morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-05
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Up by 6:00 out by 7:00. Everyone else was still asleep so I tried to be quiet. I used the rainfly on my tent to help me keep warm. Maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty in sending my sleeping bag home. Stopped in a meadow with a bench and made phone calls back home. I had a good signal there that is probably why the bench was there. I came up behind a guy from the Baltimore area and he didn't know that I was behind him. He let one loose and I said that I didn't know that there were ducks around here. He quickly said that it was one of those rare mountain ducks, a pretty good comeback. We hiked together to the next shelter, he works at the Applied Physics Lab for John's Hopkins in Laurel Md. That is my wife Paige's hometown. Hiked through Sky Meadows State Park,an easy walk through an open meadow. There were lots of day hikers there. Got to the shelter by 4:00, it was a slow day, lots of blisters and the rocks aren't helping. I wanted to rest up for the Roller Coaster tomorrow, 13.5 miles of short but steep ups and downs. Mike is here taking a couple of days to hike, he is also from Maryland. Rockman, Lorax, and Heather hiked in and set up camp. Two guys from Germany came in late and stayed in the shelter. The mosquitoes were bad so I went to my tent early and to get off of my feet.
Date: 2014-07-06
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 9.9

I woke up before 6:00 and got ready to go by 7:00. I had a big day ahead of me and the Roller Coaster was in my way. I was planning on going 21 miles and get close to Harper's Ferry. I spent a little time talking to the people eating breakfast and then headed out. The Roller Coaster was also very rocky making it hard on the bottoms of my tender feet. I came to an area that looked like it might have a nice view so I turned off the trail. I was met by two barking dogs, a couple from Virginia was camping up there. The view wasn't all that great but I stopped and talked to them for awhile. He was in the Army and was planning on retiring in a few years and do more hiking. They gave me some Slim Jims and a black box of wine for Trail Magic. I thought that I might save it and drink it when I got out of Virginia. I have been hiking in Virginia for more than a month. I got to the Sam Moore Shelter and took a lunch break, there was nobody there. I moved on meeting only day hikers throughout the day hiking south. When I got to the turn off for the Bears Den Hostel I decided to walk down and check it out. I had heard that it was very unique and it was. It is made from stone and looks like a small castle. The have internet, laundry, pizza, showers, pop, and ice cream for $30. What more could you want in a hostel? I decided that I would stay for the night and get caught up on my trail journals, I was about a week behind. I spent the better part of the afternoon at the computer but I made sure that nobody else wanted to use it. I finished up about 8:30, did my laundry, and made some phone calls back home. I sent a message to Lumberjack on his journal telling him to keep heading north. I talked to my brother-in-law Todd Payton and he will try and meet me in two days in Maryland. He has some new shoes that I had ordered and will take me to town to resupply. Hope it all works out, it will be a big help getting food and maybe the new shoes will help my aching feet. I went upstairs to pick out the flavor of ice cream that I wanted and the everything was locked up. I didn't realize that after 9:00 the people that worked there went to their rooms. No Ben and Jerry's ice cream for mailman!
Date: 2014-07-09
From: I-70 Footbridge

To: Laurel Maryland
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up at 6:30, I'm not hiking today so I went back to bed and next thing I knew it was 8:30. I took it easy this morning, my feet needed some time off. I really wanted to be hiking but if I pushed things too hard I might end up with some overuse injury that will take even longer to heal. I also had a serious rash on both hips caused from hiking in wet clothes all day and possibly the hip belt of my backpack rubbing the area. It was going to take a few days for these things to get better. I was looking at the maps of the different states that I had left to hike in, when I get through Pennsylvania it should be easier for awhile. I did laundry and my sister-in-law Vicki fixed pancakes and coffee for breakfast. Much appreciated. Todd took me to WalMart to resupply, it really is easy to find everthing that you need there and even some items you don't. It was $52 for 5 days worth of food so about $10 per day, not bad. I was having some issues with my camera, the screen had some lines in it and I wanted to make sure it wasn't affecting my pictures. The pictures looked fine when we downloaded them in the computer so that is a relief. Todd took me to New Jersey Mike's for lunch a sub place that I haven never tried before. It was really good. Then we went to visit some relatives of my wife , Danny and Linda. They were home so we stayed for a couple of hours and talked. I hadn't seen them in quite awhile so it was a nice visit, maybe Paige and I can come back this fall when I am done hiking. When we got back to the hostel I divided up my food and put it in five seperate bags for each day. I did some work on my journals and did some more research on the Pennsylvania section. Later Todd and I went to Roy Rogers for dinner and then drove around the Laurel area since I have not been here in some time. The town is growing at a rapid rate, I counted 60 postal trucks at the Post Office. Lots of phone calls being made while I have some down time. I really appreciate all of the positive comments on my guest book, it helps keep you motivated to continue hiking.
Date: 2014-07-10
From: Laurel Maryland

