morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2023-03-05
From: Ashfield Rd, PA 1254.9

To: Little Gap, Blue Mountain Drive, PA (1266.0)
Miles today: 11.1

First hike of 2023, and it was a doozy. As a bit of a refresher, as a PA native I am knocking off the rockiest part of Rocksylvania this winter. This way, if I roll an ankle or shred my shoes, I have plenty of time to recover before the main portion of my hike begins. When I start the 2nd half of my Flip Flop in April, I¢ll just skip this section and go directly from Port Clinton to Delaware Water Gap. Today¢s path continued to follow the Kittatinny Ridge line, which runs for 160 miles in PA. A nice, flat, peaceful hike¢¦Kittatinny Ridge walkuntil it hit Lehigh Gap, dropped down to Palmerston and the Lehigh River, then rocketed straight back up the other side of the gap. This climb out of Lehigh Gap is slightly notorious for being the most technical going north (to this point) transiting upwards over 1000 feet through a boulder field, and it required me to stow my poles and use my hands to help pull myself up and over several sketchy cliffs and rock hop almost a mile.Long way down...Glad I spent some time at the climbing gym this winter (note that the gym didn¢t improve my skill that much, just my confidence)! Also very happy to be doing it in dry weather.  About ¢ of the way up there were some beautiful views back over the river. It was a gusty day, and hawks soared over the mountain in the updrafts. The Kittatinny Ridge is an important migration route for raptors due to the reliable thermals. It was very enjoyable to relax a bit and watch them. It was also entertaining, if slightly nerve wracking, to watch a small plane try to land at the tiny airstrip near Palmerston with the strong cross winds in place. Blue Mountain, the mountain north of Lehigh Gap that I climbed, is a Superfund site after almost a century of zinc smelting. Enormous effort has gone into its remediation, working to transition it from moonscape back to its original state, and the AT has been recently relocated to take advantage of some of that work. I don¢t have a perspective on the ¢before¢, but the ¢after¢ offered a number of very fine open views as I completed the walk to Little Gap. It was clear that great care was being taken with the positioning of the new trail corridor - kudos to everyone involved.I finished at Little Gap, right near the entrance to the Blue Mountain ski resort. The B&B owner I spoke to this morning said that this year had been her worst in 20 years, even worse than Covid, due to the warmth of the winter. The resort itself, which makes its own snow, only had about half the runs open because of the low guest count. She was looking forward to the upcoming wedding and hiking season to help recover. I ended up a bit sore today, from the rocks and because I still have more work to do to get into hiking shape. Due to personal commitments this is my last hike this month: I will do a couple more day hikes in early April then start north from HF on April 23 if all goes well. In the meantime, I am following the adventures of the Nobos starting in GA. I hope to meet them live around July.
Date: 2023-04-12
From: Little Gap, Blue Mountain Drive, PA (1266.0)

