morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Free State Hiker Hostel

To: Quarry gap Shelters
Miles today: 30.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Wow...my biggest day yet! Not only did I cross from Maryland into Pennsylvania, but I hiked 30.5 miles today. I hadn't really planned to, it just sort of happened. I ate cold Mexican food for breakfast, packed up and headed for the trail. I got back to the trail head at about 8 AM. I got to the Pen Mar County Park in a few hours and decided to stop for some lunch. The snack bar was closed, but there was a guy there that let me in to buy a couple of cold cokes...man those felt good going down! I sat in a pavilion at the park that had a beautiful view of the countryside. Soon after leaving there I was at the Mason-Dixon Line...leaving the south and entering the north. I had originally planned on just going to the Antietam Shelter (about 17 miles) but got there so early I decided to go further. I finally decided I'd camp at Caledonia State Park (about a 28 mile day), but when I got there I got misdirected when I asked where the camping area was. They pointed to the place where the AT headed north, so I thought the camping section of the park was up the trail further. Well, the trail started climbing very steeply, and once I figured out I had been giving bad directions it was too late for me to turn back. I wasn't going to "re-climb" that hill I had just climbed, so I decided to go on to the next shelter. When I got there, I checked my book and found out I had hiked a 30+ mile day. Funny thing was, I felt pretty good still...a good day on the AT! Ben, Amanda, Trash Bag and Rodeo Clown were all there, so it was a nice little reunion as well. I was, however, ready for bed pretty early...
Date: 2007-06-02
From: Quarry gap Shelters

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: broken clouds

The big event today (other than meeting the rattlesnake) was that I passed the half way point in the trail just before entering Pine Grove Furnace State Park. That was a pretty significant milestone for me. I remember setting around talking to other hikers and saying "we've gone half way!" and then realizing "we've ONLY gone half way...we've still got the other half to hike"! I took the half-gallon challenge at the store in the park. There is a tradition among hikers to eat a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting when you reach the half way point...I ate turtle tracks and had no problem doing it. In fact...I ordered a hot dog and hamburger not too long after eating the ice cream...I've definitely fine tuned my hiker appetite! I'm staying at the Ironmasters Mansion Hiker Hostel tonight. While there, I called Stacy and Jere and wished them a happy first anniversary.
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.4

Well...everyone has been talking about how rocky the trails are in PA. So far I'm loving the trails in PA. I know it has to end sooner or later because of all the bad press I've heard, but today was great for making good time. There were a few of what would best be described as "stupid" rock scrambles, but they weren't too long nor very frequent. They just seemed pointless and avoidable. It drizzled just enough today to make me put my pack cover on, but never cut loose. Although I did over 19 miles today, I was in town by 2. I got a room, got showered, changed clothes and went in search of good food. I found a great little Italian place and had a lasagna dinner while I watched it rain outside. As I was setting there I saw Ben, Amanda, Trashbag and Rodeo Clown ride by on bicycles with their backpacks on. That was about the funniest thing I had seen lately. There were a lot of hikers in town and it was fun catching up with some I hadn't seen in a while.
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 25.6
Weather: overcast clouds

When I went downstairs for breakfast I ran in to Iceman. He had run to the PO for a package and had too much food to carry so he gave me some cookies and brownies. I packed them away for a snack later in the day. By the time I ate breakfast and talked to all the hikers I ran in to as I made my way to the trail head it was after 9:30 before I actually started hiking. The terrain for the first half was probably the easiest I have seen so far. It was gently rolling fields and woods with many road crossings. The weather was cool and drizzly which was a blessing because this section is notorious for long stretches without water and with long stretches with no shade. After 12 or 13 miles I finally started gaining some altitude and it felt like I was getting back on the AT again. I hit a few rocky sections in the afternoon, but they weren't any worse than what I had seen in other states. So far so good. I got into Duncannon, checked in to the Doyle, got my shower and changed and headed out for supper. I had an awesome pizza at Sorrento's then headed back to the Doyle to do my laundry. I hit the sack soon after, tired and content.
Date: 2007-06-05
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I got up before 6 and went across the street for breakfast. While there, I decided I would stay another day in Duncannon and take a little break. It had been over a week since I zeroed and I had been averaging over 23 miles a day. I was feeling a little tired and decided to rest a day. I went back to my room after breakfast and made my grocery list. There was a shuttle going to a grocery later in the afternoon I was going to catch. However, I talked to Fireball and Tex around lunch and they had decided to get off the trail. They had been section hiking for several years and decided they had done enough of it and were going to head to Maine by car to climb Katahdin. I went with them when they got their ride to get a rental car and they took me to Wal Mart to do all my shopping. I was really glad to get to go there because I needed a new pair of boot inserts in the worst way. Many thanks to Tex and Fireball for helping me out.
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up early, got a shower and headed back across the street to Goodies for breakfast. I had a huge breakfast and still had to wrap up 2 1/2 pancakes to take with me. I ate them later in the day on the trail. I was in no rush to hit the trail because I was only planning to go about 11 miles today. I finally got going at about 10:15. The first mile or so was in town, and across some bridges. Then I hit a steep, but pretty short climb up out of town. The rocks seemed to get a little more frequent today, but still nothing much different than I had seen in other states on the trail. I got to my shelter pretty early and visited with four southbound section hikers for quite a while. I'm really loving these long days...it gives you a lot more daylight to visit with folks in camp after the hiking day is done.
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

