morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-25
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Washington, DC
Miles today: 0.0

After breakfast at the hotel I packed up, checked out and walked down to the train station for my 10:30am AMTRAK train into DC. On the way down I met Chris, last seen when I stopped at the Fox Hill Inn at Troutdale on 23 May. He had gotten off the trail to attend a graduation, came back and made it into town last night. He'll be hiking on to the half-way point, then will get off so he can start his MBA curriculum at Harvard in Aug.Flamingo Joe and a friend were at the station and informed me that the train was running several hours late. I took the time to update my journal entries and send them. That took a couple of hours, then I walked over to a nearby restaurant and ordered a pizza for lunch, eating outside on the second level deck. The sun was shining weakly through the clouds and it was almost too hot for eating outside. Then back over to the train station to wait some more.Although AMTRAK may have problems making their trains run on time, they have an automated phone system that does a very good job of telling you how late they will be. "Julie" asked me questions, listened to my spoken answers, and kept me updated on the expected arrival time of the train. Fortunately I had no other schedule to meet today. I had time to read the entire Washington Post and to talk to several people who stopped by, including April Showers who is continuing north today. The train finally arrived about 4:00pm to board the 5 hikers who were waiting.On the outskirts of DC we ran through a heavy rainstorm. The ride ended at Union Station without the conductor ever asking for payment, so the trip in was free. I switched over to the Metro, rode over to Crystal City and walked down to the Doubletree for the night. I had time for a quick trip over to the Pentagon City mall where I got a bite to eat, a haircut, and bought some cotton shorts and shirts that fit. Down 2 inches in the waist and to a "small" shirt size. Stores don't have many small shirts; I guess I'm bucking the trend toward super-sized bodies. Back to the hotel and some sleep before my early flight home tomorrow.
Date: 2004-06-26
From: Washington, DC

To: Huntsville, AL
Miles today: 0.0

This entry covers a week from June 26th to July 2nd:I was up early on Sat to catch the hotel shuttle over to the airport. Had time for a croissant and cup of coffee while I waited, and they were so good that I had another at the airport. The flight home was on time and uneventful. It was good to get home for a week-long break from the trail.The week was filled with normal around town activities that seemed new since I had not done them for a few months. My goal was to relax and gain a few pounds and I accomplished both. We went shopping, out to a restaurant to eat practically every day, and to the movies ("Terminal"). Wanted to get to a baseball game but the weather was cloudy and rainy all week. The only exercise I got was to cut the grass once.The scales say that I've lost 20 pounds on the hike up to Harper's Ferry. I haven't been this trim for 20 years. But all the body parts are still attached and in good working order. I've had practically no problems with my feet compared with others. My knees have given me some short-term pain when I overdid things but they're fine now. The pack straps are wearing on my shoulders a bit since I've lost some of my natural padding over the bones, but nothing serious. I did manage to regain about 3 pounds during the week through diligent eating.In terms of gear, I ordered a summer weight sleeping bag for use the next couple of months. Also a new filter element for my water filter. I've been using chemicals (Aqua Mira) to treat my water. That works fine but you have to always carry some extra water because it takes 30 minutes for the chemicals to kill the bugs. I'll try the filter for the second half, with chemicals as a backup. Also bought some shorts that fit better, as well as some new socks. Otherwise I'll be using the same gear that has been working well, including a new pair of New Balance 806AT shoes, my third pair of these.I'm well-rested, well-fed and well-equipped for the second half of this adventure. Back to Harper's Ferry tomorrow. My rough estimate of time to complete is 70 more days - mid-to-late Sep.
Date: 2004-07-03
From: Huntsville, AL

To: Near Frederick, MD
Miles today: 0.0

I was up early for my 8:30am flight back to DC. The plane left about a half hour late but the flight was uneventful and my pack made it through the baggage handlers unscathed. I took the Metro over to Union Station where I called my friend Mark, the same one that I went hiking with on the AT 18 years ago. He invited me out to his place near Frederick, MD for the night so I hopped back on the Metro red line out to Shady Grove.Mark picked me up there and we motored over to his place where he grilled steaks and Kathy prepared a delicious meal. Tom, another old friend, dropped by to say hello. We were up till about 11:00pm catching up on the news. Thanks for a great evening, Kathy and Mark! Back to Harper's Ferry and the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2004-07-04
From: Near Frederick, MD

