morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-10
From: Rock Springs

To: Pass Mtn Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

Another great hiking day. Partly cloudy skys, temps in the low 70's, cooling breezes. How sweet it is. Many times today, I had excellent, panaramic views of the Shenandoah Valley. What a beautiful valley, neat farms and villages. Saw a bear today. It was staring at me and partly hidden by a log. I watched it for a while as it moved its head back and forth. It appeared to be waiting for me to move on. While I was watching a group of 10 Boy Scouts come along, they looked for a while, then started waving their arms and yelling to try to get the bear to move away from its "hiding" spot. I then left and kept moving down the trail.Around 10 a.m. I reached Skyland Lodge at about the same time as Pipi, Baby Steps, Kakalakie, and another thru hiker whose name I have forgotten. We decided to stop at the lodge to have a second breakfast. We were seated somewhat away from the other diners (odor control?) and ordered big meals. Halfway through the meal, the waiter came by to tell us a former thru-hiker had given him enough money to pay for our meals! The Trail Angel wanted to be anonomous so we never had a chance to thank her. This was the greatest trail magic I have yet to see. I continue to be astonished at how generous so many people can be. Miracles happen every day. We have only to look for them!
Date: 2003-06-11
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This is Finch's editor again. I'm headed down to Virginia today to try and find him. It's going on three months since he left Springer Mtn on March 25 and I miss him. I'm now officially "retired" from my positions at Phillips Academy and free to be Gramma, house carpenter, lakes conservationist, newsletter editor, parental care giver, (hopefully) world traveler and AT journal editor for my wonderful husband. We will be doing the final move of furniture to our home in Maine on the 21st and I'm going to use the days between now and then to find Finch, hike with him for a few days, do some Trail Magic, and hopefully meet some of Finch's travel community.This may be our last journal entry for a little while. I'll need to get internet connections in Maine before I can continue to keep everyone up to date on Finch's progress. So please check back with this site periodically to watch for our return.Til then,"Cricket", Judy (Finch's journal editor)
Date: 2003-06-11
From: Pass Mtn

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Since there were weather predictions of heavy showers for this afternoon, I decided to get up early today and get in as many miles as possible and perhaps reach Front Royal or the Floyd Shelter. The AT through the Shenandoahs is a well maintained - groomed - trail. In many places the brush has been cut back several feet from the trail and usually the grade is a gentle slope. By 10 a.m. I reached the last wayside restaurant so decided to have a second breakfast and pick up a bit more food for lunch. Several hikers were already there - how did they get there before me since I was the first to get on the trail? I chatted with Circuit Rider and Sherlock for a while but left after about a half hour. Sherlock and Curcuit Rider soon passed me but I was destined to play leap-frog with them for the rest of the day. Since the trail was so nice, we made excellent mileage and by noonime, I realized I could indeed reach Front Royal today.Near the park boundary I met a volunteer trail maintainer who was busy cutting brush away from the side of the trail. She said I was the 18th thru hiker to pass her today. I commented on the excellent condition of the trail and thanked her for her hard work.The trail out of the park was a long descent on a very nice trail maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. They also maintain many very nice shelters and tent sites.By seven o'clock I was trully getting tired - 12 hours of hiking with few breaks - but finally I reached Rt. 522 where Judy was waiting to meet me. What a joy to finally give her a sweaty, smelly hug. She had been waiting a couple hours and occupied her time giving trail magic and driving some hikers into Front Royal.There are angels in our midst!
Date: 2003-06-13
From: Front Royal

