morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-17
From: Snickers Gap VA7

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 20.0

Wednesday, June 17th Today the Iceman and the Sherpa made it to Harpers Ferry, WV and this is important because it's considered the "ceremonial" halfway point on the AT. The actual geographical halfway point is about 100 miles north in PA. The gruelling "Roller Coaster" continued for another 3 miles today, severe, steep, rocky almost vertical ups and downs and then for the next 17 miles the trail was relatively easy. About halfway through the hike he passed the VA/WV border sign. During the long day, the Iceman met a south bounder pushing a trail bike along the trail. He had been riding on the trail but wasn't able to go any further because of the steep, vertical boulders of the "Roller Coaster". Looks like he didn't do his research on this section of the trail. Two NOBO's passed him and about 6 or 7 southbound section hikers. Upon reaching Harpers Ferry the Iceman went to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy office, which is just off the trail, and had his picture taken for the 2015 through hikers album. At the same time, he was given a new number, 669. His original number, given to him at Springer Mountain in Georgia, was 660. The morning started off with a Pilates class in Winchester, VA and then back to the motel to do laundry and take care of correspondence from the last 2 weeks and attend to other personal affairs. When the Sherpa arrived in Harpers Ferry the Iceman was just getting to the ATC and elated to have made it that far. He found out that he's the oldest, on record, to have completed the trail this far, for a first time attempt and the 4th oldest overall. There may have been other hikers who hiked when they were young and then did the hike again at an older age but this is his first attempt. We celebrated at "One Block West" a small restaurant off the pedestrian mall in Winchester with a nice bottle of wine and some wonderful food that included stuffed zucchini flowers, crab cakes and gnocchi with morel mushrooms and kale. The chef is self taught. There are some photo's of Harpers Ferry in the photo section. It's a town worth visiting because of it's importance in the Civil War and the many historical buildings in the old section.
Date: 2015-06-18
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Turners Gap VA40Alt
Miles today: 18.1

Thursday, June 18th Today the Iceman passed through history as he hiked the trail. Gathland State Park and South Mountain were places that saw the horrors of our Civil War. They are near Antietam and other towns we know from our American history classes like Sharpsburg and Gettysburg. The picturesque hike turned into a nightmare when halfway through thunder and lightning began and lasted for almost an hour accompanied by very heavy rain that practically knocked the Iceman to the ground. Within 5 minutes he was walking in a river of water 6" deep and because he could no longer see the rocks on the trail he fell twice face first into what had been the trail but now was a river. He became obsessed with the thought that he might get blisters on his feet, as happened once before, when he hiked in rain for two days and his boots and feet were constantly wet. The photo was taken early in the hike and it's a picture of the Townsend memorial. After dropping off the Iceman on the trail in Harpers Ferry the Sherpa decided to look around the town before heading to the next base camp. We all know the names, Harpers Ferry and John Brown. Here you can visit the John Brown Museum which is in the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and visit the buildings that are as they were in the Civil War period. The town itself is a museum, with it's narrow streets and old buildings, and doesn't appear to have changed since the 1800's. Breakfast was at the Town's Inn on High St. and then off to the new base camp in Waynesboro, PA. the Day's Inn on Main St. The Iceman was ready for a big dinner after his 18+ mile hike and so we chose a seafood restaurant in Hagerstown, MD called Schulas Grill and Crab. Their specialty is a bucket of hard shell crabs and one must pick the meat out of each crab. Too much work for us but others seemed to be enjoying themselves as they picked away. The Iceman had excellent Manhattan Clam Chowder and, he proclaims, the BEST sauteed soft shell crabs he's ever had.
Date: 2015-06-19
From: Turners Gap VA40Alt

