morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-28
From: 945.5

To: 961
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

Updating on 04 July 16. Lost paper journal page for this date. I remember that my water filter pump broke RIGHT when I was through filling up all my water bottles for the day. Very not cool, but hostel was coming up with an outfitter nearby. Called and they have a Sawyer, which I didn't want, but it's the only one they have. No prob - will work for a few days.Got some GREAT pix and video of a black phase timber rattlesnake on way to water source. Kids on Trail "almost stepped on it". Snake was laying stretched out in some ferns, hiding, desperately wishing the idiot tourists would move on. I tapped it on the tail, causing mad panic with the day hikers "It's going to jump on you !! You are going to die if it bites you !!", etc. . Snake coiled up against a log and started buzzing. Got to explain about strike zones, dry bites, how many people actually die, I'm from Texas, rattlers no big deal, etc. Hong Kong Steve and a few others I knew by face getting water as well.
Date: 2016-05-29
From: 961

To: 965.3
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: clear sky

Strange weather last night - wind started at 0100, kept on until 0400. Grew intensely dark, evidently clouds moving overhead. At 0400, moon came out and wind died down. No rain. Easy trail to hostel, only 1/2 mile down on a side trail. Nice place, Portuguese the only one here I know. Sort of crowded, but the owner is very nice and helpful. Had to pay $75 for a shuttle to take me 50 miles to buy a $25 water filter to replace my broken pump while I wait for a replacement to be sent from home. Yeesh. Saw me coming. Only one choice for the free trip into town unless you wanted to pay - one grocery store and eating place location. Oh, well, his hostel, his way of doing things. No prob - got what I needed. Spent the day planning next 175 miles. Hostel owner helpful here. Almost out of the Shenandoahs - PA looks pretty flat and easy. Might make up some miles. ***** Yes - I actually wrote the last sentence in my paper journal. *****
Date: 2016-05-30
From: 965.3

To: 984.3
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Good night in the hostel - no one snored, not even me. Heh. Up Trail, feeling good. Did the first 4 miles in 2 hours. Good time, good Trail. Turned phone on - dead. Crud. Cord went through the wash and evidently died. Phone did NOT charge last night. Had to stop at next hostel - Cabbin - to charge. While it was charging, did some window washing for them to repay. Had to wait over an hour for the charging to complete with the smaller cord from the battery pack. Sawyer filter slow - need my pump back. Manassas Gap Shelter packed with tents and young pups - no one younger than about 25 - mostly new faces, but some I recognized and said "Hi" to. No one in shelter for some reason. No flat spots left, didn't want the shelter - no problem - there will be a flat spot just up the Trail. Ha. Hesitate to put this in but: as I was hiking out, heard one young pup ask who I was. Another female young pup I have leap-frogged a few times say, "That's Old Hiker. He's nice. I like him." Another male pup (Her partner? Not sure.) said, "Yeah, he's pretty cool. He's going to make it." Didn't realize people knew me or were rooting for me out here. Every flat spot had rocks underneath. Could NOT get stakes into the ground. Kept going - kept trying - nothing. Made Dick's Dome shelter at 2015 - I HATE doing that. Tents up and down the area between the old shelter and where the new one was being constructed. Sheesh. No one in the old shelter - I'm beat - in I go. Only one in shelter. 19 miles started the right ankle hurting - kept me awake, tossing and turning trying to find a position, ANY position where it would stop, but could not. Started dozing about 2230 after pain meds, finally slept. This shelter down in a notch. Dark, cool night beside stream.
Date: 2016-05-31
From: 984.3

To: 995.3
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

Meds with b'fast and the ankle is OK finally. Not TOO many - hesitant about taking a lot. Slow, even with pain meds. Certain positions cause flare up of pain and slow me down. Started the Roller Coaster in this part - nothing but straight ups and downs - 700 up, 500 down, 300 up, 800 down, etc. etc. etc. They actually have signs at the beginning and end bragging about it. No switchbacks for the most part, just rocks and nasty ups and downs. Can't get my mind around why you would make the Trail you are allegedly maintaining so hard. Young pups flying past all day. Quit counting at 12+. Yeesh. No room at the next 2 shelters, probably. Stopped about the second hill of coaster about 1600 - too many hills ahead with no promise of a campsite. Too much undergrowth, poison ivy, etc. NO switchbacks to be seen. Hill had a fire very recently, cleared out the poison ivy, undergrowth, snakes, ticks, etc. Very handy - have to remember to set fires when I need a camping spot. Heh. Lots of nice, soft duff to set up on as well. Ashes all rained in, no problem. 2 older female section hikers stopped as well - asked if they could camp nearby. Were only making 8 -12 miles per day and the Coaster was killing them. No prob - plenty of spaces around. Decent day - hot and humid, though. Trying to keep hydrated, but is hard.
Date: 2016-06-01
From: 995.3

