morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-17
From: Dad's House

To: Mannasus Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: broken clouds

Dad dropped me off at 522 around 5pm. It had rained off and on for our trip down, and I had every reason to expect it would continue. I elected to carry my umbrella, hoping that Murphy's Law would then keep the skies at bay. It seemed to work. It never rained after that. I made it to the Denton shelter around 6:30pm. It was a dank shelter, but the skies cleared up and I really wanted to be in a better position to attack the push to Harpers Ferry. So I hiked into the night, arriving at the Mannasus Gap shelter around 9pm. I ate and readied for bed in the dark, shooting the breeze with a few other hikers in the process. I was beginning to think that everyone else was at Trail Days. Tomorrow, I may push to Bears Den Hostel. It looks really cool, and I may not be able to pass it up.
Date: 2006-05-18
From: Mannasus Gap Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Holy crap!!! Bears Den Hostel is totally deisel. I hit the trail around 6:30am. Last one to bed, first one to rise. After three miles, I ran into Tins and Trooper, a father son team from VA. I hiked off and on with them for the day. The were already headed for the hostel, which pretty much made up my mind. We arrived around 4:15pm, even with all the long breaks. The first 2/3 of the Roller Coaster was nothing compared to the stuff we've had to do so far. I figured it was overblown.Unfortunately, dogs have to stay outside, so I guess I'll tarp it with him. But I still get building priveledges, including the hiker special. It includes Tombstone pizza, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, sodas, shower, laundry, internet, long distance, and who knows what else. It should be quite nice.
Date: 2006-05-19
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: ATC Offices, Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

Eureka! I have done it. The unofficial half-way point! I have been to the ATC offices three times before, but this is by far the sweetest.I got a late start today due to breakfast at Bears Den. It was well worth it. Qeen Diva is awesome. She is far and away my favorite hostel owner thus far. The hike was pretty easy once I got out of the roller coaster. I made the mistake of hiking down to the Blackburn Center for a Coke or something. It was vacant, which cost me an extra .4 miles up and downhill.I ate lunch at the 1000 mile shelter. 1000 miles. Wow. At that point, I had to hustle to the ATC offices. I made it just before they closed. I had my picture made and got my mail drop. The hotels in town were full so I got a lift to Charles Town.I decided to celebrate in a hotel tonight. I figure I deserved it.
Date: 2006-05-20
From: ATC Offices, Harpers Ferry

To: Dahlgren Backpacking Campground
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: broken clouds

I started the day with a trip to Wal-Mart. Ah, capitaliism. It didn't take too long to grab all I needed and I headed back to the hotel to pack up. I was afraid i would have trouble getting back to the trail, but i got picked up pretty quickly. I just said Harpers Ferry and the guy took me right to ATC HQ. I guess they see a lot of hikers around here.At ATC, I ran into HomeBrew. He and his girlfriend were hanging out in town for the day. Actually, they were trying to get to the Wal-Mart that I had just left. There wasn't much happening at the ATC so I hit the trail. The towpath down by the river is such a nice hike. There must have been a meeting of the turtle club, because I counted nearly 30 of them. Turtles on logs, turtles on stumps, whole turtle families with little baby turtles. At the end of the path, I ran into a group of day hikers who took an immediate liking to Freckles. I told them we'd see them up on the cliffs, but we never did.I meant to eat lunch at the cliffs overlooking the river, but I walked right past the turnoff. By the time I was sure that I had gone too far, i was almost at the first shelter. I grabbed lunch there, but didn't get any water since it was .4 miles downhill.Maryland is pretty darn flat. I cruised into the campground at about 3pm. There were already 2 scout troops and a youth group there. I pitched the tarp between them and got ready for my gourmet meal at the restaurant up the hill. It was complicated with Freckles, but I managed to spend nearly $25 on some veal. After dinner I was still hungry, so I decided to use my secret weapon. I took Freckles over to the youth group and let the kids fawn all over him. Pretty soon, it came out that I was a thruhiker, and I was being fed spaghetti and garlic bread, while being offered a cell phone to call Sarah. Yum.The kids kept me up pretty late, but it was nice to have the company. I was already missing Casino, Treefingers, and Ramble On. It's not much fun without them.
Date: 2006-05-21
From: Dahlgren Backpacking Campground

