morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

David and Laurie (Bro and sis-in-law)drove me to Atlanta on Friday and I caught the Amtrak to Wash, DC. Arrived one hour late at 10:00 AM Saturday. I walked around the Capitol area and hung out at Union station before catching the train to Harpers Ferry. Checked into the Teahorse Hostel and had dinner next door with NOBO hiker Andstuff. Had a few really good microbrews and hit the bunk early. Thanks for all the Guest Book messages. I hope you Hoffmanns realize what a gem you have in Elizabeth. Hailey H. if you're there, the gnome is with me and will be in some pictures soon I hope. I'm having trouble getting stuff from my iphone to upload.
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Rocky Run Shelter, Maryland
Miles today: 16.0

Checked in at AT Conservancy when it opened at nine and hit the trail at 9:30. The first three miles are flat and smooth, the old towpath along the Potomac River. The rest of the trail today was gentle up and down and mostly smooth with a few rocky patches. Hiked along South Mountain where some pretty serious fighting took place during the Civil War. There's a really cool Civil War museum in Gathland State Park and there were some reenactors in confederate uniform but I didn't have time to stop and visit. I was sorta planning to stop at Crampton Gap Shelter but I must have been zoned out and blew right past it, so I hiked on to the brand new and very nice shelter at Rocky Run. It has a piped stream with coooold clean water which I used to kind of try to remove a little trail sweat. It was a 16 mile day which is kind of big for the first day but I felt pretty good besides a little foot sore. I'll try to get some pictures uploaded as soon as possible.
Date: 2013-06-24
From: Rocky Run Shelter, Maryland

To: Free State Hiker Hostel, Smithsburg, MD
Miles today: 15.5

Left Rocky Run at 7:45. Could not find trail guide (was sure someone had stolen it at the shelter). Emptied everything (I thought)from pack an with no guide. Two young soldiers at the shelter were finishing their hike and gave me their guide. Feeling better, I left and two hours later found mine at the bottom of an outside pocket of the pack. I kind of feel like I owe a debt to the cosmos for suspecting the worst of people and I felt guilty all day.Stopped at the original rustic Washington Monument on a hill near Boonsboro. It was built in 1827 by local farmers and I have a picture which I will try to upload when I get wifi service.
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Free State Hiker Hostel, Smithsburg, MD

To: Antietam Shelter, MD
Miles today: 17.1

Left Free State Hostel at 7:05. Took leftover pizza from frig for breakfast and lunch.Hiked north alone to Pen-Mar State Park on border and had a delicious 20 oz diet pepsi from vending machine. Soon after leaving park hit the Mason-Dixon line and entered Pennsylvania. Followed some bogus blazes for a 1/2 mile and had to retrace. Hiked up to Deer Lick Shelter where I traded my Platypus bag to Oaks and Sweetpea for a spare Sawyer bag. (Found out that Platypus bag doesn't really work with Sawyer filter.) Ate dinner with RiverSong and her mom, Freebird. Hiked another 2.4 miles to Antietam Shelter, tented for first time...small thunderstorm hit right after I got in the tent. Still trying to figure out how to upload photos from iPhone to trailjournals.
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Antietam Shelter, MD

To: Quarry Gap Shelter, PA
Miles today: 13.4

The SkyscapeX tent is great but for one problem...if you go to sleep with the sides rolled up and it rains during the night, you can't let down the sides without getting out of the tent. A little water got in during the thunder storm because I didn't want to get out to stake the side flaps. Left camp at 8:00. Have a pretty nasty blister between big and index toe on front of the ball of my left foot, and small blisters on outside of both heels. Taped and used moleskin and not too bad walking. Hked last half of day with Airborne ( my age from Massachusetts. Got to Caledonia State Park about 2:00 and took a swim in nice pool. Ran into Oaks and Sweetpea in pool and later hiked with them up to Quarry Gap Shelter (up is the proper word... it was 2.2 miles of steep up and quickly lost the nice clean feeling from the pool and shower). Nice two sided shelter with picnic table in middle.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Quarry Gap Shelter, PA

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Ironmaster'siHostel
Miles today: 17.3

