morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-26
From: Front Royal (Quality Inn) 

To: Front Royal (Quality Inn) 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We watched man vs. wild, escaping from the French Alps. It seems as though it would take a day or two if you eat raw fish and have lots of parachute cord. Tied too many knots to count and he used them flawlessly for six hours. I can¢t go three hours with out my boot coming untied, sigh¢¦ We try to do breakfast at a local pancake house, but it is full. So we move down the street to the local diner. Monkey and Cocco join us. Fidel stopped in and said hi. Post office and a visit to the grocery store.        Lunch was at Main St Mill restaurant and absolutely delicious. Reasonably priced, good portions, and great food. It helps they had Guinness. Spent the rest of the afternoon attempting to fit everything in my pack. An on going problem in towns lately.It¢s good to see the most pressing problem these days is just Rosie O¢Donnell when I come into town.       Now it¢s time for Noworries mailbag. Where Noworries (me) tries to answer questions without offending all of my readers. The odds of offending 25 people, I hope are pretty big. ¢What do I eat?¢ Mostly Lipton¢s snickers and whatever I can jam into my food bag. Pudding, crackers, gorp, pepperoni, cheese, tuna, cookies, and sometimes fruit or beer. ¢Have I hooked up with a furry chick?¢ This could only come from someone I used to work with. Dear Chicago, I don¢t think chicks like to be called furry. To answer your question, sadly no. For starters after hiking 15 to 20 miles in 90 degree heat, I can barely put my tent up and fall down on my own. If she has hiked since Georgia she would have to lose a leg and be hopping for me to catch her, so there is hope. I have to think there are at least a thousand or so better places one can go to hook up with chicks other than say, the woods. For instance, and I hear this works. Take private swing lessons for a couple weeks or until you¢re good. Then go to public swing lessons for beginners, which is all the rage in bigger cities. Slowly learn with your random female partner, but quick enough to separate you from the others. Chicks really get happy teaching guys how to dance, or so I hear. This concludes Noworries mailbag.      If you have any questions you would like answered, please send them on the odd chance I am hiking long enough to do this again. Let¢s hope not.       Where were we? Dinner was beer (Guinness) and nachos at the same place we had lunch. Proven to help hikers grow big and strong.
Date: 2007-05-28
From: DickÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Dome Shelter 

To: Sam Moore Shelter 
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

My god there was a lot of people here last night. I slept with my food last night as we thought the Boy Scouts had so much food out everywhere, it was pointless to hang ours. Packed up and head up and out. The trail is really thick here, almost jungle like. After a couple of miles it opens up into big grassy rolling hills, called Sky Meadows State Park. We cross US 50, a four lane road. Blazer asked how we cross and I replied, quickly. We had lunch at Rod Hollow Shelter and entertained the idea of staying after only 9 miles. Blazer left the decision up to me. I then asked what do you think. He thought it was early. So I pack up and head for the semi-famous and a bit over hyped roller coaster section. I think it¢s about a 13 mile section that goes up one mountain then down and up another. Sounds like normal AT to me. Never the less, it is warm out and the humidity is crazy. I ¢m not even going to talk about the bugs, but if you really want to know, they were swarming. Blazer and I arrive at Sam Moore shelter and find no one. Magellan and Granite eventually show up. Thunder started booming then realized that we were already at the shelter and promptly stopped. I am really hot, tired, and my pack chafed my side. Lovin¢ it out here.
Date: 2007-05-29
From: Sam Moore Shelter 

To: Blackburn Trail Center 
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

