morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-04-28
From: Dahlgren Backpacker Campgy

To: Raven Rocks Shelter 
Miles today: 19.0

AT day 58 4/2819 miles to Raven Rocks Shelter I¢m loving Maryland.  The trail is like a mini AT sampler.  You have climbs, descents, rock fields, roots, mud, views, water crossings, and ridge walks.  But the level of difficulty is low because everything comes in smaller doses as compared with what¢s south of here. The facilities have been the best I¢ve seen on the trail.  Raven Rock shelter is very nice but I¢m camping on one of the many tent pads that they have nicely spaced in the area. The tenting sites even have picnic tables or benches.Maryland has been beautiful. The forests are alive with the fresh vibrant greens of new leaves and wildflowers are starting to bloom.  Annapolis Rocks is an amazing geological formation and I was treated to picture perfect views today. I want to say thank you to all of the trail angels out there that go out of their way to do special things for hikers. The Real Deal is a trail angel who has been following my journal and with no way to contact me she drove out to various trail crossings today to try and meet up with me to provide me some sandwiches and cookies.  I found this out from John aka Very at the Raven Rocks Shelter. She left John her number and I called her to say thank you. We had a short chat and she described all of the things that she does for hikers that she follows on Trail Journals. It¢s amazing to me how kind, generous and giving people are. Tomorrow I bid Maryland farewell and enter Pennsylvania. Time will tell what adventures await me in this state.  Hopefully my Salomon trail runners will take me across the rock fields with the same protection they afforded me in Maryland. Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-04-30
From: Quarry Rock Shelter 

To: Spring and tenting mile 1115.4
Miles today: 28.4

AT day 60 4/3028.4 miles to Spring and tenting mile 1115.4Big milestone today, I crossed the halfway point! This means that for every step I take I have hiked farther than the miles I have to go.  It¢s like being on a huge slide in the shape of a bell shaped curve. I¢ve spent the beginning of my journey hiking up the left side, i reached the apex today and now I get to slide down the right side all the way to Katahdin. It¢s going to motivating to watch the miles go down.  I only have 75 miles until I¢ll be in the triple digits (miles to go).Today¢s section of Pennsylvania was made for speed.  Sure there were uphills and rocky descents but the majority of the trail made for quick walking.  I left the shelter around 7 am and made it the 17 plus miles to the Pine Furnace Store and park just after noon.  The store and the AT museum were closed. Why no love for the early starters, after all we left early to minimize the number of people on the trail and we endured nasty cold weather. There was an AT thru hiker from the class of 2013 that gave me a coke,  From Pine Furnace State Park there is a long gradual climb and then the fun fast walking continues. It was relatively hot today.  I was wishing for a return to the cool upper 40s and 50s that make for great sweat free hiking.I hiked up the road to the Green Mountain General Store to get a turkey sandwich, ice cream bar and root beer to eat while I finished my hike. I packed out Fritos and Oreos to add to my dinner. I got to my campsite around 5:30. It¢s listed on Guthook as Spring and Tenting mile 1115.4. It unexpectedly started to rain right after I cooked dinner and was getting ready to filter water. Luckily I had my tent setup so I picked up everything and tossed it into the tent. I only have 33 miles to Duncanon where I¢ll pick up my resupply box from the post office on Thursday. I¢ll sleep in tomorrow (Wednesday) and only hike 23 miles to the Darlington Shelter. Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-02
From: Darlington Shelter 

