morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-19
From: William Penn Shelter 

To: campsite near Hertlein Campsite 
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

The late bedtime last night made for a late start this morning. I made it to the 501 Shelter for lunch. Fitz was there taking a nap. We was going to meet his girlfriend there later this evening. Just as I started to make lunch outside it started to rain. It only took moving inside to get it to stop, so the sun came back out by the time I left. As I was eating lunch a nice young couple came by and we chatted about the trail. Seems they are thinking about doing it together someday. They even gave me some hotdogs and buns! Thanks guys. I hade made a peanut butter tortilla wrap and slapped on a hotdog. Yum! It's pretty much true that everything is better when you add peanut butter. 501 Shelter is very nice. It has a solar shower and even a caretaker. It would have been nice to stay, but I needed to put some more miles in. I reached Hertlein Campsite to find it pretty crowded. It was a weekend after all. I had seen some nice campsites along the way, so I figured I would find some ahead as well. I met up and hiked with a fellow from Germany who was looking for a friend that was thru-hiking. We talked for a while and when we crossed a pipeline right of way, I decided to check it out for camping. It was a big open strip that snaked over the mountain. I could see down into the valley below. I had decided that I would start trying to camp more at higher elevations where I could find nice views like this so I went up to the top and found a small fire ring. Perfect! It was even covered in Huckleberries. I set up camp and made a little fire for roasting the hotdogs. They were great, I must start getting then more often for that first night out of town. I set down my last dog so it would dangle over the fire while I got my bun ready and the fire shifted a bit. The stick caught fire, burned through and my dog fell into the fire. I leapt up and ran around in a panic for a second trying to figure out how I would get it out. Should I find a pointy stick to stab it or a pair to try and grip it? I then noticed that it was just crisping up nicely, sitting on some coals so I calmed down and got my bun and just reached in and snatched it out. I pulled out the end of the skewer and blew off a few ashes. It was the best one, I even used my only mustard pack on it. It was a great night. I could see the lights of the town down below and the stars above. Why should I sleep in some crappy shelter when I could be up on some mountain like this?...
Date: 2004-06-20
From: Campsite near Hertlein Campsite 

To: Port Clinton, PA 
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

I left camp after picking a bunch of Huckleberries. (they are like small Blueberries if you are not familiar with the name) It was a pretty long day and I arrived at Port Clinton in the evening before dark. I walked through the town and to the pavilion run by the local church. It was a picnic type pavilion in a nice little park. There were a bunch of hikers there and even more packs. The owners were at the hotel having dinner. I chatted with Scuba then left my pack there while I went to the hotel with Kaalogi to get a HUGE burger and a few beers. There were a bunch of hikers in there and we all hung out and used the only payphone in town. It was fathers day so I got to call The Dad. After a nice conversation with The Dad, I headed back to find everyone bedded down for the night. I decided to set up my hammock and try sleeping in it tonight. It was pretty comfy.
Date: 2004-06-21
From: Port Clinton, PA 

To: Port Clinton, PA 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Nice day in Port Clinton, PA. The first day of summer started out a little chilly. According to LWOP it was 41 degrees this morning. To celebrate the arrival of summer the thruhiking community has declared this day Naked Hiking Day. Every year on the first day of summer hikers from Georgia to Maine will be hiking in the buff. With the cold weather this morning, I hope the ladies all know about shrinkage and not judge the guys too harshly. A big group of hikers slept here at the pavilion last night. A bunch of us went to get breakfast, where we saw on the weather chanel that it was record-breaking cold temps last night (so it is not just me!) Present at breakfast were Slim & Biscuit, Grass & Uncle Ben, Dragon Slayer & Wicked Lobstah, and a couple of others. Uncle Ben, Grass and I spent the day doing laundry by hand in a bucket and hanging out to dry. We went to the candy store then the post office to send home some things. Mailed my girlfriend a big bag of Jelly Bellies, she loves 'em. I miss her a lot. Later in the evening Dragon Slayer & Lobstah, Grass & Uncle Ben and I got packed up to leave for the first shelter out of town 6.2 miles away. Flora & Fauna, who had arrived earlier that day, were staying and I didn't want them to be all alone at the pavillion. So, I stayed with them and we had a nice evening hanging out and making dinner. Plus they had just gone to the store and had some treats to share! I guess there will be no naked hiking today, I'll have to take a rain check. Dragonfly arrived later that night. He was dropped off by his mom after taking a few days off to see his family. Just the four of us in the pavillion tonight.
Date: 2004-06-22
From: Port Clinton, PA 

