morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-13
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Days Inn, Carlisle, PA
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

Today, I walked part way thru the Cumberland Valley. On most of the AT, you do NOT have to camp at shelters, and are allowed to camp anywhere along the AT where you can find level ground. However, in the Cumberland Valley, where I presently am, you can camp ONLY in shelters. I would have had to walk 18 miles to get to a shelter today. I have had two back to back very tough hiking days, so I only hiked 12 miles today, and treated myself to a hotel tonite. (ah, what luxury Air conditioning in July, plus a shower, yeah, that's living the good life!!!) When a person travels in the wrong direction on the AT he/she gets teased about it, but the truth is that almost everyone gets turned around once or twice. It happened to me a few days ago. I was hiking in a driving rainstorm that took me to a mountaintop. The higher up in a mountain you are, the worse the weather is. So when I got to the mountaintop, the rain was coming down horizontally, and visibility was very poor. I mistakenly thought the trail turned to the right, but the path quickly ended. I turned around, and spotted the familiar white blazes (trail markings) on the trees and began to follow them. Then I came across a sign that I had just passed, and realized I was accidently backtracking. I began to feel a little worried, but then I saw a jogger jogging towards me in the driving rain. I thought I was a macho stud, because I was in the storm in just my t-shirt, but the jogger (who I will refer to as Tarzan) was young, very muscular, and bare chested. As he passed me, I shouted out "I'm headed south (the wrong way for me) on the AT, aren't I?" "Yes," he shouted. "What should I do when I get to the mountaintop?" I asked. In a very patient voice, as if he were speaking to a not very bright small child, Tarzan shouted back, "you should follow the trail markings." I decided to try a different approach. "When I get to the mountaintop, should I go left, or should I go right,?" I asked. "You should go left," he shouted back. He was correct. It felt very good to be going in the correct direction again. It also felt very good not to have been caught by my friends hiking in the wrong direction.During the spring, getting caught in a rainstorm meant I got very, very cold. However, now that it is summer, as long as I keep moving, it feels very comfortable to walk in the rain.
Date: 2016-07-14
From: Days Inn, Carlisle, PA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: few clouds

In Pine Grove Furnace State Park, there is a general store with a challenge that many AT hikers find impossible to pass up. The store challenges hikers to eat a half gallon of ice cream. There is no time limit on this chore. Those hikers who sucessfully complete this chore are awarded a wooden spoon. For weeks, I debated whether or not I would attempt this feat. The decision was pretty much made for me, as I arrived at the store early in the morning, in no mood to eat hald a gallon of ice cream. I puppied out with three scoops of bright purple ice cream that I was assured was raspberry. It was a wise decision, as my stomach growled for several hours afterwards. It is no small feat to eat a half gallon of ice cream in one setting, so one would naturaaly assume that the wooden spoon one is awarded for doing this would be fairly impressive, but that would not be a correct assumption. Readers, do you remember the tiny, flimsy wooden spoon you got when you bought a small cup of ice cream from the convenience store? Well, when a hiker, groaning in pain from pigging out on ice cream, waddles into the store to claim his/her prize, he gets that very cheap, unimpressive tiny wooden spoon. Eating half a gallon of ice cream in one sitting kind of reminds me of the situation where a boa constrictor swallows a very large animal all at once. That poor snake is not going to travel very far for a long time. One of my friends successfully absorbed a half gallon of ice cream. He did no more hiking for the remainder of the day. Of course, like with every other challenge, some people have a need to become the best of the best. In the store, they have a picture of a fellow who consumed an entire gallon of ice cream. You would think that only a very fat person could do this, but the person was a very skinny man.
Date: 2016-07-15
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: moderate rain

