morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-06-01
From: Doyle Hotel Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm not sure how to put The Doyle into words. It's an interesting experience, not to say it was bad. Actually, I think it's a great place for a hiker to stay a night. There is a lot of character in this old hotel, but sometimes you have to look hard to find it through unrepaired ceilings, broken windows and cracked doors. I don't want to use the word "dump" because I hear the owners are working to restore it, but let's just say there is a lot of work to be done. Meanwhile, hikers will continue to pay only $25 a night for a room (how cheap!) and will continue to enjoy the bar/restaurant on the 1st floor. That's one of the best hiker hangouts ever. I found the food to be very good and beer prices were very reasonable.Doc hiked into town last night and we had a beer with him at the bar. Apparently his wife has been following us on trailjournals. So "Hi Mrs. Doc!" I know he signs his name as Dr. Dave, but I'm just used to calling him Doc... Did you know we started on Springer the same day? And we're still keeping pace with each other!Snag and I had breakfast at Goodies Restaurant across the street. They have HUGE blueberry pancakes (imagine drawing a circle around Shaquille O'Neil's outstretched palm). Neither of us could finish 2 along with our sausage and egg sides. We heard of big storms coming through this afternoon, so we left town about 10, instead of after lunch (our M.O.). The firemen at the fire station gave us bottled water. A gentleman that was part of a funeral service stopped us along on our way out. He was glad to see us hiking "all the way to Maine!" and told us to have a great day! We didn't know how to respond: you too? In the short time we've spent in Duncannon I get a good feeling from it. The people at the laundromat were nice, The Doyle owners hospitable and friendly. The grocery store runs shuttles for hikers every day. Just this weekend, Duncannon, PA is celebrating their addition as an "official trail town". They are holding a "Trail Days" of sorts with free food, etc this weekend. Last night we watched a mural being painted in the downtown area next to the new BBQ place that just opened (it's excellent if you're wondering). Anyway, when we left town we crossed a long bridge over the Susquehanna River and went back into the woods, up about 700 feet to a rocky ridgeline. We kept a good eye on the sky - it is blustery today and I had a large branch come down about 15 feet in front of me. Close one! The rain has held off and the sun was even peeking out for a bit. We got to the shelter at 3 and stopped for the day. We met Grok from Florida, we were the only ones at the shelter until 8PM when some weekenders showed up in the rain. At 5:30 the first round of storms came through, bringing rain and thunder. We heard a large cracking sound, and the top of a Tulip Poplar came crashing down about 40 yards from us on the trail. Needless to say we're all staying in the shelter tonight.
Date: 2012-06-02
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

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

Everyone is the shelter slept until about 7AM and Snag and I left by 8. Today was one of the best hiking days ever, in my opinion. IT was fun skipping over rocks, sliding on mud and sloshing through shallow water. We were traversing through small rock fields like champions. We had a climb up to 1100 feet from 400 feet but honestly I didn't notice until we got to the top - the grade was so gradual. We both felt like we could have gone all day until about 3:00 when our feet really started to feel the rocks. We could have made a big day out of today, but decided to stop while we're ahead. Peters Mountain Shelter is old, but tucked into a hillside in a really nice spot. A trough with spring water flows right in front. Snag and I tented nearby, but we like hanging out and eating dinner with the other hikers, Doc and Grok tonight.
Date: 2012-06-03
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