To: Eckville Shelter 
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It started raining when we were about to head out so we took our time getting ready and waited a little to see what it would do. It looked like it would be an all day off and on thing so all we could do was to start hiking. We stopped by the outfitter on the way out of town and bought some bug spray. Flora & Fauna and I both needed some as the bugs are to worsen from here on out. After a quick chat with some fellow hikers at the outfitter (Jake Brake, Easy Does It, Phil "The New Guy") we were on our way. It was a steep climb up out of town, but not as bad as we were led to believe. Maybe it just takes more to impress us now. We had lunch at the Windsor Furnace Shelter and met up with Phil, who would walk with us the rest of the day. We had some good conversation as we made our way to our final destination for the day, Eckville Shelter. There were some good views on the way. When we got Hawk Mt. Rd. we went on in to the shelter that is behind a house. There is a caretaker, former thruhiker "Lazee", that lives there. The fridge is stocked with treats and there is a solar shower. needless to say, with the rain and lack of sun the water was cold and I elected to pass on the shower. We did, however, order pizza and have a good dinner with all present. Jake Brake, Flora & Fauna, Traillite, Phil, and myself.
Date: 2004-06-23
From: Eckville Shelter 

To: Campsite at Bake Oven Knob
Miles today: 16.8

Lots of rocks, my feet hurt!Just sitting here on a big rock at the top of this mountain looking up at the stars and writing my journal entry. I'm at Bake Oven Knob. Don't ask me how they get some of these names. It's a warm night in Pennsylvania and Flora & Fauna are sleeping in their tent. Phil, The New Guy, is bedded down in his sleeping bag and I will be sleeping in my hammock under the stars. Well, under the trees really, since I had to come over to this rock to see the stars. We had a tough day today going over some of the infamous Pennsylvania rocks. Our feet are sore! It was a long day due to the fact that we were moving a little slow and we've been sticking together. We have fun conversations so it is nice to walk with a group for a change. I need to make it to my next mail drop by Sat. morning so I will be leaving their company and moving much faster tomorrow, hopefully. It may get really rocky and slow me down, but I need to make some miles. We were all to stay at the old jail in Palmerton that is letting hikers sleep there, but I will try to go and get a shower at least, then I need to keep moving. My friends, Sam and Darrell, are supposed to come out Sat. and hike. Sam just for the weekend, Darrell for a few days more. That's the plan as far as I know now. Got to get some sleep now as I need to get up at a decent time tomorrow to do those miles.
Date: 2004-06-25
From: campsite near Metallica Spring (Rock on!)

To: Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Got out fairly early, hiked hard and fast. Found myself alone on a long secluded section of ridge and decided to observe the hiker tradition reserved for the first day of summer. It was four days late but to celebrate the arrival of summer I hiked naked. Yep, buck neked. Just boots of course, I'm not crazy! I did not hike on the 21st, so I had to take a rain check on the naked thing. Hiked for about a mile, I felt that that was the minimun to claim I actually "hiked" naked and didn't just do a quick "streak". I even went out to an overlook after for a break and took the boots off to make it really official. So there I sat, naked as the day I was born, perched on a rock looking out over the valley below like our ancient ancestors. Except I don't think our ancient ancestors ate Baby Ruth candy bars. I'm sure they would if they had them, since they are the best candy bar, but I was all out of raw meat and I ate all the freshly foraged Huckleberries in my cereal that morning. Anyway, I was competely naked for only about 45 minutes but it was quite an interesting experience. The cool breeze while hiking was great, especially in the places that normally are not exposed to cool breezes. I would recommend it to anyone. Go outside naked, it's freaky. You'll love it.Well after that experiment it was time to get to Wind Gap. I saw some young owls out for what looked like their first flights. There were three big owls and a lot of crashing and branches falling when they landed in the trees above. Not very graceful. After that and a quick lunch in my hammock, I raced on down to Wind Gap and arrived around 4:30pm. Found a payphone and found out that Sam & Darrell were going to be a few hours. So I find myself now, sitting in a booth, enjoying a cold beer at a local watering hole called The Beer Stein. It's a great working-class bar with cheap food and a homey feel that I like. Sam & Darrell should be here anytime now. It's getting dark and raining now, so I don't know what the evening will hold. Night hike in the rain?
Date: 2004-06-26
From: Wind Gap, PA

