morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Dahlgren Campground

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Long sunny day, perfect for pretty views and leisurely miles. We slept on, barely leaving before 10am, just after Foxi. Hiked the gentle trail over its little hills, to the premiere Washington Monument. Then onward, over I-70's raging traffic, toward Annapolis Rocks. Spider and I lazed in the sun for a while before hiking on.We hoped to hitch to town on Md 17, but there were few cars on the road, so we'll go to town tomorrow. Spider needs a knee brace badly. We cooked dinner at Ensign Cowall Shelter, where Northern, Foxi, and Grrr were set up for the night, before putting five more miles in for the night. We arrived at Raven Rock just after dark, set up our tent, and went right to bed.
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Rocky Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today we crossed into Pennsylvania.I woke up before the alarm, so we got going early, hiking by 8am. We covered the 4.6mi to PenMar Park quickly and took a minute there to stretch and snack. Then we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line, hiked to US 16, and caught a ride to Waynesboro, PA. We got Spider a knee brace, bought some food, and pigged out at the Chinese buffet.With heavy packs, we continued our hike. Peeked in a few of the nice double shelters. Took a while to eek out the last few miles (and long blue blaze) to Rocky Mountain Shelter, where we're tenting tonight. Camel and Ebo are tenting, too, and have a nice fire going. There is also a collection of kids and dads who are loud and hilariously new to backpacking.
Date: 2013-05-28
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter

To: Toms Run Shelters
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Crossed the halfway point today!It was a good day with many breaks in the morning, at Caledonia State Park and Quarry Gap Shelters, beautifully maintained by the Innkeeper. Helped the drizzly morning pass quickly (it had rained during the night, lessening by the time we hit the trail). We pushed on the Birch Run Shelter, where we cooked up some mac and cheese, and then over the halfway point and onwards to Toms Run. The trail this afternoon was amazingly flat, free of rocks, and gently sloped downhill. Tenting again to dry out our tent. Wild Rain, Lost n Found, Mr. Frodo, and Ebo also here for the night.
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Toms Run Shelters

To: Backpacker's Campsite
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: clear sky

We times our morning perfectly so we could get to Pine Grove Furnace State Park exactly as their camp store opened. Ebo and Mr. Frodo were already there, waiting to begin the half-gallon challenge.Spider and Mr. Frodo got a 1.5qt container and a pint to make it a true half-gallon of ice cream. Ebo just got a 1.5qt container, and he couldn't finish, instead putting the remaining ice cream back in the store's freezer for Camel. Spider finished his without incident. Mr. Frodo struggled but ultimately finished. I didn't even attempt it. My appetite is gone. Wild Rain and Lost n Found came later and each got a pint. We hung out on the porch a while, resting and digesting, before moving on.Spider and I visited the AT museum, then hit the trail. It's hot today, sunny, no breeze. The trail is nice, gentle slope, few rocks. We stopped at a stream for lunch and soaked our feet. The boys all took a quick dip. It was a pleasant spot.Then we hiked on toward Boiling Springs. Just past the rock maze, at Whiskey Spring Rd, Spider and I met Bernie the Whitler, who gave us each a whistle. We hiked up and over Center Point Knob, the original midpoint, then through farmland for a few flat miles. Finally, we reached the campground. We set up our tent and went to town for pizza. Wild Rain, Lost n Found, Ebo, and Mr. Frodo joined us. Boiling Springs is a cute town.The train tracks are right next to the campsite, and when the train runs through (which happens frequently), it's impossibly loud. Hot night.
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Backpacker's Campsite