To: 1008
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

Good start - early start. Too, it slow as ankles still stiff from 2 days ago.Had Trail Magic from The Count and Lavender, former AT thrus about 0830. Ice cold watermelon (!!), snacks, Dr. Pepper - yum. Was already soaked in sweat. GREAT start. Finished Roller Coaster. Seriously thought about breaking the sign at the north end as irritated as I was, but decided not to. Let someone else expend the energy. I'm too tired. Crossed 1000 miles - whoot. Found good place in Racecourse - thought it was going to be nothing but boulders, as that's what it was described as, but is a flat shelf under a cliff and overlooking another cliff. Runs for miles. Tons of camping spots here. Deep dirt, no rocks or ivy, deep leaves for padding. Under trees. What more can I ask for?Set up camp slow. Hobbling around like, well, like an Old Hiker.
Date: 2016-06-02
From: 1008

To: 1022.5
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

Up and out early. Trying for Harper's Ferry to rent car and zero on 03 June. Very rocky in parts, very good in parts. Took hour for lunch and hydration at Keys Gap about 1040. Early lunch - starving for some reason. VA - W by God VA border by 1300 or so. Town by 1430. Going down Loudoun Heights, came across what I thought were old, sunken roads. Realized they were the Civil War trenches. Young female section hiker coming up out of town asked about camping spots and I told her about the trenches. Good camping places, I thought, if you didn't mind a few ghosts from the past. Weren't any "No Camping" signs until much further in. No signs telling you about the place (later - in town). Once you were in sight of town, flat places for gun emplacements were there. Trail down into town and up into town pretty steep. Ankles better but right one STILL won't bend well when rock hopping. Stomping across the bridge didn't seem to help either. ATC HQ - I am now officially thru hiker #438. Wish I had been a few hours earlier and been #430, my old Scout Troop number from Ballinger, TX, but oh, well. Look for me on the ATC web site and in the Thru Hiker journal for 2016. Whoot. Enterprise came and got me, took me to Charles Town where I got a VERY nice Motel 6 room. Surprisingly cheap and recently renovated. Zero tomorrow.
Date: 2016-06-04
From: 1022.5

To: 1038.5
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Started fairly late - dumped at ATC HQ at 0930, Trail at 0945. Have to camp in "authorized" sites now. Not sure why - TONS of good stealth sites. No one can or will tell me what the ticket cost is for stealthing so I can budget it in. Didn't want just 10 - pushed to Rocky Run. Decent time, just more than I wanted. No pain meds yet. Sent home sleeping bag - cook set and stove - odds and ends to lighten up. Haven't cooked anything in weeks, no reason to keep. Will take 200 mg caffeine pill instead of 1/2 liter of coffee in the morning if needed. Got 40* quilt from home, no need for 3.5 pound bag. Got new tent to replace old one. Have added 30 oz water bottle - can now carry 120 oz (1 gal - 8 lbs) water now. Need it for stretches that are 10-12 miles between water sources. Seemed slow today, but 2+ mph. WAS slow out of Harper's Ferry - stopped to read signs, talk with tourists about hiking, etc. Lots of history - need to come back again. Have put pieces of blue foam sleeping pad over left hip where I have a large bruise over the iliac crest of the hip bone. I have lost 45 pounds (most of it needed) and I have nothing between the bone and the pack belt except skin. Need to watch the area, as I don't want sores to develop. Shelter by 1900 - hardwood floors (!), new, but I wanted to tent. New tent - need to see how it will work. Also not too sure how many people will show up. New tent OK, but..........kinda different from the old one. Same tent, just upgraded over the years. Need to get used to it.
Date: 2016-06-05
From: 1038.5

