morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-17
From: @ 2 miles after Tagg Run Shelter

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The first night with the tent was fabulous. The mesh option is wonderful during the hot nights we are experiencing now.   This morning I awoke to the realization that although I remembered some aspects of hiking clearly, there are some that I selectively forgot. For instance, the incessant rotisserie style sleeping. It was only the first night and already I had to rotate from hip to hip every couple hours during the night in an effort to lessen the discomfort! I cannot even begin to imagine thru-hiking before sleeping pads. After the night of endless rotating, we were up and hiking early. We hiked a few miles toward the next shelter. The highlight of this never-ending leg was a circuitous boulder field in which we wound up, around and through giant boulders. After lunch we were treated to a couple uphills just to remind us what the Appalachian Trail is all about. Then just as I was cursing my legs the trail flattened and then unceremoniously dumped us into a corn field. For over two miles we wound through cornfields in the scorching sun. It was over 90 degrees in the shade - which we were most decidedly not in. Finally we exited the fields and found ourselves on the outskirts of Boiling Springs, PA. We intended to stay just outside town at the Backpaker¢s Campsite, but found out that a man in town allows hikers to camp on his back lawn for a dollar. We graciously turned over our $2 and headed for a gas station to down icy cold beverages. It was so hot that our bodies were working like sieves. We couldn't put as much into our bodies as we were sweating out even though we drank constantly.
Date: 2006-06-18
From: Boiling Springs

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

Sunday began with the most unlikely of scenarios. I was hiking by 7:00. Yes, that means I was awake, had eaten and packed before 7:00. In fact, I'd had a ham and cheese sandwich and weighed my pack too (26 lbs!). We went 10+ miles by 12:30. It was extremely hot. We were sweating profusely but were really enjoying ourselves. I found blackberries along the way and ate as I walked. We saw a rattlesnake as we weaved through cornfields again.My feet feel remarkably good. No signs at all of last year's crippling pain. I do have a couple blisters but they don't hurt at all. Hopefully this relative lack of problems is a good sign. I'm feeling optimistic! Even with the 15 miles we hiked today, we both felt good. I was really enjoying using my radio and IPod. It's nice to sing along as I trudge up hills or scurry down. I have a feeling I will be using these more this year than last. I figured out a way to attach my radio and IPod to my shoulder strap for easy access.
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

No hill too steepNo trail too long,To Keep our loveFrom growing strong!This was the poem on our wedding invitations and announcements. We're five days and about 45 miles into our Appalachian Trail adventure and so far this holds true.Today we flew through our planned 7.3 miles and decided to cruise four more into Duncannon. Our bodies felt great so the added mileage was OK. We procrastinated deciding where to stay so we ended up crashing on another hiker's hotel room floor. During the evening we hung out at the famous (in the hiker world) Doyle Hotel. A legendary hiker named Warren Doyle enjoyed staying at this hotel and has made it famous among AT thru-hikers. The Doyle is indescribable. Everyone is extremely friendly, the food is fabulous, and the location perfect. But aesthetically the Doyle leaves something to be desired. The building is ancient and somewhat dilapidated. Inside the bar/restaurant it is dark and smoky. The rooms are rented out by the bartender/waitress/cook. None of the rooms are airconditioned, meaning that one must open the windows or risk overheating to death. But none of the windows even have screens. Some of the "deluxe" rooms have ceiling fans or a single bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. We are in the "honeymoon suite" which actually has both! The bathrooms are dormitory style ... about 15 hikers to a bathroom (can you imagine the scum build up in those showers?). All in all an interesting (though enjoyable) experience.
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today we are taking a zero day. Even though our bodies feel incredible, we are being careful to start slow to prevent injuries. It would be devastating to have to leave a second time because of injury. We have met many wonderful people. Tonight we are looking forward to socializing and then getting a good night's sleep (Doyle style) before heading into the woods tomorrow. Our next planned stop is Port Clinton. We promise to update our maildrop list soon!Back to the woods!
Date: 2006-06-21
From: Duncannon