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

I slept like a log last night. At 6:30AM we got up and started our routine. Eric went to the privy as I started dismantling the tent. When he got back he fetched our hanging food and I set up the cook kit to boil some water. We sat to have breakfast: pop tarts with Nutella spread on top (it's a new thing we started doing) and chocolate Carnation instant breakfast. We finished packing the tent, brushed our teeth and waved to Doc and Grok who were on their way out. We left shortly before 8AM.The day started out nice, but the afternoon went through a cycle of clouds and thunder, maybe a sprinkle, and then the clouds would clear, revealing a blue sky. We went up just one fairly steep but short section up, and then it was rocky for a good while. Grok, Snag and I arrived up at the 501 Shelter about 3:30. A thru-hiker that started in Harper's Ferry recently (sorry I forgot his name!) was zero-ing here at this 4-walled shelter with a sky light and a solar-powered shower. Doc and other thru-hikers Almost Eagle and Dancing Dove came later. Almost Eagle and Dancing Dove (from North Carolina) also just started recently at Harper's Ferry and are going north. When they get to Katahdin they'll flip down to Harper's and go south.We all ordered a pizza from the town of Bethel and a couple of wonderous salads. It filled us up! The caretakers came by - they live in a house next door to check on the place. Apparently the ATC lets them stay in the house for free in order to keep up the shelter. They do a good job! Since the sun wasn't shining all day, the water from the solar shower was ice cold. So no shower tonight. It's O.K. though. I have honestly gotten used to not showering for several days. I just get dirty again anyway, so a good rinse in the important areas is all I need. I've long given up on caring what my hair looks like, plus it's easier to braid or put up when it's a little greasy.
Date: 2012-06-04
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA pavillion
Miles today: 24.1
Weather: scattered clouds

The rain pounded on the tin and skylight in our enclosed shelter last night. Snag and I got up at 5AM and left early, at 6. A scale hung just outside the door of the shelter so we weighed our packs. My base weight is down to 14 lbs, Snag's is just below that. With 2 day's of food and 1 and 1/2 liters of water mine was exactly 20 lbs.We started our rocky hike and at 7AM the rain came down briefly, then it cleared. A group of 3 guys doing trail magic gave us a beer. It was 8AM. Although I've never had a beer this early before, it's hard to turn down trail magic! We spent the next hours single file, our trekking poles making clicks and scraping sounds against rock and awkwardly placing our feet one after another in the rock maze that was the trail. The sky could never decide whether to downpour or to be a sunny, blue-sky day. Dark clouds moved in and just as fast they would blow over. We got sprinkled on a bit.In Port Clinton, PA we got our food drop. Yes. Then we called Cabellas in the next town over because we heard they do shuttles to their store. The driver, Ben, came to pick us up. Hikers Woodchuck and his friend (I forgot her name!) with her dog Bodie came along. We all spent the next 3 hours at Cabellas eating, cleaning up in the bathroom and shopping. Eric got some new Vasque shoes. His feet are hurting and with blisters so hopefully these shoes work better than the Keens.Now we're back at the Port Clinton pavilion where hikers can stay for free. It's the only place to stay in town today because apparently everything is closed in Port Clinton on Mondays. Our feet are sore. We'll rest up just enought to feel good in the morning for the next hike.
Date: 2012-06-05
From: Port Clinton, PA pavillion

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: broken clouds

We slept alright on the pavilion floor last night. 3C's restaurant down the street was open for breakfast so Snag and I went and ate lots of food - pancakes, bacon, ham, sausage and eggs, which is just what we need for our first big climb of the day. Port Clinton sits at about 400 feet and we went up to 1200 feet over a couple of miles. The terrain is still within reason and we are moving pretty fast up hills still, but they are coming more frequent and more challenging compared to the past few weeks. The weather all day was perfect. Mostly cloudy and cool - no rain to speak of but a few sprinkles at dinner. The rocks got bad by the last 5 miles before our stop for tonight. We tried to take our time traversing them because they are so uneven and not always sturdy. Our feet are feeling it, but this phase will pass soon enough. I kind of enjoy the rock-hop challenge, it mixes things up a bit.We met Weezy today from Buffalo, NY thru-hiking. Other than him, there were no other thru-hikers to be seen. I gather from registers and hostel owners that there is a large group (20 or so) about 5 days ahead and one group 5 days behind. So Snag and I and a few others (Weezy, Grok, Woodchuck, Doc, etc) are between 2 large "bubbles". And I am rather enjoying the break from all the loud camps, business and noisiness. It's a cool, quiet night. Only us two and a weekend hiker are here near the shelter.
Date: 2012-06-06
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Borough Hall Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 17.9

