morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-27
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 76- May 27, Quarry Gap Shelter to Pine Grove Furnace State Park, 16.9 miles. Big day today so we had to get our usual early start. We hiked away from the 5-star Quarry Gap Shelter at 6:45 AM and 5 hours and 40 minutes and 16.9 miles later we were hugging Sally and Bob in Pine Grove Furnace State Park! The trails were meant for walking today and we moved right along. Plus, there was lots of motivation- meeting friends, crossing the halfway mark and attempting to eat a half gallon of ice cream! The halfway point came about 11 miles into our day and it was marked by a temporary post with a sign indicating the halfway mark. The half way mark changes every year because of reroutes of the trail which can be done for a variety of reasons. A few miles further along there is a permanent, symbolic halfway structure with American flags and a place to sign in. We took photos at each spot and those photos are in the photo section of this trail journal page. Because we walked so fast this AM, Sally and Bob didn't get to walk too far to meet us. They showed us the way to the General Store in this park where we could buy our half gallon of ice cream. There were about 7 other thru-hikers at the store, a few who had already attempted and succeeded in this time-honored AT tradition of eating a half gallon of ice cream at the halfway point. A few other hikers were waiting for us to arrive, which was really sweet of them, so we all choose the flavor that we thought we could stomach and we sat outside around a table a gave it our best effort. I truly surprised myself by eating the container of vanilla ice cream in just under 25 minutes! Jim gulped his Neapolitan in 18 minutes! Just to clarify, we didn't eat a full half gallon because most ice cream manufacturers are not making half gallon containers anymore, but it was close and it was still a lot of ice cream. Once we were certain we were going to keep our ice cream down we visited the fairly new Appalachian Trail Museum which is housed in the park. I enjoyed seeing the human history of the trail and was happy to support this museum by buying a membership. Bob and Sally drove us to the town of Shippensburgh, PA where we are staying the night in a hotel. We have enjoyed all the food treats they brought us as well as the conversation and laughs. We are truly appreciative of their efforts to get to us! We are very happy to be in a hotel tonight because a thunder storm rolled through the area when we arrived and there may be more rain tonight. We fully expect to hike in the rain tomorrow-better find our rain gear! Tomorrow we say good bye to Sally and Bob and head towards Boiling Springs where we have been invited to stay the night with another Syracuse Cross-Country family. Can hardly wait. All is well.
Date: 2014-05-28
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.6

Day 77- May 28, Pine Grove Furnace SP to Boiling Springs, PA, 19.6 miles. Sally and Bob hiked with us this morning for a short time, making the first climb out of the state park before heading back to their car for their 6-hour drive home. It was great to see them and we are so happy that they carved out some time to come find us and for the treats that they brought us! Thank you!Today's miles were hillier and rockier than yesterday, but it was all manageable. One highlight was hiking through two sections of the trail which were labeled "Rock Maze" on our guide. As you might expect, these mazes were at the top of the ridge line but the climbs were not bad. At the top we found huge jumbles of car and house-sized rocks that were fractured and split. The trail wound it's way through these walls of rock and it was actually quite fun to twist and turn over and around these huge boulders. It made for interesting hiking! We also crossed the 1,100 mile mark today! We saw very few hikers on the trail today, maybe because it is mid-week. As we approached Boiling Springs the trail crossed several farm fields which was easy, but hot walking as the sun had come out. We entered Boiling Springs near a small lake formed by some of the boiling springs. The water was crystal clear and the outlet from the lake is a popular fly-fishing spot. We enjoyed the short walk along the lake to the Mid-Atlantic ATC where we discovered the packs of our hiker friends from yesterday's ice cream challenge. We learned that they were all at the tavern having a beer so we headed over there to say hi and join them for a beer. Our friend, Nancy met us back at the Mid-Atlantic ATC, with cold grapes to share with the other hikers. She toured us around to see some of the springs that feed the lake and we enjoyed this pretty town. We said good bye to our hiker friends and Nancy brought us back to her house where Bill was waiting. We have spent a delightful afternoon and evening with Nancy and Bill and they made us a very tasty dinner. We sure do appreciate their hospitality! Syracuse Cross-Country folks are the best. Our Trail Jeannie sent us two boxes to Nancy and Bill's house, one with a new pair of boots for me and the other full of food for the next three days. Thanks Jeannie!It is late so that's all for now. Tomorrow we will do 20+ miles to Duncannon, PA. All is well.
Date: 2014-05-30
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Mile 1160,5
Miles today: 17.4