To: great campsite just past Kirkridge Shelter 
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Sam & Darrell should write this day.Well, if Pat says so¢¦Prologue: Darrell and I (Sam) arrived at Wind Gap Friday (last) night. We didn¢t get out of DC until late so it was raining and after 10:00 p.m. and we opted for the hotel rather than hike out of Wind Gap and pitch our tents in the rain and dark.   Yeah, I know. Wussies. Anyway, the plan was for DM and Pat to set off north from Wind Gap in the a.m., while I would shuttle the truck around to Delaware Water Gap or Fox Gap and hike south to meet them, and perhaps Flora and Fauna, who were supposed to catch up. My plan was to leave early and go to DWG for Pat to pick up a mail drop, then back to Wind Gap to drop off Pat, then back to DWG. ¢¦Having started much later than desired, I wavered on whether to start at Fox Gap and meet the boys around lunchtime, or DWG and meet them later in the afternoon. I had finally settled on DWG when I realized Pat had stolen my map. I don¢t like hiking without a map. But before opting for the shorter route (Fox Gap), I decided to go to the outfitter and buy another one. So I went. They wanted $38 for a set of three. I didn¢t need three. They didn¢t care. So I said to myself, ¢Self, perhaps there¢s a map posted at the DWG trailhead.¢ And off I drove to the trailhead, only to see Uncle Ben and Grass popping off the trail at that very moment. Small world. After shuttling them to the Ramada where they met up with some fellow travelers (LWOP et al), I opted for the Fox Gap route. That way I could meet up with the boys sooner, and if everyone wanted to drive into town that night to hang out with the gang we would be able to, since the car would be close.Beautiful weather for a hike. Had just stopped to eat lunch, figuring that DM and Pat already had eaten, when I saw something blue through the trees. Turns out it was Pat¢s hammock, so I joined them and we (plus Flora and Fauna, who had joined us, too) headed on past the car to Kirkridge shelter. Shelter was full, and there were about 2 hours of light left, so we opted to hoof it on a bit further, thinking there might be a good, scenic campsite a few miles ahead overlooking the Delaware River. The shelter dwellers seemed to think we were strange for continuing on, but little did they know what lay just down the trail. Of course, neither did we.A mere 0.1 mile down the trail it opened into a meadow, with an awesome view of the rolling farmland and woods in the valley below.   One of the best campsites I¢ve had. Beautiful weather, blue skies, you could see the campfires of a retreat center way down below, and even fireworks just breaching the hills on the other side of the valley. And lo and behold, as we¢re setting up camp who should arrive but Dragon Slayer and Wicked Lobstah (and Buddy, of course). It¢s a shame Grass and Uncle Ben were so speedy¢¦Cool, windy night. Slept great, since I don¢t have to hear myself snore. Sorry Darrell. (Okay, not really.)
Date: 2004-06-27
From: great campsite just past Kirkridge Shelter 

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA 
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Sam & Darrell: Guest Journal WritersDarrell took the keys to hike back the 1 mile-ish to the truck, to shuttle it around to Delaware Water Gap. Same deal as before, we hike north, he hikes south. As shocking as this may be to believe, Pat and I were the last out of camp, but we had a nice day hiking down to the Gap. Saw the standard furry woodland creatures, including one that neither of us could identify because of its unfortunate location in the midsection of a black snake. Judging by the size of the bulge, I¢d say mouse. Or non-furry frog.Met up with Darrell, continued on to the car. Headed home with Pat in tow for a day of R&R in NoVa.
Date: 2004-06-29
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Backpacker Campsite #2
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: broken clouds

