morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-11
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Route 11 Carlisle, PA
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Got out of Alec Kennedy at around 7:15. Filled up two bottles of water and headed north. Walked 4 miles to Boiling Springs, Pa. Picked up a mail drop sent by my bride and re-stocked the food cache. Bought denatured alchohol for the stove and got out of town. Very flat as we crossed Cumberland Valley. Can't wait to get to the hotel tonight. I stink like a homeless person and everything I have is dirty and damp from a week on the trail. Today's hike went along farms in the valley and we were treated with an abundance of mulberries. I don't know that I ever had a mulberry before. They are quite tasty. Ate some jerky and GORP to get me through. Arrived at the hotel at around 3:45. Did laundry and jumped in the pool. Went next door and had a prime rib dinner and a couple Sam Adams Summer ales.Spoke with my Dad, son Byron, and Sue this evening. Great to catch up on activities outside the trail.
Date: 2011-06-12
From: Route 11 Carlisle, PA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Motel living is very nice and as a result we got a late start out in the morning, around 9:00. Of course we took full advantage of the continental breakfast offered, who wouldn't. I must say, cereal, doughnuts, and bagels (yes plural on each) sure tasted fine. A couple bagels to go and we headed out the door for the trail. The day's hike was quite different in that we hiked half the day in open farm fields. Unfortunately we did not have the mulberries to keep us energized and had to rely on the packed provisions. Lunch was at the Darlington Shelter and consisted of PB and one of the carry-out bagels from the C Breakfast at Motel 8. After lunch we got caught in the rain. Now, keep in mind we just did laundry and were quite proud of our frest scent. Now everything is wet and clammy. So much for refined living.We arrived at the Cove Mountain Shelter at about 3:30 and my wet toes were ready for a break. As I sat rubbing the poor fellows, Cold Ears headed for the spring for water. He came a yelping up the trail and I thought for sure he spotted his first bear. As he got closer I understood the yells were those of joy not fear. And then I saw the bullet. Dog gone if he didn't find a Coors Light in the spring left as trail magic. Now most of you know Coors Light is not my beer of choice, but when he offer me half a can of beer, I felt obligated to accept. NICE! Still not my beer of choice by the way.As we sipped the treasured nector, we noticed the wood of the shelter had been eaten away in places. Upon further investigation, we saw a sign warning of Porcupines invading the shelter seeking salt from where sweating hikers sat or slept. Given the heat and the fact that I sweat like a pig, I was sure that critter would find me a delight. I slept that night with rocks by my side just in case we caught the fancy of the Porcupine. All for not. He knew better than to test the arm of Brew Ha!
Date: 2011-06-14
From: Peters Montain Shelter

To: Raush Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

On the trail today by 8:00. Hiking by myself is nice. I can spend a lot of time thinking. Kind of like when I used to paint the wall in the back yard by hand. The sprayer was faster, but sometimes its nice just to think. On the otherhand, there is strength in numbers and today it would have been nice to have a wing man. I saw 3 snakes. One was black with yellow stripes, one was all black and about 5 feet long, and the third was a rattle snake. Now I have seen rattlers before, just not out of their caged environment at the zoo. I really don't think he cared much for me either. He rattled his tail and I shook my hiking pole and neither one backed down. Finally we compromised, I went down on the rocks and he slithered up the hill. About Pennsylvania. The trail name for the state is Rocksylvania and I am beginning to understand and concur. There are big rocks to climb over, little pointed rocks that reach up and grab your boot as you walk, and of course the rocker rocks that sway when you step on them. I am just plain tired (no Whining) of dealing with rocks. Had the last carry out bagel with PB for lunch. Then made my way to the Rausch Shelter. Met On Time, Loner Bohner, and Chirpa. On Time is from Iowa and we pretty much followed one another all day. He is a recent retiree and has some interesting ideas he shared with me. None of which I will repeat as they are a little out there. Anyway he is harmless. Loner Bohner (his name is Lee Bohner) is from southern Indiana. He is 70 years young and making his second thru hike. The first was interupted in 2007 by a broken leg in Vermont. He had to be rescued off the mountain in one of those cage stretchers you see on TV. Took 14 rescue personell to haul him down the Mountain. Half way down, he had to take a leak. The leader asked the ladies to turn their back while they turned the cage on its side and let him pee over the cliff. Loner said he got his money's worth and darn near flooded the valley. Chirpa is also doing his second thru, his first was at 60years of age. He is raising money through a radio station in Lansing Michigan. He calls in 3 times a week and gives updates on his progress.Temps in the 70's, nice breeze and the longest mileage yet.
Date: 2011-06-15
From: Raush Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: scattered clouds

