morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-22
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Washington Monument State Park
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: haze

We are getting spoiled... Tina and Tom arrived here by 6:45 a.m. to prepare us a breakfast of eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and juice. Tom and Tina made the offer to slackpack us, so that we could return back to the Cedar Ridge cabin again.Given the fact that the weather forecast called for a close to 90 degree hot and humid day, we decided to take them up on their very gracious offer. We quickly sorted out what we needed to bring with us for the day and loaded into the van. Tom drove us back to Harper's Ferry and we started hiking by 9:15.The first three miles of the AT north of Harper's Ferry follow the old canal towpath. From there the trail enters the woods and ascends to Weverton Cliffs. The trail has changed dramatically as we've moved north and the terrain is much more moderate. There's an expression I grew up with that goes: "my get up and go just got up and went". Well, today our collective get up and go just got up and went. The heat, the green tunnel, and spells of jagged rocks just zapped our energy. We met up for a break and two of us, who will remain nameless, were particularly sour on the trail. I can't remember who said it, but either Tommyhawk, Goat, or Flip suggested that we might be suffering from the "Maryland blues". In AT vernacular there's the term "Virginia blues", which means the funk hikers sometimes get into since the trail spends 538 miles going through the state. The AT only meanders through Maryland for about 40 miles, though, so there really shouldn't be any time to get the blues in this state.Nothing to do but hike, however, so hike we did. We took a lunch break at Gathland State Park, which was the former estate of Civil War journalist George Alfred Townsend. He had a huge stone arch constructed to honor Civil War correspondents.We kept hiking and came upon some trail magic provided by Cribbage. He was in a campground with pudding cups, juice, apples, and sandwich fixings. A very welcome break. We eventually reached the original Washington Monument, and Tommyhawk saw a bobcat about a mile before we got there. This monument was the first completed monument to honor George Washington, and was built on top of South Mountain in 1827. I've included a picture in my photos section; as you can see it's a tad more modest than the obelisk in D.C.Tom and Tina picked us up there at about 6 p.m. and we all went out to eat at a wonderful Italian/Tex Mex restaurant near Cedar Ridge Ministries. We're now back in the cabin, well fed and clean once again. It rained tonight and we're all hoping for a cooler and less humid day tomorrow.Today's highlight: the great hospitality provided by Tom and Tina Badley. Thanks again!
Date: 2013-05-23
From: Washington Monument State Park

To: Wolfsville Rd., MD 17 (mile marker 1049.9)
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Poor Flip. Something in his restaurant dinner last night didn't agree with him and he was up most of the night, sick. In the morning he had no energy, but he packed up anyway and at 7 a.m. Tina picked us up and drove us back to the trail.It had rained heavily overnight, and showers were forecast for today. Not quite as hot and humid as yesterday, but sticky nonetheless.Flip was out of energy and didn't know how far he could walk when we started up the trail. We made a plan to check in at regular intervals and see how he was feeling. Within 3 miles we reached Pine Knob Shelter, and Flip needed to rest. He unrolled his sleeping pad and sleeping bag and fell asleep. Waldo, a hiker from Germany, was at the shelter and Tommyhawk, Goat, and I enjoyed talking with him. Waldo had also seen the German documentary about the AT... must be quite a convincing movie because it seems to be the motivating force for the German hikers we've met.Flip slept for a good 2 hours and woke up feeling drained but better. He thought he could make it to the next road crossing, about 8 miles further, so we started hiking again. The terrain was much like yesterday, a green tunnel with a healthy dose of miserable rocks sprinkled in. We agreed that we've reached the point in our hike where the AT experience becomes less of a physical challenge and more of a mental one.Now here's where the AT trail magic kicked in once again. A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Tucker Maxwell, who's been reading my journal and following our progress. He and his wife, Judy, live close to the trail in Waynesboro, PA, right on the MD border. Tucker had very graciously offered to put us all up at their house, and even extended the invitation to my husband, John. So at 3 p.m. when we came out of the woods, within 5 minutes John and our son Jacob (dubbed Easy Rider and Quark by the guys) arrived, bearing gifts of cold drinks and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Within the next half hour Tucker arrived and off we all went.Tucker stopped at the Antietam Dairy, where he claimed the "best ice cream in the world" is made. He wanted all six of us to each select a half gallon of ice cream to bring to the house for dessert. Truly every thru hiker's dream...We then drove to Tucker and Judy's beautiful home. We showered, did laundry, and visited, and then started preparing dinner. Judy arrived home from her errands, and we all feasted on a wonderful dinner of grilled steak with saut©ed onions, salad, and baked potatoes, and followed this up with lots of quality ice cream. Wow, this trail living can be good stuff.After dinner Quark, Easy Rider, and I taught the others "Up and Down the River", a favorite card game for our family. Great food, great company, great night. Thanks to Tucker and Judy for their hospitality!Today's highlight: being here with family and friends.
Date: 2013-05-24
From: Wolfsville Rd., MD 17 (mile marker 1049.9)

