morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-27
From: Pine Grove Furnace State park

To: Deer Run Campground
Miles today: 11.1

We had a restful night @ Mt Asbury. A hot shower and a soft bed will spoil you. The caretaker for the retreat, Daphne, came by to see us last night. In addition to all the food that I mentioned, she and her husband brought us ice cream, they were cordial. Daphne picked us up and shuttled us the 5 miles back to the trail at 9am. We walked throught the state park; the ATC Museum and store were closed but we hiked by a large inviting scenic lake and I can imagine hikers jumping in for a swim in warmer weather. Our destination is a 11.1 hike to Deer Run Campground. On the way was the Green Mtn Store and was only 0.2 miles from the trail so we had planned to stop. They cooked us a hambuger and it was delicious, no frozen patties there! It was tasty with french fries and a diet coke, I was satisfied. We arrived at Deer Run at 2pm and had planed to tent. The cost was $10 each but for $50 we could rent a cabin with heat, bathroom and shower. The temperature was predicted to be 34 degrees with a 30 mph wind. The bath house was 1 block from the tent sites, so it was nice to be inside, warm and able to have bathroom facilities in house. It was our first opportunity to laundry our clothes and we all were happy to do that. An Italian Restaurant delivered food to the cabin, I had Chicken Pamargian and the ladies had grilled chicken salads. The food was good. The cabin had a double bed and single bunk beds; so we all three were able to have our own beds. The cabin was neat and cozy.
Date: 2012-04-28
From: Deer Run Campground

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: overcast clouds

One of the ladies in the campground came by last night and brought us trail magic- bananas, oranges and home made rice crispy treats and that is what we ate for breakfast. The small cabin was great and it was a good choice to stay at Deer Run. We were excited today because we are heading to Boiling Springs and our first zero day. It will be a short 8.5 mile hike. We have reservations at Gelinas Manor B&B. Although a short hike, we were slowed by a section of the trail called the "Rock Maze". It was tough hiking or perhaps I should say climbing and slowed us considerably. We made it through the rocks safely and arrived in the quaint town of Boiling Springs, PA at 2pm. We checked into our B&B and were shown our rooms. I had a single and the ladies had a room with two beds and a private bath. The owner's husband had died one week earlier and we were surprised that she was coping so well. The B&B was an old Victorian house, was clean and comfortable. We ate a late lunch at The Tavern across the street and finally were able to order beer/wine. Good food for hungary souls. That night we decided to eat at the cafe for a lighter meal because of being so late with lunch. Pam was our waitress and we inquired about a store to buy shoes and band aids. Somehow Gerda had lost one of her camp shoes on the trail, probably in the Rock Maze. Pam volunteered to drive us to a Target which was located about 5 miles out of town. Gerda bought her shoes and we all three purchased band aids and Blister Blocks to replenish our first aid kits. Terific trail magic by Pam.
Date: 2012-04-29
From: Boiling Springs

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

This is our first zero day and we were all enjoying it. I slept well in my room last pm. Kitty prepared a wonderful breakfast and served it promtly at 8:30. Our plans for the day is rest and exploration of the town. It is a Sunday so we will not be able to see all of the sights. We had lunch at the cafe and they do a great job with food preparation. We met our first thru hiker today, Moses, at a local store. He was not planning to stay but only stopped to resupply. I found out later that he is a medical student. Sunday afternoon we went to a Museum with a nice gift shop where many of the local artists sell their goods. My wife collects crosses and I found a unique one and had it delivered to her at our beach house in Destin, FL. She will be surprised and appreciative. Sunday evenig we ate dinner at a local Italian Restaurant, Gerda and I shared a pizza. I took an early shower so I could bandage the blisters on my feet. It took an hour! I did not want to waste the bandages by getting them wet thus I did it after my shower. I have always had a blister promblem with my feetwhether running or hiking. I can't count the number of boots that I have tried. My pack will weigh 35 to 40 pounds after I resupply and virtually all the outfitters have discouraged me from trying low cut boots or trail runners, that includes the Neels Gap Staff. It is a combination of age and my tendency to carry a heavy pack. I am looking forward to another good night in my comfortable bed.
Date: 2012-04-30
From: Boiling Springs