To: Ashby Gap
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: light rain

A hot muggy day that ended with heavy thunder showers. Judy left me at the boundary of the National Zoological Park at 8 a.m. The trail was a muddy quagmire of liquid clay. In places each step would cause me to sink six inches into the mud which then sucked back on my boots as I tried to take another step. Slow, sloppy going for the first .2 miles but eventually, as the trail led up the side of the hill, the trail simply became slippery. There has been so much rain the rocks seem slimey from either algae or mud.The perspiration poured off my face as I hiked today but I would rather take hot and humid over wet and chilly.Judy and I met on the trail where it crosses US Rt. 50 and we had lunch together. After lunch I reached the Denton Shelter which is an excellent structure...roomy, clean with a cold water shower. Kiwi and Dreamwalker had been there two days before. It appears that they must have taken a zero day a few days ago.Today the took me through a forest with magnificent trees -- maples almost 3' in diameter and huge poplars with long straight trunks. Clearly a forest that had not been disturbed for a very long time. Later in the day this lowland forest became denser and took on the appearance of a tropical rainforest...with dense vegetation, interspersed with tall majestic trees. The high humidity, rain showers and wet ground added to this illusion. When the sun came out, birds began to sing - thrashers, cat birds. I could even hear a cockoo. This has been a great inspiring day. I made good progress and saw a wonderful forest. The rain is simply one more thing to live with.
Date: 2003-06-14
From: Ashby Gap

To: Snickers Gap
Miles today: 14.1

Lots of rain last night but the morning was hot and muggy. Judy left me off at Ashby Gap and I started my hike in a quagmire of mud and slime. In some places the trail was more stream bed than trail and when the trail crossed the stream, the stream was often over its banks and crossing was sometimes a real challenge. The trail led through a lush forest with many very old trees and lots of undergrowth.Half-way through today's journey I came to Trail Magic. Huff-n-puff (thru hiker class of '98) had driven to a trail crossing on a back country road to provide hikers with fruit and cold drinks. A great gift on this very hot day. I continue to be amazed at how strong is this brotherhood of thru-hikers. There is a generosity and goodwill that runs strong and deep.Later in the day I stopped at Bear's Den Hostel to see the place and to check the register for Kiwi and Dreamwalker. There were only a few thru-hikers there including Buffalo-Bob whom I had not seen since Waynesboro.Judy had left the car at Snickers Gap and met me about one mile south of the Gap. While we were at the Bear's Den Hostel, a heavy rain started to fall. We walked and enjoyed the cool rain. Tunnel Vision and his brother had reached the parking lot before us but they were waiting for some hiking friends to catch up with them.Today was a challenge. The roller coaster hills, high humidity, muddy trail, swollen streams and afternoon rain kept the day interesting, yet mellow. I am content!
Date: 2003-06-15
From: Snickers Gap

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: few clouds

This day started with overcast skys and light sprinkles. The part of the trail was a continuation of the Roller Coaster - a series of ups and downs with an accumulated altitude change of 5,000'. In some places the trail was a quagmire of mud and in other places a collection of loose rocks. In several places the trail was flooded by overflowing streams. By noontime, however, I had reached the end of the roller coaster and had passed into West Virginia. Now the trail became relatively level as it led along a broad ridgeline, often passing from Virginia to West Virginia and back again.I saw few hikers today which surprised me since it was a Sunday, however, the occasional shower and continued threat of rain may have discouraged most day hikers.As I started the steep descent to Harper's Ferry,the noise of traffic from the nearby highway grew louder and louder. My first clear view of the Shenandoah River was of a brown, flooding river with some loud rapids. As I crossed the river on the Rt 340 bridge, twelve 6-person rafts drifted by. The high water had probably made the rapids more exciting. Near the end of the bridge, I recognized Judy waiting for me and eager to take my picture as I stepped into Harpers Ferry.Harpers Ferry has been a major goal for me. Although it is not quite halfway to Katahdin, it is a psychological halfway point. It represents the 5th state and the completion of travel over some rugged country. My visit to the Appalachian Trail Conference Center was a somewhat emotional time. I was actually a bit nervous opening the door to the office to have my picture taken and to sign the register. I am grateful to have been able to travel this far by foot.
Date: 2003-06-16
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

A zero day but not one of rest. Judy and I did the tourist thing and visited the historical parts of the town. A lot of history happened here and the National Park Service has tried to preserve as much of the old town as possible. The exhibits were well done and made it possible to understand why Harpers Ferry played such an important role in the Civil War. This was a good place to take a day off from the trail.
Date: 2003-06-17
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Boonsboro Mtn Road
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: light rain

