morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-01
From: Tubling Run Shelter

To: Caladonia State Park
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: broken clouds

The thunder and lightning started soon after I got settled in my tent last night. I jumped out of the tent, took my clothes off the line, and settled back inside, closing the tent fly on my way in. The storm never reached us but the temperatures during the night dropped well into the 50s, causing me some discomfort in my new fleece liner. It's a good thing I held onto my midweight capilene long johns. At one point during the night I pulled my rain jacket over me too.I awakened to Loser singing. He's a really nice fellow that got the trail name of Loser because he lost his hiking partner and his spork both in the same day.We drank orange juice for breakfast, pulled from the cold creek where it had been placed for safe-keeping the night before. It helped wash down the apple pies that Granite had gotten when he shopped for the hot dogs last night.Scubaman and Granite headed out at 7:30, I was close behind at 7:45. Right out of the shelter we had a big climb that left us sweating and panting. Our first stop of the day was at the top of the hill.Pennsylvania has been easy so far, with very few of the rocks that we hear so much about all the time, but they'll be here soon enough.We didn't reach Caladonia State Park, our destination for the day, until after 1:00. With the warm temps and high humidity, we find that we take a lot more breaks then we used to do.The big draw at the park is the huge pool and for only $3.00 you can swim all day. We decided to get a campsite for the night and take advantage of the recreation. The state park campsites in Virginia cost $16.00 and you can only put 2 tents up. In Pennsylvania they charge $12.00 and allowed us to put all 3 of our tents on the same big site.We had lunch at the concession stand and the guys went swimming right away. I went back to the campground and did my laundry, took a shower, and built a fire to keep the bugs off of us later in the evening.On my way back to the pool, I was able to reach Jack at work, but could only talk for a few minutes. Hopefully he'll be able to meet us this weekend.The pool was cool and refreshing, my first chance to swim this year. We didn't stay in long and on the way back to the tent site, called a local Italian restaurant and ordered a pizza to be delivered for our dinner. The fire helped to keep the bugs at bay while we ate, and then we sat and talked for an hour or so, going over the Data Book and Handbook trying to plan out the next week or so. Unfortunately, we'll reach Boiling Springs where our bounce boxes are, on July 4th when the P.O. will be closed. We're hoping that there will be some kind of festivities in town that we can take advantage of while we're there. Being away from home for the holidays can be tough.The raindrops have begun to fall, I've jumped out of my tent and collected the clothes from the line, and now settled back in. 16+ miles tomorrow so I need a good nights sleep, I better get to it.
Date: 2003-07-02
From: Caladonia State Park

To: Toms Run Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Granite and I left the campground at 8:45 this morning, Scubaman slept in. He would catch up with us later.We had another killer hill right off the bat today, but then the rest of the day was enjoyable. Our first stop was at the Quarry Gap Shelters; one of the nicest on the trail. It has 2 sleeping quarters, a breezeway between them with a picnic table, hanging baskets of petunias, solar lights leading up to the privy, and a park bench next to the wandering brook in front of the shelter. Wow, I could live here!We found and ate lots of blueberries today. Before long, there will be blueberries everywhere.Next stop was at the Birch Run Shelters where we had a snack, then I took a nap while Granite talked with Trace. While we were there a quick summer shower went through and the temp went down a few degrees.At 3:15 we decided to wait for Scuba until 3:30, then would head out the 6.4 miles to the last shelter of the day. He came in just as we were packing up to go. Granite stayed with Scuba while he ate lunch, I headed out hoping to beat the rain.The last 6.4 miles was beautiful, the trail nicely maintained. I reached the shelter in a record breaking 1.75 hours, helped by the sound of thunder in the distance. I arrived soaking wet after walking the last 3 miles in the rain, but it felt good due to the warm weather.Trace has one of the shelters to himself, me Scuba and Granite have the other.We made hot dinners and sat in the shelter and talked for the rest of the evening while the rain fell outside.
Date: 2003-07-04
From: Tass Run Campground, Pa.

