morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-17
From: Harpers Ferry Hostel

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail Day 117 -        Southern woods.Out at 9:30 am. It was a beautiful day and I was glad to be back in the Southern woods. At last I could see the sky. Sun dappled the forest floor. Birds chirped their songs. There were mature deciduous trees with open areas so you could see into the woods. Most importantly, there were no bugs. OK, maybe a few gnats buzzing into your ears. But they did not try to drain your blood and make you thrash around like Maine's mosquitos did! A desultory wave and the gnats were gone. It was great! I felt at home here.I stopped to check out the Ed Garvey shelter. It is a new spacious shelter with a picnic table on a front porch. I moved on and ran into trail magic just before Gathland State Park. Several people were sitting in camp chairs just off the trail. One called out to me, "Want a beer?" I replied, "Does a duck swim?" and executed a sharp right turn. Three camp counselors, Kyle, K.T. and Jimmy, had a keg of beer on ice they were offering to hikers passing by. Their goal was to get as many hikers toasted as possible. They had a couple of days off from their camp duties. Jimmy attends the University of Florida and belongs to a fraternity, Pi Theta Chi, I think. He is from Jacksonville. They have a barbecue at the first football game of the season. I told him I would look him up when I get back. Kyle is an art student from Columbus, Ohio. He is into ceramics and photography. Another hiker, Moose, was there and he looked like he was already well toasted. I stayed with them for an hour and did my best to help them empty the keg. Well-fueled, I resumed my hike with vigor.Today's hike extended along the ridge of South Mountain, where several Civil War skirmishes are memorialized. My goal was Dahlgren Backpack Campground, a unique place because it has tent pads, picnic tables and a bathroom with hot showers - all just for backpackers for free. John, a headhunter for oil commodities traders from Houston, and Mallory and Mickey, thruhikers, were there. I took a shower, set up my tent and cooked. It rained during the night so I put my tent up wet and dirty in the morning, something I hate to do. But it was great to have a hot shower at no cost.
Date: 2004-07-18
From: Dahlgren Backpack Campground

To: Ensign Cowell shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: haze

Trail Day 118 - Washington Monumentdaily miles 13.9 on ATThe day started rainy. I hiked up to Washington Monument State Park, the location of the first monument to George Washington, built in 1827 by the citizens of a nearby small town. It looks like a large squat kiln. It has fallen down and been rebuilt several times. It looks out over the valley, but the view was just clouds today. At US Hwy 40, I caught a ride down to the Dogpatch Tavern, a biker bar. I ordered a hamburger, sloppy joe and fries to get some quick protein and carbs. A couple of bikers were there but they did not pay much attention to me. As I walked back up the highway, I saw a deer run across four busy lanes of traffic. It was a fortunate deer for it got safely to the other side. I met two thruhikers, Terrapin and Goofy, at the gap. I would see more of them over the next few days. I climbed up the AT to the ridge and took the side trail to Annapolis Rocks. Terrapin told me a rock climber was injured there yesterday while free climbing the cliff. Apparently, he was stung by a bee and fell. There was a view of the valley, but it was not a high overlook compared to what I was used to seeing, even in the Shenandoahs.I stopped at Cowall shelter for the night. John was there. He is doing a section hike. He hikes a new section of the AT every year for two weeks, usually between Christmas and New Year's Day because that is when he can get off work. He says the AT is his Mecca. Later Terrapin and Goofy came in. It had been a quiet day of easy walking. I put up a line to dry out my tent before going to bed in the shelter.
Date: 2004-07-19
From: Ensign Cowell shelter