To: Waynesboro, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

We hadn't had a zero day in over 2 weeks, and everyone was ready for a day off. Hiking the AT now feels like our job (I know what you're thinking - no pity) and every so often one needs a break. Tucker and Judy offered to put us up again, so we decided to zero in Waynesboro.It was cold and rainy this morning, so it felt absolutely decadent to leisurely start our day with coffee and tea in their beautiful home. We hung out with Quark and Easy Rider (a.k.a. Jacob and John), and even played a game of Labriynth, which Tommyhawk won.Later in the morning Tucker drove us on a tour of Waynesboro and dropped us off in town. We split up, and I headed off with Quark and Easy Rider for lunch at Christine's Cafe. It was so great to see the guys, even briefly, especially since Quark will be returning to New Mexico soon and I won't see him again until December.Tucker picked us all up at 1 and shortly after returning to his house I said goodbye to Quark and Easy Rider. The rest of the afternoon consisted of hike planning, napping, resupply trip to WalMart, visit to Tucker's dad, and even learning how to play euchre. This whole zero day thing can be serious business...With the help of Tommyhawk's brilliant culinary skills, we feasted on a delicious dinner of ham, sweet potato casserole, vegetables, salad, and bread. And of course dessert was more of the great Antietam Dairy ice cream. How will we ever survive back out on the trail again, eating out of our food bags?!Today's highlight: taking a zero day and sharing it with family and friends.
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Waynesboro, PA

To: Old Forge Picnic Area
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: light rain

The rain stopped overnight and the morning was cold and windy but clear. A great day for slackpacking... Goat, Flip, Tommyhawk, and myself are getting soft.Tucker kindly drove us back to the trail where it crosses Wolfsville Rd. at a little after 7 and we were hiking by 7:45. Within a quarter of a mile we came to Ensign Cowall Shelter, where we stopped to chat with Oz, Patch, Waffles, Who's Asking, Jacob, and 180, who of course gave us endless amounts of grief for slackpacking. They were pretty pleased that they'd been able to order pizza delivered to Wolfsville Rd. the night before. We have definitely moved into a more populated corridor of the trail.Unburdened of our heavy packs and loving the cool temperature, low humidity, and lack of bugs, the miles really flew by. I'm sure it also helped that we were coming off a zero day and two nights of eating good food.There was more traffic on the trail today than I think I've ever seen. Memorial Day weekend must have spurred everyone into hiking, and we passed large groups of people going in the opposite direction for most of the day. The terrain was once again fairly gentle, with the exception of a long stretch across a boulder field. I'm trying to reframe my thinking about rocks and simply enjoy the challenge, but they truly are rather tedious.We took a lunchbreak at Pen Mar Park, about 10 miles into our day. The soda machine in the park was a pleasant surprise. Shortly after the park we crossed out of Maryland and into Pennsylvania. Apparently the border is the Mason-Dixon Line, which happens to fall on the railroad tracks. Just after the tracks there's an official sign about the state boundary and the line. Anyway you look at it, this Vermont Yankee is now back in the north.We ended up at Old Forge Picnic Area, the end of our hike, by 2:30, and Tucker arrived to give us a ride back to Waynesboro shortly after. After a quick visit to the grocery store we headed back to his house. A game of euchre, showers, and dinner prep were the order of the day and we ate another wonderful meal. Tomorrow we're really back on the trail and camping for the next few days... no more cushy living. What a treat these past few days have been!Today's highlight: hiking. Between the weather and the slackpacking it was a great day on the trail.
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Old Forge Picnic Area

