   1,070.6One thing I know about Pennsylvania is that it can get chilly in mid May. Here, I will reference an instance from last spring. My roommate Mike woke me up early in the morning (around 4:00 am) so I could see the snow. Last night it didn't snow but the clear skies and dry air allowed temperatures to plummet into the 30s. My sleeping bag is for 45 degrees and above. To make up for the temperature deficit, I had my long underwear, shorts, and rain pants on for my lower half and a mid weight long sleeve shirt with a down jacket for my upper half. I had a so-so sleep and never had the chills once my entire stash of clothing was worn.The fly on my tent plus the ground cloth were covered with dew so I was slow to leave the shelter area this morning. I let them dry in the low angle sunshine which wasn't all too effective. I was hiking by 8:20 and my body felt great. A milestone for the hike today was passing the halfway point. The total mileage of the trail this year is listed as 2,178.3 miles so at 1,089.15 I'd mathematically be equal distances from Springer Mountain and Mount Katahdin. I took a picture at Toms Run Shelter which is just 0.6 miles before the halfway point since there were two gentlemen there to take my picture. Beyond the shelter the trail was very soggy. I passed a stone wall that was a ruin from a WWII camp. Only two miles down trail I entered Pine Grove Furnace State Park. When I arrived, Montana Mac informed me that I was lucky that the general store was open because it normally isn't during the weekdays before Memorial Day. The reason I was lucky is that this is the site of the half-gallon ice cream challenge. I selected chocolate as my flavor of choice to take on this task. I took out my spoon and dug in at 12:06. It tasted fantastic. Hershey's makes phenomenal ice cream. Their Moose Tracks are the best, but I thought the fudge and peanut butter cups would add weight to the challenge so I stuck with a flavor without toppings. Chocolate also had the least calories of all the flavors. I got 3/4 of the way before I started to not enjoy the ice cream. I got up and walked around between bites to hold it all down. After 40 minutes of ice cream consumption, I am officially a member of the half-gallon club. I have pictures and a wooden spoon as proof. Two men from Florida enjoyed watching me do it more than I had competing I think. One impressive aspect of my experience was that I never had a brain freeze, but I sat around for an hour and 20 minutes before I could hike again. Unfortunately, I still had 15 miles to go.I passed the furnace and went uphill to the halfway sign on the AT (old mileage) and took a few pictures. The day was a bit too long for my liking, but the weather was perfect so I planned a 25 mile day and stuck to the plan. I pulled into my destination shelter late (around 7:00 pm) and made a quick dinner before going to bed. A "filling" day of hiking on the AT.
Date: 2009-05-14
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

Miles to Katahdin:   1,052.4Two nights ago I called for details on the forecast since I wanted to plan my days according to the conditions to arrive in Duncannon on Friday. Mike said the clouds would arrive late yesterday and then today would be wet. He was correct. This morning I hiked in the rain and even thunderstorms for the first four miles. They were all downhill but eventually I hit open farm land. That made me uncomfortable obviously so I hiked quickly to Boiling Springs, Pa. It is a very quaint town with a beautiful town green and pond. This is also the home of Mid-Atlantic ATC office. I sat inside for an hour until Montana Mac showed up. While waiting, I met Peter NoName who was ending his hike here after hiking from Springer. He was not intending to thru hike and he looked a bit discouraged to end his journey.Once Montana Mac showed up, we waited until 11:00 am for the local pizza shop to open. Conditions were terrible, if not dangerous, to hike so this was a good siesta. I ordered a meatball grinder and two slices of pizza. They were amazing.   I enjoyed these dishes while reading the Sentinel newspaper.After lunch, the sun was out and Montana Mac and I pushed on. This may be the flattest section of trail and also the least rocky. There is 14 miles of valley hiking here, all of it through farm land. It was a bit humid and the long grass was hard to trek through. I was especially concerned about tics. I pulled one off the other day in Maryland and one again today. Neither had begun any blood sucking yet. We crossed I-81 again and hiked through a cow pasture before stopping at Scott Farms AT Trail Work Center. Montana Mac and I filled up on water and had a snack at the picnic table talking to local teen about the trail.The rest of the hike was up a ridge and it rained on us for about 2 miles before ceasing. We made it to the shelter around 6:30 pm and right after settling in, it poured for 15 minutes. I enjoyed watching the rain from a dry environment while eating mashed potatoes.
