morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-06
From: 1161.2 campsite

To: William Penn Shelter
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I didn't start out planning to get to this shelter. But here I am. Sole Power, GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) and I are tenting right by the turn off to the shelter. Sole Power got a fire going. The spring is close by. Nice spot. It's been another fine day for hiking. It's nice to wake up on the trail, rather than in town. I get up in the early dawn to bird song. Pack and make a breakfast shake. And get on the trail between 0600 and 0630 for the best hiking of the day. It's cool. The shadows are long in the beautiful dawn sunlight. The insects are not active yet. There's only spider webs to contend with. The trail is fresh and new again. I find that I'm excited to be on the AT every day, rain or shine. As the trail finished up the first ridge it went down through an old, turn of the 19th century, coal mining region. There were overgrown piles of tailings. The trail was on coal gravel. The sign said as many as 1000 people once lived here. Later, after passing under the freeway, the trail climbed another ridge. This is where we are now. After some rocks the trail got fast and easy. There's beautiful sections of ferns covering the forest floor in all directions. It was a good day. And it feels good to get in a surprise day over 20 miles.
Date: 2014-06-07
From: William Penn Shelter

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: broken clouds

Rocks. Today was the rockiest day so far on the trail. They pretty much ruled the tread way for the last 15 miles. I expect them to continue. My feet are adjusting and my shoes handle the rocks well. The AT is getting us ready for worse rocks ahead. And today was the worse to date for mosquitoes. Another preview of days ahead. It's finally gotten cool enough tonight that they've backed off. We're soon going to have to really deal with the things. 4.1 miles into the day was the famous 501 shelter. The one hikers can order pizza from. Plus, it's a great shelter. Four walls and a door. Huge skylight. Very comfortable. I sat and visited with the three hikers who stayed there last night. Right after they left GOAT and Sole Power showed up. And immediately following, a thru hiker from last year arrived with trail magic. Thru hiker trail angels know what hikers want. There were snack cakes, potato chips, pop, and beer. It was Sole Power's 27th birthday. We celebrated, totally enjoying the chance magic. The rocks began immediately after the 501. I took breaks now and then to let my feet rest from the constant twisting and pounding over the uneven rocky ground. It's not so bad if you throttle down any mileage expectations and take it carefully. I'm amazed at how rapidly my feet recover, and are ready for another few miles, after 15 minutes of rest. The Eagles Nest Shelter area was thick with a couple Boy Scout groups. Good to see them out here. Sole Power, GOAT, and myself tented a ways before the shelter and got set up with a fire going. Soon Long Haul and Daytona joined us. By the time we were set up and fed the sun was shining golden light through the trees. Beautiful and wonderfully peaceful. We all felt great. Another fine day on the AT. Good mileage. Rocks handled. Port Clinton a short day away tomorrow. A few mosquitoes are not going to spoil our contentment. I crawled into my tent after dark, dirty and smelling like a thru hiker, but feeling terrific.
Date: 2014-06-08
From: Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 9.3