Day 79- May 30, Duncannon, PA to Mile 1160.5, 17.4 miles. After an uneventful night at the Doyle (and I say that because the place looks like a fire trap or like it is ready to fall over) and a hearty breakfast at Goodies across from the Doyle we were hiking out of town by 7:25 AM. We hiked a good distance through town to get to the bridge that took us over the Susquehanna River. We have driven across this bridge many times and have always looked for hikers but mostly don't see any. About half way across the bridge we were dive-bombed by two squawking birds, which we identified as Peregrine Falcons. They must have had a nest under the bridge and we were too close. It was an exciting bridge crossing to say the least! Once on the other side of the Susquehanna we started our only serious hill climb that took us up, up, up, first to a nice view of the Susquehanna valley and then to the ridge line of the day. Once on top we encountered a long section with large wet rocks. This is where I took my second fall of the hike. I landed on my right hip and thankfully I still have enough padding there to keep me from breaking it. I got an abrasion on my right hand and on the inside of my left calf, nothing too serious. I'll probably get a good bruise on my hip! But I'm OK so no worries! My day got much better when we came to a parking area and discovered Trail Magic! A guy was sitting in his truck with the back of his pick-up opened and we let our hopes rise a little. As we walked into the parking lot, he got out and asked us if we wanted a cold drink! Heck yes!!! His wife is section hiking and he was meeting her at that location and doing trail magic for the other hikers. He had cold drinks, candy bars and apples. We accepted his generosity and Jim was drinking a beer at 10:30 AM! We hiked to the next shelter where we met up with the Trail Master and the President of the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club. They gave us good info about the upcoming trail and suggested a spot for us to camp. We always enjoy our conversations with these people who volunteer their time to maintain the trail. Our 17.4 miles ended at a campsite by a Spring. The local folks made an excellent suggestion! There are other people camped here also, thru-hikers who are new to us: Rocket Girl, Survivor Man and a guy named Dorothy! We are meeting my brother, Jim and his wife, Maryanne in Port Clinton, PA on Monday so we had to plan out our next few days and it looks like we will be averaging about 17 miles for these 4 days. All is well. P.S. Written at 8 PM: this has become quite a tent city around us. There are 8 tents and one hammock set up and lots of good folks. A thru-hiker from 2012 just hiked up from the road with a 12 -pack of Taco Bell Tacos! They were devoured in about 2 minutes! Time for sleep.
Date: 2014-05-31
From: Mile 1160,5

To: William Penn Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 80- May 31, Mile 1160.5 to William Penn Shelter, 25 miles. Long miles day-not our original plan. We left our campsite this morning at 6:30 intending to go 16+ miles but when we arrived at the campsite where we thought we'd stay it was 1 PM, which seemed too early to call it a day especially since the campsite held no particular allure. Also it was right next to a road and it was noisy. The next place to camp, that had a water source, was 8.8 miles away with one good climb up to a ridge line. So we decided to push on and ended our day at 4:45, that's over 10 hours on the trail. We are both pretty tired. I cannot even come up with anything very notable from today. The weather was just fine, the trail had more rocky sections than yesterday, but also some sections that were covered with nice pine needles. We didn't see too many people on the trail but enough to keep it interesting. As we left camp this morning we discovered a foot locker that was left by the guy who delivered the tacos last night. The locker was chained to a tree and required opposable thumbs to open it, hereby keeping the critters out. Jim opened it and discovered some Cokes, but more important to him, toilet paper! He was getting low! Trail Magic doesn't have to be food! Let's talk about water. The first question everyone asks when they get to camp is, "How far's water?" We all have to collect and purify all the water we drink and we drink a lot, especially as the days get warmer. Sometimes there is a nice stream or creek near the shelter or a spring that has been "piped" meaning trail crews have dug out the spring, laid some stones to funnel the water through a pipe. Sometimes though the spring is more of a seep and we have to scoop the water from a small pool. There are a variety of ways that hikers filter their water, the most popular being a Sawyer Squeeze filter. We use a Steri-pen and are pleased with its performance. One of the bottles I use to carry my water is an old Aquafina water bottle. When I read the label I see that there is no calories or nutritional value, but it is such an essential part of our hike. I think I will go have a drink right now because I am sure I did not drink enough in our 25 miles today. While looking at the guidebook, Jim discovered that we now have less than 1,000 miles to go~ 999.8 to be exact! Now that is note-worthy! Also, I found my first tick on me today. It was one of the tiny ticks, the size if a period, but fortunately it was not attached very well and we were able to easily remove it. Now I have to keep my eye on that spot and hope I don't get the bulls-eye. All is well.
Date: 2014-06-01
From: William Penn Shelter