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Another peaceful night at Gelinas Manor. Kitty served a tasty breakfast and we were on our way by 9:15. The trail was flat with one steep climb up Darlington Mtn to the shelter. The majority of the hike was through fields and pastures and was frankly a little boring. Darlington Shelter has an unreliable water source and the AT Guide strongly recommends collecting water from a piped spring at the bottom of the Mtn and carry it to the shelter. Thus having extra weight and a steep climb at the end of the day in the heat was taxing but was doable. The shelter was built in 2005 and was nice. It had two bunk beds on each side and room for several hikers on the floor. The ladies took the beds on one side and two guys from NC took the other. I laid my bag on the floor. Later a thru hiker, Spoon, came in and placed his gear next to me. He was a delightful oriental from Louisville, KY. He built a fire which was our first; he cooks all of his dinner meals on the hot coals of a fire.
Date: 2012-05-01
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.3

We departed Darlington Shelter at 7:15 on our way to Duncannon and the famous Doyle Hotel. I was late getting out of the shelter, I shared some of my extra water with the NC folks. Normally, we stop every hour to regroup and take a short break. After 90 minutes of hiking I became concerned because I had not caught up with the ladies. I assumed that one of two things happened, either they decided to not stop for a break or they went the wrong way out of the shelter. I took a long break and slowed my pace. Soon the two guys from NC passed me and they had not seen them, I told them if they saw them ahead to tell them I was on my way. I took a long break every 30 minutes and after 3 hours Gerda caught me followed by Allison.As suspected, they turned left out of the blue blaze trail from the shelter and started down the steep hill and realized their mistake after 30 to 40 minutes and then turned around and headed north. I did this once in the Smokies, it is easier than one would think. The hike was flat with a steep down to Duncannon. We passed Cove Mtn Shelter but did not stop. Our rooms at the Doyle were not ready so we enjoyed a great burger which Pat cooked with beer that his wife served. Once in our rooms we went to the local laundry to wash ou filthy,sweaty clothes. There were not many choices to eat so we ate again in the Doyle, Pat does a wonderful job as a cook. After a good shower, I worked on my feet and went through my resupply box.
Date: 2012-05-02
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

I had an unexpected good night of sleep at the Doyle. The rooms are small but adequate. We ate an early breakfast at Goodies Restaurant across the street. Their pancakes were huge and I could only eat half of one. Their sausage was not particularly good and the eggs were ok. The best item on my plate was the buttered wheat toast. Nevertheless, I got enough food to satisfy my stomach. After breakfast, we went back to the Doyle to get our packs and check out. We started hiking down Main Street at 8am. It was a fairly long stroll down the street. Most of the homes desparately needed attention and repairs. It breaks your heart to see once fine homes in a quaint town deteriorate in such a manner. Duncannon has potential but it would take a change in attitude and a lot of money to reverse the decline. There was a dedicated walkway on the Clarks Ferry Bridge crossing the Susquehanna River but it still created some anxiety as cars and large trucks sped by only 4 or 5 feet from us. The crossing of the river was beautiful,on the other side we began the steady climb up Peters Mtn. It was a gentle uphill with many switch backs thus making it easier. Of course, after a resupply with food our packs were heavy, so the gentle slope was appreciated. We found a note on the signage of the blue baze trail leading to Clarks Ferry Shelter from "Spoon" stating that we needed to collect water and carry it to Peters Mtn Shelter. This was trerrible news, we already had heavy packs from our addition of 7 days of food and now to add 6 to 7 pounds of water would make the next 6.7 miles a nightmare. Later "Spoon" told us he did not leave the note. We all struggled with the heavy packs; thankfully, the trail was decent and we did not encounter huge rock boulder fields. Allison was in the lead and took a wrong turn,Gerda and I waited for her in a parking lot at PA 225. We were happy to see her bright smile as she confessed her mistake. United again we continue to be miserabe and struggle till we reached the shelter at 3:30. It was a nice shelter built in 1994 and slept 20. The first thing we did was remove our heavy packs and rest. The water soruce was down a steep trail and none of us had the energy or desire to verify that indeed their was no water. We ate dinner, hung our food, which is always challenging, and retired early.
Date: 2012-05-03
From: Peters Mtn Shelter