Good group at the shelter including Airborne, Walking Stick, Slug, and Tower but a group of guys were in nearby group camp and one of them had a loud annoying laugh and the conversation was really loud until late and they started again at about 4:30 in the morning. I was rude to them when they hiked out southbound at 5:30...when one of them said good morning, I responded that it was better now that they were leaving.. got no response from them, but Tower thought it was pretty funny.Left shelter at 7:10 and hiked alone most of day. Hot and humid. Empty trail magic cooler at 8 miles...disappointing. Caught up with Airborne about 3/10 mile before Iron Furnace State Paek and General store (site of Half Gallon Challenge...if you finish 64 ounces of ice cream, you get a souvenir wooden ice cream spoon). Airborne and Machine Gun Jim both met the challenge but I was content to just eat a pint of peanut butter cup and watch them struggle through the half gallon. Checked into Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel next to store. Beautiful old building built in 1820s...served as a station on underground railroad before Civil War...I went down a hidden ladder into crawl space where the runaways hid and tried to imagine how they felt. Feet were sore but better than yesterday,
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Ironmaster'siHostel

To: Allenberry Inn, Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.2

Left Pine Grove Furnace at 7:10. Hot and humid all day and got very rocky later. Hiked with Airborne all day. Stopped at Green Mountain Store at about 9 miles and ate MASSIVE sub sandwich (must have weighed 2 pounds...$5.00). About 4 miles later, after steep climb negotiated an area of huge boulders called Rock Maze, with trail winding in and out. Last 6 miles was tough...rocky, lots of downhills and feet really sore. Last 1.6 miles through cornfields into Boiling Springs and 0.7 miles road walking to Allenberry Inn which is a huge complex with several buildings, restaurant, bar, and dinner theater. Dealt a blow to the seafood buffet ($15) and had a beer in the bar before crashing at 9:30. Way too long a day. Nice room and only $40 for a double. The building was full of other hiker trash.
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Allenberry Inn, Boiling Springs, PA

To: Allenberry Inn, Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 0.0

I decided to take a zero today to allow my major blister to heal. It's about the size of a quarter and located on the ball of my foot just behind the big toe and it's really hard to put any pressure on that foot. Besides, I have used all of my duct tape and moleskin in the last couple of days. I called a shuttle driver named Mike who took my to a Rite-Aid in Carlisle (about 6 miles away) and bought more tape and moleskin as well as some epsom salts to soak my foot. Stopped at a grocery store and got peanut butter, jelly and tortillas as well as a good supply of Snickers. I floated around the pool for awhile and then soaked my foot when I got back...boy did the open blister sting. Went down by Yellow Breeches Creek and read for a while on a bench while occasionally checking out the fly fishers...the creek is a blue ribbon trout stream as well as having a historical connection to George Washington. Having dinner at the Inn and hope to get an early start tomorrow, traveling 14 miles to a shelter about halfway to Duncannon, PA.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Allenberry Inn, Boiling Springs, PA

To: Allenberry Inn, Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Taking another zero. Just hobbling with blister. Swam at pool and soaked foot in salt water. Had a great burger with a beer while watchingBrazil beat Spain in soccer. Big gang of enthusiastic older (45ish+) soccer guys watching. Lots of beer might have been responsible for some of the enthusiasm.
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Allenberry Inn, Boiling Springs, PA

To: Allenberry Inn, Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Limped into Boiling Springs to minimart and bought a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Caught a ride to Carlisle with a man who is slackpacking hi wife and daughter (slackpacking is when you hike without a pack and get shuttled to and from the trail...some purists consider it cheating if you don't carry your pack all the way). He drove me to Carlisle to the walk-in clinic but they had a two hour wait so he took me to the Rite-Aid for Neosporin and blister bandages and then drove me back to Allenberry. I have been soaking and resting foot and plan to start hiking tomorrow no matter what. Duncannon, PA is 25 miles north and I plan to stay at a shelter after 14 miles and go into Duncannon to the Doyle Hotel the next day. May have to take another zero there depending on how my foot is doing.Three days of forced inactivity has me singing Willie Nelson: "On the road again; I just can't wait to get on the road again."   The trail is pretty addictive, but I don't have any real deadlines to meet so it's no biggie.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: Allenberry Inn