Today started with a first class breakfast of French toast, bacon and homefries. Judy drove me to the location on the AT that I had left a day ago and I started the descent from Storer College to the lower town of Harpers Ferry. The trail out of the town leads to a railroad bridge with a pedestrian walkway. The tracks lead into a wide tunnel through the heights of Maryland. The trail, however, leads to the C&O Canal towpath. The trail on the towpath is smooth and level - an easy start for the day. After about 2 miles the trail ascends the hills that lead to Gathland State Park. On the way to the park, I passed Chimpy and Buffalo Bob and a group of Boy Scouts who did not seem to be having very much fun. They seemed so overloaded. Judy me me at Gathland but was a bit late for lunch. (Note from Judy: I got lost driving around Hagerstown) While I was there, I visited the small museum and chatted for a while with the caretaker.After leaving Gathland the overcast sky started to give way to a light rain that continued for the rest of the day. I climbed the hill to the Boonsboro Washington Monument but the monument was in the fog and there was, of course, no view except more fog. The monument was once used as an observation post during the battle of Antietum. I would have loved to have seen the view but it was not to be.Another 20+ day after a day off. I'm beat!!
Date: 2003-06-18
From: Interstate 70

To: PA16
Miles today: 20.8

A mostly uninteresting day through second growth forest. Some of the Mountain Laural are still flowering but I have not seen other wild flowers for some time. I saw a pair of Scarlet Tanangers foraging and had a pleasant time trying to find their nest unsuccessfully.A great day for slack packing and Judy met me on Route 16 with a motel room already reserved. What luxury! How wonderful to see her waiting for me after a 20 mile hike! Her encouragement has greatly lifted my spirits and helped me to focus on my journey without worrying about other things that are still not done.
Date: 2003-06-19
From: PA 16

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

Judy left me off on Route 16 with the roar of traffic in front of us. Our parting was painful for me (us). She was returning to Massachusetts to finish preparing for our final move to our home in Maine and I was starting my 5-day trek to Duncannon. For most of the morning I worked my way over rock fields and mud puddles. At a road crossing, I met a young couple who could not believe that an old man would want (could?) walk from Georgia to Maine. They followed me on the trail for a while but soon fell behind because they frequently had to stop to renew their cigarettes and drink some of the sodas they were carrying. I was tempted to try to Yogi a Pepsi but they were walking too slow and I was tired of their questions.When I reached Caledonia State Park, I was glad to refill my water bottles and discovered that the snack bar was still open! I did not expect to be able to have a hamburger while on the trail today but I could not pass up this great opportunity. I met Burn at the snack bar also making use of this great opportunity. I had not seen Burn for at least three weeks but I am no longer surprised at how people keep reappearing for me. At a trailside register, I discovered that Kiwi, Dreamwalker and Packman had passed this way only one day ago. Perhaps they took a day off in Waynesboro. Maybe I will catch up with them in a few days.With thunderstorms threatening, I will spend the night in the Quarry Gap Shelter. This is a lovely place...clean, spacious and well maintained. It even has solar powered lights that lead to a spring and to a privey. Thank you PATC. This is a first class place. At present, there are only two other people here although I expect more will arrive in the next two hours before dark. Hope Judy makes the journey to Maine safely. To paraphrase a C&W song: It's not what you have when you leave this world that's important but rather what you leave behind.
Date: 2003-06-19
From: PA16

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Note from Judy: Finch sent the camera back with me so there won't be any new pictures for a while. I may add some of the old ones to the upcoming journal entries because many of you have indicated appreciation for pictures on them. You can check out all pictures on this site by selecting "PHOTO" in the left column on this page.After slack packing for a week, he was trying to get his pack weight down as much as possible and with all the rain, he was not seeing much for want of a picture. I, too, enjoy the pictures and will encourage him to take the camera again soon.For those who are interested, our move from Andover to Maine was an easy one. Following the move I have our two grandchildren (Leela age 5 and Evan age 2) for a week at the lake in Maine. I'll get journal entries going again as soon as I can get internet connections and time to set up my computer.
Date: 2003-06-20
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Pine Grove Hostel
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: moderate rain

