morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-10-04
From: somewhere's PA

To: somewhere's PA
Miles today: 0.0

A recapper from the past week. Tataruga and I have partenered up like peas and carrots. We share a lot of the same interest and have been having a good time discussing the same places and people we've come across on the trail. We've both seemed to fill an apparent void regarding sharing the experiences of the thru hike with someone cool and in general agreement with respecting the trail's plants, animals and establishments. The next day we saw "Greenstar" a 19-year-old from NJ who is finishing up the trail with support from his mother. Another trainwreck situation, he welcomes danger with every oppurtunity possible, sleeping on the ground, dehydrating and starving. Port Clintion, PA came a few days after and Tataruga and I shopped cooperatively to have the best epicurian experiences on the trail, tomatoes & spinach and bagels for sandwhiches and plenty of snacky cakes. Got two awesome hitches to the store. The first from an young rock climber and the second from a sweet guy with an old disassembled Spitfire in the bed of his Chevy. He was heavy into Native American spirituallity and told us all about commune life with the tribes of TN and the "sweat" ceremony of the Dakotas. He offered to "paint" us to "ground our spirits" for the journey. It sounded pretty good to us so we took him up and had him place the magic paint on our open palms, top of head, and center of torso. Then we put our hands to the ground on opposite feet and traced them up along our legs, chest (where the spirit lives) and then raised our arms above our heads to "expell the bad spirits". It was trully an awesome way to end a great day of hiking through some really pretty area of PA where some Zinc mining activity made a desert scape. Positivity abounds. We've been alternating 17 to 23 mile days and motivating each other along the way well as having some great conversation on everything from prison life to politics. Tataruga is very wise and has lived a great deal. We've now met up with SOBO's "Jimbo", "Spider", "Show me" & "Tree Frog" and will have a nice little enterouage heading into Duncannon. Should be fun. Anxious about how the partnership will continue to progress w/ outside/other hikers present.
Date: 2005-10-05
To: Peter's Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 17.5

Rocks calmed down a bit today thankfully. Much discussion of finding brilliant orange things to wear in hopes of warding off drunken bullets in upcoming VA. Getting compound fatigue now as observed in the NOBOs encountered back in ME & NH. Annoyed by personal hygene or lack there of - lenght of hair, dirty clothes. Still a decent group together for tommorow at the Doyle Hotel.
Date: 2005-10-06
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon PA

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Duncannon was a 9/10 star town stay with hikers supporting the local economy throughout the year. The Doyle was one such place with $26.50 double rooms including tax and $.90 10oz beers during happy hour. Arrived at the Post Office before noon after 11 miles in mysty cloud cover. Rocks are beginning to disepate and hills are flattening out. Everything we could have wanted in a town stay was within .5 miles; pizza, groceries, fuel, laundary, phones and internet. With live folk rock to entertain us, the whole SOBO group of myself, Tataruga, Spider, Jimbo, Green Star, Tree Frog & Show Me, Bucaroo & Pacemaker enjoyed an evening of good food, drink and conversation. Bucaroo and Pacemaker - a couple of retired educators sectioning the trail together from VA, were a highlight to have for the weekend and will be missed as we head south to Springer. The only unfortunate incident, resulting in the 9/10 star evaluation, occurred when one of the "transient" A.T. trail characters followed me around the hotel commanding me to smell his breath -proportedly "smells like death" and telling me such outlandish lies; the patent for silly putty orginated from a tissue sample taken from his butt with a hypodermic needle in 1958 and that the last time he saw Elvis Presley was when he arrived at his house in a pink cadilac and was tickling this trail bum on his front lawn. It's funny now but when the 6'2 man was many pints deep, sweating profusely and telling me one outrageous lie after another - I had a bit of a freak out for a time and had to seek out Tatafuga was busy getting in touch with her people on the West Coast. Hurray for Drunkcannon!
Date: 2005-10-07
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon PA

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Walked out of Duncannon in what was to be many days of rain and possibly flash flood conditions in certain parts of the area. Everyone was drying out for the evening- Tataruga, Spider and Green Star. Green Star arrived in his usually unfashionably late, train-wreck style- dehydrated, cold and filthy. I argued for him to walk downhill 800ft to a spring that surely would have been a gush but he refused, opting instead to fasten his tarp to one side of the shelter's roof while supporting the opposing side with his body, creating a funnel-like system to catch rain water off the shelter's roof and collect it in a pan at his feet. He drank 4 full pans of the roof-water before he was satisfied. Well, "Water in the morn," he says. I took a picture of the comic genius at work and hopefully I will be able to post it soon. Nutella sandwhiches are the latest rave.
Date: 2005-10-10
From: none