To: Darlington Shelter, PA
Miles today: 14.3

Got started at 7:10 with feet well bandaged. Very easy trail day...mostly flat through the edges of cornfields. Feet got real wet from the dew on the grass. Last mile was steep and hot and humid but pretty good day with the feet. I was the first person on the trail so I managed to walk through spider webs all day. Stayed at a very nice shelter with 7 other hikers and about 5-6 others tenting or in hammocks. Really stank by the time I got to the shelter so I did a bandana bath and changed shirts...not perfect but better than nothing...everybody stinks out here on the trail-showers are scarce. Hard to sleep with that much activity in shelter plus a loud snorer.
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Darlington Shelter, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.3

Sort of short hike but the last 5 miles were through pretty nasty rocks. At end of trail trail angels had left a cooler filled with cokes, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, snickers, and potato chips...very great way to finish a hot, humid and rocky trail. Stayed at the Doyle Hotel...to call it a dump is to be very charitable...but it's sort of traditional to stay here. Did laundry, resupplied at the town grocery and about to go out with Semi and Turtle to an Italian restaurant. To tell you how bad the Doyle is would require a couple of stout paragraphs, but the beer is large, cold and cheap. Picked up a few small blisters on my toes but they don't really hurt and should be no problem. BTW, I passed my first 100 miles early on yesterday's hike.
Date: 2013-07-05
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mountain shelter 
Miles today: 11.3

Left the Doyle and stopped at PO to send some stuff to Unneeded stuff to David. On the trail...Or road for about 2 miles across the Susquehanna.Long rocky uphill from the road to Clarks ferry shelter I tried an experiment. Filled my bladder with 3 L of sweet tea. Not such a great idea. The tea was great but I ended up needing more water for cooking and cleaning later. It's sprinkled a little at the shelter. Aquaman, Pressure D, Andstuff and Homebrew went ahead. one half hour later we had heavy rain. I pulled out my Packa and used it as a temporary shelter...worked great. Stopped at Peters Mountain shelter and had dinner. Big well-built two level shelter and I was there alone until 9:30, When Beer Goddess and HogGreer showed up. Really hot night. Slept on top of mattress with only silk liner. My feet are feeling much better...almost no pain all day.
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Peters Mountain shelter 

To: yellow creek village site
Miles today: 13.4

Day 15, 7/6Hiked alone most of the day very hot and humid, ran out of water 3 miles short of Clark's Creek. Filled up with 4 L of good cold Creek water and drink a whole liter. very muggy afternoon hiking. Hiked mostly uphill for the afternoon and very rocky. went through a rhododendron forest in full bloom. The most disgusting part of this whole trek is the little gnats that hover just in front of your face, buzzing your ears and flying into your eyes as you walk through these humid forests.Camped alone at an old village site. Saw a doe with a beautiful little spotted fawn just before dark. Turned off my light just after full dark...within minutes I heard footsteps and heavy breathing just outside of the tent. Gave my hot sweaty body cold chills running all over. When I turned on my headlamp a deer only feet away crashed off into the darkness. It took a while for my heart beat to slow down but finally I went to sleep.It has been so hot lately I have been sleeping in my silk bag liner instead of my sleeping bag. I know it will come in handy later but right now the bag seems like useless weight.
Date: 2013-07-07
From: yellow creek village site

To: Lickdale,PA
Miles today: 10.7

I woke up at 5:30 and was on the trail by 6:30. good trail...hiked very fast. Hiked About 4.9 miles in the first two hours. Caught up with Beer Goddess and hiked another little over 4 miles with her to Pennsylvania 72. She went on but I decided to hike into Lickdale and get a room and rest my foot. I Also needed to do laundry and really wanted a juicy hamburger. I stopped at Wendy's. It seems there is no place in this town to get a beer. Oh well, I have arranged a ride back to the trail in the morning. Good night!
Date: 2013-07-08
From: Lickdale,PA

To: 501 shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 16-7/8. Shuttled to trail and started hiking at 8:30. Easy day with big climb at start and low miles. Only 9.4 miles to 501 shelter. The 501 shelter is supposedly the best on the trail very large with many bunks, an octagonal skylight 12 feet in diameter, solar shower and pizza delivery from Pinegrove. I shared a large pizza and 2 litert Dew with reboot before he moved on with Lighthouse. Later in the afternoon I shared another large pizza with Semi. I saved two slices for tomorrow's breakfast. The shelter was full and there was a good bit of snoring.
Date: 2013-07-09
From: 501 shelter