Mosquitoes greeted me as I exited my tent this morning. That's new. But nothing can diminish the excitement of knowing I'll be hiking into Port Clinton, PA today. My bounce box is at the PO, close by in Hamburg. It's Sunday so I can't pick it up until Monday. I think I'll take a zero. 9.3 miles is now an easy hike. Rocks or no rocks. Lately the brush, especially mountain laurel, often crowds into the tread way. I passed a maintenance crew yesterday. They have a lot of work to do just cutting brush back. I just cannot praise trail maintainers enough. These volunteers mean everything to the AT. Meanwhile I stir up lots of insects as I brush through the growth. I've also started keeping an eye out for snakes. The first encounters with rattlers have begun. It goes without saying...tick checks. I pulled off a deer tick nymph, the ones we fear most, just last night. It had attached itself to my leg and looked like just a speck of mud. None of the creature encounters in any way diminish the pleasure of being in the AT. Despite how it might sound, the eruption of life along the trail is just another part of the adventure. The first month or so of my hike was cold and life was subdued under leafless trees. Now the forest is lush and green, and very much alive. I have never been so closely immersed in the change of the seasons. It's such a privilege. Hiking down the steep grade into Port Clinton my mind is filled with visions of cheeseburgers and beer. I sit at a picnic table where the AT spills out into a park, before the sidewalks. It's a fine day. Soon enough Sole Power, GOAT, and The Priest come down the trail. All three of them have birthdays within this week. GOAT is 22 today. The plan is Red Robin in Hamburg to celebrate. As if we need an excuse. I try hitch hiking into Hamburg at highway 61. No luck, so I start walking the mile or so down the busy road. I can see the other three hikers behind me doing the same. It's so odd to walk next to the noisy and busy rush of traffic. Somewhere along the road Ginger Snap, 2012 thru hiker, picks up GOAT, Sole Power, and The Priest. We all arrive at Red Robin at the same time. What a great time we have. GOAT made sure the staff sang happy birthday and the three got their free ice cream. We plied Ginger Snap with questions about her thru hike. Good food, fellow hikers, laughter, and conversation. We're back in the World and yet still removed. Ginger Snap is so pleased to be hanging out with thru hikers. Later she drives us to Cabellas and then drops me off at the hotel. Shower, laundry, food. The town trinity once again. It's wonderful to get clean of the sweat, dirt, bits of forest, and the odd squashed bug pieces. And my clothes. It's not like we carry changes of clothing, other than something clean for town. I've been living in my hiking clothes for the past several days. Pretty bad. Especially my socks. Today was a fun day. I am looking forward to tomorrow's zero. And Tuesday I know it'll be wonderful to get back on the AT.
Date: 2014-06-09
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Hamburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Nice to get up and sit in a chair and drink coffee. Funny how it's the little things that you learn to appreciate. Then about a three mile walk round trip to get my bounce box at the PO. I added a picture of it, sitting on the bridge railing over the Schuylkill River. My computer, hot spot, etc have arrived safe and sound every time. From here I'm sending my bounce box home. I'm planning on going home for a day or two when I get to Massachusetts. Later I got a ride back to the PO, and then to the supermarket with Dad. He's a 2014 thru hiker who tore his Achilles' tendon and had to get off the trail. So he's doing a lot of shuttling for hikers. It's a reminder that any one of us could have an injury that forces us off the AT. This deep into a thru hike, the thought is sobering. It's a reminder to be patient with trail conditions. There's lots of hikers coming into Hamburg today. Critter, Shiver, Wrong Leg, Key Lime, Chocolate, Cheese, Sharp Knife, Hiccup, and several new faces. Suddenly a big bubble has caught up. The trail is going to be fun with new faces this week. So now I'm clean. I've resupplied my food bag. I've had plenty of town food. I've uploaded my photos and gotten the guide pages for as far north as Vermont. (I only carry the pages to the next bounce box location.) I can't wait to get back on the trail tomorrow. It's been nice to wake up between cotton sheets, but I again really want to wake up to bird song, in my tent, in the forest, beside the AT. It is so peaceful up on the ridges, far from the noise and bustle of the towns and highways in the valley. At this point I think we belong on the trail. Our bodies have adapted to it. Our gear is tuned to it. We're transients, passing by in the forest up on the ridges. While I enjoy talking with locals when I can, most relating is with fellow thru hikers. Locals in trail towns must be seeing a steady stream of new faces that are gone once their business in town is finished. We're all dirty. We smell. We focus on food. We tend to gather together in irresponsible enjoyment. We're trying to hitch rides on the roads. We're literally just passing through. Hopefully every hiker treats the locals and their businesses with respect. From what I've seen we all do. And often times the locals treat hikers wonderfully with random acts of kindness. Today was a good zero day. Now it's time to keep hiking north.
Date: 2014-06-10
From: Hamburg, PA