To: Boiling Springs, Pa.
Miles today: 11.7

It was a noisy night at the campground! At 3am our neighbor arrived at his camper. At 3:15am he had a conversation with a fellow several sites away, calling back and forth to each other. At 4:20am a baby cried, for a long time. At 5am a rooster started to crow and at 6:45am 2 fellows were walking swiftly through the woods calling for their Dad. And I thought shelters were noisy.I got up when the fellows started calling for Dad, made coffee and worked on my journal. I could tell that it was going to be hot and humid today. We had a low mileage day into Boiling Springs, so we didn't leave until late, which was a mistake.We leapfrogged all day and I ended up at the AT Campsite outside of Boiling Springs just as a storm broke loose. There was no place to take cover so I quickly put my tent up as the downpour started. I pulled the wet pack cover off, threw my pack in the tent and jumped in behind it just in time. The strong winds and rain whipped the tent for about 20 minutes and it was all over. Back out I went to straighten out the quickly erected tent and to hang a line on which to dry things.Granite arrived a short time later having just crossed the corn field in the storm. Scubaman had gone straight into town to the pool and we met him there. I ate, called Jack to shore up plans for meeting in Carlisle tomorrow, and headed back to the campsite. The fellows stayed in town at a B&B. We'll meet tomorrow morning at the P.O., go through our bounce boxes, keeping what we need and sending the rest forward.I'm prone with my aching feet up trying to relieve the constant pain in my feet. The trails in Pa. are beautiful and well kept but boy-oh-boy, the rocks are killers. Today's 11+ miles felt more like 20.I was called from my tent at 8pm by Loser, inviting me to join him along with Jitterbug and Hoover, Sven and Loony, Green Turtle, Skittles, and C.C. It's difficult to be away from family and friends on the holidays so we make the best of with what we have. Sven had gone to town for beer, and Loser had gotten some fireworks at the Getty Mart. We talked and joked, and of course Loser played his guitar and sang until dark when Sven and Loser put on a fantastic mini fireworks show for us all.I'm tented about 50 feet from the railroad tracks and 3 trains have already gone by. Their whistles get blown right at the campsite for the road crossing ahead. It should be an interesting night.
Date: 2003-07-05
From: Boiling Springs, Pa.

To: Carlisle, Pa.
Miles today: 8.0

I left the AT Campsite at 7am and went to the ATC office in town where I stored my gear on the porch. I then walked to the Getty Mart for coffee and back to the porch to wait for the Post Office to open at 8:30.Super Mom, a section hiker and volunteer at the office on Saturdays came with donuts and grapes for the hikers and everyone was very appreciative of her effort. We chatted while I went through my bounce box and it turned out that she had been following my journal on trailjournals.com.After taking what I wanted from my bounce box and sending it on to Port Clinton, I headed out of town. Scubaman and Granite would catch up later in the day.It was another hot humid day so I'm carrying more water with me and adding Gatorade powder to it to help keep me hydrated.I was to meet Jack in Carlisle, only 8 miles away, around noon so it would be a short hiking day. The time went quickly and I arrived at the Super 8 on Route 11 at 12:30, checked in, and called Jack who was only 30 minutes away.When the Wrangler pulled into the hotel parking lot I was so surprised to see that he had brought my girls (translation: dogs) for a quick visit. Jeff, my oldest had followed them down so that could drive them back home!We had a short, sweet visit as a storm rolled in and there were NO PETS-NO EXCEPTIONS signs everywhere, so there was no place to put the dogs but back in the Jeep. Aggie, my Lab, fell right back into her place as Mommy's girl. Sooner, my Chessie, was thrilled to see me for the 1st 2 minutes then turned and wanted Jack. It hurt that she dismissed me, but at the same time I was happy that she had made the transition from having me around all the time to having me on the trail. Jeff made it safely home with the dogs and also the keys to the car he left for us still in his pocket! Good thing Jack had a valet key.We went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner with Granite and Scubaman. On the way back to the hotel Jack said, "I can see why you like those guys so much".
Date: 2003-07-06
From: Carlisle, Pa.

