morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-01
From: Ravens Rock Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 25.4
Weather: broken clouds

A pattern is forming. It rained most of night and stopped shortly before I needed to get up and going.  If it's going to rain, that's how I like to see it.  Also, PA is usually drier in June, with many of the streams and springs drying and becoming unreliable.  But with all the rain, fresh water is easy to come by.  So I don't need to carry more than a liter (each liter = 2.2 lbs).I crossed the Mason-Dixon line this morning, passing from MD to PA, the 7th state of my journey.  Mason and Dixon were surveyors given the job of determining the boundary between MD and PA and DE to settle border disputes.  It became associated with the demarcation of free and slave states.  Leaving MD was quite difficult.  I encountered steep, rocky downhills. The going was slow, with each step being deliberately placed. Entering PA was a challenge, the new state welcoming me almost immediately with a 500 foot up and down.Tonight's destination, Quarry Gap Shelters, is outstanding.  Sheltered picnic tables (plural), hanging potted plants, a sundial, and a privy with toilet paper and hand sanitizer told me I was not in Tennessee any more.  I could have happily zeroed there.  Getting there was my personal best in distance, 25.4 miles.  Listening to a Sherlock Holmes episode  (thanks, Matt) helped me pass the 12 hours from start to finish.I set up my tent in site quite some distance from the shelters, ate a quick dinner of chicken and Knorr's pasta side (just add boiling water ), and lo, no rain tonight.  My tent will have a chance to dry.
Date: 2017-06-02
From: Quarry Gap Shelter 

To: Pine Grove State Park 
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I left camp at 6:45 a.m., anxious to reach Pine Grove State Park.  My plan was simple: to get there early enough in the afternoon to have a grilled lunch and to participate in the half-gallon ice cream challenge.  The challenge entails eating that amount of ice cream in one hour. I made record time, mostly because the terrain was about as easy as any I've come across on the trail, miles upon miles of flat and down hill, and because the conditions were ideal, sunny and comfortably warm.  Along the way I passed the official halfway point, mile 1094.4, and then mile marker 1100 shortly thereafter. A small sign marked the midway mark. There is little point in making the sign more prominent since it moves every year, as the keepers of the AT add distance to the trail every year, often in the form of switchbacks. Along the way I also met Freckles,  who was hiking a short section.  She hiked the entire AT in 2014 with her friend, Drag 'n Fly, who was 74 at the time.  Drag 'n Fly set and still holds the record for the oldest woman to successfully thru-hike the AT. Meeting Freckles was fortuitous, as I will later relate.I arrived at the Pine Grove State Park at 2 p.m., to find Shop Teacher and Multi-tool.  Both had already successfully completed the half-gallon challenge in under 30 minutes.  It was a perfect day for ice cream, and I was famished.  I had no doubt I'd meet with success to.  Success eluded me.  A half-gallon was far more than I could stomach. I also made the tactical error of choosing Coconut Chocolate Almond. It tasted outstanding at first, but the richness of the flavor overwhelmed me.  Sadly, I tossed about a third of it in the trash - the first I can remember throwing away ice cream.Freckles lives in Gardner, PA,  about a 5 minute drive from the park.  In a strange coincidence, she had previously met Shop Teacher in Hot Springs. She and her husband, Rich (aka Hijack, because he was once forced to hike with Freckles), invited Shop Teacher, Multi-tool, and me to their home for the evening.  We quickly took them up on their offer.  I am always astounded by the generosity and hospitality I come across on the trail.At their beautiful home we showered, had our horrid clothes cleaned, and even wallowed in a hot tub.  I couldn't pull myself out until I was pink,  soft and wrinkled like a newborn babe.  My toes haven't been this clean since March 1st.Later I slept in a real bed in a separate bedroom allotted to me because I snore.  Ah, the perks that come with being a pariah. What a way to celebrate reaching the halfway mark.  The second half is showing signs of being better than the first.
Date: 2017-06-03
From: Pine Grove State Park 

To: Boiling Springs, AT Center
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: broken clouds