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 22.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Another warm night. When we woke up, Rocky, Not a Bear, Eze, and the section hiker we met were all gone. They had left at 4am to traverse the long flat stretch before the day started boiling. Another 90 degree day was in the works, sunny, stagnant.We headed to town for coffee and breakfast before hiking. The first ten miles passed slowly. We hiked across farmland, through meadows, occasionally under the sweet shade of the forest--all flat land. At Conodoguinet Creek, we sat a minute in the tepid dirty water. At least we cooled off a little. When we spotted the shaded picnic table and water pump at Scott Farm Trail Work Center, we nearly ran to it. It was a well-times break--a moment later, we re invited inside for leftover pizza. We talked to high school students doing trail maintenance about thru hiking while we ate. I'm not sure what sort of impression we made.We continued on, stopping to see the Taj Mahal privy at Darlington Shelter. Our last push of the day took us through the muggy, buggy woods to Cove Mountain Shelter. The last few miles of trail started to get rocky. We got in at dusk. Not a Bear was the only person at the shelter, but he was sprawled in the center of the bunked shelter, so we decided to tent. The bugs are bad and it's still hot, even since the sun's gone down. No rainfly tonight.
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Table Rock (stealth camp)
Miles today: 14.4

It was already hot again by the time we woke. We hiked straight to Duncannon, lured by cold drinks and air conditioning. We got some iced coffees and sat in the cafe for a while. The town library wasn't open today, only Wednesdays and Saturdays, so we got what we needed to get done on my space phone. Later, we went to the BBQ joint we passed for some delicious sandwiches. Saw Tin Man again for the first time since Partnership Shelter, I think. It was tempting to stay in town just to be out of the horrible heat, but we wanted to put in a few more miles so we headed out. Stopped in for ice cream on the way out of town. It was around 2pm by the time we left and the sun was shining full force. We crossed the Susquehanna again, then went over some railroad tracks and back into the woods.It was a rough, nasty climb in the heat. We were sweating buckets. I regretted not showering or doing laundry in town, but the moment we got back on the trail, it didn't matter. Once we got up to the ridgeline, we found a weak breeze and a challenging rocky trail. Brutal. We stopped in to Clark's Ferry Shelter for some water and saw Wolfgang and Who's Asking? there; there had been there for hours waiting out the heat. Smart move. We watched a black rat snake eat a chipmunk in the middle of the trail down to the spring, that was pretty cool. Later, I saw it slither away with a big bulge in its belly.The trail mellowed out a bit past that shelter, and the weather started to improve, too. We started looking for a campsite a little ways from Peters Mountain Shelter, since it has an inconvenient water source (down 300 steep steps), there was no reason for us to stay right there. We found a decent site at Table Rock, a beautiful overlook with a strong breeze. We hope it will help keep us cool tonight. As we were cooking dinner, Spider noticed a cicada crawling up his leg. Once we started looking, they were everywhere, crawling to trees and then coming slowly out of their shells. It was amazing to witness that whole process. They are everywhere.
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Table Rock (stealth camp)

To: Campsite
Miles today: 24.4

Spider and I woke up early--4:30am--to get to the next road to meet my dad and stepmom by 7:30am. Dad and Sara were driving up from Baltimore to drop some stuff off with us and slackpack us. We were so excited to see them and get some miles in without so much strain on our muscles and joints. They arrived late, but bearing breakfast! We sat by the creek and ate. Wild Rain joined us for a bit, and Wolfgang and Who's Asking? came through but had just eaten their breakfast.We walked together for a few minutes in the humid and buggy forest before Dad and Sara said goodbye until the afternoon. Then Spider and I took off, going quickly just because we could.It was hot all day with no breeze to speak of. And while we maintained a quick pace and covered miles more easily than if we had had our packs, our feet still grew sore and Spider's knee was still giving him trouble. On the trail, we saw tons of holes in the ground where the cicadas crawled out of, and saw many of the shells still stuck to trees and shrubs. We could hear them later on in the afternoon, a loud drone sound. We were grateful to meet Dad and Sara again 16 miles further on. They even brought us cold lemonade and sandwiches. Many thanks!We hiked only another mile before making camp. The site has two lean-tos made of branches and leaf material, so cool. Spider got a smoldering fire going in an attempt to shoo away some of the bugs. I've been eaten alive the past two days. We are also feeling mighty grody ad are looking forward to showers and laundry. Sara couldn't even give us hugs today, we smelled too bad. Definitely time to clean up.
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Campsite