Trouble getting going this morning. I got out of my tent without getting ready and wandered over for breakfast. Coffee and blueberry and cream oatmeal with a sprinkling of craisons, oh and a couple Milkyway bars. Part of the reason for my slow start was not wanting to put cold wet clothes on. We hung our shirts, which seem to be more wet in the morning. Add to this my right leg is pretty much covered in poison ivy. You are saying, why doesn¢t this idiot avoid it? You can¢t, in this section you are pretty much swimming in it. Why didn¢t he buy pants? Good question. I was going to in Waynesboro, but then thought the trail in the Shenandoah¢s is so wide, I could save weight and pick them up in Front Royal. So I skip through the Shenandoah¢s only to get to Front Royal and find the outfitter has none. So I blame him. We do eventually leave and finish the roller coaster section. I believe there will be no love lost by Blazer. In short it was straight up a hill of rocks then down, lots of bugs, and bloody hot. Today at least there were some good views. Only 11 miles today as we stop at Blackburn Trail Center. This is my third time through this section and I have never stopped. Flash and Hot Flash that supplied us with trial magic a couple weeks back highly recommend it. Halfway down the side trail I say to Blazer ¢this is why I never stopped before¢. I hate going down off the AT. Lucky no one actually listens to me. This place is beautiful and run by Redwing and Hopeful. He hiked in 1999 and then in 2005 with her. Both years I was on the trail. He was in town when Apteryx ate the vermonster (bucket of 32 scoops of Ben and Jerries plus scoops of topping, bananas, and everything else.) So we know a lot of the same hikers. Also here our 2 favorite section hikers Grogger and B-Line, Granite, Mageline, McQueen, and 2 people who run the AT museum. I started with an ice cold shower, as the solar panels were in dis-repair. Invigorating! Then find we will be served dinner. I kick back on the porch in an adirondack chair and read a bit. We had spaghetti, salad, bread, wine, and homemade peanut butter chocolate pie. Yummie! It was great talking to everyone again, and catching up to Grogger and B-Line. They get off the trail on Saturday so we don¢t¢ know if we¢ll see them again. Grogger will fly back to Australia and B-Line back to Montreal. Time for Blazer¢s helpful tips. This week¢s tip is helpful to no one on the AT to my knowledge, but here we go anyway. When you are being attacked by fire ants, you may mistakenly think one or two are eating you. Not true. What happens is a bunch get on you and their leader sends out a signal to bite, which is on the count of three, I think. They all bite at the same time. There might have been more, but I was laughing to loud. Once again he states it¢s a fact and for all I know, it very well could be. Personally, I think he stayed at one too many Holiday Inn Expresses. I am in my tent, which I set up on the screen porch, as we were being eaten by many small bugs.
Date: 2007-05-30
From: Blackburn Trail Center 

To: Hill Top Hotel 
Miles today: 12.0

I would like to wish Mrs. Blazer a happy birthday, which was yesterday. I am always late, sorry. I would also like to thank Redwing and Hopeful for being such great hosts. I swear I recognize them, but I can¢t remember meeting them. They were terribly helpful and friendly. We enjoyed our stay tremendously. Coffee and coffee cake for breakfast. Staying true with tradition, Blazer and I are the last to leave. Except for McQueen, who is taking a zero there. He is wise beyond his years. McQueen is getting off the trail after 1000 miles. He is going to Ely Minnesota for school. We wish him the best of luck. I won¢t bore you with details of the trail. Just that while it was easier today, it was full of rocks, poison ivy, and bugs. There was a lot of colorful language and sweaty bodies. Humid was the word of the day. My leg is festering in what I assume is poison ivy. Perhaps it grows too fast to keep up with, maybe there¢s some ¢Keep the ivy alive libertarian group¢ against cutting it, but I hope I never hike this section again. 12 miles later we find ourselves in Harper¢s Ferry WV, home of the ATC headquarters. It¢s bloody hot here. I have been here in July, June, and now May, and it is always hot! I get my picture taken as a section hiker as I don¢t know if I¢ll flip/flop yet. Hill Top Hotel is home, then we will move to the Quality Inn tomorrow. Hopefully my poison ivy will dry out.
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Hill Top Hotel 