To: Deer Lick Shelters
Miles today: 28.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today i had only one goal. Get to PA. It was a long hike, but I new I could do it. I left early, saying goodbye to the youth leader, the only other one awake. It was a flat, rocky scenic hike with lots of historis markers. I saw the Washington Monument (not that one, a differnt one) and got a great view from the top. As a nice surprise, I passed Two-shoes slackpacking south. He gave me a piece of very bad news. It seems Small Wonder got a stress fracture, forcing she and Swiftcreek to quit. Very sad, they will be missed.The trail got extremely rocky with a huge boulder field just south of Pen-Mar park. I pushed through to the park and collapsed at a picnic table. Soon enough there was a cub scout pack setting up for a picnic, so I started working my magic. I ended up eating 4 hotdogs and pasta and all sorts of stuff. I even took some for breakfast.I crossed the Mason-Dixon with little fanfare and arrived at the Deer Lick Shelters. Sarah and Roo were already there and cozied up. They are flip-floppers who started in Front Royal. I had been seeing there register ebtries for awhile. They were very cool with great senses of humor. I don't know if I snored or if they woke up feeling frisky, but when I got up they had moved to the other shelter. I hope I didn't offend them in some way.
Date: 2006-05-22
From: Deer Lick Shelters

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: broken clouds

More nice hiking in PA. I don't know where the rocks start, but I'm enjoying the state so far. At some point, I noticed that the forest had changed to mostly pine. It's funny how you can zone out while walking.I lunched at a state park. Unfortunately, the pool and snack bar were closed. I did use the payphone and soda machines though. I talked to Casino; they were heading for the trail to do 7 miles. Trail Days was fun for them, but I guess I'll have to wait for details.I trudged on to Birch Run Shelter. The shelter before that was awesome, but once again, it didn't make sense for me to stop at it. Once, i'd like to stay at one of these shelter palaces. Oh, well. The one I stayed at was fine, but no one else was there. I played some solitaire, but it was still pretty boring. At one point, a huge racket approached from the woods. A group of teens dressed all alike came spilling out of the woods. Just when they saw me, their leaders yelled for them to stop and turn around. Then they marched away in to the woods again. Strange.
Date: 2006-05-23
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Tagg Run Campground
Miles today: 18.0

Today was ice cream day! It is tradition to consume a half gallon of ice cream to celebrate the half way point of the trail. At Pine Grove Furnace State Park, I did just that. I couldn't break the record. that now belongs to Soerhawk. He is too extreme for me. He did it in just under 4 minutes. After some more snacking, I grabbed my mail drop from the hostel and headed out. I ended up not needing most of my drop. I have figured out how to eat at restaurants for the next few days, so i don't need much food. After a fairly short day, i stopped at the Tagg Run Campground. The gave me a tent site for half price and they have a short order grill. I filled up on carbs, and found a good novel on a shelf in the corner. the owner said i could take it. I spent the rest of the night reading and relaxing.
Date: 2006-05-24
From: Tagg Run Campground

To: Super 8, US 11
Miles today: 20.0

I don't know what to say about today. The hike was unmemorable until I got to the valley. Then it meanered through and around corn and wheat fields until I got to Boiling Springs. That is a quaint, but gorgeous little town. I hung out at the ATC office and ordered some Italian food for lunch. It was a calm, relaxing day.Unfortunately, I passed by US11 the first time. I went all the way to I-81 before I realized it. I had to turn around and walk back the 1.2 miles. But the hotel was worth it. I have had trouble sleeping lately, with the weather being as cold as its been. I checked in, showered up, and turned on the TV. Except for a trip to the Middlesex Diner, incidentally the best meal and milkshake I've had so far, that was all I did. I talked to Sarah, Eric and Cory. I am coming off the trail to visit the latter two on the 30th. I could use the break. My feet hurt.
Date: 2006-05-25
From: Super 8, US 11

