morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-21
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was the infamous Roller Coaster, a 13.5 mile section with 10 mostly viewless 400 to 600 foot climbs and drops, plus a few more hilly miles to get to Blackburn to postion ourselves to get through Harpers Ferry and onward. The total elevation gain is about 5300', which is close to our record for a day on the AT. We were pretty sure we could do it, as long as the trail was not too rocky, and the climbs were fairly well graded. As it turns out, the footing was so rocky that, as Jeanne put it, "I feel like I'm walking in a stony river bed, without the water." The grading was steeper than expected, but it was the rocks that slowed us down, and turned a hoped for 9 or 10 hour day into 13 hours of slow, painful rock hopping. I don't remember this section from my 1986 through-hike, although I did spend the night at Blackburn AT Center, so I suspect that the Roller Coaster portion hadn't been cut yet back then.The weather was so hot and humid that we thankfully poured streamwater over eachother's heads at the base of each climb to precool for the coming ordeal.We tried to break up the hike and stay fueled and hydrated by stopping every couple of hours to eat and drink, even stopping to buy, and quickly devour, a pint of Ben and Jerry's icecream at the Bears Den Hostel.Somehow we made it to a campsite at Blackburn in the darkness, and decided to take a zero day here tomorrow.
Date: 2006-06-22
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Blackburn is such a nice place. It is free (donations accepted) and features a bunkhouse, main house with wrap around screened in porch, hot housing over the garage, an outdoor, solar heated shower stall, flowerbeds, cooking pavilion, and a view cut down through the trees to the valley below. The hosts this year, last year thru-hikers Hopeful and Redwing, are extremely welcoming, and go beyond expectations by providing a nightly all you can eat pasta, salad and garlic bread dinner, plus homemade cookies for desert. A great place to spend a rest day!Unfortunately for Linc, he spent much of the day in the tent with a fever and headache, similar to what hit him a week ago, not sure what's going on, possibly Lyme Disease (he has a bullseye rash behind his right knee). Jeanne had a good day, baking bread and talking with other hiker friends.
Date: 2006-06-23
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Hilltop House Hotel in Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: few clouds

A tough day for Linc, having spent the night thrashing around in our hot, muggy tent, sleepless with a headache. A severe thunderstorm passed over during last night, nice because it cooled things off a bit. The strikes were often within a mile, and made us glad we weren't tented up on the ridge.Linc thought he would feel better during the day, so we opted to hike. Linc felt weak, headachy and dizzy, so had a hard time, but we made it to Harper's Ferry and the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) headquarters, where they took our pictures for the year book. We also found Linc's picture from 1986, with Tom Boo (Motrine Machine) and Bryan Yeaton (Queequeg the Harpooner). Tom and Bryan, if you ever are in the Harpers Ferry area, you gotta look at that 1986 photo album, it's full of names you'll remember (Man Who Dares, Ronny Pate (Repate) and his dad, etc. Pretty cool!While there, we found a booklet on Lyme Disease and used the internet to determine that Linc's rash behind his knee looked and awful lot like the rash associated with Lyme Disease, and his symptoms (fever, headache, weakness), and used the phone to find a health clinic who could see him that day.We found a room at the Hilltop House (spending money on hotels is not our way, but there was no way Linc was hiking any further), and, using a hand made sign, quickly hitched a ride to Charlestown and the clinic. The clinic nurse found that Linc had a 102 fever , and the physician agreed it was most likely Lyme Disease, but said it also could be Strep Throat (but no sore throat), or some other flu-like illness. He said the blood test for Lyme Disease takes a month to process? (apparently has to go through CDC?) so prescribed a 21 day dose of antibiotic, as that would be the recommended treatment for all three possible ailments. After purchasing the antibiotic, fruit and yogurt for a fruit salad, and subs at a Subway, we caught a bus back to Harpers Ferry and our hotel room.
Date: 2006-06-24
From: Hilltop House Hotel in Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship
Miles today: 0.0