To: Eagle's Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1

Start day 17. 7/9. Miles15.1 to shelter. Mostly flattish trail through humid forest. Hiked most of the day with Semi. arrived at the Eagles nest shelter in the afternoon and soon Northstar arrive, followed by the rest of his group Garbear, Bearsnack, Peanut,, and Alphadog. Those four tented near the shelter. The privy was full... Disgusting, and there were toilet paper flowers scattered through the woods near the privy. Some people are truly trash not just Hiker Trash, which name we all sort of use as a badge of honor to distinguish Ourselves from those who are clean most of the time instead of stinky... In other words, non-hikers. The trail clubs in northern Pennsylvania seem to do very little trail maintenance or clean up around shelters. Lots of the time we have to force our way down the trail through overgrown brush. The trails in southern Pennsylvania are much nicer.
Date: 2013-07-10
From: Eagle's Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 9.0

Day 18-7/10. Four very rocky trail hours to old hotel in small town of Port Clinton. Stayed at the Port Clinton hotel a very old-fashioned hotel, with the bathroom down the hall and the small window air conditioner. The television in the room was actually smaller than the VCR it was sitting on. The rooms were small but there was a great bar was really good food...huge burgers. Eight of us including Northstar and his group of four, and Beerdra and Semi called a shuttle to the Cabela's store in Hamburg. This is the largest Cabelas store in the country truly amazing. They have an all you can eat dinner, unfortunately only on the weekends and this was not the weekend. I bought a new pair of Keen shoes. My old ones are coming apart, probably because they have been wet for a week and the rocks are horrible. They were one half size smaller than my old shoes but seem to fit well. Time will tell. I spent the rest of the evening in the Port Clinton hotel bar drinking cold Rolling Rock and visiting with the other hikers. I got to bed at 9:20, 10 minutes before hiker's midnight.
Date: 2013-07-11
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter, PA
Miles today: 14.8

Day 10-7/11. Big climb out of Port Clinton. Hot and humid about 1000 feet. Vertical in 2 miles.Started at Port Clinton and finished at the Eckville shelter total distance 14.8 miles. As usual started with big climb but it was pretty flat afterwards and very rocky. Civil Air Patrol groups were practicing search and rescue all over the mountain. The Gnats were terrible today. Dozens of the annoying little things gather right in front of your eyes and around your ears almost driving one crazy. The shelter Eckville had bunk beds with room for six, a flush toilet, and a solar shower in the privy. A neighbor lady named Barbara arrived at the shelter in late afternoon with two very cold cantaloupes for dessert for the hikers. They were very much appreciated and soon gone and everyone had cantaloupe juice all over them. The caretaker at the shelter, Lazee (3 time AT hiker, came out and gave us all a very frozen otter pop. Nice end to the day.
Date: 2013-07-12
From: Eckville Shelter, PA

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Start 1228.2 miles and finish at shelter at 1245.6...(the mile numbers i give are from trail start at Springer Mountain, Georgia) Big long climb out of Eckville. Saw a big rooster just as I started the trail. Made me think of Rex Goliath wines and i felt strong for the climb so I decided to make the rooster my totem animal for the hike. Stopped for lunch after 11.5 miles at the blue Mountain Summit B&B...had a great burger and 2 Bud lights and back to the trail. The last 3 miles of the trail were over boulders called the knife's edge and rocky path mostly in the rain...very slick. Stayed at the bake oven knob shelter , one of the oldest shelters on the trail, along with three others, Beerdra, Heartwalker and Semi. It rained all night. Total miles for the day-17.4.
Date: 2013-07-13
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 7.8

Day 21-7/13 Start Bake Oven Shelter (1245.6) Finish Palmerton, PA (1253.4). Total miles today 7.8 miles...practically a nero. Four of us shared the six man shelter in the rain-Beerdra, Semi, Heartwalk. Intermittent rain through morning but not enough to wear raingear. Did use Packa and feet stayed wet. Short day... Hitched ride from trail with truck driver and had a cheese steak as soon as we hit town. Checked into the (free) Jailhouse Hostel in basement of municipal building, had shower and did resupply at dollar store and IGA. Shared washer load with Semi and Heartwalk. Had a big cup of yogurt while laundry was drying and now just catching up on journals while waiting for dinner time. Big rocky climb out tomorrow over zinc wasteland. Six of us ate (a lot) at a tavern and off to bed.
Date: 2013-07-14
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.3

