morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-31
From: Phillip's Canyon Spring campsite

To: Windsor Furnace 
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

Got an early start today. Awakened at 5. Stretched and rolled my feet. Packed up and was on the trail by 6:30. It was wonderful to be hiking as the woods awoke and with the morning mist still in the air. When we reached our first overlook we discovered that we were above the clouds that were hanging low in the valleys around us. The weather was cool and the trail was good. Just a great morning to be in the woods.       After the first few miles we descended steeply into Port Clinton PA. Its origins are rooted in the commerce and trade afforded by the nearby Schuylkill River (which flows all the way to Philadelphia). It's called Port Clinton because it was a port for the barge traffic that plied the canals built here during the early 1800's.The decsent into and climb out of out of Port Clinton did not disappoint Took a side trip today to check out the world's largest Cabela's Store. The store is so big it has a float plane hanging from the ceiling inside. Also has aquariums displaying different trout species and warm water tanks with bass and bluegill. Finally, there are full- body mounts of every North American big game animal and also those found in Africa. Yes, even full sized elephants. It was about 3 miles from the trail. Panda and I yogied a ride to most of the way to the store but had to walk back to the traiI. I managed to somehow resist the urge to buy something.       .   Spotted several deer and a beautiful box turtle today. Still nervously awaiting my first rattlesnake encounter.
Date: 2016-06-01
From: Windsor Furnace 

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: overcast clouds

After tenting near the Windsor Furnace shelter site we got another fairly early start today. It was pleasantly cool with a enough breeze to cut the humidity. The climb out of camp was a good one, about 700' of elevation gain in 3/4 mile. We topped out at a rocky overlook known as "The Pulpit". It seemed that the entirety of Pennsylvania lay at our feet. Not far from The Pulpit we stumbled across an astronomical observatory with four different telescope buildings. The night sky must be fairly dark in this area. The trail followed the ridge east from the observatory and our hike quickly became a game of hopping from one rock to the next. At least it was flat. I've found that rocky descents are the most dangerous and difficult. It's hard to arrest the momentum generated with each step down, and one generates a lot of "G's" with every foot placement. The trail turned north at the end of the ridge and ran along a fire road for close to 4 miles. This was a welcome surprise as it was a smooth tread way with few rocks, highly unusual for Pennsylvania. Sightings of note today included a wood frog, cookoos (heard), crested flycatchers, peewees, and American redstart. Also spotted an eastern garter snake. The mountain laurel is on the cusp of blooming and will be gorgeous over the next week or two. Staying at the Eckville Shelter tonight. Tomorrow we begin the rockiest 60 miles of the entire Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2016-06-02
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Blue Mountain Summit
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

6/2Up early again. I'm convinced that the first 4 hours of the day are the best ones for summer backpacking. The temps are cool and there's more likelihood of seeing wildlife. Plus, you can knock out 6-8 of your daily miles before lunch. Waiting for Panda to return from Rock and Sole so we can resume our hike. Today's 11.7 mile section of trail supposed to be pretty rocky. We'll be climbing about 1000 feet in the first mile or so. It looks pretty flat after that, so likely to have many boulder fields. Panda is slack packing it. I opted to carry all my gear. We hit the trail just after 7, not a terribly late start but we can do better. The 1000 foot climb out of the gap did not disappoint. At least the trail was well graded. We made the ridge in about 30 minutes. Once there we enjoyed several overlooks with nice views. Overall the trail was pretty flat today, and after the first 6 miles or so, relatively rock-free (for PA at least). There were some fairly long sections of rock-hopping to be done during those first six miles though. Here's a BIG TIP for anyone hiking this section of trail... Do yourself a favor and put some rubber tips on your trekking poles. It keeps the tips of the poles on the rocks where you plant them and makes traversing the rocks much much easier. Without the rubber tips the carbide tips tend to slip and skate off the rocky surfaces just when you need them most. And I hate to say it, stay away from the REI brand. My hiking partner put those on his REI poles and they lasted about 15 miles before the carbide began to poke though the rubber. They need to redesign their tips with some reinforcement to prevent that. I put Leki tips on mine and they're still going strong after 50 miles. Ended up doing 12.7 today instead of 11.7. Found a cool spot to camp a ways before the road crossing at Blue Mountain Summit. Backtracked to it after the shuttle driver picked up Panda to take him back to the hostel. All by myself tonight for the first time in 400 miles of AT hiking. We usually camp at shelter sites and there's almost always a crowd. Since Panda decided to hostel it another night and I'm nowhere near a shelter it's gonna be a quiet evening. Nice change of pace. Tomorrow we tackle "The Knife Edge" and try to stay dry.
Date: 2016-06-03
From: Blue Mountain Summit