To: before PA 325
Miles today: 17.1

Summer is officially here! And we took advantage of the longest day of the year by hiking our biggest day yet. I'm exhausted so this entry will be brief. The walk out of Duncannon went quickly (a mile of road walk, then a bridge walk). We crossed the Susquehana River which is apparently the fourth largest on the trail. The climb out of Duncannon was rumored to be awful. But, for us it was quick and steady. We mixed things up today and Souleman lead. Usually I go first, but he set a nice constant pace and I enjoyed the change. I was very proud of myself for keeping up all day. My poison ivy which used to be only around my ankles has spread. Now it is on my fingers, my back, my rear end and my calves. It is not too itchy, but is vastly uncomfortable. My skin burns when I sweat. At least today wasn't quite as hot as it has been because all that extra sweat would have been unbearable. Heald gave me some Aveno creme packs that seem to be helping. The patch on my back is right where my hip belt rests so it is getting rather irritated. But, it's these experiences that make me tough, right? Other than the poison ivy my body feels wonderful.
Date: 2006-06-22
From: before PA 325

To: Rauch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: broken clouds

BOOM - CRASH - BOOM!! We awoke at 5AM to thunder and lightening rumbling in the distance. We both scrambled out of the tent to secure the fly, stash our packs under the vestibule and get our food bag out of the tree. It was inevitable that our tent would get drenches, but we were determined to keep as much gear dry as possible. As soon as Souleman pulled his second foot into the tent and reached for the zipper it stareted raining. The thunderstorm raged outside for hours. We waited the storm out and were on the trail (and dry!) at 9 AM.Pennsylvania is supposed to be full of snakes. My fear of unexpectedly encountering a copperhead is large enough that I've decided to turn the lead-hiker role over to Souleman for the duration of PA. The first few miles were uphill and I faithfully followed as he lead me steadily up switchback after switchback. We stopped only twice - once for a Snickers break after the uphill and once for lunch. The day went by quickly and mercifully without further rain.We are currently camped by a river which happens to have a perfect swimming hole. We were able to bathe in the river after dinner which felt incredible. It's been so hot and sticky lately that we feel incredibly gross. Speaking of gross, my poison ivy is still showing up in new places -- now there are two spots of my back -- just out of reach of my fingernails, of course! Now I'm paranoid about it spreading further.We can hear thunder in the distance. Souleman just heard an emergency broadcast on the radio -- "Severe thunderstorm warning, winds with 60 MPH winds and penny sized hail. Seak shelter inside a building." Does a one-layer nylon tent count? We're about to find out. The real bummer is that we are exactly .4 miles from a shelter. We stayed here because of the river and perfectly flat tent spot.Our bodies are handling the adjustment to hiking well. Souleman has bruised feet, but that's normal. I'm experiencing that as well as a couple small blisters where my new orthodics rub. Luckily I feel none of the tendon pain from last year. I'm staying optimistic.We just prepared for the storm. We collected all our loose belongings and stashed them inside the tent. Our packs will stay inside with us today, rather than risk being whisked out of our vestibule by a strong wind. We briefly debated making a run for the shelter, but by the time we decided it was already raining. I'm remembering statistics about deaths caused by lightening. Eek! At least we are in a valley!
Date: 2006-06-25
From: Swatara Spring