Quarry Gap Shelter is very nice. It is two shelters connected by a covered breezeway with a picnic table in the middle. This keeps food out of the shelter and creates a gathering place for people who want to stay up late and talk but is away from the sleeping area. The path to the spring and privey are iluminated at night by solar-powered lights near the ground.I woke up this morning to a light drizzle and was disheartened to learn that the most recent weather forecast was for rain, heavy at times, for today and tomorrow. I packed up and was on the trail by 8 a.m. It had rained most of last night so the trail was quite muddy. The light rain that I was walking in soon turned into a heavy downpour that lasted til 1 p.m. and then became a continuous drizzle. In many places the trail was more like a canal or a cascading brook. My boots were filled with water for most of the day and my pack cover was ineffective against the constant rain. When I stopped at a shelter for lunch, I found that water had soaked into my pack and everything inside was, to some extent, quite wet. Hmmm, I thought my pack was getting heavier! Although most of today's hike (mostly trying to avoid soaking my feet in deep puddles and trying to not fall on slippery rocks and roots), I did notice that there are thousands of Mountain Laural still flowering and their colors ranged from light red to white.Today I met only two sobo hikers and a father-son team that were holed up in a shelter to wait out the rain. When I reached Pine Grove Furnace Park, I found that I had caught up with Burn and several other thru hikers I had not met before. They had stopped at a small general store to eat ice cream and burgers. By 3:30 they had decided to move on in the decreasing rain to the next shelter. Although their gear was wet, they were not concerned about getting wetter or the declining temperatures. At the store, I took the opportunity to eat some ice cream and a hamburger and decided to stay at the nearby youth hostel. I needed to dry out and to warm up. I was dismayed to find that the hostel did not open until 5 p.m. So I toured some of the remains of the old iron furnace and waited for the hostel caretaker to arrive. Ironically, after I decided to wait and stay at the hostel, the rain stopped and I saw a small patch of blue sky.This has been a challenging day - wet and cold. Right now I'm shivering, waiting for the hostel caretaker (already ten minutes late) and second guessing my decision to stay here. Please come soon, I'm cold! I've seen enough rain in the last two months. Please no more for a while. I noticed in the register at the local general store that Dreamwalker ate 1/2 gallon of ice cream in one hour. I am now more than half way to Maine!!
Date: 2003-06-21
From: Pine Grove Hostel

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: light rain

Another wet day. Overcast skys to start, then a light, misty drizzle. By afternoon an intermittent rain with occasional blasts of thunder. The rain had steadily been increasing so when I reached Kennedy Shelter I decided to stop there for a while to see what the weather would do. It was only 2:30 so I had plenty of time to move on to Boiling Springs Campground. Lub, who had passed me earlier, was already there pondering the wisdom of going on. By 3:00, the rain was more intense so we decided to stay at the shelter rather than tent at Boiling Springs in the heavy rain. By 4:30 the thunder was roaring, lightening flashing and we were congradulating ourselves on the wisdom of staying at the shelter. Then there was a tremendous flash and crash as the building shook from the bang of thunder right over us. My ears hurt from the noise and I thought I could smell ozone in the air.An exciting time and it may be a long night.
Date: 2003-06-22
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The morning started with a light rain but last night there was a tremendous rainstorm that blew into the shelter. So much rain!! The streams will be swollen and the trail wet and muddy. Lub and I waited simply watching the rain. After an hour, the rain lessened and the sky showed signs of improving weather so we decided to pack up and move on to Boiling Springs.The trail led through a forest of young trees and signs that it had been cut over not too long ago. There were also many large holes that had been dug into the ground. They looked like abandoned open pit mines but I have no idea what could have been mined here and in this manner. Many of the holes, measuring ten to fifteen feet in diameter, had been filled in with debris but others were simply filled with water.I reached Boiling Springs at 11 a.m. and soon lost the trail in the town. I wandered around a bit and found the town to be an old place with many interesting old buildings. Eventually I found the mid-Atlantic office of the ATC and signed the register. Kiwi had signed in two days ago. I also had a chance to see the "boiling" spring for which the town is famous. The water really is not boiling. It comes out of the ground with enough force to look like it is boiling. By 11:30, I was back on the trail which wandered through corn fields and pastures and long hedge rows. Often the trail was a quagmire of mud and water. At times, the mud was almost over my boots. Slow walking today but the countryside was bucolic. Prosperous-looking farms and a quiet countryside. The trail crossed several major highways by way of special foot bridges and I stopped for a while to watch the traffic fly by. In 20 minutes, each truck went as far as I could in one day.This part of the trail was far from wilderness but it was an interesting and varied hike today.At the Darlington Shelter, I met Sonic and Guana.What a wonderful country this is!
Date: 2003-06-23
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