To: Nowhere
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up at 7:30, I'm going to take a second day off and give my feet time to heal. My heat rash is healing up pretty quick also. I hated to take another zero but maybe I can hike some extra miles this week to make up for it. After drinking some coffee I decided to walk uptown and see how my feet feel in my new shoes. I had some things to mail home so I headed out for the Post Office. I stopped at a Farmer's Market and visited with some of the vendors. If I was home this year I would be growing and selling produce at home. I bought a couple of things from some stores on Main St. to send back home to Paige along with a couple of items I already had. I spent most of the morning just walking around, stopping to buy a sandwich for lunch on the way back. My feet felt pretty good, the new shoes will help. Todd called and said he would be off work in the morning and asked me if I was ready to resume hiking. I told him that I was. I cleaned out my camelback and cleaned up my backpack a little bit. I also backflushed my water filter and showed Vicki how we get water on the trail. I pretty much took it easy today. Vicki fixed a nice dinner and we talked for quite awhile, we never had this much time to get to know eah other. I researched my guidebook to see where I could resupply in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. I also set my daily goals for the next week and circled points of interest and where I could get water easily. I wanted to take advantage of a computer while I was resting up. It looks like it could rain this evening but I guess that shouldn't concern me in town. All I have to do is enter some journals and call it a day.
Date: 2014-07-13
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Alex Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 25.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up at 6:00 and out by 7:00. I did take the time to pamper myself with a pedicure, actually it was a problem with an infected toe. I joked with some hikers one day that I wondered what a person would do if I showed up for a pedicure and they saw that I only had 3 toenails. I should at least get a discount. I reached the AT midpoint early, a big milestone for me. Later I was reminded that I was a long way from being finished. I was crossing a group of logs and one of them rolled and my foot went into the stream, getting my boot wet. The last two days had also given me a friendly reminder that the trail just keeps on giving you doses of humility right when you think that you are in control. The first day back on the trail I started to fall and landed with my left hand and wrist taking the punishment and the next day the same thing happoened to my right hand and wrist. These minor setbacks weren't going to keep me from hiking into Boiling Springs State Park and taking the half gallon challenge though. You pick out your flavor at the General Store, pay for it and try and eat the whole thing. The container is now only 1 aand 1/2 quarts but it still took me awhile to finish my Vienna Mocha Chunk ice cream. I spent about 2 1/2 hours in the park eating my lunch and talking to people I have enjoyed the hikes into parks. I stopped at the AT museum and got my passport stamped and filled up with water before leaving. A young man handed me a package of Oreos as I was walking and some more people stopped me on the trail and asked if I had any hiker stories. I showed them some pictures and told them a couple of my favorite stories then moved on. I passed the 1100 mile mark and I started thinking that if I could hike 800 miles the next 6 weeks I could relax and enjoy the White Mountains and Maine the whole month of September. The last 8 miles was very tiring with 4 climbs with huge rocks thrown in and I got to the shelter at 7:15. It was threatening rain so I got water, ate , and settled in for the night. Axman and Rabbit came in also and we ended up being the only ones in the shelter. Axman was from Kentucky and we had been hiking a little together the last few days. The storm finally arrived and we got plenty of rain, the streams will be full for a couple more days for us hikers.
Date: 2014-07-14
From: Alex Kennedy Shelter