To: Port Clinton Pavilion
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning I was a little worried that God forgot his promise about floods, or that somehow PA wasn't included in this promise. We woke up and it was still pouring. We snuggled back under our sleeping bags and turned on the radio in an attempt to hear a weather forecast. No such luck. Eventually we simply couldn't stay in the nylon enclosure anymore. When we peaked outside the tent to check the damage from the rain a nasty sight confronted us. Our tent was completely surrounded by a giant puddle. We're talking a four inch or more deep puddle. Under the vestible our packs were sitting in four inches of water. Souleman poked the floor in dismay. You know how if you poke a waterbed ripples wave out across the bed? The finger poke to our tent floor had the same effect. Wet didn't even begin to describe our surroundings.Eventually we had no choice but to go out in the rain. We accepted the fact that we would be cold and wet and just scurried out to take down camp. Almost immediately we were both soaked and cold. He said he would understand if I was in a bad mood because I hate to be wet and cold. But, we laughed together and made the best of this bad situation. Full of giggles we stuffed out mouths with soggy Poptarts and started walking.The trail was a river today so we never even attempted to keep our feet dry. We just splashed through the muck. The rain kept us moving. We ate our lunch standing under a tree. We trudged 13+ miles today without stopping or sitting down. Luckily the terrain was very gentle. The highlights of the day were seeing a large black snake slither across the trail in front of us and finding a turtle hiding from the rain underneath a fallen log.As we hiked today we made up a million verses to "Froggy Went a Courting." It was a complicated silly song. If nothing else it kept our minds off of the rain. This was important because our radios stopped working because of all the moisture and there wasn't anything to look at but raindrops.Even with the days adversity we remained upbeat. Now we're in Port Clinton in the "pavilion." The town lets hikers sleep here for free. We are making an attempt at drying out our gear, though there is so much moisture in the air and rain coming down that it may be a futile effort. Last time I checked there is still standing water in out tent. My fingers are a weird color and are all pruney. Our clothes are all soaked and cold, but we don't want to take them off because body heat will dry them more quickly than this damp air. It's still thundering and raining but at least we are protected under the pavilion.
Date: 2006-06-26
From: Port Clinton Pavilion

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: moderate rain

Today I walked on water. I walked in it, through it, over it and around it. Water has dictated much of our last few days. Yesterday our gear was all soaked and we were extremely grateful for the Port Clinton pavilion to hang everything to dry. We sat around with all the other hikers last night and wathced rain fall in copious amounts. Every time that we would surmise that it simply couldn't rain any more, more rain would fall. This morning rain was still coming down just as hard. We decided on a zero day and headed to Cabelas, an outdoor store to pass the day. Unfortunately they had none of the gear we needed, but it passed some time. The inside of the store was like a zoo -- except all the animals were dead. They had all been taxidermied. Having been out on the trail in nature it was really disturbing to see all these animals that were dead. It reavowed our aversion to hunting.When we returned to the pavilion the weather had improved and we decided to head back out to the wods. As soon as we left town the trail became a river - literally. The river in Port Clinton had overflowed and it purged its contents onto the trail. We walked through water and at some points it was over my knees. It was cold , rishing water and full of debris. I worried about snakes being in the water, but trudged n anyway. There was a steep uphill right out of town and it was slipery and wet. But we hiked quickly. Of course it started raining again when we had been out for about 30 minutes. Luckly this time our gear stayed dry. Our shoes and socks are hopeless and our shirts are wet too. We are staying in a shelter tonight for the first time this year to avoid the rain. I doubt we will stay in shelters much, but I am grateful for the option tonight.Update: the poison ivy is mostly gone.
Date: 2006-06-27
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: moderate rain

Today was one of those hard, tough, indescribable days. This is the kind of day you cannot explain to a non-hiker. It poured all night. We stayed in the shelter which made packing up exponentially easier -- and made our packs infinitely lighter. There were four separate thunderstorms today with constant rain inbetween. It rained unbelievably hard. We were so wet that we couldn't possibly get more wet. Neither of us could think of a single dry spot on our whole bodies. People are simply not meant to be this wet for this long. Gross things start happening to your skin. Today is a day that I'm glad I experienced because I know it made me stronger as a person in some way, but I wouldn't want to go through it again. The trail was like a river. At points we sludged for miles at a time through running water. I'm not sure our shoes or feet will ever recover.
Date: 2006-06-28
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Palmerton Hotel
Miles today: 17.7