Got back on the trail from my day off so late that it pretty much counts as another day off. That's cool, I can use the rest. Got on the trail just as it was getting dark, around 8:30-9pm. Crossed into New Jersey in the dark. Found out there is no camping in the park until Backpacker Campsite #2. I wasn't planning on hiking that far tonight, but I guess I have no choice. It took a bit of time night-hiking on a rocky trail. I arrived at the campsite around midnight. I is not marked very well, it took me a while to find out where to go. When I finally found it, I saw that there were a lot of tents there. I found a spot off to the side and put up my tent. I thought I might just sleep in my hammock as the night was warm and clear. But with so many people and animals about, I decided to go with the tent. I saw lots of deer and I even scared a racoon up a tree when I went to put my food in the bear-locker before bed. Yup, they had a bear-proof locker to stash food. The bear are very active around here according to the signs. (I would find out tomorrow that Sevy was here and did see a bear snooping around tonight!)
Date: 2004-07-01
From: campsite past Mohican Outdoor Center 

To: campsite before Culvers Gap 
Miles today: 15.2

Saw some more bears today. Around 5pm I hiked up on three young bears. Never did see mom, but I heard some rustling over the ridge. They ran away but down the trail so it took a while to get moving. I didn't want to seem like I was chasing them. Finally they ran over the ridge. I suspect mom was there all along because one youngster kept looking over his shoulder that way. I found another beauty spot to camp up on the ridge overlooking lake Owassa. Went to the Brink Road Shelter to get water and check the register. Found out everyone is about 3 days ahead. I've got to get moving if I want to catch them by the 4th! Maybe that won't happen I don't know. We'll see...
Date: 2004-07-05
From: Wildcat Shelter 

To: Island Pond 
Miles today: 11.5

It rained all last night, so I didn't get out of camp too early. It's hard to get out of bed when its all wet and drippy out. Monkeyman and I were the last ones out, he left a bit ahead of me. All I can say is it was hot and humid today. And it looks like we're back in the mountains, the climbs are back. Up and down all day in the heat. It was tough. It seems that here in NY all you need to make a trail is some white paint. And rock climbing gear would help. All day we are climbing up rock faces. poles are useless, you have to use your hands to scramble up. Whoever made these trails certainly never did it with a full pack on!. I made it to Harriman State Park and was met by Patrick, a trail angel. He gave me some gatorade and told me that Dragon Slayer and Lobstah were just ahead, and they were going to stop at Island Pond only 1.2 miles ahead. I had seen Monkeyman earlier when I stopped for lunch and he said he saw them a few hours ago. Cool, I vowed to catch them before I ! stopped for the day. I thought they would go for the shelter about 4 miles ahead, so I was glad to hear they were stoping sooner, I was beat. When I got to the pond I was not sure where they would be, it was a big place. But soon I saw a pile of stones and on it a note,"Pat, party at the lake! love, DS ->" Dragon Slayer new I was coming and left a note. Great! I walked over to the camp and there they were, perched on a beautiful view of they lake. DS & Lobstah, Marathon and his buddy Joel, Lightfoot, Trunks, Mountain Dew, and the Roman Noodles. We all went for a swim in the lake it was wonderful! The view from camp was spectacular as we cooked dinner as the sun went down. It was great hiking solo for a while, but I was glad to catch up with some friends finally. We all had a great time around the fire, a marshmallow or two was even roasted. What a great night.
Date: 2004-07-06
From: Island Pond 