Day 22-7/14. An epic day slack packed from the jailhouse hostel in Palmerton 20.3 miles to Windgap. The first 3 miles were over steep boulders with 1000 foot vertical climb. The ridge we walked was damaged by pollution from a zinc smelter That closed in 1980. Very little vegetation over 2 feet tall. The trail was very rocky and the weather was extremely hot and humid. About 3 PM we arrived at the LeRoy Smith shelter at mile 16.1. We took a half hour break for lunch. The rest of the hike was pretty rocky but not bad. Arrived at the Gateway Motel about 4:30. It is a very old rundown motel run by an elderly Indian couple. Did laundry and had a very good dinner at a sports bar in Windgap and then back to the motel and in bed before 10.
Date: 2013-07-15
From: Wind Gap, PA

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 15.6

Day 23-7/15. Left Windgap at 8:3o. long uphill for first mile and then 8 miles of the worst Rocky Trail I have ever hiked. I was still pretty tired from the 20 miles on the day previous and the temperature was going up to about 95°. The hike was very difficult due to the heat and the rocky trail. The last mile was severely steep into Delaware water gap. About halfway down I tripped on a rock and fell face first about 5 feet onto another rock. When I hit the crunching sound of my mouth contacting the rock made me think I had broken off or knocked out several teeth. But when I checked all seemed to be well except for many cuts on my lower lip. In the fall I also scraped my elbow and both knees and left a huge bruise on my chin which seems to be getting more colorful by the hour. After spitting a good bit of blood and rinsing out my mouth I finished the trip into town. I made it to the post office just before closing and picked up my package from brother David. Checked into the Church of the Mountain Hostel, a free bunkroom run by a very nice church in town. Took a shower and changed clothes. Went into town with Semi and had a great dinner despite my painful mouth. The water gap diner has truly great food at a reasonable price. The pepper steak over rice was one of the best meals I have eaten in a long time. In a bunk and lights out by 10.
Date: 2013-07-16
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: DWG, PA
Miles today: 0.0

You can see the graphic evidence of my experiment yesterday. Taking a zero day today after the spill yesterday. My right knee is also giving me some trouble so I thought it would be good to take a day off. The temperature is supposed to be in the 95 to 97 range with heat indexes of over 100 for the next four days. I have updated all of those recent days that I had not had time to complete so you might want to go back and read those and see what I was doing. Also, thanks to Matt Koosmann For uploading many pictures for me I will be sending him some more so you might want to check the photos page.
Date: 2013-07-17
From: DWG, PA

To: DWG,PA
Miles today: 0.0

Stayed at the Pocono Inn all day icing my knee, reading the New York Times, and watching TV for the first time in three weeks. Planning to head out into New Jersey tomorrow morning. Supposed to be in mid 90s again. Beerdra, Double Dare,Whirled Peas, and I had a great but kind of expensive dinner in DWG at the Sycamore Inn.
Date: 2013-07-18
From: DWG,PA

To: stealth camp mile 1306 Nobo
Miles today: 16.7

Day 26- 7/18. Start mile-1289.3 Checked out of Pocono Inn at 7:00 and had breakfast with Beerdra at Gap Diner and hit trail at 7:50. Crossed Delaware River and started uphill. Knee felt ok but I still poked along to be safe. Trail was very nice compared to PA with very smooth tread. Found a tick crawling up my leg while i was standing on a rock by Sunfish Pond. Flicked it into the water and watched a small sunfish suck it in...Ha! Really hot but easy trail. Arrived at Mohican Outdoor Center, at 10.8 miles from start, part of the App. Mount. Club. Arrived just in time to buy a cold drink before caretaker left to buy supplies. Will buy alcohol for stove when he returns and hike a few miles further to stealth camp.bought five ounces of fuel and header out at 5:30. Hiked 5.9 miles and set up stealth camp with two other thru hikers at 9 PM. Lay in tent sweating until I fell asleep. Woke up later and pulled on long johns and silk liner. Total miles for day-16.7total for trip-287.6