morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-10-11
From: Waywayandaway

To: St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Miles today: 5.3

So I woke up with the others and chatted with them as they packed up and I ate breakfast, then I went back to sleep. I decided that I would go into Vernon to the hostel making it a short day in case Dorito would be getting back on the trail, he could catch up to me. Plus, it looks like a cold rain coming in. So I ledt just before noon. At the road into Vernon, I met up with Spirit and Wink, two nobos I met in VT who finished their thruhike on 10/3. They were out for a day hike and trying to give trail magic. (Spirit lives in nearby Warwick, NY.) They give me a ride to the hostel and we have a nice conversation catching up and they let me know that Goatmilk is just a day ahead of me.The hostel is very nice and I put down my pack, check things out and then go get a sandwich at Burger King and call home. Dad informs me that Dorito had called him to pass on the message to me that he would have to get off the trail for a while. His foot situation is not good. He has to have surgery on his toe. Not sure if he will have it done in NY or go home to MA, but if he went home, he said it would be hard for him to come back to the trail. I am totally bummed by this news. I hiked by myself from ME to MA and was fine with that. I could stop when I wanted, do as many miles as I wanted, etc. Then, I experienced traveling with someone else, as we really didn't "hike" together. But it was nice to have someone at the shelter with you every night and someone to share cool experiences with like town and border crossings, and hey, did you see that huge porcupine? Now, adjusting to hiking alone is really hard and...lonely. Now, I can only hope that I will catch up to! Goatmilk and that a few sobos behind me will catch me. Back at the shelter, I take care of laundry and a shower, checking email and another hiker comes in out of the rain, B-Rad. He's 18 and has flipped and is hiking south to the Shenendoahs in VA. We chat a bit and take turns on the computer and watching TV. We are both up late, but finally, around midnight, real midnight, I turn out the lights.Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-13
From: Back Track Inn

To: Murray Secret Shelter
Miles today: 1.8

I did in fact get up early even though it was freezing. I left the store room and headed to Sara's Soda Shop for breakfast. It too, lived up to its reputation as a fantastic eatery. The pancakes were delicious and the hosptality of Barbara, the shop owner, and the other customers was superb. So much so that I did not leave the shop until 3 pm! After breakfast I went to the PO and picked up my goodies from Jessica, Courtney, and Mom and Dad. Thanks so much everyone - the treats were fabulous and the notes of encouragement were just what I neededto pick me up after a few days of homesickness and loneliness as I am adjusting back to hiking alone.After repacking my pack to fit in my goodies and pulling a few items to send home (which by the way, the ladies at the PO and the town hall were some of the friendliest I have ever met), it was lunchtime and just my luck, on Fridays, Sara's serves homemade pierogies. An order of six comes with saute©d onions and sour cream. They were fabulous! I also enjoyed a totally worth the money mint chocolate chip milkshake. After I finished my lunch, I just couldn't leave. I had too much fun talking with the locals. A family even joined me at my table to eat lunch. It seems that Sara's is the county seat for gossip during the day and Back Track is the gossip location for the evenings. I wish Alpharetta had a soda shop like Sara's. Maybe when I return to GA I'll open up a little ice cream parlor and all the AMMS students can come visit me when school lets out. Well, maybe it will have to be closer to the trail so that hikers can come by. Who knows?Before I left the soda shop, I met Jim Murray. He was in town for a meeting on the AT and was having lunch and introduced himself to me as it was obvious I was a hiker. It was a pleasure to meet him as he is quite a trail angel opening up his property and cabin to thru hikers to stay a night. So a long arduous hike of 1.8 miles from Unionville to the secret shelter - HA! - I was at the secret shelter before I knew it and it was truly lovely. The cabin is small, but all that one could want or need. Heat, warm shower, overhead light, sink, large sleeping area, a great view, privy, braying donkeys. Yes, donkeys. He has two male donkeys in a yard next to the cabin and let me tell you, they can make some eery noises. And they look hilarious with their mouths open as they make those weird ee-yore sounds. I really enjoyed sitting on the porch and watching the donkeys and the deer graze as the sun set. It was a beautiful night and I stayed deliciously toasty in the cabin loft.Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-15
From: Mashipacong Shelter