Breakfast was fantastic.  Freckles prepared a feast for the three of us, eggs, bacon, toast with jam, juice and coffee. Then Freckles and Hijack invited us back for the coming night.  We three hiked that day light on our feet, knowing civilization awaited us at the end of the day.We three hiked together, taking a short detour to eat lunch at the Green Mountain Store.  It was another ideal weather day.  The terrain was hillier than the day before. We even had to pass through a  pair of rock mazes, with many twists and turns, ups and downs involving hand over hand rock scrambles.  It was a jungle gym for grownups.   Met John Eckhardt, a member of the Mountain Club of Maryland, who painted the white blazes on the trees.  Somehow he  managed to get paint on Shop Teacher and I though we stood several feet distant from him. He, too, was splattered in white paint splashes from head to toe.Late in the afternoon we passed through the town of Boiling Springs. A beautiful stream passed through its midst.  Rich and Carolyn picked us up at AT RegIonal office and brought us to Scalles, a restaurant in Carlisle, PA.  I enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich.  We three hikers treated them to dinner, a token of our appreciation for their invaluable hospitality.Afterwards we returned to their home for another night of chitchat and a sleepover.  I cannot thank them enough for their trail magic.
Date: 2017-06-04
From: Boiling Springs, AT Center

To: Cove Mtn Shelter 
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: moderate rain

By 8:15 a.m., the Banjiks dropped us off at the AT Regional Office in the center of Boiling Springs.  Again, we had agreeable hiking weather.  We marched through farmland across a valley to the opposite side of the valley, then climbed some tough mountains, rebuilding some hiking muscle. I hiked with Multi-tool and Shop Teacher.  We stopped at a barn at the Scott Farm Trail ATC for lunch.We reached Cove Mtn Shelter after a long 21 miler.  I had Knorr pasta sides for dinner, my latest dinner preference, for variety sake.  Patch, Songbird, Monarch (the Oklahoma girls) straggle in late at the shelter. They walked marathon miles that pale my mere 21 miles.The shelter lacks a front step, making for a challenging climb onto the platform.  A porcupine has been visiting the shelter to lick salt off the wooden platform floors, left their by sweaty hikers, a delicacy among our quilled friends. Removing the step was aimed at thwarting the creature. I choose to set up my tent far away, knowing full well that quills and inflatable matresses are motral enemies.  Shop Teacher sets up his hammock nearby.  Multi-tool remains in the shelter. At 9 p.m., rain starts, with more expected tomorrow.  I'm exhausted.  I hear a train whistle in the distance.  A whiporwill sings me to sleep.
Date: 2017-06-06
From: Duncannon 

To: PA 325, stealth site
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: light rain

Though we left the church early, no one seemed in any particular rush.  Multi-tool, Shop Teacher, and I ate breakfast at a truck stop on the edge of town.  We crossed the mighty Susquehanna, which might be the widest river on the AT (but I'll reserve my conclusion til I see the Hudson).  After crossing the river, we had a steep climb back into the mountains, giving us the vantage point of the river and Duncannon below.  Rain threatened in late afternoon, so we took a siesta in a shelter until the mini-storm blew over.  Several other hikers did the same, including Ounce, Tincup, Action Jackson.  Again, no one seemed particularly motivated to hike today.We three set up camp alongside a slow moving, deep creek. It looked like an ideal fishing spot. Down stream, I saw a fisherman casting a line into the water.  The campsite was ideal, flat surfaces for tents beneath tall pine trees.  We ate, hung our food, and retired shortly before dark.
Date: 2017-06-07
From: PA 325, stealth site

To: William Penn Shelter 
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: few clouds

We're making a push to reach Port Clinton in three days, so today was spent covering much ground.  It rained for much of the night, so I'm packing a wet tent.  The trail is getting rockier, so I need to concentrate on each step.  Shop Teacher stepped on a moving rock that caused him to lose his balance and fall.  Fortunately no injury insued, but it highlights the trickiness of crossing over rocks.  Our path today took us under I-81. We are clearly reaching densely populated areas now that we're in the mid-Atlantic states.We arrived late to the William Penn Shelter, around 7:30 p.m, leaving about an hour to set up the tent, eat, get water, and bear bag before darkness fell. I felt rushed and didn't quite eat as much dinner as a should have.  Nonetheless I am quitelling satisfied with today's distance.
Date: 2017-06-08
From: William Penn Shelter 