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

I was up at 6:00 in the shelter, I wanted to get in another good day so I left at 6:30. Rabbit's alarm kept going off but I don't think he was ready. I was thinking about stopping for breakfast in Boiling Springs and getting water at the ATC regional office. I saw several deer early and walked through farm fields most of the day. I got to town about 8:00 and stopped at the ATC office. The young lady was not seeming to be having a good morning so I decided that breakfast was a better idea. The Cafe 101 has a backpackers special, eggs, meat, potatoes, toast, coffee, and french toast or pancakes. Probably my best trail breakfast since Hot Springs N.C. Lots of people in town are encouraging me and asking how my hike is going. The town has some neat old buildings and it would be nice to come back and visit someday. I left about 9:30 my next goal was to stop at the Scott Farm Trail Work Center. The terrain was flat I met one old ground hog busy munching on a farmers soybeans. I ran into a group of hikers moving slowly and realized that they were people from my old hiker bubble. LaserP, Giggles, and DSOH all remembered me but DSOH (Dry Sense of Humor) remembered me from my brother-in-law Mike's Trail Magic back in North Carolina by Albert Mountain Fire Tower. He must have really enjoyed it. When I got to the work center some Boy Scouts were leaving and said that there was plenty of food for hikers. They were from Mechanicsburg and finishing a 50 mile hike for a merit badge. There was Subway sandwiches, chips, grapes, drinks, and baked goodies. Some of the best Trail Magic I have received on the trail this year. But the biggest surprise was seeing Grizzzelle and Dancing Feather sitting there enjoying it. I haven't hiked with them since early April they were part of the original wolfpack! This was turning out to be quite a day. We took a picture at the Pa 944 tunnel, it was built so hikers could safely cross a highway that has 14,000 cars on it a day. We left together to hike to the next shelter but came up about a mile short before the rains came. We got to the shelter before 4:00 aand debated if we should go to the next shelter or even hike into town since we were already wet. The guidebook said really rocky for 6 miles and were were thinking big boulders and rain don't go well together. There was more rain coming so we stayed there since we would at least get a bunk for the night. Lots of people came in all evening with 9 people ending up in the shelter and at least that many tenting. I had actually passed the hiker bubble if only for half a day. The shelter also boast the Taj Mahal privy, it would have been quieter if I had slept in there it was certainly big enough.
Date: 2014-07-15
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon Pennsylvania
Miles today: 11.3

I woke up at 6:00, the shelter was so full I didn't know how I was going to pack up. Seabiscuit was getting her stuff and leaving so that left me some room next to my bunk to move around. I left at 7:00 anxious to get Awol's rocks behind me. I walked through some more fields before it was time to go back up in the mountains. I hiked past the next shelter, I later heard that only 3 people stayed in there last night. I passed Seabiscuit and Met Babbs Bunny and Alpine tenting. I never did find those rocks, what I walked on this morning was no different than any other state that I have hiked through. I was making good time and came to an overlook of Duncannon and the Susquehanna River, it was really nice. The hike down was steep so I took it slow, right when it got smooth the trail took you back up the mountain. I guess they didn't want you going through a certain part of town. I got to town at 11:00 and saw Paperboy in the park. I got a large Pepsi at the Sunoco station and moved on to the hotel. THe Doyle is a 100 year old hotel and about 1000 hikers a year stop there. Pat and Vicki are the owners and are really nice to hikers, making them feel at home. The rooms are very basic but the food is great and it is a part of the towns history. I did my laundry and kept meeting hikers coming in all day. The local grocery store picks you up at 4:00 so you can resupply and brings you back when you are done. I am taking 4 days food to get to Hamburg 70 miles away. I hope AWOL's rocks don't slow me down too much. I ran into Dustin, Iron Cheeks, and Bama in the bar all part of the original bubble. Everyone looks like they have lost lots of weight. I heard that Shamrock, Dale Earnhart, Patience, and Appocalypse have left the trail to go home. I met Shiloh in the bar he through hiked in 2008 after his wife passed away. He had lots of information about the trail and especially New England. Maybe we will meet up again in Maine. I also met No Rush from New Hampshire, a really nice guy. I talked to family members and found out from my daughter that we have a free cabin to stay in when we all get to Maine. I better get my butt moving these next 6 weeks. Finished journals after midnight but it sounds like the party is still going strong on the balcony. I never was much for parties anyway.
Date: 2014-07-16
From: Duncannon Pennsylvania