To: Duncannon Post Office 
Miles today: 11.1

AT day 62  5/211.1 miles to Duncannon Post Office (nero)The mornings that I hike into town are always exciting.  I dream about a shower, laundry, a comfortable bed and some good food. I got up early so I could hike 11 miles to get to the Duncannon Post Office before it closed at 11 am for lunch.  Fog rolled into the campsite last night and made everything wet.  The dew dripping off the trees onto my tent sounded like a light rain.  The rocks on the trail were wet which called for cautious hiking. After yesterday¢s flat trail I was surprised by the number of rocky sections this morning.  The descent into Duncannon is very steep and has many rocky steps. I was glad that I wasn¢t hiking southbound and have to climb up those big rock steps. On the way down I heard a pop from my backpack and figured that the top support bar must have come loose.  When I got to the post office I discovered that the vertical support stay (pole) had poked a hole in the pouch on the bottom of the pack that keeps it in place. I emailed Zpacks and in keeping with their outstanding customer service they are going to send me a new pack. It¢s going to be around 6 days before I can pick it up.I made it to the post office in plenty of time and picked up my resupply package.  I called the Red Carpet Inn and the manager drove to the post office to pick me up.  He is very hiker friendly and even offers free rides to the closest restaurant. I head back to the trail tomorrow morning at 8am. It¢s supposed to rain tomorrow and Sunday.  No rain, no Maine.Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-03
From: Duncannon Post Office 

To: Yellow Springs Gap 
Miles today: 24.5

24.4 miles to Yellow Springs Gap AT Day 63 5/3The Red Carpet Inn Motel  manager dropped me off at the Duncannon Post Office at 8:15.  The hiking today wasn¢t easy today.  I guess that the easy Pennsylvania is behind me. Pennsylvania starts you off with some easy hiking to make up for what I hear are horrendous rocky trails to the north. It¢s really hard for me to believe that the trail can get anymore rocky. In one rocky section I got my shoe wedged between 2 rocks and couldn¢t get my foot free without taking my shoe off.  Thank goodness I didn¢t trip with my foot stuck I might have broken something. My highlight for the day was that i saw my first wild porcupine. I just happened to be in an area without a lot of rocks and I could look around a little and enjoy the forest instead of staring at my feet so I don¢t trip.This section of the AT has long waterless stretches so you have to monitor your water consumption and carry extra water.  Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-04
From: Yellow Springs Gap 

To: Campsite at 1198.4
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: broken clouds

AT Day 64 5/425.1 miles to Campsite at 1198.4I have reached the point where my miles to go are now in the triple digits. I have 993.6 miles to go  The highlight of my day, the highlight of Pennsylvania was hiking the section of the trail where some beavers decided to build a pond. The AT has an dry feet alternate that takes you on some boring forest service roads.  But you are really missing out on a special experience if you don¢t wade past the pond. I changed into my Luna sandals that I use for camp shoes. The water flooding the trail was just above my ankles (and it rained last night).  I don¢t care if it was knee deep it would have been worth it. Just think of all those PCT hikers that will be fording ice cold knee high rivers and creeks soon. I even saw a mating pair of frogs.I also enjoyed the cute red-orange salamander I saw by my campsite this morning. While I was walking along a ridge a mother grouse walked quickly across the trail trying to lead me away from her babies.  I surprised aa garter snake that slithered off the trail into the bushes.As for the trail I¢d classify it as 25% horrendous huge boulder fields.  In some instances it was difficult to see which way the actual trail went.  Annoying rock fields and rocky strewn trail comprised about 45% of the trail.  The rocks and boulders were especially hazardous in the morning due to being slick from the rain we had during the night. The remaking trail was the type where you can get a smooth stride going and cover the ground quickly.I¢m camped up on a ridge by the Shower Steps Overlook.  There is a wonderful view of farmlands, valleys, and a mountain range.  Unfortunately with the farmland you get the aroma of cows. The only downside of this campsite is that you have to carry water from shelter 501 3 miles uphill and over some nasty rocks. What¢s with all of these dry campsites on the AT.It¢s supposed to rain starting late tonight and most of the day tomorrow.  There is a flash flood watch for the area. Yikes! Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-05
From: Campsite at 1198.4