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day 81-June 1, William Penn Shelter to Eagles Nest Shelter, 19.2 miles. After yesterday's long day, today was hard. I was tired and my feet hurt from the start. Plus I felt hungry most of the day! My Snickers bar took care of that when we arrived at this shelter/camp. Today we passed the 1200 mile mark! Some people have started to count down the remaining miles and I guess I will be doing both. I will continue to document each 100 mile mark because I think all the 100 mile photos will make an interesting photo collage when we are done. Blueberry bushes and poison ivy have taken over the edges of the trail. Hikers coming through later this summer will have a real treat when all the blueberries are ripe. Maybe they'll have to compete with the bears for them! In the mean time we are careful around the poison ivy. We've been washing off our legs when we get to camp and are careful about where we set down our packs. Between rocks, poison ivy and snakes, there is a lot to watch out for! Our first 3.5 miles were quite fast and easy this AM. We followed an old jeep road which crossed a couple of paved roads. There was a shelter right by PA 501 and some of our fellow thru-hikers stayed the night there last night because it was rumored to have pizza delivery service! After the first 3.5 miles, the rocks made a comeback. Sometimes it was just small rocks embedded in the dirt trail and other times it was like the mountain side vomited up boulders, spewing them every which way. I am really going to have to work on an attitude adjustment concerning the rocks because the rocks that gave PA the trail name of "Rocksylvania" are on the other side of Port Clinton. Most of the trail today stayed at the same relative elevation so there were no big climbs. Speaking of Port Clinton, that is our destination for tomorrow-a short 9 miles away. Those 9 miles include one of the steepest descents we've seen in the elevation map of the guidebook so I will be sure to have an Advil in me before we start down. Sounds like a good place for a zip line! My brother, Jim, or his wife, Maryanne, will be picking us up in Port Clinton tomorrow afternoon and taking us to their house for 2 nights! Yes, we are finally getting a zero day and I need it! We met 4 trail maintainers today shortly before we got to this shelter. They were out with their pruning tools, trimming back bushes from the edge of the trail. That could help with the tick problem. We love trail maintainers! If you have left a comment on the journal asking a question or offering assistance, I haven't forgotten you. We are in a stretch of the trail where we need to conserve the battery life of our phones. I will get back to you all on our zero day. Thanks! All is well.
Date: 2014-06-02
From: Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 81-June 2, Eagles Nest Shelter to Port Clinton, PA, 9.3 miles. Easy day! We were on the trail by 6.45 this morning, headed for the town of Port Clinton, 9.3 miles away. The rocks didn't go away over night but were manageable. The biggest challenge today was the descent into Port Clinton and it was steep! We were hiking with Thin Mint and 3 X 5 at this point and part way down the hill I let them pass because I am so slow under those conditions. They weren't moving that much faster, but I didn't like the pressure of leading when I know I'm slow. We all made it safely down the hill, arriving at the Reading and Northern Railroad yard. We all walked into Port Clinton and then went our separate ways. Thin Mint was heading to the post office to pick up a mail drop and 3 X 5 was getting picked up so he could head to Maine where he was going to continue his hike southbound, back to PA. That type of thru-hike is called a flip-flop. He figured he'll see us again in Vermont! We walked out of Port Clinton to Rt. 61 where we hoped to hitch a ride the mile into the outskirts of a town called Hamburg where there were stores and restaurants. We had no luck hitching because the speed limit was 55 mph and there was no good place to pull over so we added the extra mile into our day. We stopped in Dunkin Donuts for a snack before heading to the Cabela's Super Store. Wow! Cabela's was a taxidermist's dream. There were stuffed animals from around the world in a two-story display in the middle of this mammoth retail space. There was also a pond and stream with live fish and a full-sized restaurant! We bought some spray tick repellant and will treat our clothes and packs with that tomorrow. Then it was time for lunch and peanut butter was not on the menu today! Red Robin was our destination where we ordered big burgers and Jim added a Monster Milkshake. It was all very satisfying. For dessert I walked a short ways to a Russell Stover candy store and bought a cookie and a few pieces of candy!Then my sister-in-law, Maryanne, picked us up and brought us back to her and my brother, Jim's house (is that bad grammar? Too tired to care!). We are now showered and relaxing in loaner clothes! Jim and Maryanne made us a wonderful steak and veggie dinner and we are enjoying their company while we relax. Tomorrow is a zero day and we both are looking forward to sitting around. We do have a few chores to do but nothing too strenuous. We appreciate Jim and Maryanne's hospitality. This is a perfect place for a zero day!All is well.
Date: 2014-06-03
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 82, June 3, Port Clinton, 0 milesToday was a zero day, a rest day and we did some chores, but we also rested. We slept in, had a leisurely breakfast and then laid out our hiking clothes and empty packs so we could spray the tick repellant on them. The directions said to allow 2 hours to dry the clothes in the sun and that was no problem this morning. It was a perfect morning to do this job because the temps were pleasant, the sun was out and there was no wind. We caught up on emails and internet searches for info. We laid out our maps and planned our days to Delaware Water Gap. We organized our food and got some cards ready to mail. Some of these jobs we were able to do from the comfort of a Lazy Boy chair! This afternoon the skies darkened and thunder storms rolled through. We thought of our friends who were out hiking and hoped everyone was OK. The rain continued on and off the rest of the afternoon so Jim and Maryanne's flowering plants got a nice watering. Tonight we went to a local Mexican restaurant and all had a good meal. When we got home we borrowed Jim and Maryanne's hair clippers and I cut Jim's hair again. There were no mishaps this time! Tomorrow we return to the trail after a great stay with Jim and Maryanne. This has been the perfect place for a zero day! We appreciate their hospitality and it always recharges our batteries to spend time with family. All is well.
Date: 2014-06-04
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: broken clouds