To: 1047.6
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: broken clouds

Not too bad Trail today - still TONS of NICE stealth sites, but was informed that the MD State Police not only patrol the Trail and ticket you, but escort you off the Trail. Not sure if it's true or not. Early lunch at the Washington Monument - yes, the Washington Monument. The FIRST one ever in America. Pretty neat. Most of town marched up in the 1800's behind a fife and drum corps, laid the foundation and built it up 15 feet, had a picnic and went home. Later finished. http://dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/western/washington.aspxPineknob Shelter by 1320 - radar showed HEAVY t-storms rolling in. Annapolis Rocks campsite by 1430. Bad, bad sites - tons of rocks in most of them. I checked all 11 sites. Finally went back to #4 where I put my tent up just in time. Decided to stay, since the next legal site was too far to reach before dark. New tent did well - not too much condensation. Larger top vents, better ventilation with flies help.
Date: 2016-06-06
From: 1047.6

To: 1059.1
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

Good Trail. Filled a complete page in the campsite journal about no stealthing in MD. Heh. Hope someone reads it - it's in red. Lots of rocks to about 1045, but doing well. Rained again last night - left shirt out and it's soaked. No bareback for a while - MD says "no stealth camping", not "no ugly old guys shirtless". So there. Got to Raven Rocks shelter - don't know what the next 5+ miles will be, had to stop. Really, REALLY irritating. Should be OUT of MD by now. Need about 15 per day to catch up and not run out of food. Starting to really understand how OCD I am with planning.
Date: 2016-06-07
From: 1059.1

To: 1075.1
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Did pretty well - better than I thought I was doing. Very rocky to PA, then not so much after the border. Still getting about 2.0 mph. Had rain a bout 1500 or so - brief t-storm edge. Was worried about harder stuff, but moved past and to the side. Got cooler as well. Getting cooler at night - poncho liner first, then quilt about 0200 when body temp drops. Keeps me warm and saved quite a bit of weight. Was able to get water from faucets the whole way. Whoot! I love civilization in the woods. Food getting short - couple of places ahead to grab extra up the way. Need 17+ for the next 2 days. Trying to get to Boiling Springs, PA by 1600 Friday.Quit at 1700 - found good place.
Date: 2016-06-08
From: 1075.1

To: 1097.1
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

Got out early for once. Did first 4 miles in under 1.5 hours. While whipping by Rocky Mt. shelter, Conductor (older thru) came back south - said to check the radar. Showed heavy line of t-storms coming in. Went down to shelter for.....shelter. Took about 45 minutes for rain to quit. Cold front went by - cooler air now. Went past half way point about 1800 - another emotional point. Haiku (hiker) took pictures with phone and camera. Can't believe I'm halfway there. Decided a bit more - could NOT find a good place. Rocks everywhere. Finally found a spot, did the math - holy, moly - over 21. No wonder my legs and ankles are pinging again. Not a whole lot on the paper journal - pretty tired, evidently.
Date: 2016-06-09
From: 1097.1

To: 1112
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Cold night - had to double up poncho liner and put quilt over early. Put extra shirt on, socks and down hoodie and still shivered some. Believe it's lack of calories at night for body to turn into heat. I've lost too much insulation now. Slow today - hurting from 21+ yesterday. WON'T do that much again. Legs won't take it. Took 2 hours at Pine Grove Furnace State Park - lunch, resting, AT museum, sightseeing the early iron industry. Saw some Mennonite hikers today - traditional garb with camo backpacks. Female in full skirt, black shoes, bonnet. Male in traditional clothing, straw hat, camo backpack. Hope I didn't stare too much. Decent trail, but rocks in many places. Stumbling a lot, as ankles are sore. Found good camping over 50 meters off Trail. Very depressed for some reason, starting the last few days. AT museum had exhibit of first thru-hiker - was going to quit, doubled up on his food intake and was able to continue. Wondering if that's my problem.
Date: 2016-06-10
From: 1112

To: 1121
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Another cold night. Forgot I was carrying hand-warmers - might have helped. Oh, well. Rock Maze ridiculous - ups and downs, channels through rocks, all to say, "Hey, we got these rocks here." Could see easier path down below, again. What is WRONG with these people?Ankles seem better - no more 20 or 21 days. Passed 2 more "midway" points. Makes 3 now. Sheesh. Boiling Springs by 1300 - huzzah !! Picked up box at PO and was told Anile's had good food. Hotel is .5 miles out of town, so ate first. Had a "medium" stromboli with side salad. Could NOT eat all of the stromboli, as it was HUGE. Apologized to the chef on the way out. Need to plan, resupply, etc. Shuttle is $10 to grocery store 3 miles away - no prob. Driver very reserved until I told him about my interest in the iron industry, was school teacher, etc. Turns out he was a retired school teacher. Warmed up, told me Boiling Springs history, etc. Pretty cool place. Hong Kong Steve and Professor also at Allenberry Resort. Resort is up for auction in July - anyone have 2.5 million, starting price? Decent place - too far out for my taste, though. Had to hike back in for supper, but Anile's worth it.
Date: 2016-06-12
From: 1121