To: Wind Gap, PA (1281.4)
Miles today: 15.4

These last 2 days in Northern PA, from Little Gap to Wind Gap to the Delaware Water Gap, are broadly considered to be the most obnoxiously rocky of the trail. So today, I was ¢¦wait for it¢¦ a rock star!Once more, I spent the day traveling the relatively-flat-but-very-rocky Kittatinny Ridge of Pennsylvania. Kittatinny means ¢the endless mountain¢ to the Lenni-Lenape tribe of Native Americans that inhabited the region. Stretching 185 miles from the Mason Dixon line to the Delaware Water Gap and encompassing 160 miles of the AT, this narrow spine of the Appalachian Mountains looms over the valley below and looks like the Great Wall of China marching southwest to northeast across the state, occasionally punctured by ¢gaps¢ that feed traffic from east to west. A very different feel from the Southern Appalachians.Today¢s weather was unseasonably warm, hitting the low 80¢s, with a bluebird sky. The trees have not leafed out yet and are just starting to bud, although the understory shrubs provided a nice burst of green.Not a green tunnel yetDespite the absence of leaf cover, there were relatively few views to be had.Today¢s only view Just as well - I spent the entire 15 miles focused on my shoes, trying to place each foot with precision to avoid tripping, rolling an ankle, or stepping on a razor sharp rock edge. Happily, I was largely successful, although I was absolutely delighted to finish the day - despite the low elevation change, the concentration and foot movements required have left me a bit sore and tired. The hike was otherwise notable for being a full water carry. There has been relatively little rain here so far this year and the water table is pretty low. All the reliable water sources were at least 0.5 miles off trail, so I loaded up my pack in advance. I was glad I did!Ok, so no views, no water, and lots of rocks. Perhaps not my favorite section of the AT, but I was grateful for the sunshine and the chance to see the forest getting ready to burst into spring.First signs of spring There was almost a feeling of anticipation - leaves budding, sap running, flying insects whizzing giddily through the air, as if they had just woken up. It will be a very different place in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow I will complete the Wind Gap to DWG section. It will be a long day with - wait for it - more rocks.
Date: 2023-04-13
From: Wind Gap, PA (1281.4)

To: Delaware Water Gap (1296.9)
Miles today: 15.5

Okay, perhaps I was a bit harsh in my last entry about the rocks. To be honest, yesterday was a bit of a slog. But today, I had a great time, as the combination of interesting views, more varied terrain, and a more open attitude kept me engaged throughout the day. The omens were not initially propitious. It was another hot day with a long water carry (again, I used every drop of my 6-12 lbs of water as the temperature hit an unseasonable 85 degrees); the rocks were supposed to be plentiful with a tricky climb 6 miles in; and I had a deadline to meet. To hit my target, I was on the trail at 7am. However, my mood lifted almost immediately as the soft early morning light filtered through the trees. I made good time through the first 6 miles, as today the trail provided occasional breaks from the rocks with soft and fast trail that allowed me to pick up time, easing the deadline pressure. And then the fun started!First stop was Wolf Rock. This is a bit of misnomer - it is a rock formation similar to the Knife Edge with large slabs of rock at an angle that needs to be traversed for 200-300 yards. The photo at the top of the entry is possibly the ¢Wolf¢ part of the formation, but there was no signage. It was moderately challenging to traverse but I was able to do so comfortably. The great thing about this formation is that it created a number of small cliffs on which to perch and look out over the top of the forest below. One of these became my midmorning break - very peaceful, with a gentle breeze, watching birds flutter in the air at the top of the canopy below.There were several great view spots today, overlooking both the PA countryside and the Delaware River as I approached Delaware Water Gap (interesting to note that if I had hopped in a canoe from here I could have paddled downstream to within 300 yards of my home).Delaware RiverAnd finally, there was a side quest along the way to an unmarked, abandoned (copper?) mine in the side of one of the rock formations. Interesting and a bit creepy at the same time.Coming to the end of the ridge, I worked my way down to Delaware Water Gap and celebrated the end of my northern PA section with a stop at the Apple Pie bakery before making my way home.Looking back over the past 80 miles - yes, the rocks are a bit tedious. But I really enjoyed the scrambling over Knife Edge, Lehigh Gap, and Wolf Rock, and the view from The Pinnacle. And it was flat. I am finding that each section has its own charms.I have now officially hiked more than half of the trail. In 10 days time I will start off full time from Harpers Ferry heading to Maine, skipping over this section I just completed. It is a bit of a scramble getting everything ready again to be gone for 3 months, but I can¢t wait to see the rest.
Date: 2023-04-23
From: Harpers Ferry, WV (1025.4)