Date: 2009-05-15
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Miles to Katahdin:   1,041.0Montana Mac and I weren't in a hurry to leave this morning since we both planned to stay at the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon. When I peeped my head out of the sleeping bag and saw fog, I just went back to sleep. I ended up leaving the shelter at 8:30 am, just after Montana Mac.The hike was straight down and into another valley filled with farms. I walked through the tall grass and quickly became uncomfortably wet from all the dew. I caught up to Montana Mac on top of the next ridge. Walking was a bit strenuous from the high density of rocks on the trail of Cove Mountain.Around 12:30pm, we reached Hawk Rock. From this spot we overlooked Duncannon and the Susquehana River. It was a beautiful site. The hike down into town wasn't too bad either beside a tenth of a mile which was composed of pure fist-sized rocks.My immediate destination was the Doyle Hotel. This is a rustic place that is very hiker friendly. I purchased a room for $29 and took a shower in the community bathroom. The water went from hot to scorching whenever someone ran water in any of the bathrooms.Montana Mac and I drank a few beers, ate jumbalaya, went to the grocery store, ate dinner, and went for ice cream over the course of the afternoon. I had my fill of food by the time 9:00 pm rolled around, so I sat at the bar to read the USA Today and listen to the live guitarist. 11 o'clock was my bed time.
Date: 2009-05-16
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Harrisburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Zero DayI didn't leave my room this morning until 10:30 am. I threw away my last few corn tortillas and emptied my water bladder before departing. The pack was nice and light. From the hotel, I went down the street for a beard and hair trim. My hair turned from unruly to borderline tidy and the beard is more even.The rest of midday I spent reading Men's Journal magazine. There was an article about the Appalachian Trail which I believe to be a huge swing and a miss. Obviously the authors never thru hiked since recommended places to stay were about $100 a night and the highlights were mostly off trail destinations. I enjoyed a cheeseburger at the Doyle for lunch.My dad rolled into town at 2:10 pm and we went immediately to our hotel in Harrisburg, but we were a bit early for our room so we went to Friendly's for a late lunch at 4:00 pm. Afterward, we went back and checked in. I was able to play my guitar before we took a drive to Hershey's Chocolate World. I hadn't been there since I was real little. Upon entering, I recognized one of the students I taught in Meteo 003 and we talked for a quick minute.The chocolate ride was fun. We got a free fun sized candy bar which isn't close to hiker size, so I bought some king size bars for later.I intended to meet up with my friend and his fiance for dinner, but severe weather kept him at work. My dad and I decided to eat at Chili's around 8:30 pm and I ordered a steak with mashed potatoes and corn. The meal was great and we were able to sit and watch the thunderstorms blow through. My friend met up with me for a few drinks. I'm definitely in the mood for Penn State!
Date: 2009-05-18
From: Penn State, State College, PA

To: Duncannon, PA & Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Miles to Katahdin:   1,029.7It was very gracious of Mike to allow us to stay at his apartment last night. We left at 8:30 am and completed many chores before leaving town. OME worth noting was a trip to the Waffle Shop for breakfast. I had blueberry pancakes and home fries. They were delicious and I'm sure my dad enjoyed his meal more since he proclaimed it was the best breakfast he'd ever had.We left State College at 1:00pm and arrived in Duncannon by 2:30pm. I took 15 minutes or so to prepare my backpack and put on hiking clothes. My dad hiked a mile in town with me before leaving. It was tough to say goodbye since we each had a great weekend. Thanks dad.I crossed the Juniata and Susquehana rivers before climbing up a ridge. The weather was perfect today and I was able to stay on the ridge until I arrived at the shelter just after 7:00 pm. There are 3 older section hikers staying here tonight. It is nice to have company but I sure could use a mattress.