To: someone's memorial shelter, Pine Grove Furnace PA
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday was the half-way mark at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA. Now that it's sunk in today, I feel pretty indifferent - so great a time was had in the 1st half and so much beauty, also I fear the end of the adventure but look forward to so many great miles ahead - The Smokies, Then Shenendoas, and my rendevous with my folks. I did the half way, half gallon challenge (a thru-hiker tradition of eating a half gallon of Hershey's ice cream) in 55 degree weather starting at a quarter to six in the evening. It was really fun to open up that carton lid of Peanut Butter Cup and know that I would get to attempt to put the whole thing away in one sitting. Things would've been better in warmer weather with more daylight but I did just fine, eating all but about 2 cups worth which Tataruga took care of for time's sake as we still had 3 miles to the shelter. I used 3 lactaids and had surprisingly little digestive backlash. The worst part was coming down from the sugar high - felt sluggish, poinsoned, and took on a nasty mood. After passing Green Star in the woods, searching with a flashlight for the trail, we found the shelter and unpacked. 30 minutes later Green Star comes striding along and proclaiming his destiny for the night, "Ladies, Gentlemen - I'm an American and Americans never give up. I'm going to hike another 7 miles tonight. I have said I would do big miles on my thru-hike and now, 3 days away from finishing I'm going to do a 30 mile day." Green Star standing out afront the shelter in the cold rain, filthy, dehydrated again and starts his comedy routine. At leat I'm laughing uncontrollably at him while Tataruga, exhausted with his antics and PMSing herself - she wasn't having it. "You're such a liar Green Star," she reminds him and then goes back to stretching.
Date: 2005-10-13
From: Devil's Race Course Shelter (1480')

To: Foxville Rd, Chip Servis' place (1450')
Miles today: 0.0

Tataruga convinced me to do a very short day, offering the options for the evenings company being Jimbo at the further shelter or Roamin' Goat at the shelter a mere 4.8 miles south. She had me with that one and I conceded to the 4.8 mile day including a hitch into Smithsburg, MD for resupply. We lounged around until 1pm, started walking and were thumbing it down Foxville Rd. by 3pm. A nice guy in a truck pulled over and took us strait to the market, where we lost ourselves in grocery heavan for over an hour, scoring such incredible deals like 3 boxes of Pop-Tarts (cookies & cream, choc. cookie dough, cinnamon roll) for $5.00. We were offered two rides immediately after leaving the market; the 1st was a lifetime local wearing sunglasses on a very dark day and sporting a big brass belt buckle - a sherrif's star and text reading "Deputy Sherrif", who had no idea where Foxville Rd. was located, no more than 2 miles from where we were standing, the 2nd was a large man with a fantastic radio persona voice and a big chevy van, who not only knew where Foxville Rd. was located but in fact lived off the road and had a spare cabin/workshop with a wood burning stove and mattresses where he occasionally hosted thru-hikers and welcomed them to shower, do laundry and make themselves at home in his cozy house. Chip Servis and his great dog Woody gave us the best trail magic to date. We used all the ammenities on top of him feeding us beer, steak, mac and cheese, biscuits and so much more. An awesome guy all around, he'd moved in the past year from Key West to the house his father had begun over 30 years prior and was finishing all of the necessary jobs not yet completed in honor of his deceased father. We watched "The Incredibles" and listened to some great music before turning in around 11pm. In the morning he made us Lates! cinnamon rolls, and eggs. It was tough saying goodbye to Chip but the trail called and he had errands to run before a week long trip to Maui for his sister's wedding.
Date: 2005-10-14
From: Foxville Rd, Chip Servis' place (1450')

To: Rocky Run Shelter (970')
Miles today: 17.0

Another cold and rainy day which made leaving Chip's place all the more difficult. Tatarruga and I talked a lot about the previous night and the theme of trusting people in the first few miles of the day. Rocky Run was interesting, with a porch swing and deck - too bad it was raining. That evening we nearly concluded out ongoing dialogue over the appropriate amount of miles to average on a daily basis. The discussion closed with us both in agreement that we wanted to stay with a Dec. 15 finishing date. That piece of shit shelter leaked all night and saturated Tataruga's down bag.
Date: 2005-10-15
From: Rocky Run Shelter (970')