I got going at about 7:45 this morning. I only had a little over 17 miles to go today, and it stays light til after 9 now, so I purposely tried to slow it down today. I got to Shikellimy overlook and started looking for the rattlesnakes. I was warned there was a den of them there and one hiker had seen 4 at one time. I guess I got there too early for them to be out sunning because I didn't see a single one. Fine with me!!! I stopped to cool my feet in Clark's Creek after I had been hiking for a while. That water was icy cold. Well, I finally hit some of the rocky areas I think PA got its reputation from. They seem to be getting more frequent, longer in duration and more treacherous. There must be a military base somewhere near here. I've heard small arms fire, artillery, bombing and A-10 strafing runs today.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

I had the shelter all to myself last night...got a great night's sleep. I was on the trail at about 7:20 after having a cup of coffee and a couple of cherry danish. Today was a 17+ mile day but the rocks seemed to make it a lot longer. Now there is no doubt in my mind why PA has a bad reputation for rocks. As a percentage of trail, the amount of really rocky spots aren't all that great. But...it doesn't take too many of those really difficult rocky spots to "significantly dampen" an otherwise good hiking day. I think for me it is the fact that you have to move so slowly and carefully and you have to concentrate very closely on where you are going to place every footstep. It drains me mentally and physically and just kills my feet. There are stretches where your feet don't touch anything but rocks for quite a while. I startled a turkey today. The poor thing didn't seem like he knew what to do. He ran off in one direction then circled back and ran across the trail in front of me again, then circled back and did it again. Other than that there wasn't much else to see today. I guess I'm in one of those sections known as "the long green tunnel". I got to my shelter at about 3:30, got a "solar shower", and ordered a pizza from a town about 4 miles away. There were 2 section hikers and 2 thru hikers sharing the "shelter" with me. It is more like a hostel than a shelter, but it is free. We had a beautiful thunderstorm that I could watch through the skylight in the roof of the shelter. It was nice to watch it and hear the rain and not worry about getting wet.
Date: 2007-06-09
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: clear sky

It looked pretty threatening when I left just before 7:30 this morning, but cleared up pretty quickly. Last night's thunderstorm cooled things down pretty nicely and took some of the humidity out of the air. I saw several turtles on the trail today. Other than that there wasn't much else to look at but rocks. I've definitely had my fill of rocks after today and I still have about 75 miles of PA left to go. Anyhow, I got to Port Clinton at about 5 and headed for the pavilion they allow hikers to sleep in. I staked out a spot, got some laundry together and headed for the hotel where they have a restaurant and a place for hikers to do laundry. I did my laundry, ate a good supper and headed back to the pavilion to turn in.
Date: 2007-06-10
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up early and at a local family restaurant when they opened at 6. I had a huge breakfast. It took some effort, but I cleaned my plate. I sat and talked with Iceman for a bit, then headed back to the pavilion to pack up and leave. I hit the trail at about 8:30 and pretty soon was working on a pretty steep climb out of town. The day was cool and overcast, but the humidity seemed to rise as the day went on. I saw a LOT of people on the trail today. Guess there were a lot of familys and small groups out enjoying nature on a pretty summer Sunday. The rocks were worse today than yesterday...I'm getting pretty tired of them. I hit a climb today that was longer and steeper than any I had seen in quite a while. Still...I'd take the climbs over the rocks any day!!! It started raining about an hour before I got to my shelter today. Fortunately it wasn't a soaker...just an annoyance. I met a guy (section hiker) from Philly at the shelter tonight. He was trying to convince me that the rocks in PA weren't all that bad. He failed. He is from PA and I think he just doesn't like his state having a bad reputation for rocky trails on the AT. He was hiking southbound and told me that my hike to Palmerton tomorrow would be a nice one (i.e. not rocky). We'll see if he was right. I also saw Grasshopper and his girlfriend at the shelter. Grasshopper came through the trail magic setup we did north of Damascus and I hadn't seen him since then.
Date: 2007-06-11
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 17.7

