morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Iron Master's Hostel 

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.0

Today I passed the official halfway point!I hiked nineteen miles with WAGOS into Boiling Springs. What a cool little town. As I walked over a small bridge off to my left was a community pool with water slides and a playground for the kids. To my right was a large fishing pond that had been stocked with plenty of fish.The water was incredibly clean due to the amount of fresh springwater feeding it.   After walking around town a bit and checking things out I opted to camp in back of a local hostel for a dollar a night. I set up my tent and went down the street to get a bite to eat. WAGOS came along and we sat out front of the cafe where we were joined by a very nice South bound hiker named Lightening Rod. Lightening Rod is a water conservationist and had a lot to say about Boiling Springs. Apparently, there was a lot of contaminated run off leaching into the natural springs that the town was trying to deal with. After some good food and conversation, the moon started to rise over the pond and an elderly women stopped to tell us that it was actually a bluemoon. The moon was full and looked incredible reflecting off the pond. As it shined bright it left paths of silver shimmering moon beams. We have to visit this place again someday. I think this is my favorite town so far. Me
Date: 2007-07-01
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: broken clouds

I slept later than I wanted to but that was because I was unable to get much sleep. The folks that let us sleep in their backyard stayed up talking until ten o'clock and then at around 2AM a drunk couple started yelling at each other until one of them sped off in their car. I did manage to get some sleep before the birds started their morning routine. I finally got up and went down to the convenient store for some coffee and a few supplies. WAGOS was already up and sitting by the pond letting his tent dry out from the morning dew. A few of the local town fathers were sitting in front of the convenient store and invited me over to sit while I was drinking my coffee. This was really nice of these guys. Most people are friendly to hikers only if they hike or they know someone who hikes. All others just kind of look at you funny or speed up as they go by you. I hung out with the local boys for awhile and had a pretty good time listening to their town politics. I guess it's the same where ever you go. When I was done eating, I thaked them for letting sit me with them and walked back to my tent to start packing up. I hiked with WAGOS all day and we detoured once to get lunch before calling it a day at Cove Mtn Shelter. We covered 21 miles for the day. Today I picked up some fly fishing flies from a small outfitter in Boiling Springs. I'm going to give them to other hikers that I've met on the trail in memory of my father. The 10 year anniversary of his passing is tomorrow.
Date: 2007-07-02
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Peter's Shelter
Miles today: 15.0

Around ten o'clock last night a group of young hikers came in with one adult. It took them a long time to settle down and once they did they kept waking up and complaining about the mice or the cold, etc, etc... No one got much sleep and everytime the kid sleeping in the bunk above me moved he sent a shower of mice turds down on me. After a few hit me in the face I covered up with my liner and kind of fell asleep. Even with very little sleep, I got up at 6:45am quickly packed and began hiking for Duncannon with W.A.G.O.S. (with a grain of salt). We made good time and were standing in front of the Doyle Hotel before we knew it. I have to be honest here and tell you that I was not impressed. Duncannon has to be one of the most down trodden towns I've seen on the trail. Some of the buildings looked like some effort was being made towards restorations but not many. I guess some people find towns like this interesting but I have seen and lived around too many places like Duncannon. What I usually think when I see these forgotten industrial towns is; what a shame that people would let what was once a booming beautiful area just rot into the ground. I wonder what the ancestors of the people who still live in these areas would think of the town they helped build. Well, to put it mildly, a fresh coat of paint would do wonders to many of the homes and establishments in Duncannon. I stayed long enough to eat breakfast, get some food for the next few days, make a quick stop to the ice cream shop and help WAGOS find the camping area. I told WAGOS that I would hopefully run into him some where up North and I wished him luck in his travels. With that, I pointed myself in the direction of the trail and hiked out of town.My belief is that I doesn't matter how much or how little you own, but how you take care of it.I hiked eleven more miles to Peter's Shelter where I met Lion, Splenda, Bear Bait, Wolf Taffy and a section hiker named Frank. This was the largest group of hikers that I had seen since the Blue Ridge Mnts. Of course I told them all about you, Matthew and Emelia. Today was the day of my fathers funeral. It has been ten years. All my love and sometimes sorrow. Your Mikie
Date: 2007-07-03
From: Peter's Shelter