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: light rain

I didn't plan to hike 17 miles today and I didn't want to, but Frank made me do it!Mark and I stopped for a big breakfast near Harper's Ferry then he dropped me off at the ATC Headquarters. Sweetleaf yelled hello; she had hiked in yesterday. I went in to look at the register to see who was now ahead after my 10 days off the trail - Joker, Podini (was My Little Pony), Lorax, Rainbow, Fugitive, Gadget and Fly had come in.I was out of Harper's Ferry about 11:00am and back on the trail, crossing the Potomac and into MD. The trail ran beside the river for a ways on the old towpath that was once used to tow barges upstream. In spite of the level trail my legs started complaining. Then the trail turned for the hills again. After switchbacking up South Mt it leveled out along the ridgeline. I had completely lost my trail legs during the time off. They were aching just like they did when I started back on Springer Mt. I decided to make it a short day.At the Ed Garvey shelter was Frank whom I had hiked with earlier. I last saw him at Pearisburg. Eric and Jesse, from NC, were also there. Frank's plan was to hike to the Dahlgren Backpack Campground, take a shower and have dinner at the Old South Mountain Inn beside it. He offered to buy for all of us in celebration of the 4th. The prospects of a hot shower and a fine meal at the end of the day were irrestible. I signed up, took a couple of ibuprofen, and we were off around noon for another 14 miles or so.Frank and I caught up on the news while we walked. My legs complained all the way. We made it to the campground around 7:00pm, showered, set up tents and tarps and walked up to the restaurant just before they closed. We were a little under-dressed in our hiker gear, but the staff was gracious about it and seated us anyway. This was a fine-dining establishment. I had wasabi-encrusted salmon with rice and vegetables, followed by bread pudding for dessert.We waddled out about 10:00pm only to discover that it was pouring rain. Fortunately we had brought our packs with us, so everyone put on their raingear and we sloshed back to the campground. The rain soon slackened to a drizzle. Off to bed with very full stomachs and with rain dripping onto the tarp. Happy 4th and thank you Frank for that fine meal!
Date: 2004-07-07
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: heavy intensity rain

I was up and gone by 6:30am this morning. I'm working on hiking early to get miles in before the day heats up. The weather has been warm but pleasant the past few days, but will probably turn hot and humid before the end of Aug. Early hiking will let me take a midday siesta and still make the miles.The day started with a 1000ft climb. At the top was a quarter-mile side trail to Chimney Rocks. I took the hike only to discover a view of... a green mountainside across the valley! Not worth the effort. From there it was on to the Caledonia State Park with a snack bar, swimming pool and showers. I got there at 11:00am just as the snack bar opened and ordered two cheeseburgers, fries and a drink. Then I went over to send some email. When I got back the burgers were done but the fry machine had tripped a breaker and wasn't working. The only topping available for the burgers was packaged onion relish, mustard and ketchup. No lettuce and tomato. Oh well, I took a rain check on the fries and went off to a picnic table to eat the burgers.Frank came in shortly and ordered lunch. He also helped reset the breaker and I soon had my order of fries. A couple of Klondike bars later and I was ready for the afternoon. Or so I thought. There was another 1000ft climb out of the park in the 2:00pm heat and I was soon dripping sweat and wishing I had eaten a little less.But I survived and we eventually made it to the Birch Run shelter, arriving just as it started to sprinkle. Woo-hoo, I beat the rain this time! Keytone and Eric hustled in and Jesse shortly afterward, a little damp.Magic happens at the most unexpected times. Just before it started to pour, Firecracker, who lives nearby, walked up and unwrapped a cake with chocolate icing and opened a bag with a six-pack of beer inside. What a treat! Firecracker has hiked the trail from Springer to the halfway point. She occasionaly brings snacks down to the shelter for hikers. Thanks again, Firecracker!The rain poured and soon the family from Ohio who were tenting nearby made a dash from their tent to the shelter. The tent was leaking in a big way - first up through the floor then through the top. After the rain stopped they went back, leaving only us thruhikers in the shelter. Guess they preferred a wet tent to us. Why would that be?
Date: 2004-07-08
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I slept late since I was tired from the near-20 miles of yesterday, and got out of the shelter about 7:30am after chicken sandwiches for breakfast. All my Cheerios are gone and I haven't taken time to find more breakfast food. It's all calories anyway and the sandwiches were good.Frank soon caught up. We took a short rest at Toms Run Shelter then pressed on to the "official" half-way point for the Thruhiker Class of 2004 - a small cairn of rocks beside the trail a short way before the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I had Frank take my picture.Half way! That's at once a cause for celebration and a pause to think about the length of this trail. I'm half way! I'm only half way!We pushed on the short distance to the Ironmaster's Hostel in the park and the general store next door. The store provides an opportunity to join the Half-Gallon Club by eating a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting to celebrate completion of half the thruhike. The prize is a little wooden ice cream spoon. I read some of the register entries and decided to wimp out of the challenge. One comment was "This is one of the top ten stupidest things I have ever done in my life." It would be a shame to lose my taste for ice cream for the rest of the trip. I celebrated with a pint of mint chocolate chip - one quarter of a half gallon. Which I chased with a cheeseburger, fries and a root beer.We had decided to celebrate the half way point with a short day and an overnight at the hostel. It was a beautiful day. I went out to the swing under the shade of a big tree, took a nap on the grass and updated my journals.The hostel opened for check-in about 4:00pm. I got a hot shower and did laundry, then went back down to the store for a couple of hot dogs. Then it was back up to hostel for a tour. The big stone building was the home of the ironmaster who managed the foundry once located here. The state acquired the property in the 1930s after the open hearth furnace technology became obsolete and the foundry closed. The house was a stop on the "underground railway" for escaped slaves around the time of the Civil War. The caretaker gave us a tour of the small rooms under the foundations that were used to hide fugitives. They were cramped and damp with dirt floors, but probably felt luxurious to those on the journey to freedom.I chose a book of short stories from the library and sat on the big front porch reading until darkness fell. Off to bed at 10:30pm on a creaky bunk with a thin mattress.Half way there!
Date: 2004-07-10
From: US Hwy 11 (Carlisle, PA)