To: PA 501 (Pine Grove)
Miles today: 12.0

Another muggy day. We packed up and headed out around 7am; Wolfgang was still sleeping. We hiked to the first road and got lost until a truck pulled up and set us straight. The double blazed had been graffitied over. So up we went, under 81. Such moderate climbs have me sweating buckets in this weather. At the ridge, we were greeted with boulder fields. The rocky trail wreaks havoc on our feet and knees. Ugh. We took an early break at a viewpoint and decided we really could use a shower and laundry and a bed right about now. We'd been irritable this morning--a break was definitely in order.We hiked on and the trail grew smoother, much like the trail we enjoyed so much in the Shenendoahs. Saw Wolfgang at the next shelter, must have passed us somewhere. Funny how the trail is like that--you see people here and there, no telling when someone might show up.We boogied trough the last four miles and immediately got a ride from another young couple wrapping up a weekend hike. They took us right to the hotel. We're settled in at the Comfort Inn, with air conditioning, showers, and soft bed. Spider did our laundry (he's a saint) and I finished my book. We've both cooled off and are ready to keep hiking north.
Date: 2013-06-03
From: PA 501 (Pine Grove)

To: Campsite
Miles today: 18.7

Today was a curious day. We left town refreshed, having slept well and enjoyed town food. We braved the continental breakfast, which was overrun by ladies from Louisiana en route to Cape Cod--there were more people in the lobby than we might see in a week on the AT. After we packed up, we got a hitch from a sweet woman all the way back to the trailhead. We stopped at the famous 501 Shelter to see what it's all about, then we started the day's hike.The terrain was very easy all day save some very rocky sections and one steep hill at the end of the day. Yet, I began feeling awfully weary. As we walked through the swampy flat trail, I felt more and more like I had been hit by a truck. My mind got to thinking--fatigue, muscles aches, odd joint pain (like in my wrists and elbows), headaches--this feels like Lyme. I shared my concern with Spider and he came up with a plan to get to a clinic in Hamburg to get me checked out. We've both had Lyme before and know it's not something to mess around with; it's better to seek treatment right away.We're camping in a breezy spot at the top of a little hill. Spider ate four cicadas and then noticed a weird itchiness in his throat, like an allergic reaction. He's allergic to shrimp. Turns out you shouldn't eat cicadas if you have a shrimp/crab/lobster allergy.more at: adventureclaudia.wordpress.com
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Campsite

To: Campsite
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: few clouds

It was a perfect weather day, so excellent for hiking. I just felt terrible. The trail was gentle right until a sharp descent to Port Clinton. We caught a ride down 61 right to the clinic by a nice guy going fishing; he even offered to check down this road in a few hours to see if we might need a ride back. We were in and out of the clinic in no time: yes, it sounds like Lyme, here are antibiotics. The doctor thought the rash I got on my back two weeks ago may have been the "bulls-eye" rash.We were sitting outside of the clinic when a guy offered us a ride. He took us to the CVS, waited as my prescription was filled, and then took us to the trailhead. He'd recently spent eight months hitch hiking around the border of the U.S. and is writing a book about the experience.We hiked a few miles to a campsite with water. The climb was tough on me, but we made it. Built a fire and went to bed early. Got to see how the next few days go.
Date: 2013-06-05
From: Campsite