To: Crampon Gap shelter, MD (1036.8)
Miles today: 11.4

I returned this weekend to Harpers Ferry, WV to commence my journey NOBO, having completed the HF to Springer section last fall. Yesterday was the Flip Flop kickoff, a series of workshops for prospective Flip Floppers, including such classics as ¢What the Funk?¢ by Jim Fetig, President of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. I had attended this program last year and found it helpful, as well as a nice way to meet some hikers that might be walking south at the same time as I was last fall.  I picked up my 2023 AT tag - lilac this year, compared to the hot pink of 2022. As my hike spans both calendar years, I will sport them both on my backpack. As opposed to last year¢s start SOBO in late August, I feel much more settled this year. Not confident - that would be begging for a Karma visit - but I know my gear and what it can do, and know that there is nothing for the first couple of weeks that I haven¢t seen before.  There are lots of benefits to doing a Flip Flop the way I am doing it, doing the South in the fall and the North in the spring/early summer - fewer crowds, better weather, fall foliage in the Southern Appalachians - but one consequence of doing my flip flop the way I have is there is that there is almost twice as much preparation. Planning, food prep, logistics. Organizing finances and my family for a long term absence. Convincing my long-suffering spouse that this is a splendid idea. Getting into hiking shape. I am glad to have that all behind me, and to get back in the saddle.This morning I started off from my bed and breakfast in historic Harpers Ferry, stopping to admire the confluence of the Potomac and the Shenandoah from Jefferson¢s Rock. Shenandoah merges into the Potomac here, and these two rivers have contributed to repeated flooding of the historic section over the years. It was a beautiful morning, perfect for hiking, and there were a number of other friends out early. The trail crosses the Potomac, enters Maryland (WV is only 4 miles long) and then hits the flattest stretch of the entire AT, 3 miles of canal footpath, before climbing past Weverton Cliffs up to the ridge with excellent views of the Potomac.; I met a number of fellow flipfloppers along the way (Neon, Maybe, Bones), all of whom were as excited as I was to get started. It was a relatively gentle day and, by design, relatively short - I was in camp by 1pm. I am try to keep my mileage down for the first 1-2 weeks to ease my body back into the saddle. However, at no point today did I regret having spent the past couple of months getting into shape. There are a number of people here at the shelter tonight, a mini bubble caused by the flip flop festival. Lots of introductions and laughter. The temperature is dipping fast, and the down puffy is coming out. It will be in the 30s for the next couple of nights.
Date: 2023-04-24
From: Crampton Gap shelter, MD (1036.8)

To: Pine Knob shelter, MD (1049.3)
Miles today: 12.5

To obtain your AT thru tag at the Harpers Ferry visitors center, you need to be able to list (or learn) the 7 principles of Leave No Trace:Plan ahead and prepareTravel and camp on durable surfacesDispose of waste properlyLeave what you findMinimize campfire impactsRespect wildlifeBe respectful of other visitorsWhile simple in concept, they can be tricky in application. There is a tree across the trail - do I walk off the trail and around the tree (to leave what I found) or move the tree so that I don¢t create any more impact from new temporary trails? (Answer: move the tree if possible). Is burning my trash in the camp fire an effective way to dispose of trash? (Answer: No. It will still attract animals.)Last night, the topic came up several times as we were eating dinner. More experienced hikers chipped in with coaching on how to do a proper bear hang (although bear safe containers are preferred), what to do with dirty cooking water, and the like. I was once again struck by what a cooperative enterprise it is that preserves the trail. As I had expected, it was cold last night, with a low of 35-36 degrees. After several hours of tweaking, I got to the point where everything was warm except my nose! I didn¢t sleep very well, so welcomed the early dawn and was out of camp promptly. Today I am hiking in Maryland (for those of you counting at home, I have now completed 5 states: GA, NC, TN, VA, and WV).  There are only 40ish miles of trail in MD, but a big dose of Civil War history - 10 sites in those 40 miles. Civil war battlefields and memorials, along with frequent interpretive information, predominate. Combined with estate ruins, an abandoned tomb, and the original Washington monument, it makes the Maryland section quite the historical journey. I am finding the overall trail in Maryland very well maintained (more of that cooperative enterprise) and very gentle after the rigors of Georgia and northern PA. It is a nice break, but I don¢t expect it to last long.  Still doing shorter mileage to ramp up - 12 miles today. I got into camp at 3pm after spending a lazy 2 hours over lunch at a campground. Oh, and Dominos delivered!  Several of us shared hot pizza at the campground, jet fuel for the second half of my hike. I have met a number of other flip flippers (Hambone, Ziplock, and a couple of women without trail names yet), all slowly making their way north. Looks like it will be a great group to be around for the next 3 months.
Date: 2023-04-25
From: Pine Knob shelter, MD (1049.3)