To: Ashfield Rd
Miles today: 8.7

It rained all night and today broke with a heavy fog/ light mist. Water's dripping off the trees. I hope the fog lifts later today so we can enjoy the views from "The Knife Edge". Got up early and hiked back to Blue Mountain Summit. Cooked breakfast on the picnic table in the shed out back. Filled up with water, sorted food and gave it all to Sylvia to carry for me today. It's 9:15 and I'm hanging out 'til Panda returns from the Rock and Sole hostel at 10. Although today's hike will be short at only 8.7 miles, it promises to be challenging. This section has many Boulder fields. The rocks will be wet and our boot soles will be muddy, making for slippery conditions. We'll take our time tho since we don't have that far to hike. Tonight it's back to Rock and Sole for a hot shower, excellent food and a chance to wash clothes. I stink. No one asks me if I'm a thru-hiker any more. They can tell from the smell!June 3rd "after action report"We survived hiking the Knife Edge in the rain (no views of course). It was SKETCHY! Every foot placement was a roll of the dice. Even with rubber tips, the trekking poles were prone to slipping, and a slip at the wrong time or in the wrong direction could have easily led to a leg fracture or worse. Crossing similar boulder fields during dry conditions yesterday was SO much easier. I'm thankful to have fallen only once. By the way, if you are wondering who Sylvia is, she's my backpack. I figure it's an appropriate name since it means "of the woods".
Date: 2016-06-04
From: Ashfield Rd

To: Little Gap
Miles today: 11.25
Weather: broken clouds

Today's highlights were both biological and historical/geological. First the biological... I've never seen anything like the gypsy moth outbreak here. There must be trillions of them. They are absolutely eating the forest. The trees are so full of them that their droppings sound like rain. Pieces of leaves they've cut from the trees litter the trail. They seem to be especially fond of oaks. They've killed so many trees already that it's often difficult to find a safe place to pitch a tent. Dead trees and their limbs overhang many campsites. I had to move my tent night before last after noticing a dead limb over my original spot. It's really sad. I wonder if they'll kill all the trees and turn these areas into bald mountains like we have in NC and TN. Now for the historical/geologic....Our route today took us through Lehigh Gap. We lost about 1000' of elevation on the way into the gap, crossed the Lehigh River, then gained it back on the other side. The difference was that the descent occurred over the course of over two and a half miles, but the ascent was only a mile long. This made for a very steep climb. To add to the challenge, the trail took us up the "Dead Mountain"; so called because it was turned into a lifeless pile of rock by a zinc smelting operation that ran in the Lehigh Valley for 100 years. The zinc smoke killed every living thing on the mountain. Without the trees, shrubs and grasses there was nothing to keep the soil from washing away. All that's left now is bedrock. The climb out of the gap was a hand over foot scramble up that rock and it was tough. One spot in particular verged on the need to rope up. It was probably a 5.1 move but with a 30 pound pack and wearing hiking boots it went at more like a 5.5. There was a good jug to grab at first, but then the handholds became slopers and the ledge our feet were on began to peter out. Got to the point where it was make the move or plummet 30'. Other sections of the trail have rebar rungs in spots like that. They could use some here for sure. Panda got his first deer tick bite and is developing the classic Lyme Disease "bullseye". He's taking meds. He also saw his first rattler. I've yet to see one. It's a bit unsettling because I'm sure I've walked past dozens but they're so well camouflaged I've not spotted them.
Date: 2016-06-05
From: Little Gap