To: Hilltop House Hotel, Harper's Ferry, WV (270')
Miles today: 15.0

We walked alone for mot of the day, passing some Civil War battle sites on the way downward to the Potomac River. I enjoyed seeing the old C&O canal structure and locks formerly in use during the 19th century. The veiw coming into Harper's was impressive, with the Shenendoa and Potomac rivers converging, several old bridge ruins and the town itself neatly propped up on the Mountainside. I checked out John Brown's fort (a small building from the old armory) and went straight up the hill to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy office to get some fuel before they closed for the day. I was officially registered in the thru-hiker register and then I raided the hiker box, the most organized and sizeable thus far. Met up with Tataruga at the outfitter, which was great- new insoles and fuel- then we had to scrounge for a phone to call the hostel. No luck with vacancy at the hostel sent us to the "historic" Hilltop House Hotel. $45.00 got us a bare bones hotel room, complete with a rotary phone, eliminating calling card capabilities. Admittedly, I got pretty cranky and was bitching pretty bad about a not very bad situation. Sometimes the trail life is so simple; eat, walk, sleep, plan the next day, that you are easily irritated during stints to civilization. We had to go out for beers to celebrate only 1,000 more miles remaining! Oatmeal Stout & Pumpkin ale, delicious!
Date: 2005-10-16
From: Hilltop House Hotel, Harper's Ferry, WV (270')

To: Buzzard Rocks unofficial tent site
Miles today: 11.0

We got up earlier than we do on the trail to prepare for the arrival of Tataruga's partner, Lisa, from Portland OR to D.C. that morning. It was really great to see Tataruga and Lisa reunited, the type of situation where neither one knows where to start off as the time apart has been extensive and action packed. Their friend Heather from D.C. chauffered for the occasion and weee all went down for breakfast in the Hilltop. I of course grossed out the guests, consuming several bacon & egg biscuit sandwhiches and many more plates of food. Afterwards, Heather took us to Walmart and then the ATC office for Tataruga to get "legitamized". Wish I could have gotten a few more minutes to talk with Lisa but schedules for the weekend were tight. I dawdled around before leaving Harper's- trip to the P.O., internet, and historical buildings in the National Park. The John Brown exhibits were really well done. Lots of tourists to manuever around in the main streets, many quite large and oblivious. I was pretty excited to cowboy camp on top of the ridge after not having tented since meeting Tataruga. The moon was big and bright- too bright and it seemed that car headlights were shining down from above all night.
Date: 2005-10-17
From: Buzzard Rocks unofficial tent site

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Met SOBOs Pig-Pen (26 yrs, OH) and partner Ryan (19, PA) mid morning. They gave me the news of what my camp-out, 2 miles shy of an ATC cabin had cost me. The boys ate a gourmet vegetarian dinnere with the cabin's caretakers then followed by leftover wedding food from the previous weekend. I wasn't at all jealous. We decided to stop at Snicker's Gap for beers to bring up to the shelter that evening. We all had a good time sitting around the fire, listening to some radio through Pig-Pen's mini speakers (he carries some 60 odd lbs. of stuff) and getting acquainted.
Date: 2005-10-18
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

A gorgeous high pressure hiking day with great views in Sky Meadows State Park. Not much color here, mainly still green with some yellows. The terrain has gotten heaps better as well, very few rocks and nice manageble gradual climbs. I guess VA is making me realize how mtns. are far more amusing to hike among, both from an aesthetic and physical perspective. That's really good because my iPod hard drive deleted entirely today- I'm not that unhappy but I will miss it until I can redownload my tunes. I got the thing for the trail and now believe Earl Shaffer's (the first thru-hiker ever in 1948 and then hiked again in 1998 in his 80s) ghost is responsible for it's many malfunctions since the start of the journey. I believe this because the night before I ascended Mt. Katahdin, Chris Jolley and I stayed in Shaffer's favorite room of the Appalachian Trail Lodge in Millinocket, ME which had but a singel electrical outlet powering simultaneously a large fan, television and lamp before I tripped the breaker while attempting to recharge the iPod. Dick's Dome Shelter really was a wooden dome with shingles on the exterior. It was going through some rough times in its 20th year but it did just fine for us. Another great fire thanks to Pig-Pen.
Date: 2005-10-19
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Monterey Service Station, Linden, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Today I walked into Linden, VA, 1.2 miles off the trail to get some maildrops. It was really amazing to get and additional two packages on top of the one I'd expected, one from Uncle mark Stegmaier containing some cash as well as a note saying cookies would be in the mail soon, and the other from my old buddy Jason Harris who sent some great things to stay warm in the coming cold weather. I picked up the packages around noon and went next door to the nearby Monteray Service Station in search of cola and a shady place to unpack and then repack. Some nice folks told me I'd find what I was looking for out back by the fire pit. The area was covered with bpxes of Busch beer bottles and I wondered who was responsible for this party trail. My questions were answered no more than 40 minutes later when Sam, Mike, Jaki and the owner of the Moneray, Tom, all showed up within 15 minutes of one another, each working on their own Busch. They were more than hospitable, offering me beers and fresh trout fillets and convincing me to hang out for the rest of the afternoon as I was waiting for my partner Tataruga to catch up. The afternoon climaxed around 5 p.m. when Tom put on his favorite Korn and Metallica hits on his truck's CD player and Kareoked to the rest of us onlookers. So far so good for Virginia.
Date: 2005-10-20
From: Monterey Service Station, Linden, VA