To: Yellow Springs Campsite
Miles today: 24.4
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at 5:30, not too bad since I went to bed at 1:00. I was working on Trail Journals until after 12:00 and the other hikers were still partying on the balcony after that. I'm pretty sure most of them won't be leaving town today. I went across the street to the diner at 6:00 for breakfast. Eggs, potatoes, onions, peppers, toast and coffee will fuel me up for a long day of hiking. There will be plenty of opportunities now to eat a meal in town or even stop somewhere for a Pepsi for a quick break. No Rush and 3 section hikers were also in the diner, I met No Rush at the Doyle Hotel yesterday. I was walking by 6:40 and it was a pretty good walk out of town and across the Susquehana River. I saw an Egret and other birds on the water. An Egret looks similar to a Blue Heron except it is all white. I was soon climbing back up the mountain and heading north. I stopped at the Clarks Ferry Shelter and met Poncho, Atlas, and Caboose getting ready to move on. They were asking about Rockman, Lorax, and Ziplock wanting to know if I have seen them. I told them not since the Denton Shelter in Virginia. I met the same 3 ladies hiking south that I met yesterday and we talked for awhile. I also met 2 ladies at an overlook and there were a pair of Scarlet Tangers flying around. They are a different red than a Cardinal and a little smaller but colorful birds. I ran into No Rush at the Peter's Mountain Shelter again, a nice two story shelter but I had to get some more miles. When I came out to the trail from the shelter I turned the wrong way on the trail and met Poncho again. He looked at me like where are you going and I realized that I was going the wrong way. It's a good thing that I met him, I don't know how far I would have walked before I realized my mistake. I saw one Rat Snake about 5 foot long the biggest one on the trail so far. The temperature is pretty nice for hiking today, the storm front also took out some of the humidity. I heard that when this front went through the White Mountains in New Hampshire it dropped down to 19 degrees. I don't want to forget to send my winter gear back to the trail before I get there. No Rush and I decided to camp at Yellow Springs Campsite for the night. Zen and his dad were already set up for the evening and Poncho decided to stay also. There are plenty of camping areas in Pennsylvania but finding ones with water are becoming scarcer. No Rush and I probably need to hike together for awhile, we both get up early and want to do 20 plus miles a day. We can push each other to get to Katahdin.
Date: 2014-07-17
From: Yellow Springs Campsite

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 22.1
Weather: few clouds

Woke up at 6:30 and moved on by 7:15. No Rush beat me out of camp but everyone else is still sleeping. When I get into camp late it seems like I get a later start the next morning. I took my first break at Rausch Gap Shelter it has a stone foundation and is built into the slope of the ground, just like some of the houses here in Pennsylvania. The water is right in front of the shelter and they have a round picnic table built around a tree. I met Double Dog and her canine companion getting ready to leave. She had 2 dogs but one was having hip problems and her hiking party had to take him somewhere to go back home. He would catch up later. There were lots of nice camping spots in this area. This mornings walk was through nice wooded areas with streams. No Rush and I was taking a lunch break by a stream and we saw a River Otter. Things changed in the afternoon, two rocky climbs reminded me that we were still in Pennsylvania. I stopped at the William Penn Shelter and ran into Sun Ji. Towards the end of the day there were a couple of nice views. I finally made it to the 501 Shelter, motivated by pizza delivery. It is a nice large shelter with 6 sets of bunks. We ordered our pizzas and I had time for a shower. The solar showers don't work very well on the trail because they are surrounded by trees. The water is cold but it still gets rid of some of the hiker funk. There are lots of older hikers in this shelter, kind of like a nursing home for hikers. Grizzly Bear from Maine, Sassafras, Paper Boy, Sockless, Blaze, Double Dog, Strider, On Purpose, Tigger, and Chivo(spanish for goat). We had really nice weather again today and I had Trail Magic just before the last shelter. Someone had left Smart Water bottles by the trail full of water. I had been meaning to replace mine for about a month and someone did it for me. Nice. I figured it up and I have hiked 147 miles in 7 days, Maine is getting closer.
Date: 2014-07-18
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 24.1
Weather: moderate rain