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It was tough to leave the hotel today, but I managed to hit the hot road for the walk back to the trail. I had to start off my day by retracing last night's final mile, and through wet fields as well. There is no better way to make sure that your feet get soaked and stay that way than to hike through a grassy meadow. I climbed out of the valley and made my way to Duncannon. That is one of those monumental trail towns, at least it seems that way to me. In fact, though I had planned to pass right through, I allowed myself to be talked into staying at the Doyle hotel. It was one of the old Anheiser-Busch hotels where they peddled their product and it is on the National Register. I had only planned to grab a hamburger there, but the owners enticed me to stay. They opened the door for me and invited Freckles to curl up in the foyer while I ate. So I decided that me feet hurt, and I wanted to stay, even though it meant the second hotel in as many nights. I'm only hiking this trail once, so I'd better enjoy it. I mostly hung out in my room and read, but at one point there was a knock another hiker. It was Compass, who I hadn't seen since Atkins, VA. We hung out and shot pool downstairs while a local woman sang and played the guitar. It was a great night, except that my friends weren't there. I last talked to Casino and Co. on Monday. I hope they catch me soon.
Date: 2006-05-26
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: Horseshoe Trail
Miles today: 24.0

Today begins my march to Port Clinton. I plan to do it in 3 days, which may be a mistake. I don't know where the rocks start, but I guess I'll find out. I awoke at the usual time and packed up. There was a diner across the street that was open, so I grabbed a breakfast bagel for the road. In restrospect, I should have eaten more. I then went in search of a stamp so that I might mail Sarah's birthday card. That may sound easy. It isn't. There are no stamp dispensers in this town. I was instructed to go to the lobby of the post office. But the lobby doesn't have stamps. I spoke to the postmaster throught the PO boxes, but she was unhelpful. She mentioned that the grocery store sold books of stamps, which would be great if that's what I had asked her for. Alas, I put the card in my pack and hiked on. The hike began with a lot of road walking, and a crossing on the Susquehanna. Then I hit the first real mountain i had seen in weeks. But I sped up it with no problem. I ran into a family out for the weekend after an hour or so. They asked me all the usual questions before allowing me to pass. We saw each other off and on through the morning before finally parting company at lunch. They had reached their shelter destination, but I had to keep moving. I needed to make at least 23-24 miles to be in striking distance of tomorrows destination. I was debating doing 30 miles to get to the Rausch Gap Shelter, since there was supposed to be a storm tonight. But it seemed to clear up, so I opted to tarp at the first water source past the Horeshoe Trail. My feet were really hurting. This is becoming a regular thing that i need to fix. I think it is partially my shoes wearing out, but mostly my feet being wet. I pitched the tarp in kind of a half-ass manner, thinking the skies looked clear. Of course, it did end up storming, but i stayed dry despite my earlier laziness. Tomorrow, I push to the 501 shelter. It's supposed to be one of the nicest on the trail.
Date: 2006-05-27
From: Horseshoe Trail