To: Antietam Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Trail Day 119 - Nibbling at the toes.daily miles 16.5 on ATOut at 9:30 am. Today I would leave Maryland and cross into Pennsylvania. I bypassed the Devils Racecourse shelter because it was 3 miles off the trail. It features a boulder field with a hidden stream that can be heard coursing underneath it. I have seen this phenomenon numerous times along the trail so it was not a novelty to me. I did take the side trail to High Rock, which gave a scenic view of the farms in the valley. I stopped at Pen-Mar Park for lunch and met Slimer, another thruhiker. He was in a hurry to catch up with his brother, who had started 2 weeks earlier than he did at Mt. Springer. Now his brother was only 2 days ahead and he thought he could catch him by Duncannon, PA. He told me he was named Slimer because he had allergy problems earlier on the trail. I stopped him right there and told him that was enough information. The Maryland-Pennsylvania border is the Mason-Dixon Line, marked by a sign and railroad tracks. Maryland had been a good state for me to start back on the AT after Maine. The trail did not go to the top of each mountain. It was content to travel just below the ridge and send off a side trail whenever there was a good viewpoint. This made for an easy soft path instead of a rocky one and still offered something other than just a green tunnel.In Pennsylvania, the shelters are smaller with room for only four persons, but there are two of these shelters side by side. I do not know the rationale for this. Hikers tend to prefer the larger, more spacious shelters. The shelter provides a social meeting place after a day of aloneness in the woods, and the more hikers, the merrier.I bypassed Deer Lick shelters because nobody was there and hiked another 2.4 miles to Antietam shelter. This is an older shelter located on the bank of a stream and next to a picnic grounds with potable water from a faucet. John was there, and Jen, who was just hiking for a few days. Jen lives near Harrisburg, PA and backpacks frequently. Her latest trip was to Europe and Iceland. She loved Iceland and told me how beautiful it was there. She took a bus to a remote park where there are no trees, but the lichen on the rocks glows in the light of the sun. She plans to travel to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington next where she will take a week-long backpacking course offered by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). She is quite an adventurous young woman. She has just graduated from college majoring in Art and Photography. Antietam stream had a deep pool that we three took a dip in. Very refreshing for our hot sweaty bodies. Little minnows nibbled at my toes. Rowboat says that it is therapeutic for fish to eat off the bacteria and dead skin, and that there are places in Japan where people who have Psoriasis go to be cured with pools of nibbling fish. All I know is that it feels good and makes me laugh. That is therapy enough for me.
Date: 2004-07-20
From: Antietam Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

TrailDay 120 -         Quarry Gap shelterdaily miles 13.4 on ATLeaving the shelter I was blocked by a line of 50 summer camp children and their counselors walking up the AT. It was 9:00 am, too late to avoid the crowd. I had to work my way up through the brambles alongside the trail. I passed Jen at the next shelter and stayed ahead of her for the 1000 ft. climb to Chimney Rocks. Even as tired as I have been, I can still power up a mountain. Instead of taking the trail to the vista with Jen, I chose to just enjoy a leisurely walk through the woods. As usual, I saw only a few day hikers. After 11 miles, the trail crossed a highway and entered Caledonia State Park, which has a swimming pool. I bought lunch from the concession stand and ate hurriedly while watching storm clouds roll in. The pool and park emptied as it began to rain. I waited out the downpour beneath a picnic shelter. The air was much cooler as I climbed 500 ft. up to Quarry Gap shelter. This has to be the most lovingly maintained shelter on the AT. There are baskets of blooming red Impatiens with written instructions to hikers for daily watering and placement. The first impression of the shelter is that it resembles an English cottage. It sits in front of a spring within a rhododendron grove. There is even a park bench in front, and there is a roll down screen to use as a wind break for the sheltered picnic table. The only limitation is it sleeps six people. There were ten of us seeking to get out of the rain that night, so four slept on the porch and around the table. It worked out fine and everyone was happy. John, Jen, Terrapin, Goofy, Kiwi, Slider, Rowboat, Mallory and Mickey were all there. I went to bed early as I knew tomorrow would be a long day.
Date: 2004-07-21
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Ironmaster's Mansion
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Trail Day 121 - Half Gallon Challengedaily miles 17.4 on ATOut early at 8 am due to a long day planned to the hostel. The trail climbed over 500 ft. from the shelter. Mickey and Mallory, strong hikers, passed me on an uphill. I stopped at Birch Run shelter where a group of teens were watching a rattlesnake eat a mouse. The snake rattled at them and at the hikers who came by. I took a photo of it while it rattled in the coiled position. After lunch, I hiked six miles to Tom's Run shelter. The other hikers from last night's shelter soon joined me. They were excited about getting to the camp store at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The midpoint of the AT for the "Class of 2004" is mile 1087, which is just before this store. A tradition of eating one half gallon of ice cream as quickly as possible to celebrate the midpoint has grown among thruhikers at the store. Terrapin was going to go for a new record time. Several others were also taking the Half Gallon Challenge. Not me. I did not want to stuff myself. I would just eat a pint and enjoy it.   Terrapin, Kiwi, Rowboat, Slider, Mickey, and Goofy all sat down with their half gallons in front of them. Terrapin did indeed set a new record, which entitles him to bragging rights and a wooden spoon. All of those who finished the half gallon got the same spoon. Only Mickey did not finish. Terrapin, Mallory and I polished that one off. Terrapin suffered the only injury: he burned his fingers when he stuck them in coffee to warm them. He was eating the ice cream with his fingers, having first cut it into blocks. Rowboat had the most difficult time finishing. He would never quite recover and thinks the lactose started his Giardia up again.John, Rowboat, Slider and I checked into the Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel next to the store for the night. This is a grand old brick estate which was once owned by the Pine Grove Furnace Ironmaster. It has a hidden cellar which was used to hide runaway slaves. I passed the invitation to go down there to check it out. I washed clothes, showered, prepared dinner and breakfast in the kitchen and got a good night's sleep in a bed. I love hostels!
Date: 2004-07-22
From: Ironmaster's Mansion