To: Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter, 1900'
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

I awoke early after a great night's sleep on Tom's flat-bed trailer behind the Monterey. Reasoning that I was planning on spending the day in Front Royal upddating my trail journal, I decided that I would walk the road 7 miles as opposed to taking the trail which would have sent me back tracking. Now, some would argue that I've commited a great trail foul by doing this, not adhering to the promised defined by a 2,000 miler, but this was only my second time moving forward on the journey without it being on the trail and additionally, walking 7 miles down the highway wasn't easy or fun. On the way into Front Royal, Tom and Jack passed me, pulled over and offered me a ride into town. I was grateful for the offer but explained that if I was to cheat, I needed to suffer some. Front Royal was more than a suitable trail town, allowing me to get all my errands acomplished and update my trail journal. Joined Pig-Pen and Tuna again at Tom Floyd Wasyside Shelter for a camp fire and tunes once again. Horrible trickle of a water source but still got in a shampoo.
Date: 2005-10-21
From: Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter, 1900'

To: Gravel Spring Hut, 2480'
Miles today: 10.5

Started late hoping to give Tataruga more time to arrive. Spaceman Spiff and my old buddy Ethan showed up and motivated me to move on by their mere presence. We filled out backcountry permits for Shenandoah NP and hiked at blazing speeds to the shelter. I couldn't believe the break-neck speed Ethan was traveling as compared to the first few weeks back in Maine. I could barely hold on. Pig-Pen and Tuna were already there with their music and aromas. Around dark, four more SOBOs roll in from the nearby parking lot, accompanied by one set of parents bearing s'more supplies and beers. It was an unprecedented trail occasion for me and many of the other later start SOBOs that had finally caught up with some other MEGAs. We put my iPod into the mini-speakers and had a nice little shelter party. A section hiker out for the weekend, Salty Nemo, inquired as to the evening's events being the standard for the thru-hikers and implied that he'd been missing out on a wonderful world in the woods. -Maybe for NOBOs and some early SOBOs, I told him but not for most of us. I zeroed the next day in hopes I'd for certain give Tataruga enought time to catch up, didn't happen but I did however, get some freeze dried dinners made for me by some generous weekender hikers. I can't really think why she hasn't caught me by now with all my lolli-gagging in the past week; she's probably just waiting out the cold rain in the mornings and failing to gain any time on me.
Date: 2005-10-22
From: Gravel Spring Hut, 2480'

To: Pass Mtn Hut, 2690'
Miles today: 13.1

The highlights of the day included receiving some greaat freeze dried food from some generous weekenders (Mtn House in the morning and later fire roasted apples). I wasted some time at the Wayside gas station and snack bar in the park to let my iPod charge only to have it self-destruct again later - cursed thing. Heavy rain came immediately after I got situated at the shelter, then some middle-aged trail maintainers, and then my Tataruga! I was so excited and surprised to see her roll in before dark. That really made the day and we had fun trying to catch-up with stories from the past week's adventures.
Date: 2005-10-23
From: Pass Mtn Hut, 2690'

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut, 3210'
Miles today: 26.7
Weather: clear sky

Tataruga and I determined we would be splitting again for awhile as I needed to walk like an idiot for the next few days in order to sync up with the parents arrival at the Dutch Haus B and B. Her limit being 23 and the shelters positioned in such a way that one must either pull 25+ miles or cut it short. I got my Alpine start, was walking by daybreak at 7:00 and got some spectacular views of Shenandoah. Mary's Rock side trail, a great overlook made all the more special by a rising sun and good visibility, let all the color of fall really come to life. I was disheartened when my planned breakfast at Skyland restaurant was prevented by a closed dining room but ecstatic about finding $5.00 on the ground and redeeming it on donuts and later some beers to pack up to the shelter for celebratory purposes of my big mile day. Met up with Spacemean Spiff and Ethan at the second wayside in the late afternoon. It really helped to meet up with these psycho-striders and I got into the shelter with daylight to spare. Thanks to Pig-Pen for another outstanding bonfire.
Date: 2005-10-24
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut, 3210'

To: Pinefield Hut, 2430'
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Hauled butt again with Spiff and Ethan trying to avoid getting rained on by the ominous sky and forecasted storm. Got some nice views, leaves at the top of the peaks were the most picturesque thus far. One overlook in particular, I believe Hightop Mtn, made us all stop and pause for a few moments with 2 hawks soaring overhead - special. The last 2.5 miles were rainy and I was too hungry for hiking. Pig-Pen was already at the hut as he walked Skyline drive. The temps started dropping dramatically throughout the evening, apparently below freezing at some poiont as Spiff who walked out to pee and upon seeing snow accumulation exclaimed a few expletives. We awoke to an inch on the ground.