The morning was clear, cool and windy - a perfect hiking day at last. I packed up my gear, boiled some oatmeal and was on the trail by 7:30. Most of the trail had dried during the night and there were few climbs of any significance. Occasionally I had a nice view of the Susquehanna River but mostly today's hike was through second growth, hardwood forest. The trail was very rocky but fortunately the rocks were not particularly slippery and it was mostly a matter of picking my way around sharp-edged rocks that seemed ready to twist an ankle. The final descent into Duncannon was very steep but it gave me several fine views of the town. Duncannon appears to be a run-down, blue collar town that has seen better days. Met EZ Does It, Sonic and Guana for ice cream. They saw a rattle snake today. Tomorrow I begin the section that is infamous for sharp rocks (all pointing up),ripped boots and snakes (friendly and unfriendly types).
Date: 2003-06-24
From: Duncannon

To: Clarks Creek
Miles today: 17.2

Next time I pass through Duncannon, I will give the Doyle Hotel a pass and simply find a place to camp. Too hot, too noisy but it did offer a hot shower. I left Duncannon after mailing some journal entries for Judy, a map I no longer needed and a letter for my soul mate.By 8:30, I had walked across the muddy and swollen Susquehanna River on the Clarks Ferry Bridge and started the long climb up Peters Mountain. The day was clear and humid and I soon worked up a good sweat. This section of the AT is well maintained but it is also filled with PA's infamous rocks. How do they get all those sharp rocks to stand upright? Who sharpens the rocks so they can be death to boots or a clutsy hiker.Knowing I had a long climb early in the day I carried only a minimal amount of water so I stopped at the Clarks Ferry Shelter to fill my water bottles. At the shelter I met Easy-Does-It and Gazer having a snack and replenishing their water supply. They expected to do a short day today and stop at the Peters Mountain Shelter.The journey to Peters Mountain Shelter was along the crestline of Peters Mountain and was, for the most part, over sharp rocks that made walking extremely difficult. Occasionally I was able to get a great panaramic view of the Susquehanna Valley.Around noon, I came upon a group of kids from the local camp repelling off the cliffs that make up part of the ridgeline. The Peters Mountain Shelter is quite large and able to accommodate about thirty people. When I got there I was surprised that it was only 2:30 in the afternoon - too early to stop, so I decided to keep going to the next spring (about 6 more miles) and hope for a good camping spot. I met Walkabout at the shelter and he also decided to go on to the next spring.The afternoon became quite hot and both of us were low on water when we found a lovely spring with water simply gushing out of the ground. In about half a mile we came to Clark Creek and a pleasant level camping place. After setting up camp and cooking a great meal of dehydrated Spanish omelet, we took a plunge into the creek and rinsed our sweat-soaked clothes. In bed by 8:00 and an end to a very pleasant, satisfying day. Thank you, Lord, I knew a great day like this was bound to come along.