To: Port Clinton Post Office 
Miles today: 21.0

AT day 65  5/521 miles to Port Clinton Post Office I¢ve been lucky with the timing of the rain.  The past few days rain has been forecasted to either last all day or start in the late afternoon.  Last night I was able to get my camp set up and eat dinner before it rained. Last night was a steady rain but it was over before I woke up.  I¢ve been having problems with one end of my tent allowing some of the water that flows off the tent to drip into the mesh opening and then into the foot of the tent. I don¢t know if I¢m not pitching it correctly or if the mesh screen is stretched.  The opposite end is perfect (knock on wood) so I make sure that the good end is upslope where my head is. I keep the end that causes me trouble at the foot so it¢s downslope and any water that gets in pools at the bottom. It was forecasted to rain all day and then around 5pm the chances of rain decreased.  Well where I was the opposite happened. I enjoyed a cool overcast day. I only got wet when the wind blew water off the trees.  About a half an hour before I got to Port Clinton it started raining. I rigged up my umbrella and hiked to the post office where a driver from Cabellas Sporting Goods store came to pick me up.  What an amazing service they provide to AT hikers. He dropped me off at the Microtel hotel where I holed up to dry off and get my attitude adjusted. I guess most people don¢t mind the terrible rocks and boulders strewn across the trail but for some reason I can¢t stand them and can¢t wait to get out of Rocksylvania.  I was carefully watching my footing and slipped on a wet boulder, I caught my fall with my right hand and sprained my wrist. Now I have to try not to use my trekking pole with my right hand unless absolutely necessary.  Apparently I haven¢t seen anything yet in terms of Pennsylvania¢s rocky paths.  I know that there will be rocks all the way to Maine. Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-06
From: Port Clinton Post Office 

To: Hamburg Pennsylvania 
Miles today: 0.0

AT Day 66  5/6Zero milesI¢m drying out and resting up for my final push through Rocksylvania. I got here too late yesterday to take care of town chores and get proper rest, so I decided on a Zero day  I¢m heading back out on the trail tomorrow  Post Trail note: I didn't plan on stopping in Port Clinton to resupply or rest. The rain was coming down hard and I didn't feel like staying in the Port Clinton pavilion. Some day hikers told me that Cabellas would shuttle hikers into the larger town of Hamburg. I succumbed to the siren call of a warm dry bed and restaurant food.
Date: 2019-05-07
From: Port Clinton Post Office 

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 
Miles today: 22.4

AT Day 67  5/722.4 miles to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter Sorry no time for a journal entry. Post trail note: I showed up to the shelter around 6pm. A group of thru hikers were sitting around the picnic table eating and talking. I walked over to say hello and ask them for advice on where there might be a spot to pitch my tent. They were the most stuck up group of hikers I ever encountered. You would have thought that I asked them to give me some food.  The tenting area was full of weekend and section hikers. I was so upset with those thru hikers that I almost lost my water filter. I ended up tenting around some other tents fairly close to the shelter. During the night I heard the rude hikers yelling at another hiker (not in their group) about his snoring. They were so loud that they woke up the people in their tents.  I decided to get up and hike out as early as possible. I even ate my breakfast on the trail  These hikers called themselves the Frooble [front bubble]. I was to leapfrog with this group all the way to the end of my hike. They were a large group of 6 to 8 hikers and it was always worrisome when they beat me into camp. Most of them ended up not being so bad after they "accepted" me when I started hiking with WOW. I guess one of the guys was the major ahole.Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-08
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 

To: Delps Spring 
Miles today: 27.5

AT day 68 8 May27.5 miles to Delp's SpringNo time for a journal entry. I spent some time at camp talking with Lone Ranger, a 69 year old section hiker doing some big miles. I will post a summary of the past 2 days when I get to Delaware Water Gap tomorrow. It¢s 26 miles away but I¢m so ready to be done with Pennsylvania. I had to carry 11.5 pounds of water 11 miles to a dry campsite because Pennsylvania doesn¢t have any water sources for 20 miles with the exception of a stream polluted with heavy metals. Not fun to carry 11 pounds of water on the steep technical climb up out of Lehigh Gap. Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-09
From: Delps Spring 