To: Quality Inn
Miles today: 0.0

We had breakfast at the Hill Top House. They only had a buffet which was mediocre. We packed up and are headed to the Cliffside Hotel, formally the Quality Inn, just over a mile out of town. The Hill Top was sold out for Thursday and I wanted a day to rest my poison ivy.       It¢s rumored I come out here to avoid real life. Sadly, every year you have a couple of hikers who remind me of it. Maybe their life is so horrible they come to project it onto the trail. Maybe they think they are too good or above others. Maybe they are just idiots. Normally I¢d spend a whole journal bashing he or she, but I really can¢t be bothered, I feel all grown up now.      Blazer and I stop off at the ATC headquarters and visit with Monkey and Cocco. They have a great website and if I can find the address I wrote down, I will post it at the end of this. The Quality Inn is now apparently the Cliffside Inn. The restaurant and lounge are being leased out to the border patrol. This brings the obvious question of what borders are we protecting up here? Perhaps this is our problem with the Mexican border. All our border guards have to come to West Virginia to eat. Anyway, it does have a TV and pool, which the Hilltop had neither of. Most important, and I am sure Matt won¢t believe me, there¢s a Golden Tee machine in the hallway. Oh yes, I will play at least 18 holes. Golden-Tee is a video golf arcade style machine, commonly found in bars and other fine establishments that serve drink.       Speaking of drink, while we were waiting for the $1.50 bus to take us to Wal-Mart, Blazer says he knows why I have poison ivy. I haven¢t drank enough beer. I look over and ask ¢is this another one of those medical facts?¢. ¢Have you ever seen a drunk with poison ivy?¢, he says. I can¢t really say that I have. He then prescribed me a night of getting drunk. Said it would go a long way in curing me. Not enough alcohol in the blood weakens the immune system. Luckily the bus came, or this might ended up as another Blazer ¢Tip of the Week¢.      We scurried around Wal-Mart and hopped back on the bus. We are at this moment, watching the 1st Pirates of the Caribbean. Blazer is not hungry tonight (he¢s been eating all day), so I will eat for him. Nacho¢s, calzone, and just to be healthy, a chef salad. Poison ivy is doing something new. New is good, I think? Oh my god, this is a lot of food. We are now watching The Starter Wife 2 hour premier on USA. Very chick flickish.www.whathasbecomeofmandk.blogspot.com ¢ Monkey and Cocco¢s web page
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Quality Inn

To: Maple Tree Campground 
Miles today: 10.7

Today I will wear pants. Sick of poison ivy, and it really burns in the sunlight. We ate an excellent breakfast at the caf© next to the 7-11. We wait for the bus, but it seems to be running late. So we start walking.        The bus, traveling at what Blazer is calling a high rate of speed, zooms past us. Blazer is chasing it down the street. It seemed to accelerate, and I think I heard doors lock when they went by. No matter, a mile and half walk in the heat is just what we need. A quick stop at the ATC to tell them we were leaving this time.        The trail goes by Jefferson Rock, but too many kids take a picture. The trail then goes through Harper¢s Ferry¢s historic downtown, which is prone to flooding. The downtown area is a national historic park, and there are hundreds of kids running every which way. We cross the Potomac on a railroad bridge with two trains running by. For three miles we follow the old C & O canal and tow path.        It¢s in the 90¢s and really humid. We are slowly cooking. We take a short survey by a Georgia grad student, then head up Weverton cliffs in the heat. A long break at Ed Garvey Shelter. After an hour or so it seems to have cooled and the path is gentle. We quickly arrive at Gathland State Park, and head down to Tree House campground. The girl scouts have all the tree houses, so Blazer and I are tenting.         We had a shower and were enjoying a great fire, until a thunderstorm came barreling down us. It¢s still pouring, which is a shame. Blazer had us at celebrity status, and we were under the impression that the locals would soon shower us with free beer.
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Pine Knob Shelter 

To: Free State Hiker Hostel 
Miles today: 8.0

Up for morning coffee with the kids. I call them kids, but they have a few years on me. Beach Bum and his Dad are headed to Bone Pac¢s hostel 8 miles away. Bone Pac thru-hiked in 2006, one of the few journals I read on the recommendation of my mother.        Its overcast and looks like rain. Blazer is poking along and stops. Now, I am only talking out loud here, he says. That is short for, our hike will be ending at the hostel today. I normally don¢t stay at hostels, but this is a nice one. No one¢s home, so we settle in. Showers, laundry, internet, phone, and best of all, a frig packed with ice cream and soda.        We divide up someone¢s pizza and get cleaned up. Bone Pac and family show up and make us feel welcome. Focus, Pogue, and a section hiker all show up. Bone Pac shuttles us down to the Food Lion and Chinese buffet. I ate many crab rangoons. Some shopping, and back to the hostel.         Our favorite AT museum people, Kent and Terry, arrive. We met them at the Blackburn Center. He had given me a beer. Want to make a hiker friend? Offer them a beer. They are very knowledgeable and talk about everything. Great people to have on any committee, as they could talk to the politician until they give in and give them money. I wish them the best of luck with the AT museum and hikers should look up their website. Bone Pac¢s wife made cookies. It is still raining when I go to sleep.
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Free State Hiker Hostel 

To: DevilÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Race Course Shelter 
Miles today: 5.1