Day 84-June 5, Port Clinton to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, 21.9 miles. First off a big thank you to Jim and Maryanne for their hospitality for the past two days. Your home was the ideal place for a zero day. We are glad that Maryanne had the vacation time to pick us up on Monday and bring us back to the trail this morning. We began hiking at 8:30 AM and had long miles planned. Our first challenge was to climb out of Port Clinton and we were happy to discover that the ascent was easier than the descent. We had a couple of firsts today. We saw a mountain laurel in full bloom! It was spectacular! Then we spotted 3 different snakes- 2 garter snakes and one black snake. The black snake was 3-4 feet long! Because we took a zero day yesterday, we wondered what hikers would have caught up to us. About an hour into our hike we heard a familiar voice coming up behind us and there was Cupcake and Mary Poppins! We last saw Cupcake in Daleville and Mary Poppins not since the Smokies!   They were headed to the same shelter as we were so we were excited to share stories from the trail. We also met Legs and Sloppy Bear for the first time. Today we encountered the rocks for which Pennsylvania is famous. I am getting better at rock hopping on the big boulders but the smaller rocks that cover the dirt trail still hurt my feet. It is supposed to rain tonight so the rocks may be wet in the morning, which will limit my rock hopping. The large boulders can sometimes mean that there is a rocky outcropping nearby and that can mean great views. Today there were several. Gear update: Jim blew out the side of his boot when he caught the edge of his boot on the edge of a rock.   Another hiker gave him a needle and he repaired it with dental floss. Tomorrow we have 18 miles to the town of Palmerton, where we may spend the night in the town jail/hostel! Stay tuned! All is well.
Date: 2014-06-05
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 18.0

Day 85-June 6, Allentown Hiking Club Shelter to Palmerton, PA, 18 miles. We slept in the shelter last night because rain was in the forecast and it did rain most of the night. We laid in our sleeping bags extra long this AM waiting for the rain to stop which it did so we packed up and were on our way by 7:30. Today's 18 miles were a challenge and when you add in slippery, wet rocks the challenge is magnified. The first 5 miles were a piece of cake as they were on an old jeep trail with a good walking surface. After those miles we started to climb and then we met the rocks for which PA is famous! The note worthy section was named the Knife Edge and it was a very exposed rock outcropping with all the huge rocks slanted downhill in one part and all jumbled up in the last part. I went very slowly and enjoyed the challenge of safely finding my way through. The skies had cleared by the time we got to the Knife Edge so we had fine views down to the pasturelands. We had a short reprieve from the largest of the rocks for a quarter mile before we climbed over and around the Bear Rocks. We successfully negotiated all these rock challenges, but still had 10 + miles of rocks of all shapes and sizes embedded in the trail. It was very hard on my feet and knees. We met Professor T on the trail today and leapfrogged with him most of the day. There was a 2 mile walk into town and we walked with Professor T and we all checked in to the Palmerton Hostel, which is in the basement of the borough building. The story goes that this basement was designed to be the jail for the town, but was never used for that purpose. This hostel is free and we were able to get showers, and there was a grocery store nearby where we picked up a few food items to get us to Delaware Water Gap. I'm really tired so that's all for now. More rocks tomorrow. All is well
Date: 2014-06-07
From: Wind Gap, PA

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.6

Day 87-June 7, Wind Gap to Delaware Water Gap, 15.6 miles. Another sunny day in which to walk. I think we have another day or so of this pleasant weather and then some rain moves in. This is our last day in Pennsylvania and the rocks didn't let up. I know they will follow us into NJ but I understand that after awhile the trail becomes more walkable. We stopped for lunch at the only shelter we passed and we were happy to see the Ridgerunner "Blue Eyes" there, talking with other hikers. We met Blue Eyes at the hostel in Palmerton and he gave us some helpful trail info. We have enjoyed all of the ridge runners that we have met and they certainly do an important job. Tonight we are staying at the longest running hostel on the AT - the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain hostel, housed in the lower level of the church. The congregation maintains this hostel and they do a great job. I do know that I will need my earplugs if I am going to get any sleep tonight in the bunk room. Tomorrow we cross the river into New Jersey. I've read several Trail Journals in recent years where the writers say that New Jersey was their favorite state! I'm looking forward to it. A shout out to my dear friend Sherri for being a set of eyes and ears for us! Thank you. All is well.