morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-09-23
From: 2 miles N of Vt/Mass Border

To: Dalton, Mass
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: mist

It's Autumn!!!! Yeah!!!! I slept great last night, but woke up at 5am to rain. I stayed in my sleeping bag and went back to sleep, hoping the rain would go away, but it was raining harder at 6:25 when I woke up and started getting ready to walk. I had a breakfast bar and a few chocolate espresso beans, then packed up my wet tent. That makes 3 of the last 4 days that I packed up a wet tent. I started walking and the rain got harder. There were rivers of water running down the trail before long. I climbed up to The Cobbles, kept walking and went by Crystal Mountain Campsite, then started getting close to Dalton. I was surprised to see an older couple out for a walk on the Trail...are they crazy??? :-))) I had originally planned on resupplying in Dalton and walking on, but I was soaked and since I have been walking a few miles lately, I knew I could really use a shower and use some time to get reorganized for the next section of Trail coming up, so I inquired about a room at Shamrock Inn. They were nice enough to give me the weekday rate. I got a shower and dried my clothes near the heater, then resupplied and bought some fried chicken for lunch.I figured I ate healthy enough yesterday...I needed comfort food today. :-))) I had the Weather Channel on and I see there's an 80% chance of rain and thunderstorms tomorrow. Oh well, I'll be ready to walk some miles again by tomorrow morning anyway. I walked to a nearby store and ordered a Philly cheese steak with mushrooms and onions, bought a Coke and took it back to my room. I spent the rest of the day watching a few sitcoms while my stuff finished drying out. I'm ready to walk tomorrow even though the room looks like a tornado hit it....my stuff is all over the place. I'll pack it up pretty quickly in the morning. Zipdrive at Trail Journals has fixed the problem with forwarding guestbook entries to my email, so now I can keep up with them. There are still a few people that had signed my guestbook a while back. I'll get your email addresses when I get to a computer again, so I can send "thank you's". There were a few more leaves falling today, but I would have had to look up into the rain to catch them. I did make a quick grab at one that fell right in front of me, so I'm at 48. Looks like I'm in the lead and I don't even spend all my time under the trees like some of my friends with nothing but time on their hands. :-)))
Date: 2006-09-30
From: Rt 55, Ct

To: Rt 20, Pauling, NY
Miles today: 10.8

Another morning at the Moosie's Spa And Fine Eatery. More good coffee and another good breakfast before Moosie, Mrs Gorp and I headed out for our walk today. Moosie was able to walk with us today, so we dropped his car off at the trailhead and Mrs Moosie took us up to the Kent trailhead and dropped us off. A friend of Mrs Gorp was there waiting on her to show up. It was Uncle Wayne who finished the AT with Mrs Gorp in '79 and his wife, Leslie who were waiting. They rode their bikes up and waited on us. We spent half an hour talking before the 3 of us headed up Schaghticoke Mountain. It was a beautiful morning for a walk. We passed by the side trail to Mt Algo Lean-to without stopping. We kept climbing and got to Indian Rocks before we took a short break. We ended up stopping a few times at overlooks and enjoyed the views, then we headed down the mountain. We were getting close to Bulls Bridge and Moosie reminded us that there was a store not far off the Trail. He didn't want to ruin his reputation for NOT passing up a soda, so we walked under the covered bridge and on to the store. We bought a few snacks and sat on the picnic table and ate and talked. The payphone has been removed from that store too. Seems like more and more of the payphones are disappearing. Maybe Pocketmail won't be such a good thing in years to come. We headed back to the Trail and walked along 10 Mile River, then over the 10 Mile River footbridge before climbing 10 Mile Hill...about a 700 foot climb. My heel was starting to hurt, so I was walking a little slower and almost lost sight of Moosie and Mrs Gorp. When I started yelling that I needed water, they remembered me and waited. (I didn't really need water) :-))) We got to the trailhead at Ct Rt 55 where Moosie's car was and headed back to the house. Tomorrow is a rain day, so it looks like I'll take my first zero since getting back on the Trail and organize my bounce box and hopefully catch up on email. We were all invited to a friend of the Moosie's for dinner. Turns out the friend has been a lead singer in a band for over 40 years and there were members of 2 other bands there...they all played and were excellent!!! We ended up staying until after midnight. What a treat while on the Trail. I'm still at 100 leaves. Seems we had good leaf fall a couple days ago, but there hasn't been many falling lately. I'm sure that will change soon. :-)))
Date: 2006-10-01
From: Rt 20, Pauling, NY