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today I started in with some of the rocks. I know there will be worse to come, but still, I don't care much for this. I have also realized that I am short on food. I have nothing to eat tomorrow and I figured I would have to hitch into town at some point. My feet, which started out dry, were quickly dampened while I built a bridge for Freckles to cross the first swollen creek. I wish I could break him of this aquaphobia of his. It is going to be a real pain in Maine. By midday, I was feeling miserable. Being alone was really getting to me. I was planning on hitching into the first town and calling my friend, Eric. He lives an hour or so away, and I was going to beg and plead for him to come get me today, rather than on the 30 like we had arranged. But just as I got to the road where I could have hitched, I came across Slick, a trail angel with coolers full of goodies and enough food to get me through the next week if i needed. I sat there and pigged out for 3 hours, airing out my nasty feet and talking to him and his wife. Around 3pm, I reluctantly headed up the mountain across I-81, with my spirits lifted and my feet feeling better. I flew the 8 miles to the next shelter. Even with the rock fields, i was doing 4 miles an hour and feeling fine. I cooked dinner at that shelter, before heading down the remaining 4 miles to 501. Most of that was on a cushy woods road. But the AT can be a vindictive bitch, and just as I was in audible distance of the highway, the trail says, "Hey, Helium. I know you're enjoying this road and that you're almost there. But there's this useless poison-ivy covered pile of rocks that I think you should see first."After cursing and struggling over that crap, i finally came out on the highway. It was nearly 8pm, and the only other hikers at the shelter were almost asleep. It was Maw and Paw, whose register entries I had been following since GA. I didn't get to talk to them much tonight, but I expect to hike with them tomorrow. i could really use the company.I read a few chapters of my book before bed. Freckles seemed really pooped, and perfectly willing to sleep on one of the shelter's many bunks, even without a mattress. I passed on the solar shower, thinking it would be pretty miserable without the presence of the sun.
Date: 2006-05-28
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today sucked. It was the first really hot day, and the ridge was virtually water free. I did spend the morning with Maw and Paw, and Maw and I had a great conversation about education. It really made time fly. Also, they have home-made Jardine packs as well. They have already hiked the trail and really seem to know what they're doing.They were stopping after 14 miles, which if I didn't have a scehdule to keep, is what i would have done. Unfortunately, I had to make it to Port Clinton so I would be in position to make it to my next destination. It's a vicious cycle sometimes. Although, it finally occurred to me that I couldn't get my maildrop due to the Memorial Day holiday, but I think I'll be ok without it.At some point, during the heat, pain, and misery, I made the decision to call Eric at the first available phone. I didn't think I could even make it to Port Clinton, and planned to hitch down earlier. Sadly, there was no road on which to do so. I had to stagger and stumble and a ridiculously slow pace, through waterless streches of rocks and scree. Most of the hike was a blur, but I distinctly remember the last half mile of near vertical descent. Thank goodness I'm a NOBO.At the town pavilion, I met Bag-of-Tricks, a famed hiker and regular angel. He gave me a gatorade right away, and went for ice cream soon after. I was gorging myself of food for an hour. I don't even remember all that I ate. I did end up swallowing my pride and calling Eric. He agreed to come get me, but couldn't get there until late. I spent the next 3-4 hours listening to stories about the adventures of Tricks, Baltimore Jack, Miss Janet, and other trail regulars. It was all pretty funny. Most hikers, like myself, are just passing through. We hike the trail and go on to other things. Others live the trail. The become legends to us all. I know that's not for me, but i know the trail couldn't go on without them.Eric's father, mother, and wife arrived to get me around 11pm. (It's a long story so don't ask.) Soon I was safe among friends and ready for a few days off. Maybe the guys will catch up to me now.
Date: 2006-05-29
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Kieschnick Residence, Bucks Co, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Well it wasn't a terribly restful day, but then I knew it wouldn't be. I wasn't supposed to arrive here at my friends' house until 6/1. The reason being that they are moving into a new house, on top of pet sitting for two dogs in addition to their own. But sometimes plans change.I ended up carrying a lot of furniture and overhearing a lot of arguments. Moving can be very stressful on a relationship, you know. But I still enjoyed myself. I got to spend time with loved ones and get a few free meals and hot showers. All in all, it was a nice and needed break. I am planning to do some more moving tomorrow, and maybe go see X-men if possible. I'll head back to Port Clinton on the 31st.
Date: 2006-05-30
From: Kieschnick Residence, Bucks Co, PA