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slow day today, allowing me to hike a few miles over fairly easy terrain. Leisurely morning with Spider making a fire to cook on. We got on the trail around 10am. I have no quickness in me right now and Spider is very patient. The 700ft climb a few miles into the day was challenging, but we let ourselves rest for an hour or more at Pulpit Rock. We saw Shepherd there heading south, and he stopped and talked with us for a while.The rest of the trail, then, was fairly gentle. Spider walked with me and tried to keep the mood light. He's taken to giving the cicadas resting on low shrubs "flying lessons," flicking them up into the air. They're pretty unresponsive.We're settled in to Eckville Shelter for tonight. It's another of the fancy PA shelters. It's sort of off the trail, 0.2mi down a road, right in the backyard of a house. I think the whole property is owned by the local hiking club. The caretaker has been there a while and was friendly; he seems to do a great job with the place. There's a solar shower and a flush toilet and a station to charge electronics. We're here with Tin Cup; Beacon came in late. First night in a shelter in a while.
Date: 2013-06-06
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Spider and I got up and packed and ate with an eye on the weather. Rain's forecasted for this afternoon through Saturday. We were on the trail by 8:30am. The trail shouldn't have been so difficult but I struggled up the little climb and across boulder fields. I wished very hard that I felt strong and healthy and that we could put in a full day. In fact, I was hoping we could go seventeen miles today, to the second shelter out. I had nearly convinced Spider. But the fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, and headache made a compelling case or another short day. We stayed put at the first shelter we came to. It started to sprinkle and I think that convinced Beacon to stay, too. Not looking forward to wet rocks tomorrow.The afternoon was lazy and comfortable. We talked with Samson when he came through for lunch. Tin Cup must have already gone by. Soon folks started pouring in for the night. We must be in a hiker cloud. Northern, Mr. Frodo, Ebo, Camel, Zook, EZ, Not It, Lost n Found, Not a Bear, Jungle Juice, and Jersey Shore are all here. We fit a bunch in the shelter but a few tented.
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: moderate rain

The rain kept coming all night. In the morning, we watched folks pack up and head out one by one, reluctant to head out into the weather ourselves. We left after 9am since we planned to stop at Blue Mountain Summit Restaurant for lunch. Unfortunately, we got there at 11 and saw they wouldn't open for another hour. We waited, growing colder, until we could go inside. Had trouble warming up. Couldn't tell if we were welcome or not--felt like the proprietor didn't care much about hikers' business. Oh well. The food was OK, good burger.Spider an I trudged through rain and rocks over Knife's Edge. It wasn't that bad. Spider took a fall just as he was saying how easy it was. We took our time with it. Bake Oven Knob area is gross--lots of trash and graffiti. The shelter we're staying in tonight is gross, possibly the worst one we've seen. At least we have a dry place to sleep tonight. Heading to town tomorrow. Sick of shelter-hopping.
Date: 2013-06-08
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Superfund Detour (Palmerton)
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

It stopped raining sometime during the night. We headed straight to town, motivated by the thought of a shower and a meal. There were some ticks on the tall grass en route to Palmerton, ugh. Not an especially nice walk into town. At one point we hopped a chain link fence and walked down the highway a ways.In town, we dropped our stuff at the "jailhouse" (just a basement), took showers, and headed across the street to do laundry and grab a bite to eat at Bert's. We checked in at the police station with a rude cop. The rest of the day was lazy--resupplied, Spider got a milkshake, we sat in the park a while. Back to Bert's for dinner. There is only one other hiker here tonight, Klaus, a German flip-flopper.
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Superfund Detour (Palmerton)

To: PA 33 (Wind Gap)
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: moderate rain

After a delicious breakfast at Bert's, we headed out if town. I think we accidents took a blue blaze out of Lehigh Gap, thus avoiding, or at least mellowing, the climb out of Palmerton. Met Jericho at the top of the ridge and he pointed us north. Lots of tall grass in the next few miles, replete with ticks. I panicked a bit but I think we're OK.It was a long hike today, probably too long for me right now, though it felt good to put in a full day on the trail. Nice weather, too. Saw a timber rattlesnake on the trail--in fact, I nearly stepped on it. It was huge. Spider shooed it off the trail with his poles. Wish we had snapped a picture. He was rattling at us, so we just hiked on. Long dry trail. We stopped in at Leroy Smith Shelter and talked with a section hiking couple who told us the trail north of here was nice. Decided to hike on after hearing the weather forecast, with hopes of getting to the hostel in Delaware Water Gap soon (maybe tomorrow) to dry out. Arrived at Wind Gap around dark. Camping in the Beer Stein's backyard. EZ and Jericho are here, too. Somehow we stayed up until midnight hanging out on the porch.
Date: 2013-06-10
From: PA 33 (Wind Gap)