Papa Beach Bum has his grapefruit with a strawberry on top, and seems happy. Blazer and I have decided to pull a big mileage day and spend another day with the Bum¢s, that, and we are lazy.        Noworries doesn¢t usually plug things that don¢t financially benefit him, but here we go. If you are hiking in the Maryland area, The Free State Hostel is operated by Bone Pac, a 2006 thru-hiker. The Free State is oddly not free, but worth every penny. He has thought of everything. It is one of the cleanest and might I add, well thought out hostels, I have ever been in. Granted, I haven¢t been in many, but that¢s neither here nor there. Laundry, internet, food available for delivery, long distance, shower, linens, games, the list goes on. This isn¢t your typical mouse infested barn out back, it¢s the top level of a pretty fine house.        With that said, we took our time packing up. We chatted with the museum folk, Kent and Terry, who are also Aldha members. We stroll up to the trail. The 5 miles wasn¢t as easy as you would think. Everything was wet from the rain. A good part of the trail consisted of rocks and hills. The sun peeked in and out all day. If it actually heats up, the woods will become a sauna.        Shadow caught up to us and gave me a quick lesson on some plants. I can only remember blood-root and poison ivy. He also showed me jewel weed, which is nature¢s cure for poison ivy.         The shelter was a questionable .3 miles down a hill. We all had lunch and got water before climbing out the .3 miles and camping up top. It¢s early and that¢s a good thing as it takes us a long time to get a wet fire going. Shadow moves on, and Gopher joins us. Spent the rest of the night eating and chatting away. White Snake is playing on my radio as I write this. Life is good.
Date: 2007-06-05
From: DevilÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Race Course Shelter 

To: Tumbling Run Shelter 
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

The kids are up as usual, too damn early. They say the older you get, the wiser. I am the youngest here, and sleeping in. I rest my case. Breakfast is oatmeal with berries, and coffee, I must be getting old.        It¢s a five mile morning hike down to Pen-Mar State park. The trail goes down the Devil¢s Race course, which is short for hill of lot¢s of rocks. You can order pizza at Pen-Mar Park, but we are too early. My lunch is chicken breast in a bag, dumped into a pita with semi-melted cheese and mayo. Pen-Mar used to be quite the draw, at one point 20,000 people a day. Trains made it popular, along with the views and amusement rides, until that pesky automobile came along. Blazer and I almost got run over by a train again. Beach Bum and Dad got across. Blazer and I surprisingly exercised on the side of caution.      On the other side of the tracks, the Mason-Dixon Line sign is missing. It was a fairly big sign, so I can¢t imagine where it went. There was an orange bucket full of chips and bananas, so we quickly forgot.      We part ways with Beach Bum and his Dad. It has really been great traveling with them. We would probably tag along until they get off the trail on Friday, but I have a mail drop that I have to pickup by Saturday. It¢s a tearful goodbye. I will miss Papa Beach Bum¢s stories.      Off we go up the trail. We take a quick break at the first shelter in PA. We leave a note for the Bum¢s, thanking them, and head out to Tumbling Run shelter. After arriving, we hear that the caretaker took Pogue to Wal-Mart. Blazer and I set up camp and talked with Shadow.      Blazer says ¢I don¢t believe it¢. I turn around and Beach Bum and Papa Bum are hiking in. I think they missed us. In comes Pogue with a bucket of BBQ. There are 3 kids out for a week that start a fire. In comes Wing Heart, Backyard Boogie, and one I already forgot. This is my one month anniversary on the trail.What Noworries has learned on the trail thus far:#1 Don¢t get anything on you. ¢ Papa Beach Bum#2 Don¢t climb trees when drinking whiskey. ¢ Monkey#3 Gypsy moths live in trees.#4 Poison ivy likes me, it really really likes me.#5 Always pee when it¢s cold out, and something about fire ants. ¢ Blazer
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Tumbling Run Shelter 

