morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-09-25
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-To

To: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-To
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: few clouds

      I was just finishing packing this morning when a slackpacker stopped briefly to check the register. It was Karma! He was going to slack all the way from Caratunk to Monson, 37 miles total, in one day. Amazing. I set out for the very steep up and down over Pleasant Mountain. It was very windy today, and it felt cold when I stopped for breaks. I couldn't resist talking to a couple fishing at the inlet on Moxie Pond. They weren't having much luck today, but the conversation was good. I rock-hopped the river crossing and then had another climb to make.      Trees came down close by due to the high winds several times today. The top half of a maple cracked off and dropped right on the trail thirty feet behind me. I decided to stay here and set up the tent on a pad near the shelter. A couple of friendly section hikers arrived and set up tents also. We sat around and talked, and they built a nice fire. An hour after dark, several night hikers came in with their headlamps aglow. That seems to be a popular thing lately, night hiking to push the miles. I have had a hard enough time staying upright in the daylight. We had a pleasant evening going until the rain started and chased us to our tents.
Date: 2013-07-01
From: Home

To: Reservoir Rd. Hamburg
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: broken clouds

Part 2 -Back to the trail. Brian and Melissa brought Toby ( their Labradoodle) over and switched him for me. Don will be watching him while they are in Pennsylvania. The trip is not long and we were soon back to the trail. I am hoping to ease back in by slack packing a couple of days.I found things the same - my birds were waiting for me, the cicadas were still there, the gnats were so excited to have me back and, of course, the rocks were still there. I'm happy to be back.
Date: 2003-09-27
From: Piscataguis River

To: Monson
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: mist

      The air was damp with mist hanging in the river gorge. The trail followed the scenic west branch of the river for several miles. Sometimes I would be up higher on the ridge, and other times right along the bank, passing chutes, rapids, and small falls emptying into long deep pools. The leaves were beautiful. One plant in particular was stunning. It had large round, saucer-sized leaves that were briliant red and green as they changed. Sometimes half the leaf was bright red, the other half still bright green. I don't know the name of the bush, but they grew all over the area.      I stopped at the east banch ford to remove my boots, and changed into my Waldies. As I was doing so, a female merganser came swimming by in a fine rain. The water was about knee deep and cold, but felt good on the feet. As I was replacing my boots, I encountered Brew and Jenn again. They had stayed at the last shelter, and being alone there, pitched their tent inside because of the pesky mosquitoes. I hadn't been bothered by them at all just a short distance upriver.       I got a ride from the road intersection with the second car that came along. They dropped me off at the Pie Lady's. I figured any place to stay that had pie in the name must be a good spot, but no one was around. I walked down the main street and stopped at a convenience store to get something to eat. They suggested I check out the lake Shore House for accomodations. They were set up with rooms in the building with the laundromat. It was clean, quiet, and homey.       Bob, the friendly owner, had coffee going in the large kitchen, and was always bringing cakes, pies, and pastries for treats. Plus there was a beautiful view of Lake Hebron right in the background. I tried making some phone calls but got no answer. I did my laundry and got cleaned up. Tomorrow is going to be a zero day for sure, and this is a great place to relax.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: PA 309 Blue Mountain Summit

To: Palmerton Jailhouse hostel
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: light rain