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

Tucker drove us to Old Forge Picnic Area and we were there by 8:15. We said our goodbyes (thanks again, Tucker and Judy!) and waited for Goat and Tommyhawk's brother Stan and his family, who were driving south. Stan, Azura, and their two boys showed up shortly after and brought a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The trail magic continues...We visited with them for awhile and then started hiking. It was another perfect day for walking, with blue skies, cool temperatures, and a nice breeze. I know that there's snow in Vermont this weekend, so I'm feeling that I got the better end of the weather deal.Kathi Bietsch had been following my progress and let me know that she lived near the trail a bit further north. We were in touch today and she offered to meet us with lunch at Caledonia State Park. We made it to the park by 1:30 and Kathi was waiting for Tommyhawk, Goat, Flip, and I with pizzas and sodas. I continue to be blown away by the kindness and generosity of complete strangers. Kathi and her brother (who stopped by as well) are planning to thru hike in a few years and they had lots of great questions about the trail. Thanks so much for the trail magic, Kathi!I've got to say that I'm enjoying the trail through Pennsylvania. The trail is well maintained, the shelters are some of the best we've seen, and the woods are beautiful. Each day we've hiked through a large state park, and Pennsylvania residents take their outside activities seriously. Caledonia State Park was packed, and once again there were large groups of people on the trail. I'm not looking forward to the legendary rocks in northeastern PA, but we're not there yet.Made it to Birch Run Shelter by 6:20. This is a great shelter, with bunks and a covered picnic table area. We're here tonight with three section hikers from NJ, Timber, Hillbilly, and a bunch of people tenting. On to the half gallon challenge tomorrow...Today's highlight: trail magic.
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: James Fry Shelter
Miles today: 17.1

Cold night last night. The temperature pushed the limits of our warmer weather gear. I started hiking at7:30 with longjohns under my shorts, gloves, and hat.Within about 7 miles we came to the official AT halfway point. We had to stop for pictures and had fun cramming in while Flip took the photo with his IPhone. I'll tell you, it doesn't take much to amuse us out here.The big day continued as we headed for Pine Grove General Store, the home of the AT "half gallon challenge". Tommyhawk was the only one in our group willing to take the challenge and he managed to power through a half gallon of Hershey's ice cream within an hour. We enjoyed hanging out for a long time outside of the store drinking soda, eating hot dogs and hamburgs, and chatting. We met Belay, a southbound hiker finishing the hike she started last year, and she filled us in on what's up the trail.The biggest surprise was when we neared the store, there was Foxi waiting for us! She's back on the trail and caught a ride to catch up with us. Fix has returned to Germany but Foxi's continuing north on the AT with us.Close to the store is the AT Museum, and we spent a bit of time in there. At this point we were out of excuses not to hike, so Tommyhawk, Goat, Foxi, Flip, and I all started trudging the remaining 7+ miles to the shelter. We arrived at James Fry Shelter at 4:45 and it has been nice to have a leisurely evening. We're all in the shelter, along with Hillbilly, and 3 section hikers are tenting nearby. Much warmer tonight so should be better for sleeping.Note for Starman: first of all, we miss you. We understand why you went home but enjoyed hiking with you. At the AT Museum today Goat looked for your 1985 AT Conservancy photo (they're all on the computer there) but he couldn't locate you. This raised some questions for us of course... did you have your picture taken? Were you listed as a thru hiker or a section hiker (the guys' question, of course)?!Today's highlight: halfway on the AT - unbelievable.
Date: 2013-05-28
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Boiling Springs (Allenberry Resort)
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: clear sky