To: Raven Rock Hollow MD 491
Miles today: 17.6

Friday, June 19th At 8:30am the Iceman started his hike from Turner's Gap on US40 and it continued through the Washington Monument State Park on South Mountain. It was here in 1827 that the citizens of Boonsboro built a stone monument in honor of George Washington and it was the first monument built in his honor. The hike was relatively easy until the Iceman came to another infamous boulder field which stretched for one mile along the ridge of South Mountain. With only a few miles left to go, the sky opened up and the rain came down. Thoughts of yesterdays deluge entered the Icemans mind and he began to panic but fortunately the rain stopped in about 20 minutes and the sun came out and stayed out during the rest of the hike. Section hikers ruled the day as the Iceman met at least a dozen and all were going south. He also met Buffy, an acquaintance from the Appalachian Trail Institute in Tennessee, trail name "Iron Lady" and she was flip flopping today. She mentioned that she had met 28 through hikers that day and all were heading north. That's a big bubble. The Sherpa decided, that since the drop off place was only about 9 miles from Antietam, she would make that her destination. Upon arriving at the Antietam National Battlefield Visitors Center one has the option of viewing a variety of exhibits and also viewing, in their large theater, a very well made film about the battle on that fateful day, September 17, 1862. After having seen the exhibits and film a Ranger gathered up a group of visitors which included the Sherpa and all went outside onto the battlefield to hear the story of Antietam a battle that was a turning point in the Civil War. Lunch was next and then it was time to take a tour of the entire battlefield with the aid of a CD program that one can purchase at the visitors center. It was a very emotional day and the Sherpa was sorry that the Iceman could not have been with her for this experience. Dinner was at a good Japanese restaurant in Waynesboro, Sapporo. There were many small courses and all were delicious.
Date: 2015-06-20
From: Raven Rock Hollow MD 491

To: PA233 South Mountain PA
Miles today: 19.1

Saturday, June 20th Quite early in the Iceman's hike today and just as he approached the first peak, he came upon a boulder field. He now thought, "this is going to be a difficult day". He recalled the conversations he had yesterday with several SOBO's section hikers and they told of a "terrible" boulder field that they had hiked and that he was headed for. He proceeded to hike over the boulders and thankfully they only formed the trail for about a 1/2 mile and after that the trail became somewhat easy. The most exciting times of the day were when he crossed from Maryland into Pennsylvania and when he passed over South Mountain. This was General Robert E Lee's retreat route after the battle of Gettysburg. While retreating over the mountains his retreat wagons were attacked by Union forces and many were destroyed. How demoralizing this must have been for the retreating men. The Iceman was passed by just a few NOBO's but he passed at least 30 or 40 SOBO's section hikers. Most of the SOBO's were in large groups. Towards late afternoon the sky clouded over and became dark and he worried that he'd be caught in a thunderstorm but this day he'd be spared. It turned out to be a perfect hiking day. The Sherpa dropped off the Iceman and proceeded to Gettysburg National Military Park where it became evident that a tour was in order. The Tripadvisor site had many to choose from but "History Nerds" looked like the best bet. The 10AM tour, titled "The Generals", was a 2+ hour deal in a small shuttle with 11 people including the Sherpa and turned out to be fantastic. The guide/driver had been a teacher and is a Gettysburg history buff. (See photo of shuttle in photo section). After the tour it was onto the Courtyard by Marriott just 3 miles outside Gettysburg to check in and unpack as this will be the base camp for the next 3 nights. Tonight's dinner was in the historic town of Gettysburg at the "Dobbin House". The "Dobbin House" is the oldest house in Gettysburg, a 1776 stone house, and the wait staff are attired in colonial garb and serve some very good food. The Sherpa could fill many more pages describing Gettysburg but suffice it to say, everyone should visit at least once and bring the children and grandchildren, if you're lucky enough to have any.
Date: 2015-06-21
From: PA233 South Mountain PA