To: Rt 20, Pauling, NY
Miles today: 0.0

I wanted to sleep in, but Mrs Moosie bought me a whole bag of Starbuck's...I just had to get up and put a pot of coffee on. :-))) Today was a day that was supposed to rain a lot, so Mrs Gorp and I decided to take a zero and push on tomorrow. I guess we've become fair weather hikers. Mrs Moosie drove down to a local bagel shop and brought home some fresh made bagels for breakfast. Today was my day to catch up on email, get my bounce box ready to ship, make a few phone calls, wish my Dad a happy 81st birthday, go through my pack and get rid of anything I haven't used (like the rocks I found....know anything about those, Mrs Gorp???) and fix a pole extension for my tent. I felt overwhelmed in the morning, but I stuck to it and by afternoon, I had things in pretty good order again. It's just so much easier on the Trail because all you have to do is walk. Mrs Gorp spent the day over at Uncle Wayne's after her son Kyle showed up and drove her over there. Moosie, Mrs Moosie and I all went out to Ct's best rib shack. We all had baby back ribs for dinner and they were very good. I've eaten so well here at the Moosies' that I don't think my ribs are showing anymore. :-))) I know there's a few people that I probably have missed sending emails to and I'm sorry. I try to answer each email and since a few guestbook signings were made while the forwarding service was down, I'm sure I missed a few of those. This has been a very pleasant few days for me. I always love seeing Mrs Moosie and Moosie...they are very good friends. Heck, Moosie even loaned me some blue jeans to go to that party last night. He was shocked when his blue jeans fit me perfectly. I know I'm fat and now I think Moosie knows he's not in top shape either. :-))) Kyle dropped Mrs Gorp back here around 8pm and we talked for half an hour before everyone turned in for the night. !00 is still my leaf count in "THE LEAF CATCHING GAME" because I spent most of the day indoors.
Date: 2006-10-04
To: Hammock Hanger
Miles today: 0.0

Transcriber Note:I am about to go take a walk in the SC Foothills. I will be unable to transcribe for Mr. Stumpknocker for about 12 days. However, with the way he is always walking to his friends homes I am sure he will be able to handle it all by himself.Hope to see some of you at the Gathering.Hammock Hanger
Date: 2006-10-26
From: Port Clinton, Pa

To: Port Clinton, Pa
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I got on my Mom's computer here in Florida yesterday and checked out Trail Journals, the guestbook on my journal, WhiteBlaze and my private email. My Dad was sitting in his chair nearby. I told him that there has been lots of hiking friends sending their condolences about Mom. I wasn't sure whether I should tell him or not, but he seemed real interested and asked me to read them to him. It took a while to read them all because so many of you had written to me. I want to thank everyone for myself, but I especially want everyone to know how much it meant to my Dad. He said to me; "I see why you spend so much time on the Trail. You really do have family out there too." Thanks to my Trail family from the bottom of my heart for helping my Dad who would have been married to Mom for 60 years next June....you all are the best!!!! (I also posted this on WhiteBlaze to thanks my friends over there.)
Date: 2006-11-04
From: Duncannon, Pa