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: light rain

I got here around 3:30 this afternoon. Really, it's too early to stop. The next shelter is less than 8 miles away. But for some reason my right foot is bothering me. So it's best to play it safe and not push it. I'll stay here. This shelter is actually a six person bunk house. Four walls and a door. There's showers and a flush toilet in another building. It's actually on a road and has a caretaker. Different. It was raining when I left the hotel in Hamburg this morning. The mile or so walk along highway 61 came with misty spray from the passing trucks. It was good to get off the road and into the woods. As the trail climbed up onto the next ridge the traffic noises gradually faded, to be replaced by birds and dripping water from the leaves. It was good to be back. One of the stops today was at Pulpit Rock Astronomical Park. There are at least four domed buildings there. But no one was around and everything was locked up. Sure looks like fun though. This morning the clouds hung over the ridge. The view from Pulpit Rock itself was non existent. I cannot complain. I've gotten many outstanding views from the AT, including most of the major ones. Not everyone has been so fortunate. The hike today was fairly easy going. There were the usual rocky stretches, but not so bad. I was expecting much worse. And the surprise was the last several miles to this shelter. The trail followed a well maintained gravel road. I'm not sure what's going on with my right foot. I'll see what tomorrow brings. I'm glad there wasn't a lot of rock hopping today. Too many people have gotten off the trail with injuries. I don't want to be one of them. Thus my short day. I don't want to do anything stupid, like take a lot of Ibuprofen and force out more miles. It's a pleasant late afternoon. The sun's now out. No mosquitoes. New hikers to talk with. I just saw Big Tex, whom I haven't seen since the Smokys. Some more friends should be showing up. I intend to enjoy the rest of the day right here.
Date: 2014-06-11
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: moderate rain

After dark last night the area around Eckville Shelter was alive with fireflies. Beautiful. I stayed up later than everyone to just watch them. It rained during the night and everything was wet this morning. Not long after 0600, when I set out, it began raining again. All day long I hiked inside a cloud. Dripping trees. And dripping shrubbery along the trail. Often branches would meet over the tread way. I put on my rain kilt. Later, it seemed to get colder and I had to put on my rain shell just to stay warm. What a surprise to suddenly have such a cool day. My right foot started hurting after about four miles. Just like yesterday. It began to get depressing. I started to worry that something serious may be developing. But as I thought about it I realized that yesterday started with a sudden blister on my little toe, and I was stepping differently to keep the toe from hurting. Maybe the pain is from using my right foot differently. I decided to go with that and began consciously using the outside of my foot more. I don't know if this is the key. The trail was so rocky today my feet took a pounding regardless. I know I've been sort of complaining about rocks. Some hikers have been saying they're not so bad. I think everyone would agree that today's rocks were a pain. I think I could have psyched myself into enjoying them if they had been dry. Wet rocks are slippery. And the longer they stay wet the slipperier they seem to get. I'm just going to admit that today, between the rocks, my foot, and the rain, was not a fun day. I've been so upbeat every day since this adventure started. Guess I have to chalk today up to "not so much."Tomorrow more boulder fields are promised. But it'll be less than ten miles into Palmerton. Hikers get to stay at the old jail house. Free. Sounds like fun. I'll take an easy day and then the next day set out for the infamous Superfund Site. But more on that later. I'm in my tent now. It's really gotten kind of chilly. But the good news is that it's too cold for bugs. We're still inside a wet cloud. Water is dripping on my tent. There's wind. This is just one of those days I'm glad to see come to a close.
Date: 2014-06-12
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Palmerton Jailhouse Hostel
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