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: broken clouds

Trail Day 122 - Green Mountain General Storedaily miles 15.5 on ATOut of the hostel at 9 am. Passed the beach at Fuller Lake where there were kids swimming already. After 9 miles I turned off the trail onto a highway leading to the Green Mountain General Store. I knew this store would have a deli and I was looking forward to a good sub sandwich for lunch. I was not disappointed: it was the best sub I have eaten since the last time I was in Jacksonville where I know of a great sandwich place. The store was well-stocked with delicacies and local foods - like Birch beer which is clear as water but tastes like root beer. Thanks to Kiwi, I had a taste of Vegemite, a brown paste in a tube which is eaten with butter on bread in New Zealand. It is very salty but is actually a concentrated yeast extract. It tasted okay, but I don't think I would carry it in my pack. I hiked on up to the ridge to large boulders which were fun to climb around on. It poured rain as I headed on toward the shelter. I found an old shelter with room for six, and there were eight hikers. Terrapin and Goofy left for Boiling Springs, about 4 miles away, hoping to find lodging in town. We all went to sleep early hoping for better weather tomorrow.
Date: 2004-07-23
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: U.S. 11 , Harrisburg Pike
Miles today: 11.8

Trail Day 123 - Trail angel in Boiling Springsdaily miles: 11.8 on ATIt rained all night but stopped in the morning. The hike into Boiling Springs proceeded over two low hills and zig-zagged through rows of corn and soybeans. The town is postcard pretty with a small lake in the center populated by muscovy ducks and geese. I stopped at the ATC office and found a box to mail home things to lighten my pack. Terrapin and Goofy showed up in a van driven by a trail volunteer. They had found lodging at his house last night. He drove us all to a breakfast cafe in Carlisle, where we feasted on pancakes, etc. He was an interesting guy who has thruhiked all three of the north-south trails in the U.S. - an accomplishment called a Triple Crown among hikers. Back at the ATC office, Rowboat had hiked in from the shelter and was still feeling sick and weak. The volunteer took him to a motel on Rt. 11, about 8 miles up the trail. I told Rowboat I would hike there and share a room with him. The trail was flat and easy so I got to the motel in 3 hours and found Rowboat in bed drinking Gatorade. I went next door to a restaurant for a huge dinner of veal and spaghetti. We watched History channel programs until retiring. The next morning he went to a hospital to have some tests done. Later I heard he would have to wait a week for the results before he could resume hiking. Rowboat is a friend of Officer Taco, one of the first hikers to finish this year. They both work in law enforcement and are from the same area. I hope he recovers quickly and he can resume his hike.
Date: 2004-07-24
From: U.S. 11 , Harrisburg Pike

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: few clouds

Trail Day 124 - The Doyle in Duncannondaily miles 17.6 on ATI left Rowboat in the motel and hiked back up the highway to the AT. The first five miles were flat and wound through forest near dairy farms. It followed a creek which must have been polluted from runoff. We were warned against drinking the water. The trail then climbed 750 ft. with the aid of switchbacks to the top of Blue Mountain. I sat on a stone bench for lunch with a great view of the valley. After descending over 2.5 miles into another farm valley, it rose 750 ft. again to the ridge of Cove Mt. I picked up a marshmallow and some mints left in a box by the trail for thruhikers by Kandymom. That made my day! On the way up Cove Mt. I met a trail maintainer and his wife cutting vegetation. He was named Greybeard and had just finished hiking his last section of the trail from New Hampshire to Katahdin to complete a thruhike. He told me there would be some tough trail ahead in New England. The ridge was mostly flat or downhill for five miles, making it a very pleasant walk. I was eagerly anticipating getting to the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon, a tradition for hikers. I met Little Feet, a section hiker from Boston, just before the descent. I hit my head on a tree trunk and fell backward onto my pack and she helped me up. Fortunately I was not hurt. That was not the first time this has happened. My son has warned me to look up more when hiking. He was right!The trail goes through Duncannon right in front of the Doyle Hotel. The building looks like it was transplanted from New Orleans. It is old and worn but has a wide balcony sweeping around the second floor where there are outdoor tables. At the bar I rented a room and ordered a Yuengling, a wonderful Pennsylvania beer. The bar was filled with hikers. I sat next to Big Tree, who I had not seen since Rainbow Springs Campground in North Carolina. He is Scarecrow's brother.Scarecrow, like many others I hiked with earlier, is two weeks ahead. After three beers I lugged my pack up to the third floor and found my room. It was about as big as a closet and contained just a small single bed, a chair and a chest of drawers. There was a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling and it badly needed paint. This hotel epitomizes the word seedy, but I did not mind: it was a bed I could sleep in and my own room, rare in life on the trail. I took a nap and walked down the street to an Italian take-out place, where I dined on a delicious ham and cheese Calzone. There was a party going on back at the Doyle, but I was too tired for festivities. I just waved to the revelers as I climbed the stairs to my bed.
Date: 2004-07-25
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 11.4