To: Duncannon, Pa
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a planned zero day.Yolanda, Frogcaller, Lew and I all went out for a very good breakfast buffet in Lancaster, Pa. I ate all I could handle. I guess I stopped just in time because I was full, but I wasn't a hurtin' pup when I was done. Yolanda had to leave from there, but I went home with Frogcaller and Lew to Hanover, Pa. I spent the day going through my stuff and getting organized for the next part of the Trail, then answering emails and posting my journal. That stuff always takes a lot of time, but I always feel so much better when I get caught up. :-))) Lew took me down to a local store and I resupplied with enough food for a day. I will be walking by some stores for the next couple of days, so I don't need to carry too much food. I showed Frogcaller and Lew the CD that Clyde made for me. Thanks again Clyde, that will get used on my poor relatives and friends. ;-))) It was getting close to bed time and I realized I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. That breakfast was very filling. I snacked on a few pretzels, then headed off to bed. A nice, easy zero. :-)))
Date: 2006-11-05
From: Duncannon, Pa

To: Rt 11, Pa
Miles today: 17.6

I woke up at 3am and finished writing my journal entries, then fell asleep again. I heard Frogcaller moving around, so when I got up, she had breakfast on and was laying on the floor stretching. Frogcaller made a very good breakfast of stuffed eggs, juice and coffee. I finished packing up afterwards, then Lew drove me up to Duncannon and dropped me off. It wasn't nearly as cold this morning...probably about 32 degrees and calm winds, a perfect day for a walk. I thanked Lew for all the help, then started walking south at 8:15am. Cove Mountain was my first climb of the day. When I got to Hawk Rock, I stopped long enough to take a couple pictures, then finished climbing the mountain. It seems so strange that Yolanda is not walking behind me. We've walked and talked to each other for so many miles this year. I would love to insert one of my smart remarks right here about Yolanda, but I'm still afraid of her, even at a distance. :-))) An hour into the walk, I looked up and saw two white tails bouncing off through the forest about 40 yards ahead of me. I walked by the side trail to Cove Mountain Shelter without stopping. I was climbing the hill up towards Darlington Shelter and saw a girl walking towards me. Turned out to be Librarian who I had hiked around me in southern Va. We talked for about 5 minutes and I found out she was filling in a missed section and will be done with her thru hike in 30 miles. Congratulations Librarian!!! I walked by the side trail to Darlington Shelter without stopping. I walked down the mountain, stopping at an overlook where a stone seat had been built. I sat down a few seconds, took a few photos and finished walking down the mountain. I got to Scott Farm and stopped to sign the register, but there wasn't one, so I walked on. There has been a new boardwalk built just south of Scott Farm. I walked on that and was thinking it was built just like the long boardwalk in NJ. It makes that section much nicer and gives better views of the river. I kept walking and crossed over I-81, then walked next to a dairy farm to get back in the woods. I came out at Rt 11 and walked half a mile down the road to America's Best Inns and got a room. I know, I slept inside last night, but this is a stop I always make because Middlesex Diner is right next door. I always eat dinner there, then breakfast in the morning, then walk 8 miles the next day into Boiling Springs and eat at an Italian restaurant for lunch. I like this area!! :-))) I sat my backpack down in the room and walked next door to the diner and ordered two lump crab cakes, sweet potato, cottage cheese with apple butter and a salad. Then I was bad and ordered some buffalo wings to go. :-))) I came back to the room and enjoyed the rest of the evening. I caught four leaves today, so I'm up to 140 leaves. According to a couple recent claims, I'm not in the lead right now, but the game is not over yet. ;-))) Thanks Frogcaller and Lew for helping me out yet again...you two are the best!!!
Date: 2006-11-06
From: Rt 11, Pa