I have a very good friend from my bike club who grew up in Maryland. Every summer, she sponsors a two week bike trip through Maryland. The AT goes thru Maryland for 44 miles. My fantasy was that the AT would cross a Maryland road, and I would meet up with my cycling buddies. Unfortunately, I left Maryland just before my cycling buddies arrived for the start of their bike tour. One morning, I had just crossed the Maryland/Pennsylvania border and the AT followed a paved road for a short distance. I heard voices in the distance, a ways down the road. When I looked, I saw a group of 8 middle aged cyclists approaching me. As I was close to the Maryland border, I hoped it was my friend (Mary Beth,) her husband Jerry, and friends from my bike club. Alas, that was not the case. They called out greetings as they passed, and I really missed both my cycling friends, and cycling in general. (Cycling is MUCH less strenuous than backpacking.) Well, hot weather, incredible humidity, rocks and bugs have descended upon Pennsylvania. Locals say humidity is much higher than usual. That, combined with very hot weather, is making hiking very tough. I start hiking as early as possible, but by 8:00 AM, I feel like I'm in a sauna. I drink a gallon of water a day. I sweat so profusely that my shirt, my long pants (to protect me from ticks) and my underwear are so wet that I might as well have jumped into a lake. My underwear, soaked with sweat all day long, causes a skin inflamation on my buttocks that hikers call "monkey butt." The gnats and deer flys buzz by my head all day long. Gnats fly very close to my eyes and whine in my ears and are annoying. Deer flys have a painful bite. I was warned that at some point my hike would change from an adventure to an ordeal, and that time has come. A working person gets up every morning and goes to work. I get up every morning and churn out some miles. I am still having some fun and meeting interesting people. Pennsylvania is infamous for its rocks on the AT. The northern third of the state has been nicknamed "Rockslvania." I will be in that part of the state after I return from my niece's wedding
Date: 2016-07-16
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today the terrain was fairly level, fairly free of rocks, and my pack was light from being low on food. As a result, I was able to churn out 18 miles. At about 5:15 in the evening, the forest was (as usual) very still, quiet, and peaceful. As usual, this peacefullness had lulled my into a deep reverie. I was very tired, and thinking about how nice it would be to set down my pack and change out of my hiking boots and into my tennis shoes. Suddenly the stillness was shattered by a very loud and unpleasant buzzing/hissing/rattling noise. I looked at the place where the loud, unpleasant noise was coming from and I was looking into the unblinking eyes of a two foot long timber rattlesnake. I was so startled that I let out a yelp that could have woken the dead. I got an instant, intense adrenaline rush. The snake was about 10 yards away from me. At its thickest part, it was about the thickness of my wrist. I estimated it had 15 rattles at the end of its tail. It was mostly black in color, with some dark brown diamond patches on it. I desperately wanted two outcomes. One outcome was (obviously) to avoid being bitten. The other outcome was to get some pictures on my camera. The snake made a beeline for the underbrush. I decided that if the snake slithered off into the underbrush, there was no way in hell I was going to go after it to get some pictures. Fortunately, as soon as it felt it was somewhat hidden, the snake stopped and looked at me to see what I was going to do. I enlarged the camera as much as it would go, and took pictures of the snake, WELL out of its striking range. After I got some decent pictures and put my camera away, the snake decided to play a joke on me. It reversed direction and crossed the AT. If my camera was still on, I could have gotten some even better shots. For several weeks, I have been listening to some of my hiking buddies telling stories of their rattlesnake sightings, and fervently wishing I would also have a close (but safe) encounter with a rattlesnake. Well, I got my wish. In an earlier post, I mentioned that owl calls are my favorite woods sound. I will now add that a rattlesnake warning is hands down the most unpleasant forest sound that I have heard. I waited until the snake was well off the trail before I continued on my way, and I also moved WELL off the trail in the other direction from the snake when I walked past it. Even so, the snake rattled two more warnings and went into a coil as I passed it. I have heard that a rattlesnake only has a certain amount of poison at any given time, and as such, it would prefer not to waste that precious poison on a human that it can't eat. This snake preference for not biting me dovetails rather nicely with my desire NOT to be bitten by said snake.
Date: 2016-07-16
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today the terrain was fairly level, fairly free of rocks, and my pack was light from being low on food. As a result, I was able to churn out 18 miles. At about 5:15 in the evening, the forest was (as usual) very still, quiet, and peaceful. As usual, this peacefullness had lulled my into a deep reverie. I was very tired, and thinking about how nice it would be to set down my pack and change out of my hiking boots and into my tennis shoes. Suddenly the stillness was shattered by a very loud and unpleasant buzzing/hissing/rattling noise. I looked at the place where the loud, unpleasant noise was coming from and I was looking into the unblinking eyes of a two foot long timber rattlesnake. I was so startled that I let out a yelp that could have woken the dead. I got an instant, intense adrenaline rush. The snake was about 10 yards away from me. At its thickest part, it was about the thickness of my wrist. I estimated it had 15 rattles at the end of its tail. It was mostly black in color, with some dark brown diamond patches on it. I desperately wanted two outcomes. One outcome was (obviously) to avoid being bitten. The other outcome was to get some pictures on my camera. The snake made a beeline for the underbrush. I decided that if the snake slithered off into the underbrush, there was no way in hell I was going to go after it to get some pictures. Fortunately, as soon as it felt it was somewhat hidden, the snake stopped and looked at me to see what I was going to do. I enlarged the camera as much as it would go, and took pictures of the snake, WELL out of its striking range. After I got some decent pictures and put my camera away, the snake decided to play a joke on me. It reversed direction and crossed the AT. If my camera was still on, I could have gotten some even better shots. For several weeks, I have been listening to some of my hiking buddies telling stories of their rattlesnake sightings, and fervently wishing I would also have a close (but safe) encounter with a rattlesnake. Well, I got my wish. In an earlier post, I mentioned that owl calls are my favorite woods sound. I will now add that a rattlesnake warning is hands down the most unpleasant forest sound that I have heard. I waited until the snake was well off the trail before I continued on my way, and I also moved WELL off the trail in the other direction from the snake when I walked past it. Even so, the snake rattled two more warnings and went into a coil as I passed it. I have heard that a rattlesnake only has a certain amount of poison at any given time, and as such, it would prefer not to waste that precious poison on a human that it can't eat. This snake preference for not biting me dovetails rather nicely with my desire NOT to be bitten by said snake.
Date: 2016-07-17
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Days Inn, Lebanon, PA
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: clear sky