Short day. I made it the 8 miles to the Superfund site trail head. My poor feet! The back of my feet are rubbed raw above the heels. After over 1200 miles without this problem, I figure it's from hiking in wet shoes for a couple days. The pain in my right foot remains the same. PA rocks have hammered my feet. So rather than climb the rocks up onto the Superfund ridge I limped the 1.5 miles or so to the Jailhouse Hostel in Palmerton. The stay is free. My understanding is that the jail was once housed here. I registered at the Borough office. This place was on my list of places I wanted to stay any way. It's good to dry out for a while. Big Dog, Indiana Jones, Mr Jingles, Titty Cakes, and Hagar are also here. Someone asked me to describe my breakfast shake. There's no real recipe. I make mine in a 16 oz Nalgene. I use lots of Carnation Instant Breakfast, because it's available at most resupply stores. Three helpings or so. Then a generous amount of powdered milk. I'm looking for protein. I'd use protein powder but the packaging is too large for my needs. Then I add some instant coffee. Finally I add a generous amount of olive oil. I go through 750 ml of olive oil every 5 days or so. I keep it in a Platypus bladder that's marketed for wine. The ingredients pretty much fill my Nalgene. Meanwhile I'm heating water. It doesn't look like the ingredients will mix, but they do. This shake keeps me going until lunch snack. Olive oil is a great trail food. Lots of fuel per ounce. I'm never without it. We were treated good here in Palmerton. I like the town. Laundromat right across the street from the jailhouse. A good grocery a couple blocks away. Places to eat. What more could a hiker ask?
Date: 2014-06-13
From: Palmerton Jailhouse Hostel

To: Leroy A. Smith Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

Left Palmerton in the rain. Yup, another rainy day. My feet stayed dry for less than a mile. And I hadn't even gotten on the AT yet. By the time I got to the Superfund trailhead I was just walking through the puddles, rather than unsuccessfully trying to avoid them. The cold water feels good on my feet. They smelted zinc here and the smokestack gasses killed the ecosystem. It became one of those expensive Superfund sites. Reminds me of Silver Valley, Idaho. The climb onto the ridge from Palmerton is a hiker topic. There's supposed to be some dodgy rock climbs, getting to the top. And today it's raining. Water is running down the rock face and down the trail. Slippery. But it really wasn't that bad. I just sweat a lot in the warm wet air. And irreverently ask the AT trail gods "is this all you got?" Then I repent...fearfully. The devastation from the zinc must be recovering. The first four miles on top had been deforested, but the trail was waist deep in grasses and saplings were everywhere. The trail itself is rock free and easy. After four miles the forest is back. Then It was mostly rocky all the way to this shelter. But nothing like the boulder fields I imagined. Guess those are coming? It's just the typical trail I've been hiking in this part of PA. But a new villain has appeared today. Once the rain stopped deer flies arrived on the scene. I'd have several buzzing and buzzing around me. Pesky little demons. I'd rather not have to deal with them. I knew they were coming. Now they're here. Then the sky darkened, thunder, lightning, and lots of rain. As I splashed up the trail I thought good riddance to the deer flies. I'd rather hike in a thunder storm. I'm in my tent now. It's raining again. Off and on. My plan is it will clear tonight and my tent will dry. We'll see how that goes. Mr Jingles is in the shelter. Two section hikers are down there. Big Dog, Indiana Jones, and Titty Cakes stopped for supper and water but moved on a few miles. Delaware Water Gap is on everyone's mind, and an end to PA. And hopefully a respite from the rocks. DWG is just 20 miles ahead. I'd be going on too but my feet are still limiting my miles. It's all good. By now I figure my feet are just worn out and 15 miles is good enough. The urge to stay up with friends is a strong one. But in the AT scheme of things my mileage is plenty. So I'll go with that until my feet let me go further. I must add that I didn't expect this part of PA to be so beautiful. There are very limited views and the green tunnel is established. But there are open forest vistas that are wonderful. At times the trail is a narrow track through brush and branch. It's easy to lose site of the surroundings in the struggle of dodging branches and watching the footing over rocks. I should add deer flies here. Sometimes I just stop and focus on the forest. The greens are vibrant when wet. Birds pretty much never stop. I don't want to become numb to the beauty. The trail really is quite spectacular.
Date: 2014-06-14
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