To: Duncanon, Pa.
Miles today: 17.7

Granite and I left the hotel at 9:30, Scuba would follow later, and Jack headed home.The heat and humidity was really exhausting and I drank lots of Gatorade in my water to keep me going.I leapfrogged with Granite and Morph through the day and arrived at the Cove Mt. Shelter around 4pm. Granite headed into Duncannon, I went for water and to cook a meal since I hadn't had lunch. The heat makes it difficult to have a big appetite.After spending an hour at the shelter, I decided to go ahead into Duncannon because the bugs were so bad. Morph and I hiked out together and I enjoyed his company.We came to a large rocky outcropping about 2-3 miles outside of town with one of the greatest views on the trail. You could see Duncannon and the rivers winding through the valley. It was quite beautiful and C.C., who was there filming the valley for his 2003 thru-hiker movie, filmed me, Morph and Happy Hiker while we sat on the rocks and talked.The 4 of us then hiked down into town, arriving about 7:30, only to find that there were no rooms left at the infamous Doyle Hotel.Gazelle offered to share her room with me, Morph shared with Granite. There is no air conditioning, no phones, no tv. All rooms on the floor share 1 bathroom. The room costs only $15.00/night. Supposedly, it's haunted, but no-one visited me last night. Our large front window (with no screen) was open all night and we were thankful for the slight breeze that traveled through it.The traffic and trains made sleeping difficult, as did the party on the big second story wrap around porch, but it came to me eventually.I'm glad that I stayed in this quirky place, known to all hikers on the AT as a great place to sleep, eat and party.
Date: 2003-07-07
From: Duncanon, Pa.

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

I awakened at 6am and journaled until 7. After getting dressed, I went downstairs to the restaurant and joined Alpha and Trench for breakfast. They are hiking with Cadbury their dog who is starting to be affected by the heat. They had decided to take a zero day and rest the dog.I headed to the trail after breakfast and Granite headed to the P.O..I hiked through Duncannon and as I went over the Clarks Ferry Bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River, I was surprised by how shallow the water was. It was already hot, and as the sun beat down on me from above, it also reflected up on me from the white concrete.I stopped at the Clarks Ferry Shelter for water before heading on to Route 225 to take part in Loser's trail magic. His church family had come to feed us cheeseburgers, salad and watermelon. It was delicious and all of the hikers that were able to take advantage of their generosity were very thankful.The thunder started soon after I reached the B-B-Q, so I ate up and left to go the 3 miles to the next shelter. We were expecting wicked thunder storms this afternoon and tonight so when I reached the shelter after walking in the on again, off again rain for 2 of the 3 miles, I decided to stay the night. With me are: Loser, T- Bird, Moon Shadow, Brew, Skittles, Morph, 4 section hikers, and 6 kids from a local church. It's a good thing this is a big shelter.
Date: 2003-07-09
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Swatara Ga.
Miles today: 6.0