I had a very short day today, due to the fact that I had to stop in to pick up some mail. I am nearly certain there is a letter from my sister waiting for me, but the lady at the front desk says I have no mail. I have a feeling she is wrong. It would not be the first time my mail has been accidently lost. (sigh) I have been hiking the last two days with two middle aged women. On the first night, their tent was pitched close to my tent. The next morning, my throat was slightly sore, an indication that I had probably snored heavily the night before. One of the two ladies indicated that this was indeed the case, and that my snoring had interfered with her slumber. She was very polite when she said this. She also gently pointed out to me that there was a camping spot only a tenth of a mile away from the shelter where both the two women and I planned to spend the next night, and she said that might be a good place for me to pitch my tent. Well, I don't like it when people's snoring keeps me awake, and I am happy to oblige if there is a way for me to avoid keeping others from a good night's sleep as a result of my snoring. I was not at all offended, and I agreed to sleep at the non-shelter campsite. I arrived there shortly before 7:00 PM, and pitched my tent. I was the only one at the campsite. A few minutes later, the two prevoiusly mentioned women arrived and began setting up their tent. I mentioned that the shelter was only a tenth of a mile further along the AT, and that my snoring would probably again be a problem, but they insisted they were fine with spending the night at my campsite. A few minutes later, a party of three men and the young son of one of the men arrvied, also to spend the night. (More about them in tomorrow's posting.)I joked that I was very happy to see the three men, because if the next morning, accusations of snoring arose, I could spread the blame around. This morning, I had to hitchhike 2.1 miles from the AT to the hotel to pick up my mail. I stood by the side of the road, and I couldn't get a ride to save my soul. Finally, the two middle aged women I had camped with the night before arrived at the spot I was trying to hitch from. I have always heard that a man hitching alone will have poor luck, but a man hitching with one or more women will have far better luck. One of the ladies joked that I needed their help to get a ride and then she said, "Let's see if this will help." She then struck a very seductive pose, and I swear I'm not making this up, the very next car stopped and gave me a lift. Yeah, I guess you could call it a bait and switch when I got into the truck and the two ladies continued hiking on the AT!
Date: 2016-07-18
From: Days Inn, Lebanon, PA

To: Stealth Camping, Mile1196.2
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: few clouds

Have you read the book and/or seen the movie "A Walk In The Woods?" There is a character in that extremely humorous book named Katz. Katz is a good natured but grossly out of shape middle aged man who decides to accompany a college friend on an attempt to hike the AT. I thought Katz was a fictional character, but I have discovered he is a real person. I know this because last night I camped with him. Late in the evening, two men and a young boy arrived in the campsite and announced that their friend was right behind them. A few minutes later, a portly biked tottered/wheezed into camp, the pots and pans hanging from the back of his pack clanging noisily as he collapsed, groaning to the ground. He moaned that he couldn't walk another step (his car was parked THREE miles away, which was the total distance he had walked.) He asked how far the nearest road to the north was. When I said there was a road 6.1 miles away, he groaned, "I'll never make it." (Fortunately, there was a road 2.1 miles away that hopefully, he was able to totter to.) "My gosh, it's Katz," I thought to myself. It was uncanny how much this guy matched the character played by Nick Nolte in the movie. Nick Nolte and this portly biker might be two different bodies, but they have the same mind. The next morning, at 6;00 AM, when Katz awoke, he decided that since HE was awake, everyone else needed to be awake. Most hikers speak in very quiet voices early in the morning because some hikers (especially twentysomething hikers) like to sleep in, but Katz was bellowing to his buddies. I honestly don't think it occurred to him that other people might want to get a little more sleep. Well, it turns out that a rattlesnake had also spooked these three men and the young kid on the preceding day. Almost nobody on the AT brings a gun with them, but the father of the young boy had brought his gun with him (he put it into my hand. It was very heavy.) He said he brought the gun to protect his son, and he came very close to blasting the rattlesnake. While I have no problem with a person killing ANY animal that is endangering one or more lives, the rattlesnake did not pose a threat to anyone. It's kind of a moot point, because the man (thankfully) did NOT shoot the snake, but my point is that very few people bring a gun (pistol) on the AT because it is not needed, and it makes no sense to carry something that you do not need and will not use on a hike.
Date: 2016-07-19
From: Stealth Camping, Mile1196.2