To: Little Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

We took a zero today holed up in a picnic shelter behind the Blue Mountain Drive In and Restaurant. It's a little less than a mile off the trail and it was a Godsend. It has everything a hiker needs- clean water, shelter, and good, inexpensive home-cooked food. As a precaution, we pitched our tents inside the shelter to protect us from wind blown rain that we thought might come our way during the severe storms forecast to arrive this afternoon. Turned out to be a good move 'cause it poured buckets. The wind was so strong we had to lie in the tents and hold onto their frames to keep them from blowing out of the pavilion. And we got a lightning show as a bonus. All-in-all a good time NOT to be hiking along a high ridge line. Tomorrow it's back on the trail to enjoy some beautiful sunny weather and get a few more miles of Penn's Woods behind us.
Date: 2016-06-06
From: Little Gap

To: campsite above Wind Gap PA
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

D-Day. Said our goodbyes to Blue Mountain Drive-In, packed up and headed out as the sun rose over the eastern horizon. It was nice to see that golden orb after all the rain and storms we've had during the last 36 hours. The first order of business was to regain the trail. After almost a mile of climbing we hung a right, turned off the road, and were in the woods again. The forest is so damp from last night's rain that we cruise silently down the trail. We slip along like ghosts as the woodland creatures go about their routines oblivious to our presence. We made the shelter at 12:30. Counting the extra mileage back to the trail that's 11 miles before lunch. We are going to push on after taking a long break and filling up on water (if we can find it). If we can do 14 or so today we can make up some time we lost while waiting out the rain yesterday. Panda slipped, got twisted in his trekking poles going down, and snapped one before hitting the ground with a thud. He's okay but the pole, not so much. Good thing we're only 2 days from an outfitter in Delaware Water Gap. He should have no trouble finding a replacement pole there. We found a nice camping spot overlooking Wind Gap and decided to stay here tonight. Worked out to a little over 15 miles for today. Northbounders who started in Georgia continue to overtake us. Two camped with us night before last and Four are camped here tonight.
Date: 2016-06-07
From: campsite above Wind Gap PA

To: tent site in the woods
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I forgot to mention that I flushed a mamma grouse and her kids as I entered our campsite last night. She flew a short distance and her chicks scattered every which way. She started calling them as soon as she landed and they answered back from behind every rock, tree and bush. The woods were full of the little balls of fluff running willi-nilly back to mamma. We had a beautiful night in the woods. It rained a bit, but only a shower. By the time dawn broke our tents had dried, wahoo!We were up early again and on the trail by 6:15. By 7:30 we were starting a load of clothes at the Wind Gap Washerteria and Tanning Salon. What a great stop! Only a mile off the trail. Got the stink out of our clothes, took a bath in the sink, ate a sub from the convenient market down the street, downed a Pepsi and were back on the trail by 10. (Didn't spend any time in a tanning booth though.)The climb out of town was respectable (seems like they always are), and it wasn't long before our freshly laundered clothes were again soaked with stinky sweat. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Once we made the ridge top it was back to rock-hopping. The Pennsylvania section of the AT doesn't have many huge climbs and descents like other states, but it sure makes up for it with rocky trail. Especially over the northernmost 70 miles of Pennsylvania, it feels like you're hiking on a never-ending conveyor belt of rocks... big rocks, small rocks, fat rocks, skinny rocks. It's tiresome and dangerous. Several folks we've hiked with broke ankles and foot bones going through here and are off the trail for good. I had the pleasure of getting in an extra two miles on that rocky conveyor belt today while backtracking to find Panda. He missed a turn and ended up following the trail over Wolf Rocks instead of taking the by-pass trail as we had discussed. By the time I heard from him and returned to the spot from where I had begun my backtrack a nice thunderstorm was brewing. I pitched my tent in record time, threw in my gear, dived in after it and zipped the fly closed behind me just as the bottom dropped out. Panda made it safely to the shelter before the storm hit. We should cross into New Jersey tomorrow where the rocks gradually diminish. I hope we can survive 'til then
Date: 2016-06-08
From: tent site in the woods