The wind picked up during the night and awakened me as it blew through the trees above my head. I thought about my pack and food bag hanging on the bear rope I had thrown 50 feet away, and was concerned that they would get soaked if it started to rain. But it didn't rain and when I got up at 6:30 my things were dry and ready to be packed up. I took one more look around before I headed out. This was a beautiful campsite, I wish they were all this special.I was on the trail at 7:40, right after a slight drizzle had started to fall. I hiked with Andrea this morning and we talked about her work and mine. Right before Pa. 443 I saw a big buck with antlers that could be seen from 200 feet away. I watched him walk 50' through the woods before his head shot up, nose to the wind, then he spotted us and bolted away. The hunted Pa. deer are so much different than the protected deer in Shenandoah National Park!When Andrea and I reached Rt. 443, Buzz and Pup were already there trying to line up a ride into town. I needed to call home and also get groceries for the next 2 days so I asked if I could join them. Andrea went on toward the next shelter.We couldn't line up a ride so we started to walk the 2 miles to town, putting our thumbs out when an occasional car came by. We ended up getting a ride from Soul Train's Mom, Lee, who was at a road crossing dropping him off. What a sweetheart she is!We ended up at the Days Inn, had lunch at Wendys, then came back to do laundry and catch up on e-mail and phone calls.While we were gone Granite and Scubaman showed up at the same hotel. We tried to get a shuttle to slack pack us 11 miles so that we didn't have a low mileage day, but it didn't work out. My feet are happy for the rest!Granite, Scuba and I went to the Subway for dinner, re-supplied our groceries and sat in the hot tub for a half hour. I think I could use a hot tub every night for my feet, it sure did make them feel good.I'll be in Port Clinton by Friday and with family this weekend, I can't wait!
Date: 2003-07-10
From: Swatara Ga.

To: Hertlein Campsite
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning, I along with Dr. Buzz, Pup, Scuba and Granite got a ride back to the trailhead from Herman, an employee of the Days Inn. The ride was a big help to us and we really appreciated it.Once on the trail we moved along quickly. The trails in Pa. haven't been nearly as bad as we were led to believe and have actually been quite nice; well cared for, level, and the woods very pretty. Yes, there have been occasional rock fields that eat boots and leave your feet crying for their Mommies, but all in all, I've really enjoyed it.Lunch was eaten at the William Penn Shelter with Dr. Buzz, Pup, and 2 section hikers from Illinois: Cooney and Smokey. Right before the shelter we had a big rock field to cross. On the way over, we met up with 2 big timber rattlers. One was very docile, one rattling away at us. We got some pictures and went wide around them.At 4:30 we arrived at the 501 Shelter, left our packs, and hitched into Pine Grove to eat dinner and I needed to call Jack. A nice local guy that knows about the trail and hikers picked us up and took us right to The Scholl Family Restaurant. There wasn't a pay phone but Steve, the owner let me use the restaurant phone to call Jack while the guys dug into the great buffet. When we were finished, Steve checked with us to make sure everything was all right with me and to see if we enjoyed our meal. We talked about our hike and told him that we needed a ride back to the trail so he offered to take us! The world is full of wonderful people, eager to help his fellow man, and we spend our lives being afraid of everyone.We returned to 501 Shelter at 6pm, picked up our gear and headed out the last 5 miles to the campsite. We arrived just at darkness and the rain fell, so we worked like mad to get the tents up. Scuba and Granite hung food bags after I was already settled in my tent. Great guys!It was a long day but my feet have behaved very well. I think sitting in the hot tub last night with my feet over the jets really helped.Carolina Cruiser, the hiker that is working on the 2003 thru-hiker film will be on trailjournals.com by the end of this month, so look for his site for updates on when the movie will out.Some long overdue thank yous: To Smith's Meats, my local butcher in Beaver Falls, Pa. for the box of beef jerky and beef sticks that they sent to Harpers Ferry. I, along with numerous co-horts enjoyed every bit of it! Also, the ladies on Jack's Team at Nova Chemicals, sent a box of goodies to Harpers Ferry. They must be reading my journal because the box was full of my favorite things, including t.p.!It's 9:30, I'm journaling, Scuba is in his tent practicing his harmonica, and getting better everyday. Granite is in his tent reading. All is well in our campsite.
Date: 2003-07-11
From: Hertlein Campsite

To: Port Clinton, Pa.
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: light rain