Snag and I awoke at 5:45 this morning with the sun peeking through the trees. We had a wonderful breakfast of grape-nuts and dried fruit with milk (one of our homemade creations). We left before 8 expecting a rocky day. About an hour later, while sitting at a cooler of pepsis and apples left by a trail angel, thru-hiker KDO came upon us. We met him in Damascus originally and have been running into him about every 2 weeks since then. He's fast - he'll dash ahead and then stop in a city for a while and that's when we pass him. Then a week or so later he catches up. Already well into a 35-mile day, he continued on. Soon enough, Snag and I hit the 'dreaded' section called the Knife's Edge. We knew when we hit it because the trail turned abruptly into a narrow ledge of sharply angled rocks the size of washing machines. Our footing choices were to either walk on a heavily slanted surface or on the knife edges that are the tops of the rocks. We've heard it's the worst mile in Pennsylvania. The rock fields popped up consistently today, interspersed with pebble-walking. A few times there was just plain soft dirt and it felt like walking on clouds. We would breath a sigh of relief when we got to those sections. Rock-walking forces deliberate steps, not the mindless speed walking that we all get into when we can. It causes us to slow down or most likely trip, stub a toe, or fall. The sun was out in force until about 12:30 when clouds came back. It looked like rain, but I hardly believe anything anymore until I see it. We've been lucky these past 3 days!Snag and I are taking advantage of Palmerton, PA's hospitality and staying for free in their courthouse basement. They call it a hostel, but I think it's a little creepy. Sure, but it's free!
Date: 2012-06-07
From: Borough Hall Palmerton, PA

To: The Beer Stein Camp -- Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: scattered clouds

After a good breakfast at Bert's in town, we walked to the post office for me to buy stamps before hitching a ride back to the trail. I stuck my thumb out and not 1 minute later a nice man on his way to work had us jump in.Now we had heard about how 'bad' the rocks get and how the 'worst' mile was Knife's Edge yesterday, but nobody mentioned the rocky climb out of Palmerton. The trail turned pretty steep quickly and then became rock. We climbed and then scaled at the very top until we had an amazing view from small ledge of the river, highway and town below. It was such a satisfying climb. The blue skies and morning coolness made me glad to be out today. the trail kept following the mountain up to 1500 feet on rocks. We lost the white blazes a few times on the rocks, but made it up to the exposed ridgeline. The AT Companion Guide talks about the EPA Superfund site in this area. Apparently a zinc smelting operation was ongoing for nearly a century when the EPA shut it down in 1980. Lots of blueberries lined the trail, we are told because of the acidic soil.Snag and I saw no other thru-hikers on the trail today. None. And we were hiking for nearly 9 hours. The rocky trail continued until the town of Wind Gap, PA. Our feet had had it. We spotted some hikers at this restaurant The Beer Stein. Apparently we can camp behind the restaurant for free in the fenced backyard. We had heard there was a bluegrass festival in town, but we couldn't find it. This will have to do. The owner brought up firewood with his backhoe and lets us use his bathrooms. We met KowAbunga and his dog, Knucklehead, who started in Harpers Ferry and his section-hiking friends, Bowls and Vapor Trail. We had a fire and hung out. Nice Crew!
Date: 2012-06-08
From: The Beer Stein Camp Wind Gap, PA

To: Church of thMountain Hostel Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: scattered clouds