To: Raven Rock shelter, MD (1062.5)
Miles today: 13.2

(Quotation above from Sitting Bull)So, I read in another hiker¢s trail journal (Paul Mazouac) that the British Science Association determined that spring travels at about 1.9 miles per hour southwest to northeast across the UK. I thought this was pretty interesting, so looked up the reference. It is measured by asking the public to report their first sighting of several events - including swallows arriving, the flowering of hawthorn, etc. Now, let¢s assume that the eastern US is roughly similar, and I start hiking northward in early spring. Spring will be advancing at 45.6 miles per day, but I am advancing at, say, 15 miles per day, cutting the speed of transition by ¢. This means that my spring this year will be 33% longer than if I hadn¢t been hiking. Is this a new theory of relativity? A hole in the space-time continuum? Probably not, but it sure is a great reason to hike north in spring and south in the fall. And for those of you that wonder what kinds of things I think about while hiking 8-10 hours per day - there you have it. Last night dropped down to 33 degrees, pretty cold in my book for the reputed early spring. I did some jury rigging of my gear and was able to stay snug and warm, sleeping much better than the previous night. I did discover, to my dismay, that I have a very slow leak in my air mattress (this brand is notoriously fragile), so I will need to do something about that over the next couple of weeks. Right now I just need to reinflate it with a couple of breaths in the middle of the night. Hardly a tragedy. I started off about 7:15 this morning, and by 8:30 was perched on Annapolis Rocks, cliffs overlooking the PA farmlands in the valley.In another sign of spring, I was treated to a birdsong symphony. My bird call app tells me that, in a 30 second period, I heard calls from the following bird species:American goldfinchPine warblerRed bellied woodpeckerPurple finchBlue jayOven birdHouse finchNorthern cardinal And that does not include the silent hawk swooping in the air currents by the cliffs. It was a terrific way to start the day!It was another beautiful day for hiking. Maryland began to bare its teeth a bit today with some patches of rocks that are a precursor to Pennsylvania, but also treated me again to some fine trail and pastures.This is my last full day in the state, and I will leave tomorrow with a high regard for the trail here - akin to Tennessee, which I also feel doesn¢t get enough recognition. The facilities along this section of the trail have been exceptionally well maintained, providing a great base at the end of each day.Tonight there was a large, convivial group of section hikers, FlipFloppers (Hambone, Seadog, Weary, Wayfinder, Moonshiner) and Nobos (Surefoot, Prepper, Canary, Sim) at the shelter. The Nobos are moving faster than us - this is likely the last time we see them. Lots of trail magic rumors for the future, and swapping of intel on upcoming resupply points. It is forecast to be a bit warmer (a balmy 40 degrees) tonight so the group is upbeat.
Date: 2023-04-26
From: Raven Rock shelter, MD (1062.5)