No snakes today...but I did see two deer. I like deer when they are not chasing my poor dog up the back porch steps. Thats a story for a later day.Beautiful hike today. Lots of vistas looking out over PA farmland. My feet continue to bother me. I stop about every 90 minutes and rest the poor old dogs. They do get to barking. These rocks don't help matters. (no Whining)Now Cold ears told me about the 501 shelter. IT is an old pottery shop complete with a skylight and solar shower. But...the best thing is you can order pizza and have it delivered to the shelter. I will take one large Hawaian Pizza and one chef salad and 2 liters of Pepsi please. That will be charge, thank you. Twenty five minutes later I was showered (forget the solar bit, it was cold as ice, but refreshing) and sitting at the picnic table making history of the salad and more than half the pizza. I finished the rest for breakfast in the morning. YUM!The shelter was full. One couple from Germany (mule and whisper) and another from New York(Poncho Verde, and ?), Long Time, Click, Art Gypsy, Pine Nuts and Song Bird. Lots of sounds in the shelter after everyone enjoyed pizza that evening for dinner.
Date: 2011-06-16
From: 501 Shelter

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: moderate rain

Great hike today if you like rocks. Got started at 7:30 and finished at 2:30. Really pushed it as we had rain from about 12:30. Got to the shelter with wet everything, again. The rain stopped and I was able to set my shoes and socks out to dry (somewhat). Then it started raining again and the 6 man shelter filled to overflowing. It pays to get there early, otherwise you don't get a space. I was not a big fan of shelter sleeping until Cold Ears convinced me to give it a try. It really is much easier than setting up and taking down the tent. You also get to know people along the trail. Most of the shelters are three sided lean-to style dwellings. Some are very nice, others, not so nice. The 501 shelter was completely enclosed and we each had a bunk made out of wood. The Eagles Nest Shelter was more of a lean-to, but they each have a Privy (out house) and a spring near by. Hopefully the Privy is downhill of the spring. Each Shelter has a trail journal that people check in and report what is happening. For example, you might read that the springs are dry for the next 5 miles so be sure to water up before leaving. Or you might read that someone jumped off the trail for a few days and will be returning. That way you don't watch for them and know they are alright. IT was from the journal that I learned Lebron will have to wait again for the NBA ring. Made my day!Had peas, carrots and hamburger that Sue and I dehydrated at home. Added them to instant mashed taters (not home made Byron) and had a very tasty dinner last night. Home made is always best, but it does take more clean up. I will take that anytime. It rained off and on all night. Some thunder but in the distance.
Date: 2011-06-17
From: Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Hamburg
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: light rain

Time for laundry. I wore my running tights and my rain jacket down the streets of downtown Hamburg looking for the Laundry. Felt and looked very much like a homeless person. Loner Bohner and I hitched a ride into the small town of Hamburg today after hikeing the 9.3 miles in wet slippery, ROCKY, trail conditions. No rain, but it is threatening. We dropped over 1,000 feet into the town down a very steep, ROCKY, slippery trail. Guess we will be climbing in the morning.Staying at the American Hotel in downtown Hamburg. The hotel was built in the 1800's and was recently renovated. Nice. They have a fine dining restaurant, but the prices are a bit steep for me.   If the bride were with me we would surely enjoy this place. Did laundry and made it here to the library in time to update the journal. It is tough remembering details, even though I do write notes every day. So, half of what you are reading is probably a product of my imagination. What can I say.I am off to the grocery and then off to find some vast volume of low priced food to eat. Oh the life of a hiker. I weighed 169 when I left home. I have probably lost 5 or 6 pounds I am guessing. Still that tall, handsome, modest person we all love so dearly. Happy Trails
Date: 2011-06-18
From: Hamburg