To: Yellow Village Springs Campground
Miles today: 13.4

We had a good night sleep at the shelter,during the night there was another big thunderstorm and it was nice to be inside a clean shelter and wake up dry. The humidity was high so most of our gear was moist but not really wet. Dave checked out the water source. It was down a steep trail and there was good flow so the advice to carry water was either erroneous or malicious. As I stated, Spoon told us later he did not leave the message. We were on the trail by 7:15 with a planned hike of 13.4 miles to Yellow Springs Village Campground. The initial trek was a steep descent into Clarks Valley and then a 1100 foot climb to Stony Mtn. Unlike yesterday, we knew that there was no water at the tent sites; therefore, we would have to carry water, again, but only 3 miles. Also there was a good water source 1/2 mile north of our tent sites so we only needed enough water for the evening and would fill our water bottles tne next morning. Gerda and I had new Tarp Tents and were excited about trying them out. Since it was our first tenting it took a little longer to pitch the tents; Allison was using on of Gerda's old tarp tents and needed help. Soon after dinner we heard thunder and knew a storm was coming our way so we quickly gathered our clothes and sleeping bags off the clothes lines and barely were in the tents when the rain came. Several other hikers came in and had to set up in the rain. I was comfortable in the tent and was dry- no leaks which is always good.
Date: 2012-05-04
From: Yellow Village Springs Campground

To: Lickdale
Miles today: 10.7

Shortly after supper we endured a big thunderstorm with heavy rain and were forced to our tents. It rained all night. A few hikers came into camp after us and had to set up their tents in the downpour, I felt sorry for them;however, they are young and hardy-all were thru hikers. My tarp tent handled the rain well; I was perfectly dry all night. It was extremely humid and everything was moist when I woke up. All the gear was damp. We were up at 5:30, ate breakfast and were hiking by 7:15. Our plan was to go about 10 miles to another campsite but the guide book warned that there was no water. We decided to stop at the site and if we did not like it press on to highway 72 and try to get a ride into town. There was a KOA Campground in Lickdale and we were excited that perhaps we could reserve another KOA cabin. I called as soon as I had cell service but was told the cabins were filled. Next I called Days Inn and was able to reserve two rooms and they also recommended Ken, a local, who provided shuttles for hikers in the area. Ken suggested that we hike to the second crossing of highway 72 at Swatara Gap and he would be waiting for us. Our timing was perfect, he pulled up in his car just as we arrived. He carried us to the Inn where we saw Dave from CT, he was getting off the trail because of an inflamed knee. We ate at an Italian restaurant for dinner, showered, did our laundry and retired to our rooms for a peaceful night of sleep. It rained again most of the night so we were happy with our decision to stay at the Inn.
Date: 2012-05-05
From: Lickdale

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

We woke up at the Days Inn in Lickdale in good spirits. Clean clothes, a hot shower and sleeping in a soft bed will always improve one's mood.The Inn served a continental breakfast which we enjoyed; we paid our bills and met Ken for our shuttle back to the trail at 8am. He dropped us off at Swatara Gap; there was an interesting old cast iron bridge for us to cross. Apparantly, the state of PA had three similar bidges that were in storage because they were too narrow to safely drive across in a car. They erected one of the bridges over Swatara Creek for foot traffic only-very nice. The AT Trail was next to the Swatara Creek for about a mile and was visually pleasing as well as the sounds of the running water in the creek. Our destination for the day was a 12 mile hike to 501 Shelter. After leaving the river we had a 1200 foot ascent up Blue Mtn. The remainder of the trail was reasonably flat but we encountered many areas where the trail was extremely rocky.I fell on a large slippery rock and my leg went into a crevice, I had to sit and lie on my back in order to ge the correct angle to get my leg out. I was fortunate not to break my leg &/or have a Rattlesnake in the hole bite me. Wm Penn Shelter was close to the trai,thus we stopped for lunch. Slick, a trail maintainer, was there and we had a good vist with him. He walked with us to the next road where his Jeep was parked and offered us trail magic-cokes and snacks, of course we accepted. It was a short 2 mile walk to our shelter and we arrived about 3pm. The shelter was fully enclosed with 12 bunk beds and two large picnic tables inside. Bob and Martha were the care takers and lived in a house about 100 yards away. Bob brought us three beers- trial magic twice in one day!A local restaurant delivers pizzas to the the shelter but, unfortunately, their phones were out of service so we cooked our dinner but that was ok.We were alone in the shelter and prepared for another good night.
Date: 2012-05-06
From: 501 Shelter