Linc spent part of the night sweating, part of it shivering with chills, but a good part of it sleeping soundly, and woke feeling somewhat better than yesterday.Back at Blackburn AT Center, we had seen a posting by a couple that runs an organic farm at a nearby environmental preserve. They offered to provide food, tent space, showers, phone and internet for any hikers interested, in exchange for helping with work on the farm for one or more days. One of our strongest interests lately is organic farming and sustainable living, and we both thought at the time that it would be a neat thing to go do, but that we wouldn't as we needed to keep hiking to stay on schedule to get to Katahdin before winter hit up there. Life has a way of changing your plans though, doesn't it? When the diagnosis of Linc's illness was made, Jeanne had the idea of contacting the organic farming couple. It would be a chance for Jeanne to pursue our interest in organic farming while we waited for Linc to get strong enough to hike again. She did so, and Shawna drove over to Harpers Ferry to bring us back to the farm.This place is so beautiful, nearly 900 acres of forest, fields, hiking trails (one leading to the AT south of Harpers Ferry), several old historic cabins and houses, a conference and office "barn" with kitchen and showers, campsites, veggie and fruit gardens, goats and chickens. Shawna and Attila, the caretakers, possible future program directors, and organic farmers, are a great couple, full of enthusiasm and a strong environmental ethic.So, we've got our tent set up now under a Mulberry Tree (I know, it will get stained, but a few more stains won't hurt it, and Linc can reach out and pick up Mulberries to eat any time he wants). Jeanne has been working on the farm, weeding, picking off worms, while Linc updates this online trail journal. We're happy that Linc's problem was caught early, and happy to be here at a place we felt we didn't have time for, but wanted to go to. Like I said, it's funny how life works, isn't it? We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Date: 2006-06-25
From: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship

To: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship
Miles today: 0.0

Well, we finally have some time for internet access, so we'll fill in as many journal entries as we can.Took another zero day here at the farm while Linc continued to recuperate. He actually helped in the gardens for about two hours before he ran out of energy.It's been really raining and thunderstorming this afternoon. In between storms, Jeanne has been weeding, triming, staking and picking in the fardensGlad to be in a dry place during all this rain.
Date: 2006-06-26
From: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship

To: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship
Miles today: 0.0

We're still here at the Blue Ridge Center, working in the gardens. Linc was actually able to work all day (in between rain storms). After working in the gardens and during a break from the afternoon rains, we went out and picked some mulberries, and Jeanne made a Mulberry Compote for dessert - it was served with either ice cream or yogurt which was very tasty.
Date: 2006-06-27
From: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship

To: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship
Miles today: 0.0

Linc continues to feel better, but we decided that given the forecast for more torrential rains today, we would stay at the Center for one more day. It turned out to be a good choice, as here at the farm we have had the hardest and most prolonged rain of the four days we have been here. We did more weeding today, and pulling of old cauliflower plants. Linc also went out later in the afternoon, despite the rains and picked more mulberries so Jeanne could make more Mulberry Compote for dessert. Jeanne stayed back at the building and helped mnake the dinner.While weeding, we saved the dandelion greens and roots that we were pulling out. We sauteed some of the greens for lunch, and Linc has put the roots in the dehydrater for later consumption. The weather sounds better for tomorrow and Linc is feeling better, so we are planning to return to the trail in the morning. This has been a great place for Linc to recuperate, and Jeanne has really enjoyed working in the gardens. It is amazing how much work Shawna and Atilla have done on the farm, and how much produce they have planted and are growing with just the two of them working on the farm.
Date: 2006-06-28
From: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship

To: Near Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

Finally hiking again, after four days off trail due to Lyme Disease. We sure enjoyed staying at the Blue Mtn Center, and getting to know Shawna and Attilla, our hosts there, but it feels great to moving up the trail again.Shawna and Attilla drove us into Harpers Ferry, WV, where we mailed home extra maps, and where we created a bounce box of extra gear to lighten our packs in order to try some longer mileage days to catch up. Into the bounce box went 13 lbs of gear, including Linc's sleeping bag, the four plant ID books, binoculars, the top pouches of our packs, etc. We ended up with Linc's pack at 40 lbs, Jeanne's at 36 lbs, still heavy by modern thru-hiker standards, but they felt so much lighter.We crossed the raging, rain-swollen Potomac River on a footbridge into Maryland, (a new state!). Nice views out over the river from the Weaverton Cliff, then speed hiked on nice trails for the rest of the day, having started late, around noon.
Date: 2006-06-29
From: Near Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter Campsite
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: few clouds