A street light blared into our tent all night, making me think multiple times during the night that the sun was up. When the sun did rise, everyone broke camp and got donuts and drinks at the gas station. By 8:30 we were on the rocky trail, in for another 'foot massage'. They say we've passed the rockiest section, but today wasn't too much different. We haven't seen any rattlesnakes on the trail yet in PA, but we've heard of some other hikers spotting them sunning on the rocks. We did have one enormous rat snake outstretched on the trail.Today was actually sunny for a change, all day. The full foliage provided almost complete shade and so it wasn't too hot. We came upon a few lookouts and crossed powerlines with views of farms and small towns below. We had a somewhat short day today, after deciding to stay at a free church hostel. We had some food we sent ahead here and we also have a "new" functioning digital camera. I failed to mention that my nice camera broke due to water damage at the end of May, so I have a week of no pictures. Luckily it was insured and now we have a camera again for now. Also, the post office lost our bounce box. We've given up waiting for it to come into Port Clinton, PA post office. We had extra supplies in there, some town clothes and our AT guide pages, but we'll have to do without.Delaware Water Gap is the last town in Pennsylvania, less than a mile from New Jersey! The towns and people in PA have more than made up for all of the jagged rocks. Thanks for the hospitality!There are lots of hikers here tonight, I don't know all of their names. The bunks seem filled up and some hikers are tenting in the back. We got pizza in town and Snag and I shared a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Yum!
Date: 2012-06-09
From: Church of the Mountain Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I set the alarm for 6 this morning and Snag and I climbed out of the top bunks we were sleeping in. I hung my feet over the side for a minute figuring out how to get down. I'm so stiff. The first steps in the morning are the most painful, second to the throbbing foot pain at the end of the day. We hobbled into the lounge area to eat pound cake and a honey bun bought at the gas station last night. Breakfast places in Delaware Water Gap open at 8AM, which is too late for us. We want to leave around 7. By 8:30 we were across the Delaware River bridge and in New Jersey! A pair of Osprey flew over our heads to the river and we ran into some Audubon birders out on a scouting mission. We talked birds for a few minutes and off we went deeper into NJ woods. The rocks didn't end in PA like we had hoped, so our feet took a beating yet again today. The best view by far was the climb after Rattlesnake Mountain (no, we didn't see any rattlesnakes). I was impressed by how the woods never seemed to end, even from the tall vantage point. I might have to adjust my perception of this state after all. Cloudy in the morning, the sun came out by noon and now it's 9PM and clear. There are about 7 weekend hikers at camp and we met section-hikers G-pa and 2 young guys from Wind Gap, PA hoping to go all the way to Maine this summer. They can definitely do it! Thinking back when I first started, I think the best advice for me is the start slow, go at YOUR OWN PACE and pay attention to your body. Everything else falls in line.
Date: 2012-06-10
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: Marshall and Cara's -- Newton, NJ
Miles today: 9.0

A short walk today. We took a break a few miles short of our stopping point at a deli at a road crossing (Joe's to Go). Good sandwiches, but hikers seem to get the impression that we aren't well liked by Joe himself. He seemed nice enough to me, but I've heard he doesn't go out of his way at all for hikers. No charging phones in the store, no filling up water bottles. There's lots of reasons not to like hikers, I suppose, depending on his personal experiences. His deli is directly off the AT, though, so he's stuck with us!Eric's friend, Marshall and his girlfriend, Cara picked us up at the Sunrise Mountain parking lot in the early afternoon. Who knew they only lived 30 minutes from the trail? We got DQ blizzards! Yay! We are so happy to be with them tonight at their new place in downtown Newton. We had a great dinner at a diner outside of town with the largest slices of cake you've ever seen.
Date: 2012-06-11
From: Marshall and Cara's - Newton, NJ

To: Pochuck Shelter
Miles today: 23.0

Cara took us to the Branchville P.O. in the morning so we could pick up a package containing AWOL's AT guide that my dad bought for us on Amazon and had shipped there. We needed a new guide because all of our pages had been in our bounce box (which is now completely lost in the mail system). We decided to switch to AWOL's instead of the thru-hiker's companion. Besides the elevation guide in AWOL's, it seems to have better water source info and more features giving you a better idea of where you are on the trail. Anyway, our package hadn't come in the mail! So we're walking 'blind' today. We didn't know where water sources, shelters or road crossings would be. It makes the day more difficult to plan. It took some figuring, but it's being sent further along on the trail.With such a short day yesterday and lots of relaxin, Snag and I both feel pretty good on the trail today. We went to High Point Sate Park and near the monument marking the highest point in New Jersey at 1,803 feet. In the evening we ran into some trail angels all the way from South Carolina. They call themselves the "B-Team". They had pizza, pineapple and soda. It was awesome! Thru-hikers Faulkner, Standing Bear & Molasses caught up to us and we all ate some trail magic dinner. We packed in some bananas and Sprite to the shelter tonight. There are probably 15 people here tonight, at least 5 thru-hikers. Section hikers Marky Mark, Wasp and others that were already tented and asleep when we got in are here as well.
Date: 2012-06-12
From: Pochuck Shelter