To: Bear Mtn 
Miles today: 14.4

Island Pond - Bear Mtn (14.4mi)Slept under the stars, No tent, no nothing. Ok, my ground cloth, sleeping bag, liner, bug net. But thats all.Well we woke up at the lake and took our time making breakfast overlooking Island Pond. Dragon Slayer, Lobstah, Buddy and I were, of course, the last ones up and out. We were going to head to Bear Mountain and camp up there before heading into town in the morning. Our plan is then do a short day to the Graymoor Friary. It was a tough day with lots of climbs and rock scrambles. Including the Lemon Squeezer, a rock crack with barely enough space to climb through. It was tough but the weather was much nicer today, with lower humidity and a cool breeze. We made it a couple of miles to the Fingerboard Shelter where we met a daycare group out for a hike. Dragon Slayer did an inpromptu press conference. She and Buddy the dog were a big hit with the kids. Dragon Slayer loves kids and couldn't resist doing a little "show and Tell" about our thru-hike. The kids loved it and asked many questions about Buddy.With a song and a lot of goodbyes, DS dragged herself away and we were off again to our next stop, Lake Tiorati Circle. This is a state park with a beach on the lake for swimming, restrooms, vending machines and water. The water situation being so crappy here in NY, DS and I took all our water bottles and hiked down to the park. We filled up and she got some snacks and sodas for her and Lobstah. there was even an ice cream bar vending machine. It was pretty cool. You watched through the window as the freezer opened and a robot arm went to your selection picked it up, swung it over, and drop it out the slot. Sort of like that game at the arcade where you try and pick up a prize with the robot claw. After picking up water, we headed out to William Brien Memorial Shelter for lunch. Then on to Bear Mt. After a couple more steep climbs we were rewarded with a view of the New York City skyline! It was great seeing the city off in the distance. I was hoping that we would have this view at our camp on Bear Mt. but it was not to be. When we got there the previous mountain was in the way. Otherwise, it was a magnificent campsite. We were on top of a rock bald that had great views of the surrounding landscape. The weather was great so after dinner we lay and watched the stars for a while and listened to the explosions and machine gun fire from West Point in the distance. I had set up my hammock over it the trees to sleep in, but decide I would sleep out on the rock under the stars instead. It was great, what a view. Nothing but starry sky above and the glow of NYC in the distance...
Date: 2004-07-08
From: Graymoor Friary 

To: Graymoor Friary 
Miles today: 0.0

Buddy the dog needs a rest. I just caught up with Dragon Slayer & Wicked Lobstah so I'll hang with them. Just hung out and toured the friary and they fed us a great dinner. Thanks Brother Leo for the tour of the chapel. The statue of St. Francis of Assisi was made from the death mask of The Saint. Only two exist, one in Assisi and this one here. And the altar from France is from a chapel built on the spot St. Francis received the stigmata. Very cool.
Date: 2004-07-09
From: Graymoor Friary 

To: RPH Shelter 
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: broken clouds

We left Graymoor early in the morning. We wanted to get some miles in as well as stopping at Canopus Lake for lunch. Dragon Slayer took off first with Lobstah a little bit behind. She was moving so fast he didn't catch her until Rt. 301 where we were getting of the trail to go to the lake. I left last and met Longshot along the way. He was not feeling very strong today so I hiked with him to the lake. It helps a lot when you are feeling off to have someone to follow and talk with to pass the time. By the time we got to the lake DS was taking a nap by the snackbar. The lake was pretty sad. Low water and lots of weeds. The kids seemed not to notice, it was hot out. We had lunch and a nice break. We headed out finally to the RPH Shelter. The Bascom Trail Club had put up some signs about a work trip this weekend with free food. We were not sure if that meant we had to work for food or just be there to eat it. We were going to check it out anyway. When I got there the first thing I saw was a huge sign written in bright orange three-foot tall letters. "HIKER TRASH -->" Well, that's us. I turned in and found everyone there enjoying the hospitality of the Bascom Trail Club. These guys rule! They fed us like kings. Mike manned the grill and cooked up some wonderful spicy chicken and then followed with the biggest, tastiest steak I have had in a long time. We were stuffed and had a great time with all the guys, mostly past thru-hikers.An interesting fact: Chuck Wood, or "Woodchuck" built the halfway sign that is just past Pine Grove Furnace State Park.
Date: 2004-07-11
From: Nuclear Lake 

To: Wiley Shelter 
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Guest entry by Sam:July 11 Got up, packed up, observed Buddy's apparently newly developed habit of not eating his breakfast but growling at anyone who walks within 10 feet of it. I think it's because he's been eating cat food. It's making him moody, like a cat. Unfortunately, there was no IHOP nearby, so poor Pat/Lobstah/DS had to suffer through a trail breakfast and then be on their way north. I hiked south to the truck and headed home, after taking a detour north to meet them at a crossing and provide water. Today was one of those no-good-water-nearby days. Glad I did, too, because there was a HUGE oak tree at the crossing. It had about a 10-foot diameter and a bunch of branches that were big enough to be large trees in their own right. Pat took pictures; you'll probably see them someday.