Wow, we've finally done our second 20 miler on our AT through hike. We don't feel too bad, most of the trail was fairly smooth, but we had some fairly rocky sections toward the end of the day. A lot of the walking was on old roadbeds on ridges.We are still amazed to look around and see what the grounds look like, and can imagine how much water was just running down the trail and the hillsides arounds the trail. The trail coninues quite muddy in places, but is slowly starting to dry out. The weather today started out mostly cloudy and pleasantly cool, turning to mostly sunny and quite warm. As I write this journal entry, it is breezy, but still warm enough for short-sleeved shirt.We were able to get hot showers at the Dahlgren Backpacker campground about noon time today, and it sure felt good to get all the mud off of us that we are accumulating as we hike the still wet trails.
Date: 2006-06-30
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter Campsite

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

Crossed into Pennsylvania today!!!Mostly sunny, low humidity, 70's, north wind, great hiking weather. Easy grades, open woods, a couple of nice views out over farmland at High Rocks and Penmar State Park, some rocks, but not too many. LOTS of evidence of flooding and washouts from the 10" of rain last week, and lots of water in the trail. Stream crossings were interesting with the streams still a bit high, but the highest only up to our knees. Black raspberries ripe and abundant near Penmar. Lots of sweet birch in this area.
Date: 2006-07-01
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Caledonia State Park
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: few clouds

Happy July!!! Short day today to Route 30, where we are waiting for our friend Lee Johnson to come pick us up for a night of food and sleep in a house. We met Lee while we were in the Gulf Coast volunteering for Katrina relief this past winter. We were lucky enough to have her email us and invite jus to her house for the night.So far, we've hiked 20 miles in Pennsylvania, but have yet to see the famed "Pennsylvania rocks". Maybe it's all a myth??!While waiting for Lee, we ordered a pizza from a local pizzeria - we were so hungry that we quickly at a whole large pizze between the two of us, even thought it was not very tasty.We were surprised at how quickly we did the mileage today, as we had done some longer days the last two days. Looking forward to our visit with Lee.
Date: 2006-07-02
From: Caledonia State Park

To: Toms Run Shelters
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: broken clouds

Just back on the trail after spending a wonderful evening with our Gulf Coast volunteer friends, the Johnsons. This morning, Jeanne made us delicious whole wheat sourdough walnut-banana pancakes, and Lee drove us back through Gettysburg to the trail, where we started hiking again around 11.Nice, nice trail today, through Caledonia State Park and beyond, with clean, well-maintained shelters, easy grades, not many rocks, walking on flat ridges with names like "Big Pine FLAT Ridge" and Big FLAT Ridge". We did really well to walk 16 or so miles in 7 hours, despite reloaded packs (me carrying 6 meals by accident instead of the 5 needed). The terrain and the big feast at Lee and Charlie's helped a lot. Yesterday's second pizza (two for one special) served as lunch and snack food through the day, a quick way to refuel.
Date: 2006-07-03
From: Toms Run Shelters

To: Campsite near Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: few clouds

Today we passed the halfway poiint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hooray. However, we both declined to attempt the 1/2 gallon challenge - Linc because he had already done it 20 years ago and Jeanne because she just doesn't like ice cream enough to eat that much at one sitting.It was very hot and humid today, and we are both feeling quite tired because of the heat. The trail was a combination of smooth tread and rocky, dry trail and wet rail. Streams are still running quite quickly. The Pine Grove Furnace State Park is still showing signs of flooding, with us having to wade through streams that obviously are not usually present in order to get to the restrooms, and to follow the trail. The bridges and the swimming area in the park are all closed. There is a lot of washout near the bridges. It looks like they will have a lot of work to do in order to reopen the park.The weather was again hot and humid. We were able to get ourselves wet quite often before climbs to help with the heat.
Date: 2006-07-04
From: Campsite near Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 3.9