To: 1138
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: fog

Resort too far out. Ick. 2+ mph until rocks started, then drastic slow down. Resort let me have an smallish umbrella someone had left behind. Planned to use when going through the fields up ahead in all the sun. Great concept, poor execution. WAY too much wind. Would have worked great. Oh, well. The next hiker box will have another donation. Several miles of hot sun through the open fields. Got tired and irritable over what appeared to be lack of progress, but appearances can be deceiving. 17 wasn't too bad. Called it 1138 - not too sure where. Found good place and dropped by 1800. Place by ravine and stream, flat, shady, nice. Somewhere past 1137.5, just not sure where.
Date: 2016-06-13
From: 1138

To: 1146.6
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: light rain

Good night - cool, not cold, slept well. Duncannon, PA by 1300. Another AT landmark, plus the Doyle hotel. Very rocky, very hard getting down into town. Hard to go any speed at all. The Doyle is an AT tradition - which means, to me, it's going downhill, better see it while you can. Didn't care - have stayed at MUCH worse. Yes, going downhill, but still OK. Other hikers complained, but they must not have stayed at the Grand Prix - Gatlinburg or Relax Inn. Incredible wood stairs with handrails. Glad wife was not there to see - I know what I'll be putting in next. Owner said he had a quote of over $250K to replace the 3 floors of railing alone. Very nice stuff. Food was GREAT. Not just a hungry hiker talking. Checked out the prices and food at 2 other places, went back to Doyle each time. Had good time talking to thrus and section hikers. Bought 200w light bulb to replace the curly fry bulb in room - could NOT see 15x15 room without light. Next hiker will be surprised. Miss Vicky was very funny with her waitress/hotel clerk hat joke. Never mind - had to be there. Gave me a hug out of the blue - said "Old Hikers need hugs, too." This after a pretty cool tirade about the young pups over the last few years. Good bed, but I think there is a state law in PA that NO truck or car is allowed to have a muffler. My room faced a brick wall and the sound would just reverberate into the room. Yeesh.
Date: 2016-06-14
From: 1146.6

To: 1160
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

Slept poorly - worried about food, sounds from cars outside. Bed comfortable, just jitters. 1st 2 miles out of town good - flat, easy. Then up ridge when the Susquehanna Trail would have done just as well. Trail goes to very southern edge of ridge, then turns 90* and heads north. Ridge was a bad, dangerous, nasty piece of Trail. Seriously going to ask the ATC HQ why they allow crap like this. Tilted boulder edges, slippery even when dry - don't even THINK about in a rainstorm or when wet. 2 miles of ridge = almost 2 hours of hopping. NOT good. Absolute stupidity on the part of the Trail maintainers. Wonder how many people are hurt each year here?Rocky Trail at times after. Had to take pain meds at lunch - ankles and knees hurting from ridge walk. Had to fill water bottles at Clark Ferry shelter - next good water was 13+ miles up. Water sources getting scarcer. May have to get ANOTHER 30 oz bottle. Passed by 12+ people during the day, all going to the 1162.7 campsite where I was planning to stay. Drat. Found a flattish, almost rock free place about 1800. Camp set up very slow because of ankles. No prob. What else do I have to do? Heh.
Date: 2016-06-15
From: 1160