Today was one of my most difficult days yet. I cried on my way down the steep, steep hill into Port Clinton, my knees and feet hurt so badly from the 18+ miles of rocks, rocks and more rocks. The 1100' drop into town was the straw that broke this camel's back! There are numerous rock steps built into the steep downhill, and then it just drops off.I arrived just in time to get my bounce box from the P.O. and send it on to Delaware Water Gap. I sat on the P.O. porch and waited for Granite and Scuba to arrive so we could find a place to stay for the night. Scuba Mom and Scuba Dad are due in tonight so we had to find a place for all of us.First stop was at the Port Clinton Hotel but all of their rooms were taken. A darling gentleman by the name of Robert Breon shuttled us to the Fort Motel several miles out of town. Mr. Breon has been shuttling hikers for 20 years. He and his wife also care for the hiker pavilion in town.I'm headed to bed and will start out early tomorrow for Pulpit Rock where I'm meeting my brother, John, and niece Kylie. We'll hike back to Blue Rocks Campground where my sister Kim and niece Julia will be waiting. The only thing that kept me moving today was knowing that I'll be seeing them all tomorrow. Scuba and his parents will meet us there tomorrow night for a cookout. Sunday I'll take my first zero day in 15 days. I can't wait!
Date: 2003-07-12
From: Port Clinton, Pa.

To: The Pulpit
Miles today: 7.7

Slept in: 26' motor home!At 8:30am Scuba Dad drove me to the trail head and I was hiking by 8:45. I had a short day to Pulpit Rock to meet my brother John and niece Kylie around 1pm.The uphill out of Port Clinton wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, it was switched back several times and graded nicely.It only took me until noon to arrive at the rocks, but there were lots of people to talk to and the time passed quickly until my family arrived.It was so good to see John and Kylie, I hadn't seen them since January when I went home to Jersey for my birthday.After taking numerous pictures, we headed south down the AT to the trail to Blue Rocks campground. John and Kylie did real good on the rocks!When we arrived back at the motor home, my sister Kim and niece Kylie were there waiting. I hadn't seen them since January either.We had a good day catching up on family and trail news. Scuba Mom, Scuba Dad, Granite and Scubaman came to the campground for dinner. Scuba Mom brought me a harmonica so that I can learn to play along with Scuba.It had been a long day so after the Scubas left, we cleaned up and headed into the motor home for the night. We enjoyed laying in our beds and talking while we wound down from the busy day.
Date: 2003-07-13
From: Blue Rocks Campground

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: scattered clouds

We awakened early and just lounged around drinking coffee and talking. I miss that aspect of my life.I was going to take a zero day today but decided instead to go to the first shelter out, only 5.7 miles. Actually, I took the killer Pinnacle Trail back up, adding another 1.4 miles to my day, but I don't get credit for those miles!It was difficult saying goodbye to everyone. The longer I am out here, the harder it is to see family, and then see them go.When I got to Hawk Mountain Road, Scuba Mom and Dad were still there doing their now famous trail magic. I was able to relax and have a nice dinner while I visited with Tipperary, Wild Flower, Jester, Bag of Tricks, and Crazy K with his dog Barley all whom I had just met tonight. Also there was Chicken Legs and CC. The Scubas didn't close the grill and head home until after 8pm. We're all so appreciative of what they do for the trail community.I walked down the hill to the Eckville Shelter and tented across the road in a beautiful, grassy area along with Granite, Scubaman, Puffy and Stumble, and Chicken Legs and CC.It was cool and moist in the grass and smelled so clean and fresh. Sleep came quickly tonight.
Date: 2003-07-14
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Wow! Did we have some great rocks today. I love the big boulder hopping, but hate the small jagged rocks. Climbing up and over The Cliffs was a real blast and gave me a taste of what New England will be like.I spent the day walking with Tipperary, a Catholic Priest from Ireland. He told me where my paternal grandmother's family, the McCloskys, came from and sang a few Irish folk songs while we walked. He was very good hiking company.I'm at the shelter with Bull, Crazy K, Tipperary, Arjuna, a section hiker, and several local day hikers. The air is warm, the mosquito's biting, and the company good.