We were planning to go through the town of Boiling Springs and the Cumberland Valley to Darlington Shelter, but we were ambushed by this Mayberry-like idyllic little town centered around a clear, artesian spring fed lake. An "anything that floats" boat race was planned, and burgers were being served. The clincher was when a woman offered to let us stay in her yard. We succumbed, ate cheeseburgers, and settled on the lakeshore to watch the race. Unfortunately, just as the race was to begin, an enormous thunderstorm came drifting over the lake from the west, forcing the organizers to cancel the race as people ran to escape the sudden downpour and lightning.The storm ended quickly, but by then the race participants and spectators were gone, so we spent the day wandering about the town, watching ducks and swans in the lake, swimming in the artesian spring, and eating fruit from a farm stand. We camped in a family's yard, along with several other thru-hikers.
Date: 2006-07-05
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: light rain

Today was our longest mile day yet!!! Don't know if we'll ever get in a 25 miler - 21.6 was long enough.We are the only people at the shelter tonite, and it's already 7:45 p.m. I think because we are so close to Duncannon that most people just continue the few miles in and stay in town. Because of the bugs, and the fact that there are no good tentsites here at the shelter, we have set our tent up inside the shelter - hopefully no one else shows up.WE awoke to light rain this morning, packed up our tent and packs, and sought shelter at the ATC porch while we ate breakfast. It rained fairly hard while we were eating, but stopped by the time we were ready to hike.We hiked through the Cumberland Valley on wet, muddy, swampy trails. The nice thing about it, however, is that it was cloudy most of the day (even some rain for a while), which made for a cooler hike through the valley - some have complained how their hike through the valley has been.The last couple of miles of the hike, after we started back up onto the ridges became rocky and slowed us up a bit. But, still no famed "Pennsylvania rocks:.
Date: 2006-07-06
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Peter Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

Into Duncannon, PA today!A nice day, clear after rain all night last night to cool things off, mostly sunny today with temps in the high 70's. Nice views today of the Susquehanna River and towns and farms around it, from Cove Mtn (Hawk Rock) and before Duncannon from Peters Mtn, as well as after Duncannon from Peters Mtn (which the river wraps around the SW end of).We descended into Duncannon, a poor but friendly-seeming town, walked a mile or so to the grocery store to resupply, ate yogurt with blueberries, strawberries and banannas for lunch, hardware store for stove fuel, then across the river and back up into the mountains.Lots of Daylillies today, first ripe red raspberries, Black Cohosh in full flower (the flowers smell like moth balls), Mayapple fruit getting larger, a few ripe blueberries and black raspberries. Saw first Sweetgum trees on trail, lining streets of town.
Date: 2006-07-07
From: Peter Mountain Shelter

To: 1.5 miles South of Swatara Gap
Miles today: 21.7

Whew, another long day. We both feel tired, but it's a good tired feeling. The Pennsylvania rocks are beginning to show themselves - we had some fairly rocky sections, especially up the old stagecoach trail, which was a bit steep in sections also.Today, Jeanne has started to catch up to Linc on number of falls, taking a fall on some rocks, and almost being stuck in that position, finally able to lift the pack and herself up off the ground before anyone found her lying in the trail.WE stopped at Rausch Gap Creek and cooked our dinner, giving us and our feet a nice rest before we continued on for about another four miles. It helped to refuel Jeanne, so Linc was not able to put as much distance between us on the climbs.Nice campsite on the edge of a field. The weather today was sunny, and not too warm or humid.
Date: 2006-07-08
From: 1.5 miles South of Swatara Gap