To: 1175.6
Miles today: 15.6

Had lots of water left until morning - after hand washing and b'fast, only 30 oz left. Woke up - looked out of tent and saw a LARGE black bird up in a tree, staring down at me. Could not recognize species - kept staring - yelled "Hey" - nothing. Looked closer - turned out to be my food bag. Sheesh. May need to get eyes checked when I get back. Very rocky first 4+ miles, then "normal" rocky. 2 mph or so. About 1000, going up side of mountain on old woods road, heard jet planes overhead. Didn't seem right, kept looking through trees and finally realized they were A-10s rolling in, doing practice runs on the top of the mountain I was skirting. The further up I went, the more clear the warbirds became. I could hear not just the engines, but sounds that were either turbulence from the wings or blanks being fired.I was holding both walking sticks up, screaming "A-10s - Thunderbolts - Warthogs Rule" as they went directly overhead, so close it was unbelievable. I felt so much pride and awe it was unreal. Got 50 meters or so down the Trail and there were 2 couples - young pup hikers - looking at me as if I was crazy. I was. I got to explain what was going on, plus: No, there wasn't another 9-11 and the planes weren't going to New York. No, there was no one invading the mountain top above us (Really? Seriously?) and even if there was, we were dead meat, so we might as well keep hiking. Yes, they were Americans. No, they weren't firing real rounds. Holy cow. Where do these people live? Bad Trail in places - again, veering up and down to put us over unnecessary ridge walks and boulder fields for the hell of it. Rausch shelter at 1700 - campsite had 4 tents already. Campsite sloping, gravely, not optimal. The ROAD, not trail, to the shelter, on the other hand, was wide enough that I found a great place almost where the AT and shelter road met. Flat, no rocks, no ivy. I'm home. This area was surface mined for coal in the 1700s and 1800s and was pretty much devastated. Tons of pilings, erosion, etc. still in evidence.
Date: 2016-06-16
From: 1175.6

To: 1193.1
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: few clouds

Up and out - foggy morning after rain overnight. Road to shelter was pretty cool looking with the hemlocks and fog. Looked down road, saw two hikers coming up - took some good pix, I hope. Turned out to be Pierre and TJ - now Minion. Leapfrogged them in the Shenandoahs and before. Water at Rausch was excellent - good spring out of rocks into stainless steel trough - glad I went down on Pierre and Minion's advice. 1st 3 miles were no rocks, then miles of nothing but rocks. Hard to explain - sounds easy, but the Trail is literally covered in sharp points sticking up, no room between the rocks and you have to walk from tip to tip. Hard to do dry, incredibly difficult to do when wet. Planned on 501 shelter or after, but plans change. Heavy t-storms from 1000-1030, then heavy fog and drizzle the rest of the day. Got soaked from that plus sweat moving up and over rocks, etc. Vile feeling - actually slimy. Took shirt off and actually wrung it out a couple of times, but had to put back on for warmth. Had found a new hostel # in Rausch, had taken a picture of it "just in case". Hostel advertised on Whiteblaze as well. Called, found they had vacancy for the night and was picked up at the 501 shelter crossing. Huzzah.
Date: 2016-06-17
From: 1193.1

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero day for planning and shipping food forward. Spent most of the day on the front porch, checking mileages, phoning, planning. Rock and Sole Hostel is a premium hostel, in my opinion. Clean, well kept, very welcoming. Probably this year the only year it will be open as one owner (retired PA state cop) might go to work for the school district as head of security. Food was awesome and presentation rivaled many restaurants I've been to. Took picture of my last supper and will post someday. Hong Kong Steve here - as well as Trotter (older female thru) and a couple of others. Trotter diagnosed with Lyme disease - had to leave the Trail, I found out later.
Date: 2016-06-18
From: 1193.1

To: 1208.2
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: few clouds

Trail very rocky and slow. No, that's not quite true. I'M slow on a very rocky Trail. Have not taken pain meds yet or yesterday. Trying to cut back, thanks to dire predictions from RN brother. Decided on another pick up from hostel in another night - minimal charge for shuttle. Feeling every jolt - boots shot. Ordered new pair to be delivered forward to mile 1269. Passed 1200 miles - whoot!Cut back some on food, but not water. Trying to dump more weight, if possible, from pack. Not much left to get rid of, in my opinion. Got to shelter about 1730, went .1 further to better camp site. Stakes went in, flat, yay. Getting bitter about rocks and pace - worse to come up to and past NJ border, allegedly.
Date: 2016-06-19
From: 1208.2

To: 1217.2
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

Slept well - cool, dry night. Very nice. Only 9 miles in 4 hours today to shuttle pickup point. Could have done slower yesterday, but was worried about making the pickup. I was surprised at the pace. Rocky Trail, but pain meds helped. Fairly flat Trail was also a help, with no idiotic ridge walks, etc. Descent into Port Clinton was NOT the death march I was told about. Thought Harper's Ferry was worse. Hope other rumors about upcoming Trail are just that: rumors. Had some HUGE anthracite coal boulders on display at the bottom of the descent - 6x6 or so. Very interesting. Signs explaining town, etc. Hostel for one more night. Had retired AF full bird colonel come in about 2100 - female section hiker.