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: clear sky

Shop Teacher, Multi-tool, and I walked 19.2 miles today to Eagles Nest shelter and found nary an eagle or a nest. How shelters get their names might make for an intriguing topic of independent study.  But that's for post-trail activities. Hiking 8 to 12 hours per day leaves little time for research.On the way to the shelter, I passed the mark of having less than 1000 miles remaining to finish.  Shortly thereafter I passed the 1200 miles traveled mark. Though I know I'm making progress, these numbers still mean there are still many miles to go before I sleep.My backpack doesn't fit as well as it once did.  I've cinched the waist strap as tightly as possible, but the belt is still slightly loose, which means my hips don't bear as much weight as they should.  This puts more strain on the shoulders because they bear weight not carried by the hips.  After ten hours of this, they are sore.  But I hardly notice because my feet are more sore, and my simple brain can concentrate on only one pain at a time, usually the one that hurts most.At the shelter I spoke with my sister, Lynne, to wish her a happy birthday, my wife Diane, my daughter Lauren, and my son Matt. Having cell service has restored my connection to the civilized world.  I find solace in this. The path today was generally flat.  Southern PA has been kind.  But it is getting rockier and rockier.  I've stubbed many a toe, turned many an ankle (just two, actually), and stumbled innumerable times, my poles saving me on those occasions.  Naturally the rocks slow my progress.  I've learned, however, that you take what the trail gives you; there's no point in complaining; but I don't let that stop me.I'm camping tonight again with Shop Teacher and Multi-tool.  Lucky Penny and Already Stinky came to the shelter late, near sunset. We talked of today's exploits.  These evening reunions at a shelter are often a highlight to the day.  One never knows who might turn up.
Date: 2017-06-09
From: Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Stopping at Eagles Nest yesterday left a short hike into town today. There are two prevailing strategies for entering town: 1) lay up short before the town, leaving a nero for the next day, which leaves enough time to do all the chores, stay overnight and then leave early the next day; and 2) hike almost a full day into evening just to get into town, stay overnight, then do all the chores the next day, going immediately back to the trail when the chores are done. Shop Teacher, Multi-tool, and I followed the first strategy.  Multi-tool outstripped us because he was planning to meet his sister and her fianc© in town.At 11 a.m., Shop Teacher and I crossed the Port Clinton railway station and walked through town - all of it, it's not that big - and went directly to the Port Clinton Hotel.  Shop Teacher and I intended to share a room to split costs, but the hotel had single bed rooms only. We're fast becoming friends, but that's a little too fast. So we got our own rooms. At the hotel we came upon Multi-tool, already sipping a brew in the hotel's Pub, Tugboat, and Hoochiemama.  I had not seen the latter two since Gravel Springs Hut during the infamous bear crisis on May 22. Moments later Multi-tool's sister and her fianc© came in to pick him up. We bade him farewell for the time being.Shop Teacher and I ate lunch in the Pub, which entailed a massive steak and cheese sub with fries, walked to the barbershop, spoke with Frank the barbershop owner, who welcomes hikers with open arms, coffee and cookies, and walked to the pavilion at the far end of town.  Hikers staying in Port Clinton are free to stay there.  As we approached it, I saw a squirrel scampering away.  It had ransacked a brown paper bag filled with shelled peanuts. Apparently I had interrupted a feast fit for a king squirrel. Water near the pavilion is deemed contaminated, so hikers were advised to avoid it.Later I dove headlong into a pasta dinner in the Hotel restaurant.  The Hotel, it seems, is the only game in town, and hikers are a large part of its clientele. Back in my room I watched Saving Private Ryan for the eleventh time long, too long, into the night.
Date: 2017-06-10
From: Port Clinton

To: Hamilton, NJ
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Matt arrived in front of the Port Clinton Hotel at 9 a.m. and drove me to his home in Hamilton, NJ., an hour and forty-five minute drive.  I appreciated the sacrifice of his time and was excited to see him.  Our reunions are far and few in between.  Cabo, my grandpuppy, greeted me excitedly.  We spent the day preparing for our upcoming hike, including drying out my damp equipment in the backyard sunshine, eating massive portions at the Princetonian Diner, shopping at REI and Shop Aid, and taking naps.Later that evening we had a barbeque dinner at Nick and Emily's new home, and I had front row seats to a diving competition,  the likes of which would make Louganis jealous.  I saw their one-year old Luke.  The last time I saw Nick and Emily, they were expecting numero uno.  Now they are expecting numero dos.  After the diving exposition, Matt and I returned to Hamilton and readied our backpack, a multi-hour activity involving discussions about clothing, food, shelter, and water filters. It was a blast. Then I watched Hacksaw Ridge long, too long, into the night.
Date: 2017-06-11
From: Port Clinton