To: Delaware Water Gap 
Miles today: 26.1

AT Day 69  5/926.1 miles to Delaware Water GapThe picture shows a hurt lip  I was moving a very large branch away from my campsite last night and managed to hit myself in the lip  It¢s always something.Pennsylvania was good to me today.  Sure there were rocks all over the trail but there weren't any huge steep scrambling up and over huge boulders climbs like the one out of Lehigh Gap yesterday.  The one section that was listed as sketchy, Wolf Rocks, wasn¢t even close to the Knife Edge section I did yesterday. After so many days of hiking through rock fields I developed a sense of where to place my feet to avoid the most pain and trip hazards.  I credit my Salomon XaPro 3D trail runners for giving my feet the stability I needed to avoid the problems I had with the Altra Lone Peaks. Post trail note: The Salomon were great shoes on dry trail. Once the trail became wet due to rain or snowmelt the shoes were worthless. The insoles would bunch up when they got wet. I ended up removing them and throwing them away. They also didn't stick very well to wet slick rock. I found myself slipping in areas that the Lone Peaks wouldn't. Right after the descent from Wolf Rocks the trail became noticeably easier.  The last 8 miles to Delaware Water Gap was the easiest section since I left Port Clinton 3 days ago. I got to the Post Office and picked up my replacement backpack around 4 pm.  Time flies when you get to town and you have so much to do. I spent a lot of time stripping all of my pouches and pockets and cords off of my old pack and putting them on my new pack,I¢m taking another Zero day tomorrow to allow my body to recover from the beating Pennsylvania dished out.  I hike out on Saturday and will say good by to Rocksylvania.I will post tomorrow about some exciting new developments in relation to my hike Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-10
From: Delaware Water Gap 

To: Delaware Water Gap 
Miles today: 0.0

AT day 70  5/10Zero miles.I am fortunate to be able to join the GCHH/AARP Triple Crown Challenge, ¢I Hike With Mike¢ project.  It is a great program that is meant to inspire senior citizens to keep active under a program called ¢Disrupting The Aging Model¢.  I have always thought that age is just a number and not a limiting factor in what a person can physically accomplish.Mike is the original hiker who took on the challenge at the age of 71.  Unfortunately he sustained a severe shoulder injury while hiking. I had met Mike and his team back in March at the Boots Off Hostel.  I met members of their team in Hamburg, Pa and they invited me to join them. I am very excited for this opportunity to support the concept of senior fitness as well as veterans causes and long trail stewardship The website is GCHH.org.  I will be wearing a SPOT device and my location can be seen by following a link on their website.I will start hiking north to Katahdin.  I only have 897 miles to go.Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-11
From: Delaware Water Gap 

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: light rain

AT day 71 5/1124.8 miles to Brink Road ShelterMy first day of hiking in New Jersey was impressive.  The trail had a few Pennsylvania rocky areas but overall the trail was very nice.  The worst area was around Sunfish Pond. Its perimeter was lined with large boulders to navigate.  In addition the pond and rocks made for prime snake territory. I almost stepped on a water snake at the beginning of the pond and kept a keen eye out for more.The best part of the day was all of the views of rolling hills covered with forest, meandering rivers, and the lack of any development.  Who would have thought that New Jersey would be so beautiful. It¢s supposed to rain tonight and continue on into late Monday.  I¢m actually sleeping in the shelter tonight with 3 other people so I don¢t have to break camp in the rain.Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-12
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: Secret Shelter 
Miles today: 25.0

AT day 7225 miles to Secret Shelter A cold rainy day.  New Jersey couldn¢t show off her beauty today because the rain blocked the views. There are still quite a few rocks and boulder sections on the trail. These were made especially hazardous because of the rain.  In some places the trail was turned into a stream. There were a lot of mucky mud sections that were just disgusting.My rain gear worked great but with an afternoon temperature hovering around 42 degrees and I was getting cold  The shelter I¢m staying at is privately owned and is essentially a one room cabin. I was lucky that there was plenty of room.  There was only 1 other person in the shelter. I was too cold and wet to show up and find out that there wasn¢t room. The GCHH/Hike with Mike project crew offered to take any gear and food that I wouldn¢t need for the next 3 days.  This allowed me to significantly cut my pack weight. However, I guess that I didn¢t pay enough attention to the weather forecast which now shows highs in the mid 40s and low of 38. Who would have thought that it would be so cold in May!   I¢m now stuck without my down jacket and wind pants. I will meet the team tomorrow and get them back.Today I hiked with a man called WOW.  He¢s a Britt that lives in Australia. He has hiked all but the Washington section of the PCT.It¢s going to be cold and raining tomorrow and Tuesday   WOW and I decided to hike 14 miles and then call a motel to come pick us up so we can get out of the rain and cold for a night.
Date: 2019-05-13
From: Secret Shelter 