Today I'd like to pay tribute to my gaitors. For the last 7 rainy days they have shielded my legs from the cold rain. Even more importantly they have protected me from the knowlege of what gross things were floating somewhere in the murky water I was trudging through. I never know how much I wuold come to cherish these pieces of waterproof fabric.The sun finally came out today. It rained this morning, I guess to remind us what it is like to be wet. Trust me, the "wetness" hadn't escaped me. Our clothes hadn't even fully dried yet. I have had quite enough of going to sleep in wet clothes and waking up damp only to go out in the rain and get soaked again. The constant wetness only intensifies the nasty hiker smell. We haven't done laundry since Duncannon. This alone makes for a noxious odor. Additionally we haven't showered in about seven days. Yesterday Souleman kept saying that he smelled a skunk. Eventually I had to tell him that I thought the skunk-like smell was us!This morning we awoke at daybreak and rather than doze in and out of sleep for the next few hours we decided to pack up and get hiking. A glance at the time as we headed up the trail revealed that it was not yet 6:00. Yikes! Starting this early made the miles seem to fly by. By lunch we'd done 10 miles. The last miles ticked off pretty quickly. Generally we can take any abuse the trail throws at us with a smile when we know a town is at the finish line that day. Part of today was on the infamous Pennsylvania rocks. We were precariously perched on top of wet slanted rocks trying painstakingly to step without sliding down either side of the ridge. Our poles saved us from long potentially dangerous slides more than once. As we traversed the rather treacherous boulder fields we concluded that neither of our mothers would live through this portion of the trail. It seems impossible that a blind man was able to hike this -- but he did, and that humbled us a little. Thankfully we encountered no snakes and were for a few hours relieved of the rain. Inbetween rock fields we were treated to a mountaintop covered in blueberries! We ate and ate and even put a bunch into a waterbottle to enjoy later.We made it to town and retrieved our much anticipated maildrop (thanks mom!) The lady who gave us a ride insisted upon giving us a souvenier from the hitch. She handed me a bracelet and a tube of lotion and wished us well before she swirved up the road away from us.Now we are in Palmerton staying at the Inn. The room is airconditioned and has a luxurious bed. Tomorrow we are taking a zero and I plan to do some hardcore relaxing!
Date: 2006-06-29
From: Palmerton Hotel

To: Palmerton Hotel
Miles today: 0.0

Zero Day! Days Events:1. slept in2. Laundry3. Groceries4. New shorts for Brownie (mine ripped)5. Pizza6. Replacement Knife (we accidentally threw ours away)7. Post Office8. Library (internet use)9. Relax watching Everyone Loves Raymond re-runs10. Bed -- early!
Date: 2006-06-30
From: Palmerton Hotel

To: campsite
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: scattered clouds

It is lovely to be back on the trail. The break was much needed, but it was definitely time to return to the woods. The climb out of Palmerton was a beast. It was basically a 2 1/2 mile rock scramble. I have no fear of heights normally, but the angles at which we were scrambling up cliffs did raise my pulse a few times today.My new shorts seemed fine today. For $14.99 I'm rather satisfied. Our ankles are protesting the uneven surfaces we've been scrambling over. Luckily PA will be behind us soon. Hello NJ!! Tonight we're tenting at a backpackers campsite. The sky became ominously dark about 2 miles before our destination. A few raindrops fell and we hurried to get our packcovers out and resigned ourselves to the fact that once again, we were going to get wet. This ime the rain held off though and we actually had time to set up our tent and throw our bear bag rope before more raindrops fell. We were scandalously dangerous and cooked dinner in our tent vestibule as the rain finally arrived. By the time we had cooked and eaten our gourmet trailside meal, the rain stopped and we were able to hang our smell-ables and get situated in the tent dryly. (The tent smells like wet-dog because we forgot to dry it in the hotel. Yuck.)Oh, I almost forgot, today we were hiking up the big uphill at our ever-moderate pace when two guys passed us. We exchanged pleasantries and introductions and continued on our way. They were also thru-hikers but were clearly going much more quickly. Well about an hour later we are shaken from our hiking groove when we see two hikers coming toward us. It is the same two guys we met just a little bit ago. Souleman takes his headphones off in confusion and looks at me. One of the guys asks us "are you southbounders?" Of course we answer no. They both look really confused and ask us why we are walking south. Well now it is our turn to look perplexed as we say we are walking north. We all pull out our AT books in the hopes of deciding who is going the wrong way. I point at the sun and the neighboring mountains we have been paralleling and explain that we can't have gotten turned around because the mountains have remained on our left. They decide to turn around and we decide to keep going the same direction. It turns out that we had been going north the whole time and they had somehow missed a turn and ended up making a circle. What confusion!
Date: 2006-07-01
From: campsite