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

By 7:30AM Snag and I had left camp and had started walking. Lots of ups and downs today, more than what we've been used to lately. We had a 1 mile boardwalk (so nice after all the hills!), and then we stopped at Heaven Hill Farms for some fruit, ice cream and day-old bread for cheap. We packed out some food for tomorrow and headed up to Wawayanda Shelter and decided to stop because of the rain. It's supposed to storm tonight so we're laying low for now.Section-hikers Bowls, and Poncho are here with thrus Hawkeye and Kowabunga. Poncho's dad brought us pizza and beer tonight since we're so close to his house. Yay! It was delicious and we are thoroughly spoiled. Short day today makes a longer day tomorrow.
Date: 2012-06-13
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Tuxedo Motel -- Southfields, NY
Miles today: 22.0

The storm we all expected last night never quite materialized, but it did rain some. In the morning around 6AM, a little rain fell, but it never rained fully. There were lots of boulders and rocks to cross today on the trail, but they weren't the sharp, Pennsylvania kind, but round and friendly. By the time we crossed into New Jersey fog had rolled in, spreading a fine mist on everything. We had to be extremely careful while traversing the rocks. We passed Kowabunga, Poncho and Bowls. It seemed that everyone was falling, but no one got seriously hurt. By noon, the fog cleared and the sun came out. The rocks mostly dried, which made for much better hiking conditions. Our first day in New York was hard! There were many sections today of straight up rock scrambles and climbing, one after another. It was a long day because we were slowed down a lot, so we are tired. My dad had our AWOL's guide sent here to the Tuxedo Motel and I am relieved to have it! I'm the one that primarily holds the guide pages and mostly plans the day, so I felt lost without it. We're hanging out inside tonight, and hopefully will be ready to continue with New York tomorrow.
Date: 2012-06-14
From: Tuxedo Motel -- Southfields, NY

To: Greg's house -- Tappan, NY
Miles today: 15.8

It was nice staying in a hotel last night. The blinds were shut so we didn't wake up with the sun. A stop at a nearby gas station and Food Mart was our resupply, but only to hold us over until Ft. Montgomery, NY tomorrow.Eric called a friend from college, Greg, who lives in Tappan, NY, and they arranged a last second get together. Tonight! We are so excited now to get to our rendezvous point 16 miles North on the AT.Hitching back to the trail proved difficult this morning. Highway 17 has almost no shoulder and cars were going near 60 mph. Just when I was about to give up on New Yorkers, a nice young couple pulled over and helped us out. Back at the trail (it was 10AM before we got there) we ran into trail angels "B Team" from 2 days ago! They were cooking up sausage and pancakes this time and they had those delicious pineapple slices! One of the guys (sorry I don't remember your name!) even remembered that I liked his chocolate almond milk and let me drink some of his secret stash. So nice!It was 11AM by the time we really got going and we felt a little behind. We hit the 'Lemon Squeezer' pretty early on, where you are 'squeezed' through 2 boulders and then are forced to climb out of it. There were sections of climbing up rock faces. There were even blue-blazed trails for an easier passage, but we're not out here to do those. (I suppose they're there to use in inclement weather). So up we went.We met section-hiker Chuckie the Fish at a shelter and he gave us some of his water. Thanks! Water here is tea-colored and it's just tannins in the water, but it makes us miss the delicious springs we had down south. We were spoiled.By 6PM we made it to Perkins Memorial Drive and Greg was there right on time. We spent the night drinking Dogfish Head brews and eating hamburgers and ice cream. How nice that we could stay at his place! He only lives (and grew up) 20 minutes from the AT.