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

I can't believe I've been hiking for ninty four days.Today was not an easy day for me. My father died ten years ago, yet it feels like just yesterday. I know he is with me on my journey and he is proud of my accomplishments. I still have dreams in which he is alive and I'm always so happy to see him. I'm sure this happens to many but it is tough waking up when you just want that person to be around. I took all my good memories and kept hiking. The day was fairly uneventful. I was able to get some sleep finally which allowed me to get up a little earlier than usual. I was hiking by seven and had covered ten miles by noon so I decided to keep going until one o'clock before breaking for lunch. With twelve miles hiked, I only had six to go before stopping for the day. I made good time but my feet were starting to feel the miles. As I approached Rausch Gap Shelter, I ran into Iceman and Buffalo Bobby. It was like seeing two old buddies. They had just finished resting and planned on hiking six more miles. I thought about changing my plans to stay at the shelter to hike with them, but later decided that I would just catch up with them tomorrow.Throughout the day I heard the roar of fighter jets doing manuvers overhead. I was told that there was a military base close by.After getting water at the shelter and resting I was joined by Splendora and Bear Bait. I didn't really have a chance to talk to them yesterday so it was nice to sit and talk for awhile. Come to find out, both Bear Bait and Splendora know Tennessee Jed, one of my old hiking buddies, from school. We are all hoping that T.J. will catch up to us soon. ------------------------------
Date: 2007-07-04
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Highway 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy Fourth of July! I was walking by seven this morning. I didn't stay in the shelter last night because I thought I would sleep better without the mice and anyone snoring. After a quick breakfast I left Rausch Gap Shelter for 501 Shelter (17.5 miles). I figured I would probably catch up to Iceman and Buffalo Bobby and find out what they've been up to. About two hours into the day, I crossed a road and walked through a parking lot with two cars in it. I noticed that one of the cars had a grill and a cooler next to it. I was hoping that maybe someone was out cooking food for thru-hikers. The owner of the car (pickup truck) came around and introduced himself as Pennsylvania Jeff and yes, he was cooking food for hikers. P.A. Jeff cooked up some burgers, I had three and some chocolate cake. He explained that he had hiked the A.T. once, the Pacific Crest Trail twice and the Continental Divide Trail once. Hikers call this hiking feat the Triple Crown. I hung out for about an hour talking about how my hike was going and about Jeff's numerous hikes. I also met Natural High and Lady Bug, two other thru hikers that had stopped hiking but were now doing the trail by slack packing sections. After my belly was full I thanked P.A. Jeff for the good food and kept walking.The terrian was not difficult but I kept hitting little sections of rocks that were tough to manuver around. P.A. is known for having lots of rocks that beat on your feet. Todays hike was just the begining.I passed through two old mining towns that were completely erased by the surrounding forest. One settlement had a population of a thousand people at the turn of the century.The remainder of the day went by quickly and I arrived at Highway 501 by 4pm. I walked up to the shelter and found Buffalo Bobby and Iceman cooking up some food and drinking cold sodas that were left for hikers. It was good to see these guys and we did a lot of catching up. The shelter itself was a large, enclosed cabin with lots of bunks and a big table in the center. The roof had a huge skylight that allowed a lot of natural light into the cabin. After we all had something to eat, Iceman started a campfire outside. Around this time Splendora and Bear Bait came in to join us. We sat around the fire until the skies finally decided to unleash the impending rains. Once inside the cabin we realized that the wonderful skylite had turned into an enormous kettle drum amd the tin roof was the cymbals. It was a noisy night and in the morning we were all moving a little slow from lack of sleep.
Date: 2007-07-05
From: Highway 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton 
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: few clouds