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Another early morning start, but not early enough. Had hoped to get the 9.1 miles from here to the hostel in Delaware Water Gap done before the severe weather forecast for 11am. Breakfast was trail mix eaten while hiking down the trail. At the three mile mark I dropped in at the Kirkridge Shelter just long enough to fill up my hydration bladder then pushed on. I almost made it, but not quite. It poured on me for the last few miles. Rainwater was running down the trail and cascading over the large rocks that interspersed the tread-way. I don't care what kind of fancy high-dollar rain gear you use, when you hike through rain that's coming down that hard you're gonna get wet. If I had it to do over I would have ridden out the storm in my tent. I rolled (washed) into town at 11:30 and hit the post office for my resupply box from home. Drying out and staying the night in my tent behind The Church of the Mountain hiker hostel. It'll be Chilly. The forecast is for temps in the lower 40's. Tomorrow we cross the Delaware River and enter New Jersey!
Date: 2016-06-09
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Church of the Mountain hostel in DWG- Mohican Trail CenterWe crossed the mighty Delaware River and stamped the Pennsylvania dirt out of our boots for good. I know New Jersey will have its share of rocky trail too, but it cannot be as bad as PA. We climbed out of Delaware Water Gap on a well- graded trail and reached the ridge crest in about 45 minutes. We were greeted on top by Sunfish Pond, a glacial pond with crystal clear water. Highly unusual to come across a pond on the top of a mountain. I guess we'll see more and more of that as we head north into New England. After traversing the pond on very rocky scree we followed the ridge of Kitattiny Mountain with stunning views of the Delaware River Valley. The weather was glorious with plenty of sunshine along with white puffy cumulus clouds punctuating an otherwise azure blue sky. Curiously there are more bears along the trail in New Jersey than in any other state. It's easy to see why. The trail was flanked by acres of knee high blueberry (huckleberry) bushes. There were also thickets of mountain laurel that sometimes crowded the trail into a 3 foot wide corridor with no visibility around the next bend. I whistled my way along, hoping that by doing so I would avoid surprising old Smokey. It was kind of like whistling through a graveyard to keep the ghosts away. Although everyone I've passed on the trail has seen at least one and often several, I've yet to spot my first rattler. I did see a large black rat snake, a milk snake, and a hog-nosed snake today though. I just hope that when I finally do see that rattlesnake it's at a distance rather than as I'm about to step on him. More good hiking weather is forecast for tomorrow. Sunny and breezy with high temps in the low 70's.
Date: 2016-06-10
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: mile 1319.5
Miles today: 17.0

Mohican Outdoor Center to trail side campsite at mile 1319.5. We pulled into the Mohican Outdoor Center around 5. The center was once a Boy Scout Camp but was purchased by the Appalachian Mountain Club and is now a center for outdoor sports and recreation. Vestiges of the old scout camp are everywhere. And if you listen carefully you can almost hear the echoes of the scouts who attended summer camp there decades ago. $10 gets you a campsite, a hot shower and all the charging time you need for your electronics. We set up our tents to the songs of 2 wip-poor-wills. Each was trying to outdo the other not 30' from us. It was an unseasonably cool evening with temps dropping into the low 40's. This cool dry weather is not only ideal for hiking, it's great for sleeping too. We prepared and ate breakfast, packed our on the trail by 6:30. It was another gorgeous day for hiking. Cool in the morning with temps in the 40's, warming into the low 70's by mid day. The trail skirted a number of beautiful glacial lakes surrounded by blooming mountain laurel. One lake even had two beaver lodges. I'll bet the fishing is incredible. The fish have probably never seen a lure. Captain Panda spotted his first bear today. He said it sized him up from the top of a boulder about 25 yards ahead on the trail. We ate dinner and watered up at Brink Shelter before pushing on another mile and a half. We dry-camped in the woods at mile 1319.5 for a 17 mile day.
Date: 2016-06-11
From: tent site along trail at mile 1319.5