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

The idea was to catch a bus at 5:40 that would drop us at the trail head. So after a huge Calzone for dinner and re-supplying at the local grocery it was off to bed for an early trip out. We(Loner Bohner and I) were at the bus stop waiting patiently for the bus that never came. We double checked the schedule and sure enough even on Saturdays they are scheduled to run. Finally a local town hero came by and said they don't stop any more on the weekends. Great, we have 2.5 miles of country road to walk. Not the end of the world. We started walking and happened on a convenience store. I needed stove fuel so I went in to buy some "heat" in a yellow bottle. (This is the chemical used to dry out water in your cars gas tank.) Got the goods and asked the cashier if he knew anyone who might give us a ride to the trail head. He simply replied, no. Outside I went with a bit of a attitude toward the store clerk. As I looked up a guy who looked just like Popeye said with a studder "I-I-I will take ya". The guy was great but a little scary. He drove 15 miles per hour and chain smoked two cigs in the 2.5 miles we traveled. We thanked him and were finally on our way.The hike was straight up for the first 1.5 miles until we reached 1200 feet. We leveled out and then climbed again to Windsor Furnace Park. The park was a nature presreve and had a shelter I stopped at for water. Then back up I climbed to Pulpit Rock and finally Pinnacle. Because it was Saturday there were a lot of day hikers out and they all were very friendly and wanted to know about my hike. As we approached Pinnacle Rock a group of Boy Scouts wanted to show me snakes. I was not expecting much, but sure enough there were 3 large snakes (copperheads and rattler) down in a rock crack not more than 18 inches. They were enjoying all the spectators I guess cause they just sat there looking at us. After lunch, I proceeded on my way. Got to the shelter around 2:30 and decided to stop for the day. Eckville Shelter is a bunkhouse with a solar shower, flush toilet, and solar lighting. Had dinner (Spam and rice mixture) with a couple from Atlanta. Cheeta and Poncho are in their late 40's I would guess. He got fed up with his job and gave them 6 months notice and quit. She is the hiker, he is along for the trip. They were fun to be with. The shelter had a field for tents and about 25 boy scouts spent the night there. The shelter keeper was not happy with the number of people staying the night. He was most concerned about his septic system. Lighten up dude!
Date: 2011-06-19
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob
Miles today: 17.6

Up and out by 7:30 for the trip to Bake Oven Knob. This was by far the best hike for scenic overlooks. Saw two large Rattlesnakes in the rocks and they did not appreciate me being there. So I left as quick as I arrived. It is Father's Day and I got messages from both Byron and Erin. I tried to call my dad but was only able to leave a message. (He is on a cruise) The hike took us along several rock edges called knife edges. Lots of opportunity for spraining an ankle. The idea is to leap from rock to rock along this edge. Thank goodness it was not raining. Sat at a lookout and watched a hawk flying for about 20 minutes. He was looking for lunch I am sure. Had two supplies of trail magic. HO Ho's, brownines, pretzels, and little debbie cakes. Always a thrill to find these treasures. Met 2 trail maintainers from CT. They were finishing PA and would then have 3/4 of the trail done. They were very critical of the trail maintenance done in PA.
Date: 2011-06-20
From: Bake Oven Knob

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Up and on the trail by 7:30 after after a hot bowl of oatmeal. This was a day to remember. First, I hiked nearly 24 miles, not by choice, but due to lack of water. I was completely dry by the time I got to the shelter. Then I learned the spring was an additional half mile down a steep trail. NO WHINING!The hike was through the Lehigh Valley. Climbing out of the valley was intense. First it was a steep climb that ended with a rock scramble over boulders. One slip and it was Bye Bye. The hike then passed through an old Zinc mining area that left the landscape bare of any vegetation. It was hot, steep and I was low on water. Not a good combination. Throw in ticks which were thick as I have ever seen and you get an idea of the day. The bright side was the abundance of blueberries along the trail. I ate a lot of blueberries.The wrap on PA is that there are so many rocks. Well I must agree that the PA rock fields are a real pain. Every once in a while there is a clear section and you can hear your feet sigh in relief. The foot pain from walking on the rocks is continuous. Oh the joy of hiking in PA. Got to the shelter around 7:00 in the evening. Met a hiker from Italy who has hiked all over the world. He speaks broken English but is fun to communicate with. He really struggles with our slang. Had a Mountain House lasagna dinner and crashed.
Date: 2011-06-21
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: broken clouds