Today was a long day.   I hiked from 501 shelter into Port Clinton for a total of twenty four miles. The miles weren't as bad as the rocks were on my feet. I was doing okay until about two o'clock when I stopped for a late lunch after I had already walked fifteen miles. I ate what I had left for lunch food and then headed out. Not more than an hour later I was caught in severe thunder showers which wasn't that bad except the rocks were getting tougher to walk over. It was slow going but I eventually made it to town and was able to stay at an outfitters hostel. The accomodations were meager but I didn't care. I was able to take a shower and get something to eat. I collapsed in the bunk shed with six other stinky, wet hikers and slept thru the roar of mac trucks passing by.My feet are killing me! Love you!
Date: 2007-07-06
From: Port Clinton 

To: Ekville Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Slept late after listening to trucks roaring by and people snoring half the night.Tried to catch up on my journal entries while my shoes and pack were drying out in the sun.Around nine thirty I caught a ride to Port Clinton with the owner of the outfitter. He also helped replace my sleeping bag which was coming apart by the draft collar. After thanking him for all the help, I grabbed a large breakfast at the local restaurant and headed for the trail. On my way through town I bumped into Mountain Squid who had hiked the A.T. in 2004. (I first met Mountain Squid on my very first day of hiking three months ago). He asked if I needed a ride anywhere, to resupply or to get food, but I already had what I needed for the next few days. I did want to check out an old fashioned candy store that I was told by a few people was worth while. We drove to downtown Port Clinton which is not large and found the store. This place was a kids' dream come true. The store was an old building that had been turned into a candy shop. This place had everything from Pez, to candy cigaretts and Neco waffers. I hadn't been to a candy store like this in years. I remembered as a kid walking up High Street in the Village where I grew up and buying penny candy at the local candy store. Mt. Squid and I walked around awhile reliving our childhoods and left with a pound of candy each.I thanked Mt. Squid for the ride and finally started hiking. My feet were still alittle sore from yesterday's rocks and today's weren't much better but atleast it wasn't slippery. The sun was out and I had some nice views of the valley below. I ran across a few groups out hiking and a group of young Menenite girls and boys. The girls were out at an overlook when I saw them and the boys were just finishing their hike. They were an interesting group, speaking German to each other but politley saying hello when I passed by. The girls wore simple dresses and white head kerchiefs and the boys wore trousers with suspenders and white shirts. A few of the boys even wore old style derby hats.   The miles and hours went by as usual but I decided that I would push on and go fifteen miles to Ekville Shelter. When I arrived around six thirty the first person I saw was my old buddy Flying Turtle. I had hiked some with Flying Turtle in the Shenandoahs and he had met Carissa, Matthew and Emelia in Harpers Ferry. Once again, I felt like I was seeing an old friend. We sat around and caught up while we ate our delicious varieties of the same old hikers dinners. I can't wait to see you at Delaware Water Gap!!!------------------------------
Date: 2007-07-07
From: Ekville Shelter

To: Lehigh Gap 
Miles today: 25.0

Flying Turtle and Spock (another thru-hiker) were up at five and on the trail by six thirty. I got up at six and was hiking by seven. It was another nice day for hiking across the rocks of P.A.!After leaving Eckville Shelter I had a small climb to Hawk Mtn. lookout and Dan's Pulpit. Both spots had nice views. Around ten o'clock I caught up to Flying Turtle and Spock. I told them I was thinking of getting lunch at a restaurant twelve miles away. We quickly agreed that this would be a great idea. I told them that I would see them up there and continued on my way over the rocks.The rocks of P.A. come in all sizes. There are the small sharp ones that stick up about four inches out of the ground (these are the most painful). Then there are the medium size (soft ball size) rocks that are like oversized gravel. You have to watch your every step or you can instantly roll an ankle. Finally, these are my favorites, the table sized slabs that are piled on top of one another. These are fun to cruise cross but one slip could mean a serious injury. Today was great because it included every type of rock I mentioned. By the end of the day, which was another long one, my feet were shredded. I hiked a total of twenty five miles into Lehigh Gap.
Date: 2007-07-08
From: Ekville Shelter