To: Eagle's Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Another peaceful night, there were two hikers who came into the shelter last night at 1am, we did not meet them because they were still asleep when we left. Gerda woke us up at 5am and we were on the trail shortly after 7am. It would be a 15 mile hike to Eagle's Nest Shelter. The trail had a few ups and downs but not bad, the rocks were everywhere and they were definitely beginning to take a toil on our feet but also on our minds. It was a constant battle to find good placement for our feet and one had to constantly be alert. It took us 7 hours to get to the shelter , the hiking was slowed down considerably by the rocky terrain but we had to persevere. We arrived at the shelter at 5pm. there were two male hikers at the shelter a a few more tenting close by. All three of us were tired and completed our chores- gathering water, cooking dinner and preparing our sleeping areas for the night.It did not rain but was damp all day long and we finally saw the sun at 5pm just as we arrived at the shelter. Tomorrow we will have a short hike into Hamburg and will stay at the Microtel Motel and take a zero day. We were excited about the upcoming day off the trail.
Date: 2012-05-07
From: Eagle's Nest Shelter

To: Hamburg
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up early as per our custom at the Eagle's Nest Shelter. Two thru hikers shared thje shelter with us, Bucket from South Jersey and Jake from Charlottesville. The privy near the shelter was gross and not usable, first really bad privy that we have encountered on the trail. Mary and Styling were also at the shelter but they tented. Mary was from MO and got off the trail last year because of Lymes Disease. Styling is a friend of hers and lives in PA. We hiked with them off and on to the Port Clinton area.I asked the best way to get from Port Clinton to Hamburg, there was a 3 mile trail,Schuykill River Trail, but we were hoping for a shuttle. The highway was too busy to hitchike. Styling told us that her boyfriend was picking them up at the trail head and would be glad to drop us off at the motel- an answer to our prayers. We stopped at Logans Restaurant on the way and I treated them to Hamburgers and beer for their hospitality. We ariived at the Microtel Inn at 1:30 and were assigned our rooms. The rooms were nice, clean and a good size.I went to my room and unpacked everthing to start drying out my gear. It had rained for several days and was still raining as we checked into the Inn. Gerda has a friend from Germany who lives close by and he is to pick us up for dinner with him. He has been in the states a number of years. Gerda is a friend of his family and had met him on sveral occasions prior to his coming to the states.Todays hike was beautiful but there were only a few views and, of course, we continue to deal with many rocks. My feet have numerous blisters and I think it is from the slipping and sliding of my feet inside the boots on the rocks. I wear Keen Boots and they are comfortable, I think it is the shifting of my feet as mentioned above on the rocks.We are excited about a good dinner tonight and a zero day tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-08
From: Hamburg

To: Hamburg
Miles today: 0.0

Gerdas' friend, Ralph, picked us up at the motel as promised and we enjoyed his company at dinner. He also took us to Cabalas to get a few supplies and to Wal-Mart for more band aids. All three of us slept well at the motel, it was much nicer than we had anticipated. They served a good Continental Breakfast and all the coffee we wanted. Allison walked to the local library to use a computer and was impressed with the Library and their nice staff. Gerda and I went separate ways exploring the area. I went back to Cabalas for two reason, I was interested in the Moab low cut boots and also they offered shuttle services which we needed to get back to the trail at Port Clinton. I struck out with both issues. They had the Moab Boots but the sales person was honest and thought that I should keep my Keen boots in view of the rocky terrain. Also, they did not offer shuttles to Port Clinton. I went back to the motel, took a nap and listen to an audiobook on my IPod. The three of us convened for dinner at the tavern adjacent to the motel. The food was good and of course we enjoyed the beer. We retired to our rooms for another good night of sleep, it had rained most of the day, again!
Date: 2012-05-09
From: Hamburg