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

Well, I tried to get up early today, but after eating breakfast, I fell back asleep. It was so cold! I did wake back up before the sun came all the way up and watched two bunny rabbits munching on clover in front of the shelter. Then I packed up and bid the NYers farewell around 8. I passed by Sunrise Mtn Pavillion and realized I could have kept hiking yesterday and stealthed near here, but it would have been very chilly! The pavillion did offer nice views to the east and west. The colors are really pretty, but there are no more mountains to view, just a few hills. I met a man who was tracking migrating foxes and eagles for the state of NJ. Patience is the name of his game if he expects to get any pictures of them.Later, I met two NC men section hiking to NY. They give a little bit of info on the PA rocks and I tell them all the good places to eat in NJ/NY. I stopped in Culver's Gap at the Sunset Grill for you guessed it, a cheeseburger and fries. It is so cold, I order a hot tea and a bowl of chili as well. Well, seven states and seven cheeseburgers and Marlow's back home is still on top. I think when I finally make it home, a party at Marlow's with cheeseburgers for everyone will be in order! But the Sunset Grill's chili which did win two chili cookoffs is fantastic. Looking over the trail mileage coming up, I get a little down thinking I am never going to make it home. I know I have come so far, but home still seems so far away. I guess I'm just missing my family and friends. Maybe a visit home is in order. Or maybe, if anyone back home is feeling the need for a break from the work grind, you would want to come visit me? I wouldn't make you hike, I promise. Well, buck up cowgirl, and head back out for another four miles.Heading back down the road, I see a dad out with his two daughters and son. I imagine they are heading to the same shelter as me, so I prepare myself for a noisey evening. More ledges and rocks. The shelter is small but quaint and the spring is nice, but not very well marked. I am glad that I am not a nobo as I read the shelter register entries as it was hot, buggy, and flooded when most of them passed through this area. For me, its just a tad on the chilly side. As expected, the family arrives full of vigor and sound. I find out that Monday is a teacher workday, so dad has taken the kids out for hiking and camping. The children are so excited and help set up camp before playing chase and picking up sticks and such. They are good kids with active imaginations, it just seems that they can't speak without yelling! B-Rad shows up around dusk and he and I share the shelter while the family tents. All in all, its a pleasant evening and B-Rad and I are entertained by the antics and interactions of the family almost as if we were watching TV. Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-16
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: Mohican Outdoor center
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: scattered clouds

As I was starting to wake up with the sun, as I slept through both my alarms, I'm just looking out at nature, willing myself to crawl out of my sleeping bag. A bird flies to the ground in front of the shelter and then flies toward me and lands on my sleeping bag! It doesn't stay long, but how amazing and odd is that!?B-Rad heads out first, planning to do 25 miles. More power to him - I have no desire to do that many miles! The family and I both head out around 9, me going south and them back north to their car. It is chilly, but it warms up soon. Today's hike has a lot of ridge walking along woods roads and such. It's pretty nice and easy and offers some nice views. Hardly, saw any other hikers out today. The rocks are getting more tricky - I guess they are preparing me for PA, at least that what I keep telling myself. I kept myself motivated today listening to the radio and before long I was at the Mohican Outdoor Center run by the AMC. Not wanting to give them any more of my money, I camped - free to thruhikers - instead of staying in a bunk house. It was chilly while I cooked dinner, but warm once I climbed into my hammock. I realized that it has been weeks since I slept in my hammock as I guess I've been staying mostly in shelters. It was a nice change of pace.Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-18
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: DWG - Church of the Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I think I was the first one to wake up this morning. After talking to my folks last night and learning that folks really are reading my journals, I figured I might need to take some time to update them. See sometimes, I am just too tired or my hands are too cold to type my story. I always keep my handwritten personal journal though, so I can go back and update the website, but I will try and be more timely now. I also have recruited my parents to upload my journal entries to the website as it is sometimes difficult for me to get to a computer with internet access. I will email the entries via pocketmail to my folks and they will update them to trail journals. I am pleased to know that folks are reading my story and I hope I am doing a good job of entertaining you.Goatmilk and I went to the DWG Diner for breakfast. I love diner breakfasts - beats trail breakfasts any time! Then we cleaned up the hostel a bit and the boys: Molasses, Johm, B-Rad hiked out. Stumpknocker and Mrs. Gorp popped in to say hello having returned from The Gathering in WV and heading back on the trail. I hope I can catch them again, but they do hike fast! Then Goatmil took off and I was left alone to write my stories and pack up. A nobo named Jersey popped in. He summitted Katahdin in September and was stopping in to reminisce. We chated for a bit. Before I know it, time has flown by and I do not have enough daylight to hike out today and I have missed the post office. It's okay, I'll just do two 15 mile days instead of a 5, 10, 15 and still be at the same place on Friday anyway. After hiking in the miserable cold wet weather, I'll take my time getting rested. I don't want to catch a cold (both Molasses and John are sick).I consider taking the DWG Trolley tour since I am here still, but I just missed the last bus. Oh well, I'll have to learn about those Indians some other time.I think I'll take it easy tonight, get lots of sleep and head out at first light tomorrow morning! PA rocks beware - Superstar is on her way!Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-20
From: Wind Gap