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Matt went off to early church service, while his Pops slept off a late movie night.  While he was out, I tried to catch up on my trail journal, a hopeless task since I am typically seven days or more behind when I have cell service, time, and I'm not too tired. Uploading photos alone is onerous. When I'm in town I prefer a little TV over typing into my phone. I think I managed to catch up just three days. Nonetheless,  I consider it an important duty.  Some day this hike will be over and my "real time" notes will be precious to me.  Besides, I know some family members use it to determine whether I am still alive and have not become bear food.Matt got us back to the Port Clinton trailhead at 1 pm.  We had an ambitious hike ahead of us, fifteen miles to Eckville Shelter. No problem, he assured me, for he was in the best shape of his life. But hiking uses different muscles.  And it takes at least three days for the youngsters to get theirs, and three weeks for us older folks.  To his credit, he slogged over and down hills and dales, albeit with rubbery legs, to reach the shelter by 8 pm.  We set up camp, he in an open field and I on a raised tent platform, and cooked dinner, though he did not have much of an appetite (he did have some of my packaged tuna fish,  which he found delectable).  I left the fly off my tent so I could observe the stars at night. This sounds like fun, but I need to sleep on my back to appreciate the view, and wear my glasses, two things I don't do. But I still like to say I did it.      We also bear bagged.  It had gotten dark so we bumbled through the dark forest looking for just the right tree, never a simple task in the light of day. The ideal tree has a horizontal limb about 12 or more feet above the ground that reaches at least six feet away from the trunk. My tosses of the rope over an ideal branch failed, so i gave Matt a go. His first toss was a winner, beginners luck, and we were ready to go. The night was warm, and fireflies momentarily appeared and disappeared into the dark.
Date: 2017-06-12
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

After a sumptuous breakfast consisting of two Nature Valley granola bars, a Clif bar, and Gatorade, Matt and I set off from the shelter on our second day of hiking. Today's hike was less ambitious.  I had arranged for a shuttle to pick him up at PA309, only 11 miles away, to drive him back to Port Clinton, where he had parked his car. He was astonished at how well his legs recovered from the night before. They were not quite 100 percent, but they were refreshed.  The recovery, however, was short lived. Eleven miles is a long hike for someone still waiting for their trail legs to kick in.  He was elated to reach the rendezvous point, knowing his misery would soon be over.  The shuttle driver was punctual.  I bid Matt a fond farewell.  The three days with him were among the most enjoyable of this odyssey. After he left, I trudged for six more miles to Bake Oven Knob shelter, appropriately named as temperatures were adequate for baking cakes and bodies.  Matt's departure was opportune for him, as these six miles crossed rocky, strenuous terrain, including Knifes Edge and Bear Rocks. To climb these bare rock structures required climbing, careful navigation, patience, and balance. They got my heart pumping and adrenaline flowing.  Over the course of a long day, it's these challenging segments that I remember most and talk about with fellow hikers.
Date: 2017-06-13
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Delps Spring 
Miles today: 17.5

I'm on my own again.  Matt's back in NJ, and Shop Teacher and Multi-tool are a day ahead.  I was the only one who stayed the night at Bake Oven Knob shelter, a dilapidated affair, which explains the lack of company.  It's name is fitting, however, as the thermometer held to the 60s throughout the dark hours. In my tent I was the oven stuffer roaster.My initial plans were to hike 23 miles to Leroy Smith shelter, but the climb out of Lehigh Gap was astounding.  All boulders, piled a mile high, greeted me once I crossed the Lehigh River.  Hand over hand scrambles had me clinging to the boulders, knowing full well a fall would have hurtful consequences.  My pack was no help, because it tended to pull me backwards, not a pleasant feeling when the path in front of you is mostly vertical. My poles were useless, too. Temps hit the mid 90s, and there was no shade on those rocks.  My entire body dripped sweat.I drank some of my water at the top of the climb, though i knew the next refill opportunity was 10 miles away.  I would have to make my remainig liter last.It didn't. It was so hot I ran out of water four miles before I could reach Delps Spring, identified in the guidebook as an unreliable source located 0.4 miles down a steep rocky path.  It mattered not to me.  I needed water badly and figured the wet season thus far would bode well for the chance of water, even at an unreliable spring. Anxiously I descended the slope, hoping I was not walking 0.8 miles roundtrip in vain.  Eureka, there was water, lots of it, cold and refreshing.  I filled up my water bottles, slugged about a liter, but I was done hiking for the day.  Hopefully, tomorrow won't be as hot.
Date: 2017-06-14
From: Delps Spring 