To: S of Tagg Run Shelter, Pa
Miles today: 21.0

I slept great last night. I needed a good night's sleep and I got it. I woke up at 6am, got dressed and walked next door to the Middlesex Diner and had a mushroom and cheese omelet with home-fries and rye toast and three cups of coffee. I went back to the room and finished packing and was walking by 7:30am. It was half a mile back to the Trail, then I headed south towards Boiling Springs. It was 30 degrees out. I got some looks when I was walking down the road in my shorts, but when I'm moving, that's a very comfortable temperature for me. Most of the walk into Boiling Springs was through farm land and it's as flat as it gets on the AT. There was lots of frost from the dew on the grass. This is a fairly populated area with some homes and farms. I was walking through a field about an hour into my walk and I could smell bacon!! Sure was glad I had breakfast already because that bacon smelled really good. :-))) A while later, I looked over to my right and saw a hawk chasing a bird. They got out of sight before I saw what happened, so I don't know if that bird got away or not. I also saw three rabbits on my way into town. I got into Boiling Springs and went to the ATC office and sent in my journal entries on the phone and checked my email. There's a register there, so I got to sign it and use some smiley face stickers. :-))) When Anniles Italian Restaurant opened, I went in and ordered a medium pizza with mushrooms, onion and anchovies for lunch. It was excellent!! I also had a little more coffee. :-))) I walked on and passed by Alex Kennedy Shelter without stopping. When I crossed Whiskey Spring Road, the climb took me up to some rocks on a ridge. That's a nice area because you have to make your way through, over and around all the boulders up there. From there, you go down a little, then right back into more large boulders to work your way around. The Trail got easy again after I got through all those boulders. I walked by Rt 94, then when I got to Rt 34, I went .2 miles up the road to Green Mountain Store and got a 6 ounce ice cream for dinner. I also got some donuts for tomorrow morning....oh yeah, and a Coke to pack out for later. :-))) I got back on the Trail and before long, I walked by the side trail to Tagg Run Shelters without stopping. I was walking along and it was getting dark. I saw two deer take off running. I love walking at that time of day. I found a flat spot about a mile later and set up my tent between and on some rocks. I just need enough room for my body to fit between the rocks and I'm a happy camper. This was a fantastic day of walking. I always love it when I can hit places to stop and eat at along the way and today I ate breakfast, lunch and a snack for dinner without having to carry any of that food. Ha!! There weren't any leaves left on the trees in this area...at least not many. I walked all day and only saw a few leaves fall. It's noisy walking because there are so many in the trail that you crunch leaves as you walk all day. Still at 140 in The Leaf Catching Game.
Date: 2006-11-09
From: Caledonia State Park, Pa (Frogcaller's House)

To: Near Pen-Mar State Park, Pa
Miles today: 17.9

(Note: 11-8-06 was just a zero used for moving the truck around.) Yesterday was a zero to move my truck from Frogcaller and Lew's home into position to walk to it at Waynesboro, Va, so I can go to Goosebump The Snow Princess and Rainbow Slick's for Thanksgiving in Richmond, Va. I'll have about 220 miles to walk in the next two weeks....shouldn't be any problem as long as the ol' heel holds up. :-))) I started walking south out of Caledonia State Park this morning. I can't get over how mild it is outside right now. I'll bet that won't last. Ha!!...after all, it's November already. I think the low was about 50 degrees and it got up to the upper 60's later on...with the sun shining. I climbed about 800 feet in elevation over a few miles to Rocky Mountain Shelter. I kept walking by without stopping at the shelter. The sign said it was .3 miles off the Trail. I finished climbing that mountain. I had forgotten about all the rocks in this area. The Trail took me up to the ridge and kept me in the rocks for a while, but I was enjoying the larger rocks. I walked down the hill a few hundred feet in elevation, passed by Rt 233, then climbed another 500 feet up the next mountain. I walked over Chimney Rocks on the south side of that mountain, walked by Tumbling Run Shelters without stopping, but I did stop for a few minutes just before Antietam Shelters for a snack. When I started walking again, I thought about stopping at the shelter to sign the register because it was only 50 feet off the Trail, but I decided to sign in at the next shelter. I climbed another 600 feet up the next mountain. There were much fewer rocks on this section. I had been walking over quite a few rocks this morning, but the rocks here in southern Pa aren't the same kind as in northern Pa. The northern rocks are small pointy things that you can feel through the soles of your shoes. They are much worse when the leaves that have fallen off the trees hide the little buggers and you don't know where they are until you step on them. Anyway......when I got to the top of that climb it was smooth trail....much easier walking. I stopped by Deer Lick Shelters to sign the register, but there wasn't one, so I walked on. I stopped at Bailey Spring and got some water, then just before I got to Rattlesnake Run Road, I saw a note in the Trail. It was for Superstar and BP, telling them to feel free to call and whoever left the note would come and pick them up. I wrote on the note; "Hey, what about Stumpknocker?" and left a few smiley face stickers and the date, then walked on after taking a picture of it. :-))) I crossed Rt 16, made another 500 foot climb over lots of rocks again, then walked down to Falls Creek. I'm just north of the Pa/Md border and will cross that in the morning. It was a beautiful day and I caught 4 leaves, so that brings my confirmed total up to 147. Thank you Frogcaller and Lew for all the help. Liteshoe was right when she signed my guestbook and called you both saints!!
Date: 2006-11-17
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Blackburn Center Hostel - Blackburn Center, Va
Miles today: 11.7