To: Lehigh Gap 
Miles today: 0.0

I decided to take a zero day today to rest my feet and catch up on my journal. I slept til seven and wrote for awhile then packed up to get some breakfast. I also wanted to wash my clothes and get some food for the   next few days.I called Carissa to confirm our plans to meet again. I should be a day past Delaware Water Gap when we rendezvous. I'm really excited to be seeing them again so soon. These little visits are what keep me going.I also called my mother, or Situ as my kids call her, (it means grandmother in Lebanese). She told me that the local newspaper, The Spectator had published an article about my hike. I had spoken to George Austin, one of the editors, last month when I was in Damascus, VA. I haven't seen the article but I was told it was very nice. Many thanks to the Spectator and George Austin.The temps rose into the high nineties and I have to admit I was happy to be taking a day off. I could see the barren ridge line that I had to hike across and it looked pretty hot up there.I ended up staying in the old police station which is available for thru hikers to stay for the night. Around ten o'clock just as I turned the lights out, a stranger started knocking on the basement door. I walked to the door and asked him what he wanted. The guy asked if he could come in because he was hiking and needed a place to stay. Because he didn't look at all like a hiker I told him I needed to see his back pack first. He didn't know what to say but immediately walked back to his car and came back with his pack and two other hikers. I started laughing when I realized that I knew the other hikers. They were Spashley and Megaphone, a mom and daughter that I had met the previous day at Eckville Shelter. They had hiked a few good miles into town with Stealth (the guy I questioned) from the last shelter and they were all beat. I apologized for being stand-offish but I usually air on the side of caution (twenty years of working with adjudicated youth). They were all very happy that I let them in so they could clean up and rest for the night. Thankfully Stealth did not hold a grudge and he offered to give me a ride back to the trail in the morning
Date: 2007-07-09
From: Lehigh Gap 

To: Wind Gap,PA
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: few clouds

One Hundred Days on the trail!I've never doubted my ability to make it this far or to Katahdin. My biggest concerns are injuries that I may have no control over and the well being of my family. If they need me for any reason my time on the trail will end with no regrets. That being said, I will continue on as planned and meet Carissa, Matthew and Emelia about every two weeks until I reach Maine. Our next rendezvous will be two days from now, just outside of Delaware Water Gap. After having a great breakfast with Megaphone, Spasheley and Stealth (good luck you guys! Asheley- I know you'll enjoy your trip to Finland. Don't ever lose that travel bug), they dropped me off at the foot of Lehigh Gap. The climb wasn't too bad with the exception of the heat that eventually climbed into the high 90's again! The ridge line was barren but the blueberry bushes were abundant and full of ripe blueberries. I picked a few handfuls but had to keep moving because of the heat. Around noon I took a lunch break and met another thru hiker named Mowbli. He was a second year student at Tufts University and originally from Pomfret, CT. He was putting in some long days and good miles. After we had eaten lunch, we moved on in order to finish our miles for the day. I had intended on just going fifteen miles but felt pretty good so I continued on to Wind Gap for the night.
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Wind Gap,PA

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 101    I left Wind Gap to make my way into Delaware Water Gap. I hiked sixteen miles on the ridge line trying to stay cool. It was a scorcher and the humidity was around 100%. Around four o'clock, I walked down into Delaware Water Gap, to the church hostel. J. Beard and Mangrove were both lounging after returning from a day in Stroudsburg. I took a walk into town to grab a bite to eat and find something to drink besides warm water. After replenishing some electolytes, I went back to the hostel and rested. Hiking in the high heat all day had really sapped my energy. After resting for an hour I felt much better. I walked down to the pizza palor with Mowgli and J. Beard and ordered a few large pizzas. We pigged out and rolled ourselves back to the hostel for the night. I called Carissa to let her know that I had made it to Delaware Water Gap and that I would meet her tomorrow!Ten miles and a wake up!!!!!!!!
Date: 2007-07-11
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