To: Delaware Water Gap 
Miles today: 26.1
Weather: clear sky

A gusty breeze awoke me, portending a change in weather and cooler temperatures. I was packed and ready to hike by 7 a.m.  My day's objective was Kirkridge shelter, just shy of 20 miles. The terrain was relatively flat so I was confident I could get it done by 5 p.m.I'd not gotten more than a tenth of a mile when I came upon a whitetail.  It ran immediately into the thick brush beyond my sight. Then came one of the strangest sounds I've yet to hear any where, let alone in the woods.  From where the deer vanished I heard a loud bleating, like a dry cough.  I could only imagine the cry came from the deer, but I did not know they uttered any sounds. They always struck me as the strong, silent type.My pace today was slower than usual on account of the ground being so rocky.  I measured every step and could maintain a constant gait.  My ankles twisted, my toes pinched, and the heels of my boots rubbed against my raw blisters. Notwithstanding, I make progress and started entertaining the thought of going all the way to the town of Delaware Water Gap.  It is near the PA-NJ border, and now I wanted desperately to leave this state.  My boots, my toes could stand no more.Today I took better care to hydrate.  I stopped at the Leroy A. Smith shelter, just 6 miles from my starting point, to fully load up on water.  As usual in PA, the water is 0.4 miles away the shelter, down a steep rocky path, but it's worth the 0.8 mile roundtrip. I also feast on  a Ramen noodle and tuna brunch. Another hiker, Echo, is there to keep good company.The food and water energize me, and I march through the forests like a man possessed.  Wolf Rocks, a line of boulders along a ridge, provide an uphill challenge, another rock to bolder jumping exercise.  This never fails to exhilarate.At 5 p.m., I power past the Kirkridge shelter, fully committed to make it to all the way to town.  I arrive at 7:30 p.m., gratified, and find Echo and Don Gauntlet, the trail angel, sitting at a picnic table in front of the Church of the Mountain hostel.  Don has food and drinks.  I slam down a cold Ginger ale, three applesauce cups, a banana, five tangerines, gobs of chocolate, and handfuls of pepperoni, mumbling my gratitude between chews.  I made a pig of myself, and Don seemed utterly delighted by it.       I set up my tent on a small patch of grass alongside the church parking lot at the back of the building, and I slept marvelously.
Date: 2017-06-15
From: Delaware Water Gap 

To: Delaware Water Gap 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I'm hanging out in Delaware Water Gap, having a leisurely breakfast at the Village Farmer with Multi-tool, Shop Teacher, and Flash, a young man of 31, a Veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns, who I just met two days ago in the sweltering heat. He offered me water that day, which I gratefully declined; he was going to need every drop.After breakfast I visited the Edge of the woods outfitter to have my pole tips replaced.  During my climb out of Lehigh Gap, the metal tips of both poles broke, more specifically, were driven up into the hollow of the poles as a result of my pounding them frequently into rock. The young man who repaired them also fixed a pair of levers, which had broken or was about to break.  My poles are as good as new.My next task was to do laundry - the last four days of heat and sweat rendered them horrid.  The church has two buckets, which I used to hand wash and rinse my pants, shirt, and soiled unmentionables.  It's tough to get filthy clothes fully clean by just wringing them in cold water, but it's a marked improvement.  Besides, by this time tomorrow they will be Stinky again.Shop Teacher and I explored the town, having lunch at Zoe's Ice Cream shop. In addition to ice cream, it served turkey chili and hot dogs.  My eyes rolled in delight.Tonight the church is having a hiker feed, with homemade cooking.  My eyes are already rolling in anticipation.