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I have a hiking friend named Bluegrass.He is a very strong and fast hiker. I have camped at several shelters with Bluegrass and spent some time chatting with him. In Virginia, Bluegrass had an unpleasant experience that caused him to consider quitting his AT hike. Fortunately, myself and some other people were able to provide some support, and Bluegrass is continuing his hike. I knew how Bluegrass felt, because a few weeks ago, I had also reached an emotional low point, and friends were able to provide some moral support for me. A few days ago, while hiking the AT, I reached a paved road crossing that also had a parking lot. There was a woman in the parking lot who asked me if I would like a cold soda. That sounded like a WONDERFUL idea to me, so i accepted her offer and we began to chat. She asked me if I knew a hiker named Bluegrass. I said he is a friend of mine and she said she was Bluegrass mother. This wonderful trail angel had spent her own money to buy cold drinks for dirty, smelly hikers she didn't even know, while sitting in a hot God forsaken parking lot all day long. I should have been filled with gratitude for this fine woman's sacrifice, thanked her profusely, and been on my way. Instead, my foul mind formulated an evil plot. I asked the woman if she would be interested in helping me to play a practical joke on her son. She said that would depend what the joke was about. After first assuring her that her son had not borrowed any money from me, I said that when her son got to get car,about an hour after I was there, she should mention my visit, and then tell Bluegrass that she had repaid the $200 that Bluegrass had borrowed from me, just to see what his reaction would be. The lady chuckled and said. her son would enjoy that joke, and agreed to reay my message to Bluegrass. The nextday, I was sitting on a log, eating a snack when Bluegrass walked past me. Bluegrass, as I suspected he would, had some things to say about my prank. He enjoyed it, but for a few seconds when he thought I had swindled his mother, I was not his favorite person. On the AT, boredom has become a problem, and playing practical jokes on each other is one way we fightboredom. If during the next several days, I find that one or more heavy rocks have been snuck inside my backpack when I wasn't looking, I will be deserving of this prank. However, determining who the culprit is may not be easy to establish, as Bluegrass is not the only victim of one of my practicaljokes.
Date: 2016-07-24
From: Steamboat Springs Botanical Garden

To: Toots Park
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The morning after Missy & Mikes wedding, both sets of the parents threw a breakfast party for wedding guests. The food was delicious. Coffee was a bit delayed because it was ordered from Starbucks and the Starbucks employee made a mistake and had the coffee made in California, a great distance from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Hey, both states begin with the letter "C", so its easy to see how this mistake might be made!!!
Date: 2016-07-27
From: Steamboat Springs CO

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was my first day back on the AT after being off the trail for a week to attend my nieces wedding. I was very tired of hiking the AT and really looking forward to the time off. It gave my aching feet a chance to heal. What amazed me was how happy I was to return to the trail. I was surprised at how much I missed the trail.. I knew my first day back would be tough for a fewreasons. First, I only got three hours sleep due to traveling from Steamboat Springs CO to Philadelphia. Secondly, Pennsylvania is hot as an oven in July. LASTLY, I AM CARRYING a gallon of water due to the fact that the springs are close to dry. I had a bad encounter with a boxer dog that was unchained and on the trail. The dog charged me growling and snarling at me. I came very close to using my hiking poles to defend myself.The Dog came very close to biting me. The owner, a woman heard me shouting at her dog and made no attempt to call her dog away from me. She also made no apoogy for her unchained dog and seemed angry at me. The feeling was mutual.
Date: 2016-07-28
To: Bake Oven Knob shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

My hike is LITERALLY on the rocks, the infamous rocks of northern pennsylvania. Nimblewill Nomad, one of the high priests of long distance hiking said, " Sometimes on the AT things get really bad and then you have to be very patient and stoic and know that eventually things will improve."I had such a day today. Things started out very poorly and went downhill from there. It started when my cooking pot toppled over, spilling my breakfast on the ground. Then i began hiking, doing boulder hopping with a 35pound backpack over slippery moss and lichen covered rocks. Well, I thought glumly. At least things can't possibly get any worse. I was about to be disabused of this unwarranted optomism. Crack, went A clap of thunder, followed by lots of lightening and an all day rain. I was warned that there would be days on the AT when it would seem that even help would be an attractive alternative to the A T.