Last slack pack day. Awww!Went to the little diner down the street for breakfast. They advertise Pennsylvania Dutch food so I had to get a piece of shoo-fly pie. I have no idea what it is but a friend of mine from college used to sing a little song about shoo fly pie and Apple pan dowdy. I found out it is made from molasses with a crumb top. It was pretty good.Melissa and Brian took me back to PA 309 for my day's hike. If I thought yesterday was bad, the AT was going to show me today could be worse. We had two very tough rock maneuvers - Knife's Edge and Bake Oven Knob. Plus, even the power line crossing had a tough rock maneuver. Added to the excitement was the constant rain to keep the rocks wet and slick. I only slipped once, doing a sort of 'split'. Haven't done the splits since high school!But another section completed. Little by little I'm chipping away at the rocks of Pennsylvania. Steady and slow I guess you could say.Melissa and Brian met me at the extraction point (as they call it) and then took me to the jail house hostel in Palmerston. Yes, you read correctly. The hostel is in the basement of the old Borough building. No charge but I had to stop by the police station first to be booked in. Some familiar faces are here - Twigs, Big Yankee, Thunder foot, plus I met some new ones - Rooster, I forget the other already!I also met two young girls today at the Bake Oven Knob shelter - Hugs and Green Bean. In response to a question in my guestbook about traveling alone, both girls were traveling separately, they met the evening before at a shelter. I have found that if you want (or feel safer) hiking with someone, then you can always find someone to hike with but there are young and old women traveling alone. Even if you hike alone, there are always people around you - you really are never truly alone.So, I am back to the trail after a nice 'vacation'. Let's put PA to rest!
Date: 2003-09-28
From: Monson

To: Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

      What a great day to zero. It rained steadily all day. Monson is a nice little place with friendly people, but does have its peculiarities. For one thing, there is no ATM there. I think it is the only place on the trail without an ATM. Also there is no real grocery store, restuarant, or tavern.      I went to all three convenience stores looking for food supplies, but couldn't find what I wanted. The owner of the general store was going into the next town to get things to restock his selection. I told him what I needed--pepperoni and rice crispy bars, and his wife picked them up for me, along with their needs. I gave him a little extra money for his trouble, and helped carry in the car load of stuff when she returned. Otherwise, I would have been on meager rations going into the 100 mile wilderness.       The payphones in town are also outside, so I had to stand in the rain when I finally did get through. It was a good day to not be going anywhere. So I watched football on TV.
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Palmerton Jailhouse hostel

To: Stealth camp 1271
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: moderate rain

More to come but wanted to let you know Olive Oyl's parents - Delores and Glen - and friend Kevin invited me to their picnic. Tough day but all good. Today was full of highs and lows, ups and downs. It started promising when Mary asked if I needed a ride as I was setting off to walk the 1.5 miles back to the trailhead. That was very nice and saved me a lot of walking.The first order of the day was the long steep climb out of Lehigh Valley. It was quite tough and include parts where you have to put the poles away and climb hand over hand or in my case, crawling. The rest of the day was just sheer rock torture. My legs and feet are so battered and bruised. It's hard to describe but many sections are just rock fields. You try to rock hop - they aren't placed where you can do that - you try to pick between them - again, the placing is wrong so you laboriously pick your way. Now imagine doing that for 8-10 hours. It can really get to you!So that was my frame of mind when I came to Smith Gap Road where Delores and Glen had their hiker feed. I was just so done in by the day and had a trail meltdown. Hugs was there and she came over and gave me a big hug (she's a sweetie). Then, on top of that, who should be there but Wolfgang! I hiked with him and Cookie way back through the Smokies and into Hot Springs and thoroughly enjoyed their company. Cookie got off the trail in Harpers Ferry but Wolfgang stayed on. I was so happy to see him I started crying again!It did me so much good to sit and eat some great food and enjoy some great company. I was renewed when I left over an hour later. I decided I was going to camp where I could see fireworks. There was an upcoming power line and pipeline section. They are usually put on top with great views to either side. The power line came first. Okay view to the west, no towns in sight. I thought I could do better. The pipeline was perfect! Wonderful view to the east, lots of towns. I set up my tent without the rain fly (mosquitoes are bad) then watched as all the communities down below had their celebrations - there must have been a dozen or so. Later, I watched the stars. Oh, what a day!I had a visitor that night. A mouse chewed through the screen of my tent. Grrr....not good mouse!
Date: 2003-09-29
From: Monson