Oh how I wanted to continue the 6.2 miles into Delaware Water Gap from this shelter break. But my right foot was throbbing. Kristo and Key Lime gathered their things and left. I stayed here. Am I developing a stress fracture in the bones of my right big toe? No swelling. So I think I'm OK. Damn PA rocks! I think I'll just call 13.8 good enough and not push the envelope. Besides, I'll enjoy the moment of crossing into New Jersey even more when fresh in the morning. It rained pretty good last night. So much for my plan of having a dry tent in the morning. I got up to sun shine, a wet forest, and random mists. Beautiful day. Meanwhile the wet grass kept my feet damp all day. They looked like prunes when I removed my trail runners, socks, and the duct tape I had put over the heel abrasions. It never got hot today, as was forecast. Clouds rolled in and it became a perfect hiking day. No bugs. No sweat. Low humidity. Cool. The rocks continued. I just took my time. I remember back in Georgia a section hiker got real serious with me about the PA rocks. He wanted to be sure I understood that I should do 10 mile days through the rocks. To avoid injury. At the time it was difficult for me to imagine being in PA. I was hoping to just get out of Georgia. Today I think 10 miles is too slow. But I get the point...slow down. Step on the rocks lightly. Most of us ignore the idea and push through. I'm taking it easy and protecting my feet from anything worse. Actually, I'd rather not complain about my foot pains. Although my feet have been talking to me all day. I think PA is the third longest state section on the AT. After VA and ME. Tomorrow morning I'll cross into NJ. Exciting. I had better start hanging my food bag again. I hear bears are common in NJ because of the narrow wilderness corridor. I wonder what great adventures NJ will bring. Sunfish Pond is coming up soon. It's supposed to be the first glacial formed pond on the AT. This shelter is at 902.1. That's 902.1 miles from the top of Katahdin. Only 900 miles to go. And I'm excited about it. Like victory is in my grasp. (Which is true). I love hanging out with long distance hikers. They're crazy you know. My default position is that the AT is magic and us lucky ones get to come out here and meet the magician.
Date: 2014-06-15
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I was the only one in the shelter last night. A couple section hikers tented a little way up the trail. As did a group of Boy Scouts. I like seeing scouts out here. It brings back good memories. I'm an Eagle Scout myself. Scout groups always ask great questions about thru hiking. It felt great to hike into Delaware Water Gap. My feet felt good and they stayed dry for the first time in days. Right next to the trail through town was a restaurant serving breakfast. Of course I stopped in. People started asking me about my hike. Someone even anonymously paid for my meal. Yes, I was liking DWG. Next the trail went by an ice cream parlor. Yup, a milk shake hit the spot. Finally the trail takes the bridge across the Delaware River. I'm now in New Jersey, already forgetting about PA. At a park on the NJ side there's trail magic. Four thru hikers had skipped ahead to meet family for a scheduled Fathers Day picnic. They wanted to feed more hikers. What else could I do? I filled a plate and dug in. You'd never know I just had breakfast and a milk shake. What fun on a beautiful sunny day...out of PA's rocks. There were lots and lots of day hikers out today, heading up the grade on the NJ side. The trail is nice over this popular stretch. I reach Sunfish Pond, the first glacial lake on the AT. For some reason this is a big deal to me, like I'm back in familiar territory. At the top of Kittatinny Mountain the view is wonderful. And instead of the rock pile ridge line I've gotten used to, this ridge is exposed bedrock. Like it's been scraped clean. Maybe it's just my imagination but I tell myself that this is evidence of glacial activity. I keep looking at the rocks. Are they more rounded than the ones south of here? Like they got a bit polished by ice? I really do need to be hiking with a geologist. Being in NJ is not like a sudden change in the rocky trail. Of course there's still rocks. But they're not as obnoxious as in northern PA. And there really are those stretches of exposed bedrock to walk on. So now I'm in my tent at the Mohican Outdoor Center. Big Dog and Indiana Jones are here as well. Somewhere just north Sharp Knife and Hiccup have tented beside the trail. Kristo and Key Lime were still in DWG when I left but they must be tenting nearby as well. And in the bigger picture, friends further ahead and other friends further behind. Trail family. The sores above my heels are healing with this day of dry feet. The pain in my right foot feels much better. 17.2 miles didn't much bother it. Life is good. Things are back in a greater harmony again. NJ has been beautiful so far. I look forward to tomorrow. And tonight hopefully it'll be clear enough for the nearly full moon to light up my tent.