To: US Hwy 11 (Carlisle, PA)
Miles today: 0.0

I slept late this morning and got up doing the hiker hobble on my sore feet. Frank and I sat down and planned the next week's hike over a bagel and coffee from downstairs. The result is an ambitious 130 miles - we'll see if it pans out. Then it was over to the Bob Evans restaurant for a real breakfast.We convinced the clerk to have someone shuttle us the 5 miles to downtown. The first stop was the library for internet access. I finished shortly after noon, left Frank working on his online journal, and walked over Dickinson College to listen to the bluegrass music for a while. I got a hamburger and lemonade and sat on the grass for an hour or so listening to a couple of bands. It was a beautiful sunny day that was just right for an outdoor concert.After a while I left and walked down the main street to look for an ice cream custard shop for which I had seen an ad. About a block later I heard a horn blow and looked up to see someone waving from a pickup that had passed. I walked back down to the corner and there was Dave, my old hiking buddy from back in the Smokies. He got off the trail at Daleville and we've been exchanging email about meeting here since he lives a couple of hours away. He had been to the motel and the festival, and had just happened to see me walking down the street.We drove over to a local tavern and spent an hour or so catching up on the news. Then over to the grocery store for supplies where we ran into Frank. After that we motored back to the motel and walked over to the Holiday Inn for dinner. Back to the motel about 8:30pm and Dave left for the drive back home. But he left us with fresh cherries, blueberries, cucumbers and peppers. Thanks, Dave; it was good to see you again!Carlisle is a neat town and this weekend there were restored automobiles everywhere. I didn't get to the auto show - not enough time to do everything. This is also the location of Carlisle Barracks, home of the Army War College.I packed up and hit the sack. Back on the trail tomorrow. My feet feel much better after a day's rest.
Date: 2004-07-11
From: US Hwy 11 (Carlisle, PA)

To: US Hwy 22 (Duncannon, PA)
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We had another breakfast at Bob Evans this morning and then took the motel shuttle back to the trail, hiking again at 8:00am. We hiked the rest of the way across the wide valley through woods and along fields. The first stop was at Scott Farm, owned by a former thruhiker who provides water and a picnic table for hikers. Then along a creek populated by hungry mosquitos and up to a hayfield where we stopped for lunch and a nap in the shade. It was sunny, but hot and muggy.After lunch we were out of the fields of the valley and back to the ridges and rocks. No stops at shelters today - Darlington shelter has been demolished to make room for a new one to be built next year and Cove Mt was too far off the trail to make it worthwhile. We climbed one ridge and clambered over and through the huge boulders at the top. Then down and back up onto Cove Mt for the ridge run into Duncannon. The rocks required attention to foot placement, and most of the view today was of my shoetops.At the end of Cove Mt we hiked down the steep trail and into Duncannon on the Susquehanna River about 5:30pm. The first stop was at a convenience store for cold chocolate milk and some cash from the ATM. Then downtown to the Pub to talk to other hikers in town (Eric, Keytone, Mama's Boy). We passed on staying at the Doyle Hotel, the historic and decrepit hotel traditionally used by hikers. Instead we hiked on out to the truck stop for dinner, then called the Stardust Motel for a ride, checking in about 9:00pm.The weather forecast is for heavy rain and thunderstorms tomorrow. We asked for a ride back to the trail at 6:30am, with the possibility of canceling if the rain develops. There is no dry shelter available at the end of a day's hike, and neither of us is interested in hiking through mud and rain and over slippery rocks all day to a wet campsite.
Date: 2004-07-12
From: US Hwy 22 (Duncannon, PA)