To: Somewhere near Wind Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It started raining during the night and was still raining when I woke up. I also woke up to a killer sinus headache and a sore throat and...cramps. I guess hiking in the freezing rain the other day did not come without incident. I have no desire to walk in the rain today and worsen this budding cold. So, I wrote yesterday's journal entry, read, listened to the radio (which never gives weather reports), ate, and napped. I kept hoping I would feel better, that the weather would improve, but neither happened. The rain did stop, but the weather didn't improve. In came severe winds and a drastic drop in temperature. My health didn't improve either. While the morning symptoms didn't get worse, my body is sore and achey from lying around all day, and mentally, I am bored. I've heard hikers say that every thru-hiker should take a zero day in the woods. I don't know what the wisdom is in doing so, but now, I've done it. And in hindsight, I wish that I had walked the 2-5 miles into Wind Gap and rented a hotel room. Too late now. It's dark and cold and the wind has really picked up. I did finally get a weather report and tomorrow is supposed to be nicer with a high of 57. I will have to hike my butt off to make up some miles. I can't wait to get through northern PA.As for the Battle of the A.T., both trail and hiker took a day off. Stats still report: Superstar, 1; PA Rocks, 0.Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker
Date: 2006-10-22
From: Palmerton 

To: 10.22 continued
Miles today: 0.0

take me into Palmerton so that I don't have to walk on the highway. He says, yes, and gives me directions to the borough and the police station. This short road seems to take forever. My feet are killing me. Actually, everything about me aches.I turn onto the main street and walk across the street into a c-store. I want a beer! Damn, PA. They only sell alcohol at restaurants, bars, and distributers. I sit for a minute and then make my way further down the street to the police station. Since it is the weekend, I have to check with them to get into the hostel. There is no one there. I walk to the borough building, the hostel is in the basement, no one is there. I walk across the street to the chinese restaurant thinking I will at least get something to eat. They are closing. I'm too frustrated to eat anyway. I decide to park my butt outside the police station until someone shows up. There are two police cars there. Yea! I bang on the door to get their attention and Officer Lorah says he will be happy to take me over to the hostel after he finishes with the person he has in custody. He asks me to go to the other entrance, which I do and he signs me in. Thirty minutes or so later, he walks me to the borough and shows me the accommodations. I am so thankful to have a warm, dry place to sit, no matter how creeped out I could be, being as I am all alone in a dark, creaky old building. I about collapse, but my body is so sore that I can't go to sleep. Everything is throbbing. So I call home and de-stress by telling my mom all that I went through today. It's midnight before I am in my sleeping bag and forcing myself to fall asleep.Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-23
From: 10.22 continued

To: George Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 0.9
Weather: broken clouds

As you can imagine after a day like yesterday's, I slept in this morning. It was almost 9 before I rousted myself awake and almost 10 before I got out of my bag. Looking over my trail guides more closely this morning, the ATC Companion does give details on how to best get to Palmerton. Not that this would have helped me much as that gate would still have restricted me from the access road. Anyhoo.I go up and take a shower and the shower has power! Definitely good water pressure. Then I decide what food I need for resupply. (Last night when I was lost, I would have skipped Palmerton altogether and just gone to the next shelter if it weren't for the fact that I needed food.) I walk down to the IGA and pick out this next weeks goodies. Believe it or not, I am getting a little grossed out by the high calorie/high fat foods I am selecting. I wish salad would keep on the trail. As I am checking out, one of the cashiers asks me if I am a hiker and tells me that I get a free apple courtesy of the owner. Yummy! I pick out a large Pink Lady (?) apple. Then I walk across the street and order some Chinese food. I order General Tso, which according to the Glamour mag I perused at the hostel this morning, is the worse food choice on the menu. Lucky for me I am a hiker.I take my goodies back to the hostel to enjoy and pack up and a fellow who works in the building comes down to greet me and give me a Welcome to Palmerton goodie bag put together by the local girl scouts.Time to pack up and get back on the trail. I still have a cold so I go to the pharmacy to get more medication. Then on my way out of town, I stop in the library to check my email. Whoa. There is one from my former principal inviting me to come back to work next semester in my old position. This will definitely give me something to think about while I am hiking this week.Not able to procur a hitch, I walk the 2+ miles back to where I started yesterday and once again crossed the Lehigh River bridge and finally headed south on the trail just shy of one mile to the shelter. No need to cook dinner as I am still full from the chinese food, I read the shelter register and thought about my future while watching the twinkling lights of the town below.One more funny for today. I picked up some food out of the hiker box at the hostel. Now this is always risky business, but in this case I thought I was safe. You see, my mom has sent me some hot chocolate packs but they are to be mixed with milk not water. The store did not have any powdered milk, but the hiker box had a bag of hot cocoa powder, so I'm thinking, I'll add extra hot cocoa powder that is made with powdered milk and boost up the cocoa mixes my mom sent me. So I fix myself a hot drink with the cocoa mixes and realize that the hot cocoa from the hiker box isn't drink mix. It's brownie mix. Oh well, calories to fuel the tank and memories to entertain me when I am old. :o) Happy Hiking, Superstar www.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-24
From: George Outerbridge Shelter