Up about 6:00, I had pizza and Mt. Dew to finish off for breakfast. I left about 6:30 and hit lots of rocks early. I took a quick break at Ft. Dietrech Snyder Monument, it was a lookout post in 1755 to warn of the approach of enemies in the French-Indian War. Passed the 1200 mile mark shortly after the monument. At Eagles Nest Shelter I took a break for water and a snack. I am not spending much time taking pictures, my camera quit working in Maryland. My daughter Meghan is sending me a different one and I bounced it to Delaware Water Gap to pick up in a couple of days. It made more sense to have it sent to a town where I will walk through than a Post Office that I would have to hitch to. We had the longest, steepest downhill on the trail as we neared Port Clinton. There was a train museum at the bottom owned by a billionaire. He was moving the train forwards and back and we waited at least 20 minutes to cross the tracks. The trail takes you right into Port Clinton so we stopped at the Peanut Shop for some goodies and a Pepsi. When we got to the pavillion we met two gentleman that would be offering rides into town the next few days for people needing to get more food. Can do- Will Do and Bag of Tricks are former through hikers offering services to hikers. Can do-Will Do even let me charge my phone in his truck. Bag of Tricks can tell stories all day and has lots of info about the trail. They are camping here for a few days and making everyone's hike a little better. The church in town offers the pavillion for hikers to use for free. Lots of hikers here again Patch, Grizzly Bear, Ninja Turtle, Peg Leg, Tricks, Turbo, and Uncle Monkey. Others to be named later. No Rush and I Just slept on the floor of the Pavillion.
Date: 2014-07-19
From: Port Clinton

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up around 7:00 in the pavillion, took a walk around and ended up soaking my feet in the river. Can Do - Will Do took some of us into Hamburg to resupply at the local Walmart. I bought food for the trail plus a few impulse items. You crave certain things that are hard to pack because of weight or no way to keep them cool. I got some coffee and cinnamon rolls for breakfast and a rotisserie chicken and potato salad for lunch. Can Do - Will Do took most of our stuff to the Eckville Shelter so later when we leave we can hike without all of the weight. I still like to take my backpack with a few neccesities like snacks, water, toiletries, and rain cover. It probably weighs 15 pounds or so. Bag of tricks shared some more stories of his hikes and people on the trail. He also told me where to get water in the remaining sections of Pennsylvania, it is going to get harder and more water will have to be carried. I tried to do some Trail Journals before leaving but kept losing the signal. We hiked to the edge of Port Clinton and found Trail Magic at the trail head. Homemade cookies to start the afternoon off right. The hiking began at 1:30 we had three nice climbs but the lighter pack helped. Lots of day hikers were enjoying the views at Pulpit Rock and The Pinnacle. Some AT hiker tried to climb the Pinnacle and fell and seriously hurt himself. I will save foolish things for after my hike, it is already too easy to get hurt out here. I bumped into a father and two sons a couple of times from Delaware that were hiking so we talked for awhile. No Rush and I made it to the Eckville Shelter about 8:00. I took a shower, washed socks, and fixed dinner. My family back home was having a reunion at a local park so I called and talked to some of them. Viking was at the shelter I told him about Lumberjack getting hurt and he hadn't heard about it. He was upset to hear about just as I was. My feet are really sore I am not sure how far I will get on these rocks tomorrow so I better get off my feet.