To: Kieschnick Residence, Bucks Co, PA
Miles today: 0.0

(The entry previously recorded for this day was due to an approaching thunderstorm and a hurrying librarian. This is the entry that I wanted to write.)Today, Eric's parents rose early and headed back to Tennessee. They have a few days to recuperate and then they begin a whirlwind tour of the US. They are canoeing in Montana and then hiking the John Muir Trail. We should all be so lucky.There was unfortunately still more moving to be done. While I would have preferred to be able to relax with my friends, they needed help and I was more than willing to help. They had tried hard to keep me on the trail for a few more days until things were less hectic, but the ultimate decision was mine and I needed their help just as they ended up needing mine. We got the last of the moving done without too much stress. It was mostly small things, but we did have both beds and the couch to go. Eric and I have a lot of practice moving furniture together so it went off without a hitch.The biggest surprise, and unfortunately the chore we left for last, was the moving of a lumber pile in the backyard. While I took a shower, Eric began to rummage through the pile, only to find out that an ant colony had claimed it as the bedrock of its civilization. Between each sheet swarmed millions of six-legged builders, each determined to keep their plywood homes. We decided that the wood was worthless and needed to be discarded. Eric drove the truck around to the back and I prepared to toss the wood over the fence. It was pretty straightforward, yet with every grab and toss, I was attacked by frenzied ants. I was pulling them out of my shorts and ears for an hour after that, but we got it done. Towards the end of the night, Eric left Cory and I to finish up and clean, while he went to the airport to pick up a friend of thiers. We never made it to see X-men, but that's okay. I had fun despite the work, and my feet feel much better. I'll hit the trail again in the morning.They have agreed to keep Freckles while I push through the worst of the rocks. He can be quite neurotic when away from me, so I hope all goes well. They are great friends, and I am glad I got to see them. I will try to come back again for a night once I'm in NJ.
Date: 2006-05-31
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Eric dropped me off at the trail around 11am. I stopped by the PO to get my maildrop. It ought to have enough food in it to get me through until they grab me again past Delaware Water Gap. After packing, I waved goodbye and headed down the road. Fortunately, the climb out of town is much better graded than the one in. I pushed hard up the mountain, knowing I was starting late and had a lot of miles to go. It is always strange hiking without Freckles, but I feel it's the right thing to do. The rocks weren't horrible in the beginning, but there was quite a bit of boulder fields climbing up past the Pulpit and on to the Pinnacle. There is supposed to be a lot of good raptor watching from those two sites, but I didn't see any. Att he Pulpit, I saw a couple of day-hikers. They asked me if I was going to the Pinnacle, evidently a popular site, and I obligingly said yes. Of course, I was going a lot farther than that, but I saw no need to explain further. They politely told me that I need only follow the white blazes on the trees to get there. I resisted the urge to respond sarcastically; I had been following them since GA after all. But I knew they were only being helpful, so I nodded and moved on. At the turnoff to the Pinnacle, I spotted two sets of hiking poles. I thought they looked familiar, so I hurried out to the overlook. Sure enough, Treegirl and Mr. Rogers were just finishing up a break. The three of us hiked together for the rest of the day. Mr. Rogers and I engaged in a pop culture discussion, ranging from movies to tv to comic books. As always, that helped the time pass more quickly. We stopped into the Eckville Shelter for some sodas, only to discover that my outdated Companion had misguided us. The club no longer offers that service, since too many hikers took advantage of their trust and neglected to pay. I will say that the caretaker was a total ass. You would think he would act as an ambassador to the club, but he was rude and flippant instead.Just before total darkness, we arrived at the shelter. I was pleased to find Two-Shoes there. He was finishing up dinner. He said that the spring was forever away. That not being what I wanted to hear, I sat in disgust, while Treegirl headed on to get water. My laziness was fortuitous, as I discovered that the ridgerunner had left a cache of water that noone else had used. I managed to cook with it and get enough for a quart of drinking water.Tenting nearby were some section hikers from Florida. They decided they had too much food and opted to share, for which we were appreciative. I decided to try setting up my bug netting. It went well, but I found a ten degree temperature difference underneath it, and opted to take it down, the heat being worse than the bugs.Two-Shoes and I plan to leave early in the morning. We had back-to-back 24s to do, after all.