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Last night Styling called and offered us a ride back to the trail, an answer to our prayers. Styling was so nice to remember us, good trail magic. We had another good night of sleep at the Inn and were up early to eat the Continental Breakfast and were dropped off at Port Clinton at 8:30. We had a 14 mile hike to Eckville Shelter and Styling and Mary were planning on a 5 mile to Windsor Furnace Shelter. The climb from the gap up to Blue Mtn was steep with a 1000 foot ascent then it was up and down to the first shelter, Windsor Furnace. Mary and Styling were behind us so we did not stop. There was a 4 or 5 mile section of the trail that was extremely rocky and was discouraging. It got better and then we had another rocky ascent of 500 feet to Pulpit Rock but at least we had good views at the "Pulpit". The late start and being slowed down by the rocks concerned us that we may be arriving at the shelter after dark. We encountered a slight shower and finally arrived at the shelter at 5pm. We were all very tired and glad to be there. The shelter was another 4 sided structure with padded bunks, a nice privy with a shower(cold only). It was maintained by a caretaker who lived on site. We set up our sleeping bags, cooked dinner and appreciated being inside just as another big rain started.
Date: 2012-05-10
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Blue Mtn B & B
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

We enjoyed a peaceful night at the Eckville Shelter, there was rain during the night but not too heavy. Nevertheless, it was nice to be in our bunk beds and out of the weather. No one came in during the night, so we had it to ourselves. Today will be a 11.5 mile hike to the Blue Mtn B&B. After loading our packs, we went back up the road 0.2 mile to the trail and started hiking North. The first mile was flat and comfortable, not many rocks but that soon changed. We crossed Furnace Creek and began a 800 foot climb to Pulpit Rock. There were beautiful views at Pulpit Rock of the valley and surrounding Mountains. The next 4 miles were awful-rocks and boulders continuously with no breaks. We stopped at Allentown Shelter, which was 30 yards off the trail for lunch. Our feet were aching from the rocks, so we took off our socks and gave our feet some much needed attention. The shelter was nice with a clean privy. After a substantial break, we were back on the trail. It was about 4 miles to Highway 309 and the B&B. The Blue Mtn B&B has two parts, a bar with a large dinning room and an attached building with the sleeping quarters. But first things first! We order food and beer. I had a delicious Grilled Chicken sandwich. Ken took us to our rooms. My room was nice with a private bath and the ladies were also pleased with their room. As a matter of fact, we immediately began planning a slack pack hike for the next day in order to extend our stay. We discussed a slack pack hike from Lehigh River Gap back to the B&B with Ken and he agreed to shuttle us-Good News! The weather was clear today with no rain but a low of 36 degrees was forecasted for the night. My resupply box was present so I sorted it and packed it in my food bag, showered and went to sleep.
Date: 2012-05-11
From: Blue Mtn B & B

To: Blue Mtn B & B
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: moderate rain

The three of us slept well and woke early to a delicious breakfast that Ken prepared for us. We had eggs with all the trimmings. Soon after breakfast, Ken shuttled us to Lehigh Gap and we began a 14 mile hike back to the B&B. It was cold, in the mid thirties, but we were soon sweating after a 1200 foot climb out of the Gap. The trail was nice and thus far not too difficult. Soon we arrived at Bake Oven Knob and it was extremely rocky, does it sound like a broken record? We soon encountered a side trail to Bear Mtn and it is touted to have good views, BUT the trail guide warned that it is difficult and to "be carful on the rocks", so we voted and elected to skip it. We crossed a knife edge of rocks known as "The Cliffs" and were on all fours at times. It was slow and tedious but we made it through without falling. There were great views but we did not do much gazing. The last mile back to the B&B was nice and easy on our feet. Of course, the entire section was easier because we were slack packing, thus, had very light packs. The Blue Mtn B&B looked like home and we were looking forward to a good hot shower , a big dinner and even a few beers. Our plan tomorrow is for Ken to shuttle us back to Lehigh Gap in the morning and we will continue hiking north. But first a good night of sleep in our soft beds.