To: Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

      It rained a lot yesterday and last night. I was sick all day with an upset stomach. I think Psycho Pat tried to poison me with her coffee. I did see Strider, who had come to do laundry. I always enjoy talking with him because he always seems to know where everyone is, and all the latest trail news. I spent most of the day in bed. I don't know if it was from something I ate, or whether I just picked up a bug.
Date: 2013-07-05
From: Stealth camp 1271

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 18.3

Up early and hiking by 6. Last night I resolved to be out of Pennsylvania by today. I have put in my time and want to move on to better pastures, or trails in this case.I was in Wind Gap by 7 and ran into Wolfgang. Quite a few people had gone to a bar that lets you camp in the back. They also open the kitchen to let hikers fix their own breakfast. Very nice. The first 12 miles of my hike was full of rocks but I was okay with it because I knew I would be in Delaware Water Gap by the end of the day. I took a couple of breaks - although skeeters are so bad that you can't dally long. There are identical twins out here - Rise and Shine - and one (I can't tell them apart) said she counted 60 bites on her arm!I made a big lunch at Kirkbridge Shelter at that 12 mile or so point, joined by Wolfgang, Rise and Shine, their dad Rolling Stone (thru hiked in 2009) and Fire Hazard. We also had a SOBO come in. Turns out he is a southbound thru hiker! First one I've met! He started at Katahdin June 10th and is trying to set a record for fastest unassisted thru hike. That means he had no help - carries a pack with all his own food etc. The old record is 60 1/2 days. He's going for 60 days. Amazing! Hr days he does 35 - 40 miles a day. Can't even imagine! ( the record for assisted thru hike is held by a woman who did it during Socks and Hoops year - 47 days).The rest of the hike into Delaware Water Gap was surprisingly nice and the time passed quickly. I am staying at the Church of the Mountain hostel which is in the basement of a Catholic church. There is, hands down, THE best bakery in the world down the street. I am in hiker heaven. I feel I have weathered the storm and there's clear skies ahead.Kokopelli and Dee Dee are here. Had a nice long chat catching up on everything. Also here - TK, Blimey, Woodman. Met Rabbit and Baltimore. Sparky is off the trail - he was no longer enjoying the experience.Many of these little trail towns are so cute! My favorites so far - Boiling Springs, Hot Springs, Delaware Water Gap.
Date: 2003-09-30
From: Monson

To: Long Pond Stream
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

      I still felt a little fuzzy around the edges this morning. I had called and arranged a ride to the trail last night, and he arrived right on time. Lake Shore House, and Monson in general, was a great place to experience. It was probably the nicest place I had stayed on my trip, by far the homiest.       The major events of this day were the fords. With the recent rain, the water was high and rushing. I had to extend my Leki poles to the maximum length, change out of my boots to Waldies, and switch my pack to the horizontal position before entering the water. Planting the poles before shuffling forward over the slippery rocks, I had to feel my way between the bigger rocks until reaching the other side. It was more than waist deep and plenty cold. My feet and legs were numb by the time I slowly made my way to the opposite shore, but I didn't get swept away.       Crossing these streams is exhilarating, whether wading or rock hopping. It is a little dangerous, but generally it is more a matter of avoiding getting all of you and your gear totally soaked, an unpleasant business to say the least. At these crossings or on the trail, I am like a big cat. I don't like to get my feet wet. I often see where others just trudge right through the wet and muddy spots, but I go to great lengths to skirt them if I can. My boots aren't waterproof (as if any boots really are), and walking in wet boots and socks make my feet sore. Probably another reason I am so slow. After the second ford, I stopped for the night.
Date: 2013-07-06
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Backpackers campsite
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: moderate rain