To: Shippensburg Road
Miles today: 16.0

Sunday, June 21st Father's Day The Iceman received phone calls from his three children today and that made him very happy. His day was spent hiking, as usual, and thankfully most of the hike was easy. The trail started off with a steep vertical climb and through, you guessed it, a boulder field. A large boulder field for the first 3 miles but then the trail became very easy and his hike was a breeze. The weathermen predicted that the temps would be in the 90's but in the mountains it was ONLY in the 80's. At one point in his hike he met a fellow named Dan who happens to be a friend of Scott Jurek. Scott is trying to break the record for fastest hike on the AT. Presently it's held by a woman who completed the entire trail, Georgia to Maine, in 46 days. Scott is on course to complete it in 45 days. We shall see if he can do it pretty soon, since he's now in NJ. He runs about 50 miles a day on the trail. Our daughter who lives in San Diego and her husband were visiting our grandson who's working in DC this summer so after dropping off the Iceman the Sherpa headed to DC. Two hours latter the Sherpa met them at Clyde's in Georgetown, DC for lunch. There aren't enough miles to keep a mother and grandmother from seeing her family. After a wonderful lunch it was time to get back into the car and drive, another 2 hours, to the pick up point in Biglerville, PA.   After so much driving the Sherpa thought seriously about having a pizza delivered to the hotel but the Iceman looks forward to a pleasant evening out in a nice restaurant after a tough day hiking. We relaxed at the Inn at Herr Ridge Restaurant and ate delicious puree of onion soup and crab stuffed flounder. Yum!
Date: 2015-06-22
From: Shippensburg Road

To: Hunters Run Rd/PA-34
Miles today: 17.2

Monday, June 22nd The Iceman had a momentous day today. He passed the geographical halfway mark between Springer Mountain, Georgia and Mt. Katahdin, Maine and luckily, when he arrived at the marker, another hiker was there and they took pictures of each other standing in front of the sign. A great day for the Iceman! He also passed a very large furnace which was used for producing iron, in the Pine Grove Furnace State Park from 1764 to 1895 and the Appalachian Trail Museum. He wanted to keep moving and so he didn't stop at either place but there were hikers sitting outside the museum enjoying the warm weather and snacking. The Iceman didn't see many hikers today but he did stop to chat, for a few minutes with a middle aged hiker from Tennessee "Champagne Jam" who is a primary care physician and took 4 1/2 months off from his practice to hike the AT. He mentioned that his knees were giving him some trouble but he wanted to try and complete the hike. There are more and more rocks on the trail but other than that it was a good day hiking. Just a few words here about what happens in the morning each day. The Iceman gets up at or before 6AM and goes to breakfast while the Sherpa gets ready then they both gather what they need for the drop off point, The A.T. Guide, Ipad, Iphone, map of the state they're in at the time, backpack, water, juice and fruit for the Iceman for the day (always a banana, and after this trip he doesn't want to hear the "B" word ever again) then out to the car. The drive to the trailhead can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. At the trailhead the Iceman changes his shoes and puts on one of two pair of hiking boots, always kept in the car, then programs the DeLorme In Reach Explorer, gets his trekking pole, puts on bug spray and then his backpack and is on his way. This routine happens everyday. The Sherpa takes his picture (in case he gets lost and the Mounties have to send out a search party for him) and gives him a kiss and they're both on there separate ways for the day.
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Hunters Run Rd/PA-34