To: Quarry Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It started to rain last night which caused a few to stir, at least those with their fly not covering their tent. The morning was clear, dry, and cool. I was disorganized, as I have been all trip. I am the last to leave camp.        The trail for the most part was soft and easy. Then for reasons known to only trail crews, it darts up the ridge where the rocks are back, down, then up again. Blazer will be composing a letter of our dissatisfaction tonight. His letter writing campaign started weeks ago. He¢ll need a secretary pretty soon.        Despite the rocks, we find ourselves on PA 30, walking toward Taomina¢s Pizza. Oh My God, the food was delicious! Backyard Boogie, Wing Heart, Castanets, Beach Bum and his Dad, Blazer, Monkey, Cocco, and a section hiker had lunch with me. When we finally crawled out, it was almost 3pm.         A quick walk through Caledonia State park. The pool was open, but it was barely 70 degrees. Suppose to be 95 by Friday. Today though, absolutely perfect hiking weather. Sunny skies and cool temperatures. It¢s straight up to Quarry Gap shelters. Blazer and I are tenting just up the way, under a big dead tree. The shelter is hopping and Backyard Boogie has a bark fire kickin¢. 3 section hikers from PA, Pogue, Backyard Boogie, Blazer, Beach Bum, Papa Beach Bum, Monkey, Coco, Triple A, Wing Heart, Castanets, and Early Bird are all here.
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Quarry Gap Shelter 

To: Iron Masters Hostel 
Miles today: 17.3

Slow getting out of camp today. 8am we start our 7 mile trek to Birch Run shelter. It¢s warmer today, but still cool enough to hike. We had our lunch with Beach Bum and Papa Beach Bum.        We once again say goodbye as they are taking Papa Beach Bum home. We tried to talk him into another 100 miles. He just laughed and said I will think of you while I am eating my grapefruit. Can¢t say enough times how we have enjoyed the last few days. Especially when they did big miles to catch us the other day. Beach Bum will catch up to us. Actually I give even odds that anybody starting the trail in May to catch us before Maine. We suspect Beach Bum will over take us before we are out of PA. There¢s talk of waiting for him at the Yuengling factory.        We are on our way to a 17 mile day. The hike in Blazer¢s words was warm and boring. The trail went through a lot of lorals, which don¢t shelter you from the sun that much. Some road walking and rocks thrown in for good measure. Still we hike into Pine Grove Furnace State Park by 4pm.        This is also the home of the half gallon challenge. We passed on the opportunity, but several did theirs and were rewarded with a cheesy but highly collectable wooden spoon. I told Blazer, worry not, I would buy two on EBay.        We are spending the night at the Iron Master¢s International Hostel. Formally an 1827 mansion that was once a station on the underground railroad. Oh yes, we did stick Blazer down in the secret room. There is also a very large outdoor chess set on the lawn, I took pictures. Shadow, Judo, Backyard Boogie, Wing Heart, Diesel, Cave-Man of Ohio, and Sublime are all here.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Iron Masters Hostel 

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter 
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Drinking coffee at 5 am and eating many tasty snacks. We are out the door before 6am following Backyard Boogie and Wing Heart. It¢s going to be scorching hot today. In fact I was going to make today¢s journal just three words, but am really making an effort not to swear.        We had 9 miles done before 10am, and found ourselves in front of a wonderful little deli called Green Mountain Store. Out front was Bushwhacker and family. Always great to chat with him. Blazer, Backyard Boogie, and I take off for the shelter.        Now it¢s bloody hot out and the humidity is brutal. I am a puddle with boots and poles. Whenever it gets real warm out, it seems the AT goes up. We played a wonderful game of ring around the boulders. The trail went up, down, in and out of every rock they could find. Boogie was looking for trail crew members, and I think Blazer is going to write another letter tonight.        We stopped at a road, and never did a drainage ditch look so inviting. It was a stream on one side coming through one of those drainage pipes under the road. What, none of you have ever soaked under one of those? Well, you haven¢t lived life yet, have you?         From there we stumble into camp. The shelter is a ways up a hill, with little water, and as Boogie says, in the middle of a solar flare. Just why they didn¢t put the shelter next to the bubbling stream is anybodies guess. Chill-out shows up. We hiked with him in 2005, where he got off in Delaware Gap, then in 2006, he got off the trail in the Shenandoah¢s, with the same injury. Along with him came the rain and thunder crackled at the same time. The lightning I thought was in my tent with me. I was happy to hear thunder as people tell me you never hear it when you¢re hit.        I am still looking for my heart, which leaped out of me and took its chances on its own. In and out of Boiling Spring tomorrow, and hopefully a hotel of US 11. Somewhere in south western Pennsylvania, Beach Bum is floating in a pool with an umbrella drink and a piece of coconut cream pie, while Papa Beach Bum is yelling rule number #1.        It¢s going to be a long night as we are once again being pounded by thunderstorms. It¢s never good when you can hear them coming. Not to dwell on this, but we have dueling thunderstorms on each side. I¢m not sure where that leaves us. Nothing to do but go to sleep and hope I wake up in one piece.