To: 5.1 miles before Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

Rocks, rocks and more rocks! Today we went over rocks, pebbles, stones, boulders and any other type of rock you can imagine. Our ankles are tired and our feet bruised. Thankfully we will be out of PA tomorrow (although we hear the rocks continue 40 miles past the border).We slept in this morning and weren't hiking until 9:45 which is extremely late for us. Our bodies seem to be requiring a lot of sleep lately. But, even with the rocks and one decent uphill our legs feel strong. I think once the terrain flattens out (rockwise) we will be able to easily do our miles. I'm really glad I have my radio because it definitely helps me to keep my focus off my feet. The miles go by more quickly as I sing along to song after song. I have thought about our wedding weekend a lot as we hike. The weekend went so perfectly! I'm so grateful that we have so many people who care about us who were able to attend. The rain was a disappointment, but it didn't dampen the excitement at all! All of the people from both of our lives were brought together by the rain. Since everyone had to stay inside the lodge they bonded quickly and all played games and talked together. Even though the weekend overall was perfect, I can't stop thinking about the butchered father/daughter dance at the reception. The DJ accidentally brought the wrong version of the song my dad had chosen (Handprints on the Wall) and it was only instrumental. My dad had labored for weeks to choose the perfect song and the lyrics would have been so touching. It would have been previous. I feel just awful about it. My dad gave me my dream wedding and didn't even get his dance. I wish there was some way to remedy that. I'm thinking about writing a lot lately. I have all these ideas I want to get on paper. I wish I could write and walk at the same time. I want to finish that AT book I started writing and I want to look into publishing too. I get all these great ideas but then I forget them by the time I journal at night. Maybe I need a notebook and pen in my pocket to jot reminders?Souleman and I had a great idea for an invention today. I don't want to write too much because someone might take our brilliant idea, but if it ever comes to fruition you'll all know!
Date: 2006-07-02
From: 5.1 miles before Kirkridge Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap Hostel
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

Another enjoyable day on the AT! We enjoyed the sun and nice temperature (86ish). The rocks were slightly less awful and our spirits were high because this was our last day in PA. We made it to the shelter (6 miles) for lunch and then continued into Delaware Water Gap. On the way there we tuned our radios to the same station and sang our way down the trail. We passed an incredible number of day hikers on our way down into town. There must be some secret attration we weren't informed about because we didn't pass anything the last few days worth hiking up that mountain for.Now we're in Delaware Water Gap at a hostel run by the church. We enjoyed hot showers and ate pizza. Now we are listening to a bluegrass/jazz concert in the sanctuary. One nice thing about the trail is the floating friendships. Many people that we have only known for a few hours or days greeted us so warmly when we got to town. Everyone out here is so kindhearted. There are all ages and personalities, but kindness seems universal among hikers. Grinds, Bravefriend, Squarl, Mr. Parkay, Chou Chou and Heald are all here. We also met Salt (and her dog Pepper), Energizer Bunny and Low Gear. Low Gear has Lyme disease. We will have to be extra vigilant about checking for ticks. We haven't had any yet, but I found two nasty little spiders stuck to me today underneath my shirt. They were gross little hitchhikers.