To: US-11 Carlisle PA
Miles today: 18.8

Tuesday, June 23rd The Iceman's day started out as many days do with a hike up a moderate hill, 700 feet to the top, where he encountered a rock outcropping maze, pictured here, after which he came to a second maze. For about 5 miles he did ups and downs and then came to the valley floor. As he hiked towards Boiling Springs, PA he walked through many farms in this lovely farm valley. In Boiling Springs the Iceman passed the Appalachian Trial Mid Atlantic Regional Office and Appleberry's Resort, where a hiker can take in a live production and today it was the play "Damn Yankee's". The sky darkened and it was obvious that a storm was brewing. Soon the wind picked up and hail came down. The rain, violent wind and hail continued for two hours and was frightening. The Iceman was being beaten down by the power of the rain and struggled along the trail while tree limbs and branches, large and small, were flying around barely missing him. Thunder and lightning added to the horror of the situation. The Sherpa, that day, happened to have just left the Appleberry Theater, after seeing "Damn Yankee's", and was on the way to pick up the Iceman but had to stop driving for fear of having an accident because of the heavy rain making it impossible to see through the windshield. She knew she had to get going so that the Iceman wouldn't have to wait for the warm, dry car, it would be there waiting for him. It was slow driving and at this point the roads were rivers of rain water many feet deep. Driving was frightening and trucks and cars were stuck in the deep water. Finally the Sherpa made it to the pick up point and just then the Iceman called to say he couldn't find a way off the footbridge that crossed the highway. It was still raining very hard but he was able to go about 200' through thick trees and came down to the highway through private property. What an awful experience for both the Iceman and Sherpa but there was a reward that night. Very dear friends who live in Carlisle invited the Iceman and Sherpa to dinner and what a great and delicious dinner it was, fruit and cheese with wine,grilled steaks and salmon, roasted potatoes and asparagus, all perfectly cooked and as good a meal as we've had on our whole trip. Our hosts, there college age daughter and our dear friend from Sparta, our home town, almost made the trauma of the miserable afternoon disappear. Thank you Ginny and Dave Nemeth and Carley and thank you Dom for coming all the way from your fishing boat just to see the Iceman come off the trail,
Date: 2015-06-24
From: US-11 Carlisle PA

To: Duncannon PA
Miles today: 17.7

Wednesday, June 24th The Iceman today started his hike walking across about 4 1/2 miles of relatively flat farm land covered mostly with fields of hay and then the climbing started, 750' to the top of Blue Mountain. He descended the same amount and climbed another 750' to the top of Cove Mountain but this time he stayed on a ridge and 5 miles later he descended to the town of Duncannon, PA. It was sunny and somewhere in the 70's to low 80's which made it a nice day for hiking. The trail up to and over Cove Mountain was rocky but the rest of the trail wasn't bad. After 8 hours of hiking the Iceman walked to the famous Doyle Hotel which is a must stop for all through hikers. The Doyle was built in the 1800's and at one time was owned by Anheuser-Busch. It has a history dating back to the 1770's. The present building probably hasn't seen any maintenance since the 1800's but what it has going for it is a huge amount of atmosphere; and the food is very good. The Sherpa was waiting for the Iceman directly in front of the Doyle when he arrived at 4pm and they both went to the bar where they had a very cold refreshing glass of PA's best beer, and America's oldest brew, Yuengling along with a delicious lunch. A memorable day for sure!! During the day the Sherpa visited the State Capital building in Harrisburg and went on a brief tour of the building. We packed up and left the hotel in Harrisburg and drove back home to NJ to attend the 8th grade graduation of one of our granddaughter's, Sophie, on Thursday. You probably noticed there was a laps in journals but today, Friday the Iceman and Sherpa will drive back to PA and tomorrow it's back to business. How wonderful it was, though, to see our family even if it was just for a day.
Date: 2015-06-27
From: Duncannon PA

To: PA-225
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

Saturday, June 27th Another day of heavy rain caused the Iceman to cut his hiking short. This day he did a nero of 7 miles when he started out with the intention of hiking 17. At times the wind became fierce and the rain switched between heavy and heavier soaking him to the skin even with rain gear on. There's no way to keep your feet from getting wet in this kind of weather and wet feet are bad for the hiker because when your feet get wet the skin softens and with the rubbing of socks and boots the skin wears off causing blisters. He was so demoralized but knew that if he continued he'd pay latter. The blisters would most certainly handicap his hiking for at least a week or more. The weather forecast called for 3 - 5 inches of rain and flooding of streams, rivers, etc. and lightning in the late afternoon, not a good day for hikers. At the 7 mile point the Sherpa was there waiting for him and he decided not to continue and just make up the lost day in the future. He can't afford too many of these nero days. Let's see what happens tomorrow. As you can imagine the Sherpa spent all morning driving, to the drop off place, back to the hotel, to the pick up place and back to the hotel, starting at 7am and by 1pm was back in the hotel for the rest of the afternoon and making plans for the evening. Oklahoma is being performed at the Dutch Apple Theatre in Lancaster, PA. and so that's what we'll be doing tonight. Hopefully we won't encounter flooding in Lancaster.
Date: 2015-06-28
From: PA-225