I had planned on getting an early start so I could make it to the Mohican Outdoor Center but I guess I was more exhaustd than I realized. I slept til eight and was still groggy when a young woman walked into the hostel and introduced herself to me. She told me that she had been hiking with Bandaid Kid and was planning on only going as far as Pawling N.Y. where she would be gettting off the trail. BandAid Kid must have given her a good description of me because Julie knew exactly who I was when she saw me. She told me she had thru-hiked two years ago and was just hiking a section for enjoyment before she moved out West. I told her that I would be meeting my wife and kids later today but that I was moving kind of slow. Later that morning, I finally got moving and began the ten miles to the Outdoor Center. On the way to the Center I stopped by Sunfish Pond with J-Beard and Angrove and we took a quick dip. The water was incredible. It brought me back to my younger days in Somerset when I would spend my summer days riding my bike to the reservoir or Swansea Dam to go swimming. Just before I made it to the Center it started to pour, by the time I arrived I was soaked and smelling pretty ripe but that didn't stop my little ones and Carissa from giving me some great big hugs! We ate lunch together then settled into our cabin. We had planned on tenting but opted not to due to the impending rain and the amount of bear problems in the area. Carissa told me that she also met Julie who immediately recognized her and the kids. I guess I did a good job describing them... although they were the only family at the center. We went into Blairsville (a quaint little town) and then drove down to Delaware Water Gap for a look around and some supper. We decided on the local pizza joint which was a good choice because there were a bunch of other thru hikers there that I knew. After introducing Lion, Wolf Taffy, John, Jim, Swamp Foot and Flying Turtle we had a Family- Hiker feast. Matthew and Emelia had a great time introducing themselves to all my hiking conpadres. After a fun meal we headed back to the cabin, put the kids to bed and relaxed. Carissa and I sat outside for awhile tending our campfire and caught up on how each of us have been holding up. We kissed Matthew and Emelia as they slept and we drifted off to sleep.Everything was right in the world.
Date: 2007-07-13
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up the best way possible this morning. As I was drifting in and out of sleep I felt little feet kicking my back, I rolled over to see Emelia smiling at me. She gave me a kiss and a hug good morning! Soon after Matthew hopped in bed and we all snuggled up while Carissa read the kids stories. After the morning routine of brushing teeth, using the potty and getting dressed we packed up for a day of adventure. First stop was the local breakfast diner in Blairsville. Once we were fueled up we headed for Bushkill Falls where we panned for gems, hiked around the waterfalls and played mini golf. Later we went back to Delaware Water Gap for some ice cream and to drop off some trail magic (a case of snickers bars) for other thru hikers. I showed Matthew around the hostel, which he expressed was "real stinky" while covering his nose. I had to agree. We walked over to the outfitter in search of a new pair of trail runners but didn't have any luck. Matthew and Emelia had a great time trying on packs and pretending to be hikers/ mountaineers. Swampfoot was also in the store and commented on how fun it was to meet such adventurous kids (the ultimate compliment). We headed back to Blairsville after saying bye to Buffalo Bobby, Iceman, Swampfoot and Flying Turtle. I picked some supplies for the next leg of my journey, we ordered Chinese and bought marshmellows for a treat after supper. Back at the cabin, Carissa fed the kids while I started a campfire. After we had finished eating we sat around the fire and toasted marshmellows. This was a first for Matthew and Emelia, and they really enjoyed themselves. The limit was three each because we didn't want them bouncing off the walls- which they did anyway. Once they finally crashed Carissa and I sat out by the fire and enjoyed some peaceful time together. The next morning we packed up and spent alittle more time in Blairsville. We found a great pastry shop and a children's bookstore. With some good coffee and muffins in hand, we found the nearest playground so the kids could get out some energy before the drive home. Around one o'clock we said our goodbyes. I continued my hike North to Brink Road Shelter and Carissa also headed back North to CT.I'll see you soon in CT!