I slept good last night and woke up about 7am. I went downstairs and got coffee and made a couple waffles for breakfast. When I went back up to my room and started packing up. I had stuff spread out all over the place because it was wet when I came in yesterday and I wanted to make sure everything got dry before I left today. It was 9:30am before I checked out. I was only walking about 12 miles today, so I wasn't in any hurry. I took some pictures as I crossed the Shenandoah River on a bridge. I even found a dime on the bridge. :-))) My first climb was up to Loudoun Heights where I crossed over into Va.That was about a 900 foot climb. This was an absolutely beautiful day for a walk. The temperature was supposed to be about 50 degrees for a high and it was mostly sunny with a nice breeze. A short while after I got to the summit, I saw a couple of deer take off running to my left. I kept walking and passed by Keys Gap, then started an easy 2 mile climb of about 600 feet. I saw three turkeys running from me a short time later, then I saw another deer off in the distance. They are being real skittish right now...it's hunting season. I saw 5 more deer run off about 5 minutes later. It's been nice to see so much wildlife today. I walked by the side trail to David Lesser Shelter without stopping. I saw two more deer about 15 minutes south of Buzzard Rocks. I did get to within about 30 yards of them before they took off running. I kept walking slowly and really enjoyed the day. These kinds of days make you want to walk forever...nice cool, sunny, breezy weather with no bugs...a great time to be in the woods. :-))) I got to the side trail to Blackburn Center. It's a steep down for 1/4 mile. I got close and saw Mr Carrot working on a stone wall. He introduced me to Trail Boss, then the Trail Boss took me on a tour of the place. It's really nice and in great shape. I met Hopeful '05 who is due to have her baby in two days. Redwing is her husband, but he wasn't here yet. I had met Hopeful and Redwing somewhere along the Trail last year. They were nobo's and I was walking south. I went out to the bunk-room and Weathercarrot took a break from the stone wall and came over and talked for a while. It's always great to see him. I ate a little bit, then went over to the main house and spent some time with the others. Hopeful is pregnant and she went into labor, so Redwing and her left for the hospital about 6pm and that left Mr Carrot in charge for the night. The boy scouts showed up, then later, a guy that was trying to find a way off the mountain with a mustang that he and his wife have been traveling with. The boy scouts were busy doing things to earn their merit badges and Mr Carrot was busy showing the guy where to bring the mustang down off the mountain, so I said good night to everyone and went out into the bunk-room. Looks like another new hiker...hope all goes well Hopeful. Leaf Catching Game deadline is the 20th and I'm getting reports that are all over the board. :-)))
Date: 2006-01-30
To: How I fell in love with the trail
Miles today: 0.0

My first experience with the trail was as a Webelo scout. My den went on a trip in Connecticut from river road to Silver Hill Campsite. The first time we went up, it was just a day hike, but we were so excited that we came up the next month on a backpacking trip. We hiked in our food, tents, and sleeping bags. It was a really amazing trip because of the good friends and the great campsite. In one backpacker handbook, the campsite is called the Hilton of Connecticut. It had a swing, a concrete balcony giving a view of the entire valley, a pump, a latrine, and even a kitchen sink. It was after this first trip that I knew I loved hiking on the Appalachian trail. Since that experience, I have brought my my first Scout troop up several times. I really love hiking on the trail. I feel free and happy. It is really nice to be just walking through the forest. I love the views after climbing a tall mountain.