To: Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Had a quiet evening with no ursine visitors. Slept the sleep of the dead after the long day we put in. Woke to the sound of turkeys gobbling this morning, along with a cacophony of vireos, ovenbirds, wood thrushes, wrens, and chickadees. The concert gets going at about 4:30a.m. It's beautiful and it helps get you on the trail early. If you want to sleep in tho, you'd better have your earplugs. I've still haven't seen my first rattlesnake or bear but I did spot a completely black squirrel. I don't think it was a fox squirrel, although they tend toward melanism much more than gray squirrels. I'm fairly certain this was a gray. I also heard many veery singing today. We must be well into their breeding territory. I stopped for a Pepsi and a snicker bar when we crossed the road near Kittaninny Lake. Turns out it's only a few miles from where Ronnie Rost grew up. He used to buy his hunting licenses from the very place I stopped for the Pepsi. We crossed Sunrise Mountain, the state'a second highest, on our way to Machipacong Shelter site. Decided to push on to the next site since Machipicong had no water. It was 3 miles farther and I raced another storm over the last mile. This time I won, arriving just as the bottom dropped out. And who should be sitting in the shelter when I pulled in? Why none other than the 2 Aussies I met at Rock and Sole week before last. A bear tried to get to our food last night. Glad it was in a bear box. Some of the others camped here were awakened by it rattling the box. I never heard a thing. I guess I'm sleeping pretty good. I've been hiking with a former Army Ranger the past few days. His name is Steve Murphy but his trail name is Yoda, which was also his call sign. He fought in Vietnam, was on the mission to rescue the hostages taken by the Iranians, and was inducted into the Ranger Hall Of Fame in 2009. It's quite an honor to spend time with a bonafide war hero, but the neatest thing is that he's the most easy- going, unassuming fellow you'd ever like to meet. Tomorrow we camp on the town square in Unionville NY.
Date: 2016-06-12
From: Rutherford Shelter

To: Unionville NY
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

Found some fresh bear droppings on the trail this morning, but still haven't seen one. Seems I'm hiking alone much of today. Moving along quietly with no one to talk to is conducive to wildlife spotting. Maybe today's the day. There was some trail magic going in at the High Point State Park this morning, free pepsi for thru hikers and a woman giving away fresh fruit. We stopped in, used the facilities, partook in the trail magic and boogied on. Shortly after leaving the park headquarters we found ourselves climbing to the summit of High Point, the highest peak in NJ. There's a monument on top similar to the Washington Monument. It was built in 1929. Visitors can climb to the top free of charge, but they must negotiate the 291 steps to get there. The character of the trail changed dramatically after High Point. Once we descended from the rocky ridge line we quickly found ourselves in a pastoral setting. Rolling hills, pastures, bogs, and bits of forest alternated throughout the second half of the day.In the midst of this section I came upon the "Secret Shelter". It's an unofficial camping spot owned by a former thru-hiker. He has a small cabin, clean well water, tent sites, and get this... a solar shower, all free of charge to thru-hikers. I stopped in for what I expected to be a cold shower, but I was pleasantly surprised and ended up with a hot one. I took a "Navy Shower" to conserve the water, and washed myself and the shorts I was wearing at the same time. I then filled a gallon- size zip lock bag with hot water, squirted in some detergent, and washed the rest of my clothes in the bag. It worked great. I used Joy dishwashing detergent for myself and my clothes. They dried hanging from the back of my pack as I walked the remaining two and a half miles to town. I made town about 5:00, and after setting up my tent in the Unionville NY town square, demolished a plate of Chicken Alfredo at the Italian restaurant across the street. I will sleep well tonight. Tomorrow will be a "recovery day" of only 10 miles.