I had to go to the post office, Outfitters ( to repair that mouse hole on my tent) and, of course, the bakery. None of the above opened earlier than 8 so it was late by the time my chores were completed. And it was hot! Plans were to go to a hiker feed on Sunday which was only 10 miles away. At first I thought of taking a zero but as the day progressed, I wanted to get back into the woods. It's cooler and quieter. So when I told Kokopelli I was hiking out, he said he was ready to go too. And Mash, another hiker at the hostel, asked if he could go with us. We left at 4:30 and was at the campsite before 6:30. In that time we officially crossed into New Jersey, saw a bear and saw a rattlesnake. Who knew! New Jersey is teeming with wildlife.Kokopelli plays Indian flute so I love when we get to camp and he plays. Tonight it was as the sun set. Such a peaceful way to close out the day. TK is taking off for Key West tomorrow. Nice hiking with you TK. Have a great time!Olive Oyl popped in when finishing her slack pack and Delores came by to pick her up and take her home (about 5 minutes away). Delores and Glen have been such good trail angels this year - helping many hikers out. Thank you again!
Date: 2003-10-01
From: Long Pond Stream

To: West Branch Pleasant River
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

      The air is noticeably cooler. In the morning I start out wearing the nylon windbreaker for the first half hour or so. By that time, I am warmed up enough that a long sleeve shirt and shorts are sufficient. This was a tough section today. I keep hearing that soon we will be through with the climbing for some time. That fact alone keeps me going on the steep sections. I tell myself this is training for going up Katahdin.       At least the weather is cooperating, because if it were raining, it would be so much more difficult. I was worried about crossing the river, but when I got there I was relieved. While it was wide, it proved to be only knee deep. After a tough day, the icy water felt good. As I got the boots back on, I wondered how many hikers had done the same thing in that exact spot.       Tonight's camp was a beautiful spot along the river away from the trail. I had a nice soft mat of pine needles to cushion my sore body. After I figured my location, I knew why. I had gone farther than I thought. I never have a specific destination or mileage for each day. I just go as far as I can go until the time factor and how I feel dictate that I'm done for the day.      I thought a campfire would have been nice this evening. I never build a fire. It takes time and energy to search for wood. My priority is in getting the tent up and organized before dark. I have a regular pattern and routine for all the gear, so that I can get to it if needed. It is funny how that became established on its own over time.
Date: 2013-07-07
From: Backpackers campsite

To: Brink Road shelter
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

OMG! I discovered wild blueberries today and they are delicious! I was never quite sure which plants were blueberries - we don't have them around our area - but there is no mistaking them now. I'm making slow progress this morning and my tongue is blue.I also discovered my competitors for those sweet morsels. I saw three big bears before 8 AM! One was only about 15 feet in front of me. I could hear him huffing and puffing as he came up the hill. He wasn't aware of me. I backed up and hit my poles together so he'd know I was there and then he took off. I will probably never get a picture of one - I want them to run and be afraid of me. They are way bigger than I am.I popped into the Mohican Outdoor Center for a shower and food. I know I will get sweaty and stinky as soon as I leave but I wanted to be clean. A lot of hikers are having infections from bug bites so it won't hurt to get clean every chance I get. Today is a scorcher so I took it slow and easy, drinking lots of water at the springs. I usually mix up some kind of instant drink - fresh spring water is so cold that it is just like coming out of the refrigerator.I also took time to do something I should do more often - I found a big ole rock and just laid and read my book. St. Kris gave me 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'. It is one of Oprah's choices and is about a walk, although Harold's walk is quite different than mine. Still, the similarities are uncanny. A long walk is a walk no matter where. The one thing he says that I can really relate to is that when you are away from roads and traffic, the cars sound 'angry' as they speed by. I can't stand being around busy roads. I want back in the woods asap! I'm trying to finish by this weekend so I can pass it on to sister Kim.The day ended at Brink Road shelter. Before getting here I had run into a young man crouched on Rattlesnake Mountain. He was watching two bears in the blueberries. We had a nice long talk about life - his and mine. I am 60; he is 23. Not many places other than the AT where you can do that.Only downfall to this long day - this shelter has a swamp in front of it. Mosquitoes are horrible!
Date: 2003-10-03
From: East Branch Lean-To