The rain started overnight so I was thankful to be sleeping in a shelter. Packing up a wet tent isn't the worst thing in the world, but I like to avoid it whenever possible. By the time we hit the trail at 7:30 the rain was coming down steadily.Not a bad trail, but just a rainy green tunnel. About 5 miles into the hike I came to the first of two "rock mazes" to scramble through. I've wondered if the people who designed the trail through PA simply wanted to break up the doldrums by throwing rocks our way... I mean really, are Rock Maze 1 and Rock Maze 2 (yes, that's how they're noted on the map) really necessary? Anyway, the first one was easy, and the second one more challenging, but I managed to make my way through the wet and slippery rocks without incident.By about noon we'd covered the 12 miles into Boiling Springs and gathered at the AT Conservancy office to plot our afternoon. Boiling Springs is a lovely little town and yet another place I'd like to revisit (by car) after I'm finished hiking. We'd planned to hike 26 miles total, but the miles north of Boiling Springs are flat and exposed and it was still raining. We also knew from our info that the Allenberry Resort and Playhouse offers a $20/person special on rooms for they hikers. Flip came up with a compromise suggestion that we stay at the Allenberry and see about a ride up the trail and we could hike back to Boiling Springs (10.3 miles) in the afternoon. I know this is all confusing, but it does make sense.So Flip, Foxi, Tommyhawk, Goat, and I headed to Anile's Restaurant for an excellent lunch, were picked up by a shuttle driver, dropped our packs at the Allenberry, and were whisked up the road. We hiked the 10.3 miles back into town in a little under 3 hours, returned to Anile's for a second excellent meal, and are now at the lovely Allenberry Resort, clean and with laundry in the dryer. An action packed day, but a good one.Today's highlight: Boiling Springs; a lovely little community.
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Boiling Springs (Allenberry Resort)

To: Clarks Ferry Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We were picked up by Mike at 7:30 and back on the trail (at Scott Farm Trail Work Center) by 8. The weather forecast for the next few days calls for temperatures in the high 80's and low 90's and we were already feeling the heat as we started walking.Mike told us that the Cumberland Valley corridor we were walking through was the most populated stretch of the AT, and all day we could hear the low drone of traffic. Not much excitement with the trail.. a lot of flat walking followed by an 800 foot climb to start the day.I've decided that maybe as an apology for the horrible rocks on the trail the Pennsylvania ATC decided to build really nice shelters. We stopped at Darlington Shelter for a break and had to check out the Taj Mahal privy (complete with a sign), reputedly the best privy on the entire AT. Not long after the shelter stop we started on a six mile patch of rocks. Sigh. And to think we're not yet into the really rocky part of PA.By 2:30 p.m. we'd walked the 15 miles into Duncannon and were sitting in air conditioned comfort in the Doyle Hotel bar/restaurant. The Doyle is an AT legend, an old hotel downtown that has been there for 100 years. As we walked into Duncannon the bank sign read 85 degrees, so we were ready for food, drink, and a break from the heat.Tommyhawk, Goat, Flip, Foxi, and I grabbed a table and enjoyed a 2+ hour break. Vicki and Pat, the proprietors, run a great restaurant and serve wonderful food. Heavyweight and Mayonnaise were there as well, and it was fun to chat with them.At about 5 we said goodbye to Flip, who wanted to spend the night at the Doyle, and we started walking to the next shelter. The first couple of miles were a long and hot road walk, going over the Susquehanna River. Once we entered the woods we climbed about 700 feet, only to then hit a long and nasty rock patch. Sigh again.Now that I've noted how great the PA shelters are, I do have to mention that we're in the only shelter I've seen that's not so nice. It's okay but not up to the PA shelter standards! Only the four of us are in the shelter, and two section hikers are tenting with their dog nearby.Today's highlight: taking a long break at The Doyle.
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Clarks Ferry Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: broken clouds