Left around 8:30 after a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee. The rocks just keep on coming. Had a major descent into Wind Gap that was made even tougher by the blasted rocks. I hitched a ride with a young college girl (still got that charm) into the town of Wind Gap and ate at a Burger King as the rain started to drop. I ate two double cheese burgers, a chicken sandwich, fries, and a large coke. Trail hunger has set in. Love that fat. I had to get back to the trail head and deal with the rain. So out I went. Got to the first light and a retired couple asked if I needed a ride. I could not disappoint them, so off we went. Turns out the guy is a retired International Paper guy and he knew Keith Cochran. Small world. They gave me $15 to enjoy a lobster roll in Maine. There was no refusing the kind offer. TRAIL MAGIC is great.The rest of the day was, you guessed it, Rocky and hilly and lots of fun in the rain. Got to the shelter around 4:00 and made a fine Raman Noodle dinner. Then "Recon" came by and offered us a Klondike Bar. Got to love that. It was probably the best tasting ice cream I ever ate.I saw a 5 foot black snake today and one deer. I hate Rocks!
Date: 2011-06-22
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 6.4

Up and out of the shelter at 7:00 following a cup of Joe and PopTart. More blueberries and it is difficult not stopping to pick. Also, Rhodies were in bloom as I made the descent into the Delaware Water Gap. Saw my first bear as I was walking down a jeep trail. He looked at me and just kept walking. Unfortunately I walk faster than he does and was closing ground fast. Finally he had enough of me and heading into the woods. I arrived around 10:00 and got a shower and picked a bunk. There is no Laundramat in town so I did wash by hand and tried to get it to dry in the overcast, rainy weather. Never did get completely dry. Around 4:00 we had a major thunderstorm. Glad to be inside. I picked up my postal shipment from home, thanks Sue. I got some very special treats including rice crispy treats, and carmel corn. She made some great dehydrated meals that really hit the spot on the trail, including porage, pasta with ham and peas, and pasta with chese. Yummy.I ate at a local bakery. They had chicken pot pies and many baked goodies. I had a chicken pie and a peach pie. The peach pie was chucked full of fruit. It was sooooooo goooooood. Later I hit happy hour and enjoyed a couple cold Sams. Oh, and I will take the rib special too please. Unfortunately, the ribs were special and maybe out of date. I spent the night fighting severe stomach cramps and stomache ache. Don't care to eat another rib for a while. This too shall PASS, I hope.
Date: 2011-06-23
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.3

Walked the highway for the first 2 miles. Crossed the Delaware River and I was finally in New Jersey. Maybe the rocks will stop. Rumor has it the first 20 miles are still rocky then it gets back to normal. We shall see.Climbed 1,000 feet in 2 miles in a fairly steady ascent. As soon as I crested the hill, the thunder got louder and the rain began. I felt like Forrest Gump in Viet Nam. The trail became a river of water and everything was soaked. I planned to go 18 miles today. but given the weather, I decided to hole up at the Mohican Outdoor Center. It is a nature camp for church groups, schools, etc and they lease out bunks, if they are available, to thru hikers. I will take 1 bunk with shower please. Out of the weather at last. Tried to dry out the stuff. Got most of it to damp status at least. Spent the afternoon reading and relaxing. Had a spam burito for dinner. One of the hikers I met, Chirpa, is leaving the trail due to an injury to his foot. He is 70 years old and was raising money for a childrens center in Michigan. He had been calling the radio station at regular intervals to advertise his fund raising campaign. He was very emotional about having to stop his hike as you might imagine. Good luck my friend.So far New Jersey is not such a great state. It seems there are a lot of vistas and maybe the views are great, but I would not know. Happy trails.
Date: 2011-06-24
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: clear sky