Trail Day 125 - Escape from the Doyledaily miles 11.4 on ATHiked out of town about 10 am, crossing the bridge over the wide Susquehanna River and jumping the railroad tracks. Climbed 800 ft. up to the ridge. Stopped at Clark's Ferry shelter for lunch. As usual, nobody was around. I found a cooler of beer left by the trail in the afternoon and stopped to drink one. A refreshing surprise. Pushed on to the next shelter. On the way I met a man day hiking with his son and wife. He told me about an his experience at Philmont when he was treed by an aggressive brown bear. He pointed out an adult male peacock in full but frayed plumage that was wandering near the trail. I got a photo of it. Probably an escapee from a farm. Peters Mt. shelter is a new 2-story building, but the spring is 800 ft. down a steep trail. I had to get water twice, so the second time I ran down and back and timed myself. Before I left in the morning, I wrote in the register that I was the Peters Mt. Shelter Water Carry Champion and noted my time. Later I regreted doing this. I hope nobody tries to beat it and gets hurt. My competitive evil twin has been emerging lately.Little Feet hiked in with her friend Sharon. They would hike together for a few days and I would see them each night in the shelters, as we covered the same distance during the day. There were no other hikers in the area. Like cars on a highway, hikers tend to come in waves with a void in between - and we were in a void. The advantage of being in a void is there is plenty of room in the shelter at night.
Date: 2004-07-26
From: Peters Mt. Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

Trail Day 126 - Aerobatics over Stony Mt.daily miles 17.5 on ATToday would be all ridge walk with only one gap to cross. I passed Little Feet and Sharon climbing up from the gap. The climb was long and steep. I did not meet any other hikers on the trail today. There was an interesting aerial display on top of Stony Mt. An airliner and a jet fighter flew together just over the ridge in tight circles around and around for about 20 minutes. They must have made ten circuits. I could see them both clearly through the trees. The jet engines were very loud and screeching; the aircraft flight pattern unusual. At first I thought the airliner must be in trouble, but then decided it was flying alright. I couldn't think of any reason for this flight pattern. The weather was fine and there are no airports nearby. I learned from the next shelter register that other hikers have witnessed low altitude aerial exercises over the ridge. The area must be used by the military for practice because it is isolated with few people around to disturb.Rausch Shelter is old and small. There is no picnic table, just a metal counter encircling a tree to cook meals on. The spring comes out of a pipe into a trough right in front of the shelter. Nobody was there, so I cooked and ate dinner alone. Later Sharon and Little Feet walked in. Little Feet put up her tent but moved it under the shelter roof when it rained during the night. Smart move, because it would have been wet and muddy otherwise. It was still raining when we got up in the morning.
Date: 2004-07-28
From: Willialm Penn Shelter

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: light rain

Trail Day 128 - Little Feet, John and me.daily miles 19.2 on ATMy earliest start at 7:15 am. For awhile I entertained the fantasy that I might just hike all the way into Port Clinton, 27.8 miles. I gave that up when I wasted 20 minutes looking for white blazes and a spring near the 501 shelter. The trail was easy, not too many rocks. I stopped at several overlooks and I saw numerous southbound section hikers. My back hurt from carrying the backpack the long miles. I have been taking Advil at night for this but not during the day because I don't like covering pain with medication. I may have to start doing so. I finally caught up with John, the Houston headhunter, six miles before Eagle's Nest Shelter. Tomorrow he would be picked up in Port Clinton by his sister-in-law, and he would fly back home. Little Feet would also leave the trail there to return to Boston. We would all sleep in the same shelter that night for the first and last time. I was sad about losing the companionship of these two fine people. I would be on my own again for awhile.On the trail into Eagles Nest Shelter I stepped on a bridge with rotten planks and was flipped over on my back. I was not hurt, but I did not appreciate the rotten planks on the bridge. That bridge should be torn down or rebuilt. I took a bandana bath in the stream to clean off the mud and spent a relaxing evening in the shelter with John and Little Feet. Tomorrow would be a short and easy hike into Port Clinton.