To: Cooper Brook
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

      It remained very windy in the morning. The rain had stopped, but a shower of pine needles steadily hit the tent. I wanted the tent to dry before packing, but that didn't happen. Sharon and Paul, along with Bela, came by and said they had gotten three inches of snow at Logan Brook Shelter. That thousand feet was the difference between rain and snow. Looking across form Little Boardman, the snow up on White Cap and the other peaks was most evident.       I wore long nylon pants today, the first time I have ever worn them while on the move for more than a few minutes. I got to Cooper Brook, a beautiful place with a waterfall and large pool. I wasn't sure that I could find a better spot if I continued, so I settled in near the water. Greenman got a fire going up by the shelter, and I wandered up there to enjoy the warmth. A pair of gloves would be nice, especially at night. But I have none.
Date: 2013-07-09
From: High Point shelter

To: Pochuck shelter
Miles today: 12.4

Have I mentioned how pretty New Jersey is? We have been treated to beautiful views with mountain ranges, not the single range you see in PA. I always heard New Jersey and New York sections of ko the AT were very beautiful and I have to agree.Today's hike was full of diversity - farm fields, meadows, forests, a mountain, bogs, and nature preserve. Plus a secret shelter and a town stop. It made for a quick day.The 'secret shelter' is not too secret to thru hikers. They know that Jim Murray was a past thru hiker (1989) that lets hikers use his cabin for free. It was only 5 miles from where I stayed last night so I wasn't planning on tenting there but I wanted to stop in to check it out. I may only pass this way once. Plus it was reputed to have a solar shower - can't pass that up!The place was awesome and I ended up staying over two hours. The cabin had electricity (charge the electronics), an outside solar shower that actually had hot water ( Kim-I still have my little shampoo and cream rinse so the hair got washed too), a rock wall for drying out my way tent (it rained the night before), and a very nice and talkative owner. Yes, I got to meet Jim and we talked for quite a while. I found it interesting to get his take on the trail - from when he hiked to now. He said the ethics had changed. That hikers are more into the partying and getting to towns than when he hiked. I don't know what it was like in 1989 but it is a bit true now. Not everyone but there are quite a few that just seem to focus on the next town (and there are the partiers-although most drop out by now). Along with that is probably the change in pack weight. The goal now is to have a light pack so you aren't carrying a lot of food. That necessitates town stops. Interesting to think about...Jim offered to give me a ride into Unionville but I declined. Don't want my ethics to erode. The town was close and I was there within half an hour. This is an old quaint town with lots of fixer uppers. For anyone wanting to start a hostel, you might check this town out.After a visit to the general store and a cheeseburger and fries at the tavern, I made my way back to the trail. I am between bubbles right now. The only thru hikers I saw were Oatmeal and Thunder foot. I also camped with them last night. Cute couple that I first met back in Buena Vista, VA.The shelter was not far so I was soon there. I misread my guide so I didn't get water before climbing Pochuck Mountain. The shelter had none so I had to go all the way back down. About 1/2 mile. The climb up was easier the second time around - no pack. I was pretty amazed at how quick I did it.I am here with 5 section hikers. They are playing cards and having a good time. Rain is forecast for tonight - have to keep those mosquitoes breeding.Night all....
Date: 2003-10-06
From: White House Landing

To: Wadleigh Stream Lean-To
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

      We got a late start, having to wait until after breakfast to get ferried across the lake. I hiked with Strider today. We kept to his pace, because he has a very sore foot he is nursing. I could have gone faster and farther alone, but I enjoy his company. He is from Maine, and it is like getting a guided tour and history lesson combined. When we got to the shelter, I went in search of a place to pitch my tent. It is warmer in the tent and more comfortable. With the dark came the cold. I put on the fleece jacket and crawled into the sleeping bag to keep warm. I wish I had my good long underwear.