To: Old Forge State Park, PA (1074.6)
Miles today: 12.1

Earworm noun - a song or melody that keeps repeating in one¢s mind. Merriam-Webster So, with 7-10 hours to kill hiking, it is inevitable that random things will flash through your mind. I¢ve been paying attention to the earworms that get trapped in my head lately, and have a couple of observations. My earworm of the day is usually triggered by one of my first thoughts on the trail in the morning. Most recently ¢On the road again,¢ when I started out of Harpers Ferry; ¢Off we go, into the wild blue yonder,¢ when facing an early morning climb.It can morph into a different earworm when I hit specific points in the trail. A rocky patch: ¢Feelin¢ groovy¢ (slow down, you move too fast). Checking my location: ¢where are you¢ morphs to the CSI theme ¢Who are you¢The ideal earworm matches the tempo of my walking speed. There is a marching band song that occasionally pops up in the earworm repertoire when I have a long road walk. Earworms can last for hours. It is when I noticed the other day that my earworm had degenerated into ¢the ants go marching one by one¢ that I decided enough was enough and threw on some headphones!Today¢s hike began promptly at 7 because I had a shuttle deadline into town. The weather was overcast, and the sun did not break through until later in the day, so I missed the filtered early morning light that I have come to enjoy. I crossed the MD/PA border (and the Mason Dixon line) by mid morning. With WV being 4 miles of trail and Maryland 40, it is technically possible to hike in 4 states (VA/WV/MD/PA) in one day - a trail tradition known as the ¢4 state challenge¢. Not me, though. Just happy to have 6 states under my belt. Pennsylvania is much longer in terms of trail miles, approximately 230, and is the actual midpoint of most theuhikes. Most NOBO thruhikers will hit it in June/July, when it can be hot, water-challenged, and sport a few too many snakes basking in the sun. I am glad I am coming through this time of year. Today¢s hike was relatively quiet. We have been noticing some odd things left along the trail over the past couple of days, that people have forgotten or have fallen out of their packs. I choked with laughter when I saw these though - the wicked witch of Pennsylvania must be lying underneath this log!Tonight I am at a lovely B&B in Waynesboro, PA, picking up food and get a hot shower. Many of the people I have been traveling with are also in town tonight. Rain is forecast this weekend, so people are making plans. I am tweaking my schedule to try to find someplace dry to stay¢¦we¢ll see if I am successful.
Date: 2023-04-27
From: Old Forge State Park, PA (1074.6)

To: Tent site, PA (1091.1)
Miles today: 16.5

Wisdom from experienced thruhikers is that this 2200 mile journey is best accomplished as a series of 3-4 day sections. Worry about the whole trip at one time and you will get overwhelmed; worry about how to get 50 miles up the trail and you are likely to be successful. I just finished the first section, Harpers Ferry WV to Waynesboro PA; now I am working on Waynesboro to Carlisle PA, another 4 day section. It was a stimulating day! First, I had my first sighting of the little guy above, a red eft (juvenile Eastern newt). They are very common out here, but he is the first one I have stumbled on. He was in the middle of the trail, so I gently ushered him to the side. If he avoids getting squashed by a hiker (or eaten by a predator!), he could have a life span of 12-15 years. Then, on the not so cute side, I had my first NOBO sighting of this big guy (timber rattlesnake). Nothing like an angry rattle to snap you out of a daydream. I waited patiently for him to slither off the trail before proceeding. In other news¢¦.TRAIL MAGIC! You might recall that towards the end of my SOBO hike last fall, I ran into Fresh Grounds and his Leapfrog Cafe van at a trailhead (and had some sterling blueberry pancakes and bacon). Today, I ran into him again, 1100 miles north. He ¢leapfrogs¢ up and down the trail surprising and delighting thruhikers with great cooked meals. Today it was burritos, with all the fixings. Just¢¦magic. My original plan had been to have lunch at 65 S barbecue in Fayetteville PA, only a 0.4 mi road walk from the trail. I was too full for lunch, thanks to my second breakfast burrito, but the reputation of the brisket was compelling, so I bought a small amount and carried it in my pack for dinner. Honestly the best brisket I have ever had and, mixed with my dehydrated Santa Fe corn pudding, an outstanding trail meal. I need to juggle my schedule a bit for rain that is forecast for the next 3 days, so passed by but did not stay at the Quarry Gap shelter - a shame because it was the nicest shelter I have ever seen, including fresh flowers, a porch swing, and a gnome home. The creativity and effort put into this shelter by its (volunteer) caretakers was a pleasure to see. Tonight I am camped at a tentsite located midway between two shelters, watching the sun set slowly in the West. Busy day - but the adventure continues. ***(More on the snake!)