To: New Tripoli Campsite
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

The medicine I bought for my runny nose and cough must have a sleep additive in it because I slept through three alarms and did not wake up until almost 9, extremely late for a hiker. I didn't leave the shelter til almost 11. I guess I won't make it far today before it gets dark.It is very cold and windy today. The high is in the forties. The trail is not too terrible. Still rocky. I guess its good that PA has rocks to keep you occupied because there are very few views. Of course, by constantly looking down at the ground, I do get to see a myriad of colors, since its fall and all. Its like a carpet that changes colors depending on what types of trees populate that area of the forest. Sometimes the carpet is red and pink, sometimes bright yellow, other times a golden honey color, or orange, many times just brown, or if its just rained and/or been windy, it might be green and plenty of other times its a potpourri of all the fall colors.I guess this is a benefit of being a late sobo hiker. The fall colors, the leaves cushioning, er, hiding the PA rocks, the cool weather, the absence of rattlesnakes, gnats, mosquitoes, poison ivy and more running springs than dry springs. Makes me wonder why would anyone want to hike PA in the summer?I stop in at Bake Oven Knob Shelter and it is pretty sparse. The floor of the shelter slants. Glad I did not plan to stay here. But the spring is great. Moving on, I begin to climb the jumble of boulders that makes up Bake Oven Knob. I have on my radio, but I hear this man call out to me, "If you're going to GA, you're late." Geez! Why don't you tell me something I don't already know. Like it matters to him when I get to GA! Oh well. No bother. A view of the PA farmlands below. Further down the trail, another jumble of boulders called Bear Rocks. Two fellas are up on them looking through binoculars, I guess for birds. I hear a lot of migrating birds pass through this area due to the thermals. I climb up, but not much view.Later, the Cliffs. Big ridge like boulders. You know I love this stuff, especially when the wind is howling at me. But this is the last of the big rocks for today. I could stealth camp on the ridge, but its cold and this wind is treacherous, so I hike down into the valley to the New Tripoli campsite and try not to freeze myself as I set up camp and fix dinner. Maybe cutting my trip short and going back to work isn't such a terrible idea. I could finish the trail next summer, when its warm and there are lots of daylight hours. Hmmmm.Oh, and in the Battle of the AT - score: Superstar, 4; PA Rocks, 1.Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2006-10-26
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Windsor Furnace 
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept in at the warm, enclosed shelter. That cold medicine works great as a sleeping aid. Looked at the schedule for hiking. Blah! Not interested in getting back on the trail. Spent some more time talking to Mick, the caretaker. Decided I will go short miles today and get caught up on my journal entries and then get into Port Clinton early the next day. Finally, some easy trail. Its actually a woods road for about 4 miles. Boring, but I'll take the easy (boring) terrain over the PA rocks any day! Up the hill (these really aren't mountains in PA) to the Pinnacle. This is supposed to be one of the most panoramic views in PA and lucky for me, I have caught it on a clear day. There are turkey buzzards flying around, up and over the farmlands below. There are some other hikers up here as well, two couples of Amish folk which look cute in their traditional clothing, another couple, and a man, Bill, hiking alone with whom I spent some time talking. He was friendly and knew a lot about hiking, but he had a sad demeanor about him. He revealed that his son had passed in the Iraq war and that the Pinnacle was a place that he and his son had hiked together. I felt as though maybe he came here to feel closer to his son and I thought that was nice. Sometimes on the trail you really do feel a spiritual connection to something bigger than yourself or your simple, or complicated, life.The hike down from the Pinnacle was not terrible, but the rocks did get more nasty. I slid on a marble-like section and unable to brace myself with my trekking poles, fell and skinned my knee. Nothing terrible, but frustrating all the same. I arrived at the shelter around 4, really too early to stop, but if I kept going, I would get into town after dark which I don't like to do. So even though it is cold, which makes it hard to type, I will stop early and update my journals. Don't want to keep my fans waiting - wink, wink!I cooked dinner early and then a nice woman walking her dog came up and chatted a bit. She told me about a Halloween parade in Hamburg on Saturday, a little bit of Americana heritage. I wonder if I could make that? Rain is forecasted, but a zero would be required. Hmmm. Hiking alone has been very boring lately. Where is BP? Should I take a day to let him catch me? Hmmmm.Today's count in the Battle of the A.T.: Superstar, 5; PA Rocks, 2.Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com