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: light rain

Woke around 6:30am to rain. We had a relaxing morning in the tent, with coffee and the sports section for Spider. We waited for the Beer Stein to open as they said they would for hikers to use their kitchen to make breakfast. It was a very generous offer, and we were excited. But we waited for a log while and it didn't seem like it was happening. We packed up and grabbed breakfast from the has station across the street.It was pouring! We climbed back up to the ridge and trudged north, willing the miles to pass quickly. We were soaking wet all day. At least it wasn't cold rain--as log as we stayed moving, we were OK. Saw tons of cute red salamanders in and next to the trail.We got to Church of the Mountain Hostel around 5:30pm. It was packed full of hikers who'd arrived yesterday and zero'd because of the rain. Somehow we each got a bunk but there were people sleeping on the floor and couches. We both got a hot shower and then zonked out.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: stealth camp
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up to the sound of Pringles' dog tags jangling. We headed to Water Gap Diner for a delicious breakfast and then hit the outfitter's when they opened. Spider bought a summer bag and a shirt, and I got a new pair of socks. We sent some things to Baltimore at the P.O. then resupplied at the nearest gas station. Also stopped in to the Apple Market for some trail snacks and their hot dog and pie special and a sandwich.After all that, our sunny morning clouded over. We waited out a little rain at the hostel then loaded our packs onto our backs and headed out. A short boring road walk across the Delaware River and we were in New Jersey!Walked along Dunnfield Creek, roaring from yesterday's deluge. Nice hiking. The weather settled into a breezy neutral air and the trail, while still rocky, proved easier to navigate than in PA. We walked around the gorgeous glacial Sunfish Pond; here, we stopped for a moment to eat a snack and little fish came to the edge of the water, as if begin for scraps. Then we climbed up to Kittatinny Mountain and along a lovely ridge with views of the river below. Towards the end of the day we saw some nice campsites but were out of water. Finally we tanked up just before the Mohican Outdoor Center then climbed a hill and found a flat spot with a strong breeze. It was a short hike today, with a busy morning in town, and it helped take the edge of my weariness.
Date: 2013-06-12
From: stealth camp

To: stealth camp
Miles today: 16.5

Spider woke up at 6am but let me sleep in past 8. We got a late start. Beautiful morning--in fact, it was sunny and warm all day. Lovely hiking along ridges. Saw frogs in a clear rushing stream just a few miles into the day and again in the afternoon in a flooded section of trail. We had lunch by the water pump at Blue Mountain Lakes Rd, talking with Eleven, who we met in DWG. She told us some bad weather was going to hit tomorrow afternoon. Toward the end of the day we stopped at Brink Road Shelter and filled up on water but didn't camp there, too swampy. Instead, we found a stealth camp spot on a stretch of exposed ridge. It's beautiful here.
Date: 2013-06-13
From: stealth camp

To: NJ 23 (Port Jervis)
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: few clouds

Spider woke up around 5am to pee; I got up, too, and we started packing up in the gray dawn. It sprinkled enough to make us hustle. We were hiking toward Branchville in no time. Once there, we walked down the road a ways toward the market to resupply. A car pulled over just 1/2 mile from the market but we jumped in anyway. Went to Jumboland Diner for their $3 breakfast special, which was excellent. Spider introduced the idea of staying at a motel for the day/night to escape the bad weather. We'd overheard the waitresses at the diner talking about 5in of rain, winds up to 50mph. Not weather we were excited to hike in. But hike on we did--the motels in the area were full or had a late check in. It rained all morning. We were soaked by the time we reached the first shelter, and so we decided to push on to Port Jervis and stay at a motel there. It was deemed a worthy expense. We cruised the twelve miles there, stopping finally at the High Point State Park Headquarters for a free soda. We saw Maineac there, who we hadn't seen since Erwin. Got an easy hitch to the motel with a friendly high school teacher. We get to dry off and rest up all afternoon--what luxury!