Well...the rocks sucked most of the pleasure out of my hiking day again today. If someone asked me to rate the quality of the hiking experience in each state, PA would definitely be in last place by a long margin (at least so far). There were a few nice views today, but then again, those views can't hold a candle to what I have already seen in the previous 1,200 miles of the trail, and they are very few and far between in PA. Simply put, PA doesn't have a whole lot going for it with respect to the AT, at least from my experience. I got some trail magic from Orangeman about a mile before Palmerton. It was actually well timed for me. I had run out of snacks and was feeling pretty drained and there he was with a cold coke and candy to energize me to go the rest of the way. Palmerton is a great little trail town. They allow hikers to sleep free on bunks in the basement of their city building and use their restrooms and showers. They even give hikers a welcome bag with goodies in it. Everything a hiker needs is within a couple of blocks of the city bldg too. They even helped me arrange for a free ride back to the trail the next morning.
Date: 2007-06-12
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: clear sky

I had a good breakfast at a local restaurant and caught my ride to the trail at 7:30. I was on the trail at 7:45 and had an awesome climb out of Lehigh Gap. I was sure glad I had eaten well last night and this morning. I motored right up that mountain and was rewarded with beautiful views and several miles of flat ridge walking. The rocks weren't nearly as frequent nor as long today. When I got to PA33 I headed for town (Wind Gap). The 2007 thru-hikers companion says town is 1 mile away and has a motel. Well, the city limit may have been 1 mile away, but the motel was more like 3 or 4 miles away and I walked the whole way. But, I got checked in, went through my normal routine and headed out to find something to eat. I talked to the hotel manager about getting a ride back to the trail the next morning. She said she could take me back to the trail at 8.
Date: 2007-06-13
From: Wind Gap, PA

To: Saint Paris, OH
Miles today: 0.0

Change of plans. I got breakfast, got all packed up and met the motel manager out front at 8. I loaded my stuff in her car and as she was pulling out of the motel she got into an auto accident. Luckily nobody was hurt. I hung around for the police to complete their investigation and gave my statement. By that time it was after 9. My original plan was to hike to Deleware Water Gap then rent a car and head home (Saint Paris, OH) for a week. I changed my plans after the accident and decided to rent a car now and get out of Dodge ASAP. Enterprise came and got me at about 1 and I was on my way soon after. I plan to get back to the trail on (or about) 20 June in Wind Gap, PA.
Date: 2007-06-20
From: Saint Paris, OH

To: Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Eventless drive back to the trail. Spent the night in a Comfort Inn about 25 miles from the rental car agency. Will head there first thing in the AM and have them drive me back to the trail. I hated to leave home, but am anxious to get going on the trail again. I decided not to bring my stove with me. With the warm summer weather upon me I thought I'd try going with cold meals for a while. Not carrying the stove and fuel allows me to carry even heavier foods. I slimmed down the pack a little more by deleting and replacing a few items. My dry weight (without food and water) is now down around 25 pounds. Cheers...357 Magnum
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Wind Gap, PA

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: few clouds

I grabbed some breakfast in the lobby and headed toward the rental agency. After a quick stop at K-mart and a gas station I dropped off the rental car. They farried me back to the trail head and I took that first step on the AT at about 9:15. PA was as rocky as I had remembered it being...having my new shoes on was both a blessing and a curse. The soles were much thicker but I krew I really had to be careful as I finished breaking them in. I felt like I took my time today, but when I calculated my mileage at the end I realized I had traveled at about 2.5 MPH. Not too bad after being off the trail for a whole week. I actually felt pretty good. I ended the day at a church hostel in Deleware Water Gap, PA about 0.2 miles from the NJ state line.   Hooray!!!   Almost out of PA!!! Sorry all you PA lovers. I really timed my return to the trail well. the church puts on a pot luck for the hikers on Thursday nights, so I got some good food at a great price (free). And the fellowship with the church members was pretty nice too. The hostel was full by the time night fell...the folks at the church said it'll probably be full more often than not for the next month or so. It is very close to the trail with easy acces to the post office and restaurants.
Date: 2007-06-22
From: Deleware Water Gap

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a big (but great) day. I got up before 6 and headed for a local restaurant (Deleware Water Gap Diner) for breakfast. Had an Italian omelet and coffee for breakfast, went back to the hostel and packed, then hit the trail at about 7:30. I crossed the Deleware River Bridge with morning rush hour traffic just whizzing by me. Luckily there was a pretty good barrier between them and me. But...I couldn't help but think about how blessed I am to be out here doing this when so many others are making their way to work this morning. As I got initiated into NJ hiking, I started liking NJ pretty quickly. There were some rocky spots today, but nothing like PA. There were long stretches with no rocks at all, and most of the rocky spots were the type you can still make pretty decent time on. The views were also longer and nicer than before. I saw 2 porcupines, 2 deer and my first bear today. See the porcupine photo caption for that story. The bear looked like a yearling, not too big, but I spotted him from about 100 feet away at about the same time he spotted me. He was headed toward me on the trail, but as soon as he saw me he bolted into the woods. That was just fine by me. They say NJ has more bear per square mile than any other state on the AT. I stopped at the Mohican Outdoor Center at about noon and had a sandwich and a cold drink. Another interesting note on today's hike is that the Brink Road Shelter, where I am staying tonight, marks the 60% point on the trail. I guess I can say I'm "well" over half way now. Cheers...357 Magnum
Date: 2007-06-23
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: few clouds