Up and on the trail at 7:00. I spent the day walking in a cloud. It rained, misted, and was generally wet. The trail was very wet and muddy. And oh yea, still rocky. My feet have been wet now for 2 straight days and they are taking a beating. New Jersey added something new, swarms of mosquitos. These are the biggest, hungriest, meanest mosquitos I have ever seen. Oh fun.I was smelling industrial chemical odor for most of the afternoon. I realized quickly, I was the source. Remember the "heet" I purchased in Hamburg? Well, the bottle sprung a leak and was dripping out the bottom of my pack. Now remember, it is raining, everything is wet and mixed in with the water is "heet" fuel. Yuk!I got the bottle out and headed for the closest shelter to clean out my stuff. The Brink Shelter has water, but is located in a swamp. Guess what New Jersey creatures love swamps? Right, mosquitos. So I applied bug juice and tried to clean up heet soaked tent, clothes, etc. Just when I got everything out, it started to pour rain again. I set up my tent in the shelter (mosquito netting) and sat in there reading and passing time. Several other hikers have arrived and the shelter is full of wet smelly hikers. Finally we got a break in the rain and several went out and set up tents. No sooner did they get them up and the sky opened up again. Called Byron. He just took his first wine expert test and apparently it was very difficult. His meetings went well and the golf was great. It was good to hear his voice. Can't call anyone else, my battery is almost dead.Maybe we will see the sun in the morning. Weather forcast is not so promising. I wonder what I am missing as I hike through this rain forest.I love this.
Date: 2011-06-25
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

Up and out of the swamp at 6:45. Good hiking today. Not so many rocks and it did not rain. The ground is muddy and the weeds are wet, but it is not raining. Not sunny, but it is not raining. The vistas offered nice views and made me wonder just what I missed the last couple days. Maybe I will re-hike this sometime in the future. New Jersey is supposed to have more bears than any other state along the trail. I have not seen one of these Jersey bears yet. Apparently they don't come out in the rain. Or maybe it is the chemical smell that still spews from the pack. At a cross road (US 206) there was a little coffee shop. I stopped in and had a breakfast sandwhich of eggs, sausage, and cheese on a bagel. Cup of coffee and a ginger ale. There was a bicycle race going on in a park just down the road and there must have been 200 or more cyclists warming up along the road. I would have liked to stay and watch, but...I didn't.Got to the shelter at 2:00 and decided to put stuff out to dry. Had some sun, but mostly clouds. Did my best to move wet things to the sunny places. Made a dinner from the dehydrated mix Sue made and enjoyed a good meal. (Noodles, peas, ham and parmesian cheese) Some mosquitos, but not as bad as it had been. Guess what? About 5:30 we had another thunderstorm. This time most of my stuff was high and dry. Finally ahead of the game.The trail is not quite as rocky, but everything is muddy. I am told the rest of New Jersey will be swamp and mud. Oh Boy. Hike on friends.
Date: 2011-06-26
From: Rutherford Shelter

To: Pochuck Mt Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: few clouds

Started my day at 7:00 after porage and hot chocolate. Interesting day. Within 3 miles we were at the highest point in New Jersey. High Point Park has a monument marking this point at 1,803 feet. Did some climbing and rock hopping but not too steep. Then we dropped and then we climbed and then we dropped and then we climbed. Roller Coaster-like. We began to see swamps and mud as promised. Best of all, there were black raspberries all along the trail. I ate an enormous amount of berries. It was a nice day. Sunny and temps in the low 80's. The trail crosses many swamps. The trail uses planks and bridges to cross these swamps. At one point, we walked 2 miles around a bog that had bugs, mosquitos and heavens knows what all. Then we crossed a swamp on a mile-long plank bridge. All this, and I was again running low on water. Just before the shelter, there was a house with a spicket available to thru hikers. I filled every bottle I had and drank a liter at the spicket. Up the hill I went. Steep and about 1 mile long to the shelter. I was carrying 2.5 liters in bottles and an extra liter in my gut. It was a long mile.I am learning that New Jersey and New York have limited water available. I also learned today that my water bottle has a leak. Time to get a new bottle and carry more than the 2 liters I typically carry. More weight but given the swamps we are going through and the temps, more water is mandatory.The shelter did not have water, but it sure had skeeters. Once again I set up my tent in the shelter and sat out the evening attacks from my shelter.