To: PA-325 Clarks Creek
Miles today: 9.4

Sunday, June 28th Yesterday the Iceman set out to hike 17 miles but his hike was cut short, because of a torrential downpour in the morning, and he decided to stop for fear of getting blisters. It was evident today, when the Iceman continued his hike, that it rained hard most of yesterday and that it must have been extremely windy because the trail was covered in debris. Large and small branches littered the trail and at some places trees were uprooted and lying across the trail or overhanging it. The day was cool, for June, in the 60's, and the sun appeared, through the clouds, on and off making it a good day for hiking. Half of the trail was rocky (see the photo section)like so much of the Appalachian Trail in PA but all in all it was a good hike. Tomorrow, Monday, he'll get back into the swing of things with a long hike. When he got to the end of his hike and reached the parking lot on PA-325 he discovered the Sherpa having a conversation with a couple standing by a table surrounded by chairs. John and Maun were trail angels and had brought food and drink for the hikers all the way from Levittown, PA. two hours away. They do this twice a year because they enjoy talking to the hikers. The lettuce was from their garden as well as the pea pods and cucumbers. They had all sorts of veggies to mix with the lettuce and John was making hot dogs on the grill that he brought. They had corn on the cob and baked beans and for dessert fresh fruit salad. Soda and water was offered as well as coffee. The Iceman was overwhelmed by their goodness and generosity. He and one other hiker, Needmore, sat at the table and ate a delicious lunch and talked about hiking and other things. Maun's grandson was there with his father and their Irish Setter. There's no better way to end a day of hiking than with good food and good conversation. The photo shows the Iceman on the right and Needmore on the left with Maun and John in the back. A work about flowers - The Iceman has seen, for the first time on his trip, white rhododendron flowers. These northern rhododendron have small white flowers and bloom latter than the southern pink and red rhododendron. The southern rhododendron bloomed over a month ago and their flowers are much larger and very colorful. He suspects that the southern variety is the one that the cultured rhododendron is derived from.
Date: 2015-06-29
From: PA-325 Clarks Creek

To: Swatara Gap 
Miles today: 17.0

Monday, June 29th The Iceman finally got some decent hiking miles in today. The sky was partly cloudy and it was warm as he hiked from Clarks Creek to Swatara Gap on what wasn't too rocky a trail, considering he's in Rocksylvania. Two hikers passed him today and one of them was "Quahog" a fellow through hiker that he met a month or so ago somewhere on the trail around Damascus, VA. The other was a day hiker from Harrisburg, PA. About 2 hours into his hike, around 9:30am, the most exciting event of the day happened and that was when he encountered his first Black Bear while hiking the AT. All of a sudden, as he was merrily hiking along, about 100' in front of him appeared an adult bear. The Iceman stopped in his tracks, looked at the bear, who seemed to be staring at him, and started to shout as loud as he could, picked up a large stick and waved it in the air continuing to yell. That must have worked because the bear turned away and proceeded to walk on the AT, going north, just like the Iceman. After waiting about 15 minutes, to give the bear time to disappear, the Iceman continued his hike. For the next mile, the bears tracks were visible in the muddy Appalachian trail and then they were no longer there. He was a little to busy to take a photo of the bear but he did get a nice shot of a colorful mushroom and a sign describing the village of Rausch Gap that had once existed in that area but was long gone. (See photo section) Unaware of all the excitement going on, in the woods, the Sherpa was getting a manicure in the Lebanon Valley Mall and having a nice conversation with the young woman from Vietnam who was the manicurist. A little shopping in the mall and then it was time to get the Iceman who was waiting on the highway to be picked up. Dinner was a bit disappointing since Tripadvisor shows the place getting some very nice reviews but that will happen every now and then. We'd been to the Red Lion Cafe near Pine Grove twice in the last few days and really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food and would definitely recommend that restaurant.