Well, as I write this all I can say is I'm glad this day is over. For those of you with aspirations to hike the trail, just keep in mind that there will be days like these...We woke up to another hot and humid day. The shelters in this section are spaced a little awkwardly, so we could either walk 6 miles to the next shelter, or 24.7 to the following one. The water situation isn't too good, so it makes it difficult to camp someplace in between shelters.We opted to hike 24.7 miles, and were on the trail by 6:45. Let me tell you, it was a long day. It was humid, sticky, and buggy. As usual, the trail included lots of rocks and a few boulder fields. There were few spots for water, and to top it all off, we were in rattlesnake country. Now what's not to like about hiking big miles in these kind of conditions?!At 1 Foxi, Tommyhawk, Goat, and I took an hour long lunchbreak. Flip surprised us by coming up the trail - he hiked all the way from Duncannon to catch us.The hot, sticky, humid, buggy, rocky, and rattlesnake infested hike through the green tunnel continued all afternoon. There was a long series of low flying fighter jets buzzing us for quite awhile, which seemed a bit strange. It was one of those afternoons when I simply kept going through my stubborn perseverance. At 6 p.m. I made it to Rausch Gap Shelter. This is a brand new shelter that's nice, although it could use a picnic table. Foxi, Flip, Tommyhawk, Goat, and I are all sleeping in the shelter, and Eleven and another hiker are in their hammocks. We're exhausted but pleased that the AT didn't get the best of us. Goat's quote of the day: "the only things that weigh you down are the things you carry".Today's highlight: making it through this difficult day.
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

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

Yet another oppressively hot and humid day. Yep, we're living the dream on the AT in Pennsylvania.We left the shelter by 7:15. More of the same terrain... rocky at times, some uphill, but mainly a walk through the long green tunnel. Tommyhawk, Goat, and I stopped for a break near a stream mid-morning, and I noticed a tick on me. First one I've ever had on me and I know now to watch out. As the day progressed, Tommyhawk pulled off 3 ticks and Foxi pulled one off. Okay, so now I have to add ticks to the list of things in Pennsylvania to watch out for, adding this to rattlesnakes and rocks.Flip, Foxi, Tommyhawk, Goat, and I all took a lunchbreak near the William Penn Shelter. As we were eating, we were surprised to see Raider come through. Raider routinely pushes 30+ mile days, so we'd thought he was miles ahead of us. Turns out he'd taken a bit of time off. It's all very interesting the further north we get; the fluid hiking community is becoming less fluid. We seem to be in our own hiking bubble, with some hikers ahead of us and a big group behind. I stopped saying goodbye to thru hikers, since I would usually see them again. I'm now realizing that I probably won't see many of them again. What we really need out here is some kind of online site to check hikers' whereabouts!By about 3:30 we reached 501 Shelter, our destination for the day. This shelter is fully enclosed and offers a solar shower. The shower was cold but felt wonderful after the hot day. We all showered and then got a ride into Pine Grove, where we ate at Sholl's Family Restaurant. NBC (No Big Climbs) came along with us and we enjoyed a great AYCE buffet. On to the grocery store for a little food and then back to the shelter.We're here tonight with Eleven, Yonder, and NBC, along with our regular group. Yonder, NBC, and Foxi are all from Germany so lots of German flying around. It's good to be temporarily clean and well fed - can't wait to see what PA throws our way tomorrow.Tommyhawk's haiku of the day:Over my shoulderOne last glimpse of the mountainI turn and hike on.Today's highlight: shower and dinner at Sholl's.