To: U.S. 501
Miles today: 13.2

Today started out with poison ivy and ended at an all you can eat smorgasbord restaurant with a good friend, opposite ends of the AT experience.We crossed under I-81, climbed 1000' up onto the south end of 100+ mile long Blue Mtn ridge, and immediately encountered poison ivy in abundance, growing everywhere, crowding into the footpath for miles. Sharp rocks in abundance also made portions of this day hard work.At 501 shelter, an enclosed shelter with a cold shower and a skylight, we took showers and walked back out to Rd 501 and waited for our friend Marvin Showalter, who we met last autumn cycling south through Pennsylvania. Marvin showed up a lot earlier than we had expected, and we had a reunion in the parking lot, catching up and eating watermelon. He then whisked us (I say whisked because that is what it feels like to ride in a car at 50 to 60 mph after spending days and days walking at a maximum of 3 mph) to the same restaurant he and his wife, Edie, had taken us to last autumn, the Shady Maple Smorgasbord, near Ephrata, PA. There, we made gastric fools of ourselves in a thru-hiker (or long distance biker) fantasyland filled with every kind of food imaginable. It was SO good! Back at Marvin's home, we all watched some of the Tour race on TV and talked.Less than 1000 miles left.
Date: 2006-07-09
From: U.S. 501

To:  501 Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

This morning we are at a friends house in Ephrata, PA (Marvin Showalter). Marvin picked us up at U.S. 501 yesterday afternoon, and we will go into Baltimore today, then he'll drive us back out to U.S. 501 later today and we'll resume hiking tomorrow.Sorry, we have not had any chance to update our journal, and will fill in past entries once we get more time on an internet connection. Thanks for continuing to follow our journals.Today was spent mostly sitting in the car while Marvin drove to Baltimore, MD for us all to visit his wife in the rehab facility, then after a visit and lunch in the cafeteria, he drove us the two hours back to the trail.At the shelter, we ran into Old Gray Goose and Bigooft (formerly One foot), who we have not seen since about our third day on the trail. It was good to see them again, and see that they are both still on the trail.At the slelter, we put the new zipper pulls on our tent, and hope that they will keep the tent working until the end of the trail. We were given extra pizze by Gray Goose, Bigfoot and Veto, after they had eaten all they could - we got two pieces each, and did not need to cook our own dinner.Looking forward to starting to hike again tomowwor.
Date: 2006-07-10
From:  501 Shelter

To: Phillips Spring, near Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: light rain

Another hot humid day today, although it started out nice.We had planned to hike only 15 miles today, but when we noticed that the Port Clinton Post office closed from 12:30 to 2:00 each day for lunch, we decided to hike another 4.6 miles to get closer to town so that we could get there before 12:30. The terrain was momstly level, with a mix of smooth and rocky sections (the rocky sectinos being moderatly rocky to very rocky). Okay, so there are Pennsylvania rocks, just not in all of Pennsylvania.Today we heard our first Hermit Thrushes!!!!! Also heard Common Yellowthroats, Eastern Wood Peewee, Tanager, Red-eyed vireos, and cuckoos. Also saw lots of sassafras. Linc tried to put some of the leaves behind his ears for bug control, but admitted that it didn't actually work. The mosquitoes are getting quite numerous - at one point I thought they were going to carry me away - I couldn't walk fast enough to outhike them - aaargh!
Date: 2006-07-11
From: Phillips Spring, near Port Clinton, PA

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

HOT, MUGGY, MOSQUITOES (today's keywords).Very hazy, hot (90's), humid, no wind, a short afternoon Tstorm. We climbed down into the town of Port Clinton, PA, with gnats flying suicidally into our eyeballs and ears (the blink reflex then kills them, but leaves you with bugs caught under your eyelid), while hords of skiters attacked. Our natural bug dope helped a little.In Port Clinton, we picked up food we'd mailed ourselves at the PO, refused a kind offer from a local trail angel to slack pack us (carry our packs around the mountain while we hiked over unladen), and climbed 1000' vertical out of town in unbelievable heat. Swam in a stream, but felt spent due to the heat, so glad to stop early at the first shelter.At Minnehaha Spring, Jeanne asked where I thought the name came from, and I said, "It's a little joke. Get it? Little joke? Hehe."Rocks not too bad today. I (Linc) am occasionally fighting boredom and the inability to deviate and follow our guts about where to go (due to decision to hike the entire AT), but somehow still find it is GREAT to be out here each day, immersed in the green forest and birdsong.