To: Route 94 Trailhead 
Miles today: 13.3

AT day 73 5/1313.3 miles to Route 94 Trailhead I was so thankful to be in a warm dry shelter last night. I never get a good sleep in a shelter but I¢d rather have a poor sleep than have to put up and take down a tent in 40 degree rain. I¢m a light sleeper so I wake up quite often with any little sound that is out of the ordinary.  Some creature was scurrying around for a while last night. Everyone turns in the sleep and I usually wake up when someone turns over because the air mattresses backpackers use are very noisy.Today¢s hike was a mix bag of trail conditions.  The uphills were accompanied by large wet rocky slabs that you had to use caution with or you would slip and fall at a weird angle.  The descents took you into a mucky muddy mess or to a trail that had been turned into a stream. I don¢t mind wet feet but I learned in the Smoky Mountains that you want to keep mud out of your shoes or your feet will get messed up.  [I know, Vermont (Vermud) will require miles of walking in deep boot sucking mud.]As you can see by the picture the tread of my shoes got shredded by the Pennsylvania rocks.  They were new 334 miles ago when I restarted the trail in Harpers Ferry. The upper parts of the shoes have no holes and the toe bumper guard is still attached.  I thank these shoes for getting me through Pennsylvania without any significant falls and happy ankles and feet. Last night I suggested that we take a Nero to ride out the nasty weather that was forecast for today (Monday).  I also needed to meet my GCHH/AARP/Triple Crown Challenge/Hike with Mike team to get my next resupply. Meeting in a nice cozy motel room seemed a lot smarter than at a trailhead in the cold rain.We had light rain this morning and then it stopped raining until we got to the Appalachian Motel in Vernon, NJ. It has been a steady nasty cold rain since then and now at 8:30pm it is still raining.  Hopefully the rain will let up tomorrow. The guide books list 2 shelters for consideration tomorrow.  The first one is only 18 miles from the Route 94 trailhead and the second one is about 31 miles away and has a huge bear problem.  There aren¢t any normal tenting campsites listed in the guidebooks so we will probably stop at the first one or maybe hike a little further and find a unlisted tenting area that sometimes pop up along the trail.I only have 833 miles to go.  I will be crossing into New York tomorrow so I can check another state off the list. Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-14
From: Route 94 Trailhead 

To: Wildcat Shelter 
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

AT Day 74  5/1417.2 miles to Wildcat Shelter We had a short day planned because of the spacing of available campsites and the rain so we slept in and got dropped off at the trailhead around 7:45.The trail was pretty miserable today because of the rain making for slippery conditions and mucky mud pits.  The sketchiest sections were up on the ridge lines where there were long rock slabs that were very slick. The shelter is packed like sardines because of the cold rain.  The highlight of the day was a soft serve ice cream with hot fudge. Saying goodbye to another state was also a great feeling. Tomorrow I will drop down into the 700s miles to go. Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-15
From: Wildcat Shelter 

To: Campsite near mile 1398.7
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: clear sky

AT day 75  5/1522.7 miles to Campsite near mile 1398.7Highlights include the Lemon Squeezer, a lot of scrambling, a sketchy water crossing (not PCT sketchy), superb views and beautiful green forest. Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-05-16
From: Campsite near mile 1398.7

To: Appalachian Market Route 9
Miles today: 12.6

AT day 76  5.1612.6 miles to Appalachian Market Route 9Some crazy bird woke me up at 4:45 this morning. It didn¢t even sing that well. After it was satisfied that it woke everyone up it flew away.  WOW and I are going to be picked up by the I Hike with Mike guys for a Nero and resupply. They took us to the Bear Mountain Bridge Motel which is a nice and clean little motel. They will do your laundry. A couple of restaurants are close. Nero days are very busy. It is almost 10pm and I¢m going to a Cafe at 5:30 am so I need to get sleep. The trail was much easier today. I love New York¢s forests and views. It¢s amazing how much undeveloped land is located so close to such a huge population center.Happy hiking, Silver Streak