I was on the trail by 7:15 this morning and only went about 4 miles before I took a side road to a small town for brunch. If I haven't mentioned it, NJ and NY are famous for having delis pretty close to the trail quite frequently...and I'm not embarrassed at all to stop and check them out...I mean that's part of the culture of this area that I feel I need to experience just as much as I want to experience hiking the trail. Sounds good to me! I stopped in Culver's Gap and asked a local where a particular restaurant was. He said it had closed, but offered to take me to the restaurant where he was headed, We chatted all the way there and he wound up buying me breakfast and taking me back to the trail. He was a really nice guy...he was on medical leave from a local police department for a duty related injury. The whole day turned out to be a very "busy" day. It was a beautiful Saturday and there were a LOT of people out on the trail. It seemed like I stopped and talked to folks more than I hiked, but I really enjoyed it even though it meant it took me over 12 hours to go just under 20 miles...much slower than usual. There were some horribly rocky sections in the trail today too...for a minute or two I wondered if I had made a wrong turn and wound up in PA again. There were quite a few very nice, long views today though. Take a look at some of the other pics I loaded from on top of Sunrise Mtn and the monument that looks a lot like the Washington Monument. I got to my shelter in plenty of time to eat my supper and get ready for bed before dark. I met Magic Horse and Magellan for the first time at the shelter tonight.
Date: 2007-06-24
From: High Point Shelter

To: St Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel; Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 18.9

I left at about 7:15 again and was feeling pretty good. The rocks started to diminish again and the terrain was getting pretty nice. I hiked about 7 miles to a road crossing where I could hike into Unionville, NJ for brunch. I found a great new Bagel place and had a breakfast sandwich and coffee followed by a cherry danish and another coffee. Magellan showed up as I was finishing my coffee so I sat and visited with her a bit, then I hit the trail. The hike was just short of 19 miles today and there were very few rocky spots. I was really surprised by the variety of terrains I saw today. Everything from mountains to farmland to swamps with boardwalks to road walks...it was quite a treat. I made it to the road crossing for Vernon, NJ pretty early and hitched a ride in under 3 minutes. Later I was reminded that it is illegal to hitch in NJ...oops! The guy that picked me up had some friends who had hiked the whole trail so he knew exactly what I was doing and felt mercy on me. He took me in to town and dropped me off at the church hostel. I showered, laundered and headed out for supper. I had a great stromboli and a pint of ice cream. Some of my hostel mates broke the unwritten "hiker midnight" rule big time. They were up til well after 11 screwing around with their food and gear. Oh well...I'll make the sleep back up somewhere elase down the line.
Date: 2007-06-25
From: St Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel; Vernon, NJ

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I got up early and got to the diner when they opened at 6. I had 3 eggs, hash browns, 3 small pancakes and a bottomless cup of coffee for $3.16. My kind of place. I went back to the hostel, packed up and started walking back to the trail. As I passed a gas station a block from the hostel I asked if anyone was headed for the trail...one guy yelled back and said sure, come on. He saved me another 2 mile road walk. I thanked him for the ride and hit the trail. Hiking through the end of NJ was pretty great! I really enjoyed the state. Then I moved in to NY and I thought the rocks would never end. And they tease you...they'll take you off a granite ridge line and down onto the soft forest floor only to put you right back up on top of another granite ridge line. I did see a few great views along the way though. I eventually got to NY 17A and was standing there trying to figure out which way I was going to go (0.1 miles to ice cream or 2.7 to a full service restaurant) when a guy pulled over and asked if I needed a ride. Turned out to be "Hiker Jim" there to restart the trail. He had gotten off here last year and just drove in from Phoenix to finish the trail this year. So...I caught a ride into town for a full meal and he drove me back out to the trail. Thanks Hiker Jim! As I was headed north I ran in to Tiptoe, a southbound section hiker. We chatted a bit and as we parted she said "I'm really looking forward to the ice cream at this next road crossing." After we parted I thought...boy, that does sound good. I hadn't hiked far, and it was early, and I only had two more miles to do today, so...I turned around and went back to get some ice cream too. I'm glad I did...it was really, really good. When I eventuall did get to the shelter, Magic Horse, Deth March, Magellan and Hiker Jim were there. Judo showed up a while later...that's the first time I had met her. The bugs were getting pretty bad and it was really hot, so I slept with a mosquito head net on and just draped my open sleeping bag over top of me. I got a pretty good night's sleep with all things considered.