To: US Hwy 22 (Duncannon, PA)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Up at 6:00am and the rain was falling. The weather radar showed numerous bands of thunderstorms and rain showers on the way from the west and the forecast was for heavy rain throughout the day. We canceled the ride to the trail and went back to bed.The day was one of uneventful waiting. We walked down to the nearby restaurant for a late breakfast. Then back to the room for reading, naps and mindless daytime TV. Back to the same restaurant for a pork chop dinner, then to the room for journal updates and packing. The rain should be mostly gone be tomorrow morning and I'll be back on the trail early.
Date: 2004-07-13
From: US Hwy 22 (Duncannon, PA)

To: Rattling Run
Miles today: 21.5

I was up early and walked down to the nearby restaurant for breakfast. Then back to the motel where the manager was waiting to give us a ride back to the trail. Molly's Stardust Motel was a better place to be than on the trail during the downpour yesterday, but I was glad to leave it. We crossed the Susquehanna River about 7:30am and climbed for the ridgeline.We were soon into the clouds/fog and the trail was still wet from the rain. The long climb mostly followed old roads but it was very rocky. The roads were put in to support the mines in the area. All the mines are closed now, but the springs are still affected by them. I saw several streams with yellowish beds from the mineral deposits. Fortunately I carried enough water from town to get me by them.We made the long climb up Stony Mt in the afternoon - an aptly named mountain. There weren't many views to be had; another day of looking at the woods and keeping a close eye on the trail to dodge the rocks. We made it down to Rattling Run late in the day and found a couple of small spots large enough for a tarp and tent. Eric and Jesse were there. Also met her aunt who is hiking with them for a couple of days. Duke had stopped with them. He's an artist from CA. All of them moved on. Michael, who I last saw in Hot Springs, NC nursing shin splints, came by later and also continued on. We had the stream to ourselves as darkness fell.
Date: 2004-07-14
From: Rattling Run

To: PA Hwy 645 (Pine Grove, PA)
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: light rain

We were up and back on the trail by 7:00am. Not far up the trail at the Yellow Springs Village site we passed the tents of a large group of thruhikers. We bypassed the Rausch Gap shelter since it was 0.3mi off the trail. Shortly afterward came the first roll of thunder followed by rain. If we had stopped at the shelter we may have spent the rest of the day there.At the Rausch Village site was an interesting solution to the problem of acidic runoff from the old mines. A well has been constructed and the bottom filled with a bed of limestone rock. As Rausch Creek spills into the well the turbulence crushes enough of the limestone to neutralize the acidic water, and now trout live downstream of the well.The rain continued. When we reached Swatara Gap we found that the water in a tributary to Swatara Creek was over the stepping stone crossing. We had to backtrack to the nearest road and hike down it until we intersected the trail again. We crossed Swatara Creek on an old iron bridge dating to the late 1800's and stopped for lunch about 2:00pm during a break between thunderstorms.As we finished the thunder rumbled. We hustled down to the I-81 underpass, planning to wait out the thunderstorm there. Unfortunately the overpass was about 50 feet high and construction of a new pier was underway and we couldn't use it for shelter. Nothing to do but press on. As we started the climb up from the gap the daylight faded to near darkness and the rain poured down. We heard later that a tornado struck in the county along which we were hiking. Miserable hiking with the rain pouring and the briers and branches drooping into the trail. I found several brand new briers that had never been used before. The only highlights of the afternoon were the ripe raspberries. I stopped occasionally in spite of the rain to pick and eat a handful.We hiked along through the thunderstorms and rain and fog to the William Penn shelter. Although relatively new, the shelter was dark and surrounded by weeds. Frank and I decided to push on for another two miles to the next road and hitch to town and a motel where we could dry out. Just after we made it to PA Hwy 645, section hiker Dolphin and his wife happened to drive up to take a look at the road crossing. They didn't mind giving two wet hikers a ride and we were soon at the EconoLodge in Pine Grove with a room for the night. Before they left Dolphin's wife gave us a couple of homemade brownies that were delicious. Dolphin also told me that Doc, the dentist that I last saw way down south at Albert Mt, was about a half day behind. Thanks for the hitch and brownie, Dolphin & wife!We showered and went over to Arby's for dinner, bringing back a second sandwich each for dessert. Life seemed a lot better than it did a couple of hours ago. Off to bed with my wet clothes drying on the improvised clothesline across the room. Under the 1000 miles to go mark at the William Penn shelter today!
Date: 2004-07-15
From: PA Hwy 645 (Pine Grove, PA)

To: 0.5mi S. of Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Up early this morning and over to McDonalds for breakfast and a newspaper to start the day. The morning was cool for mid-Jul. A lady who worked at the motel gave us a ride back to the trail in her pickup.We stopped by the 501 shelter where I left a note for Doc with my hiking plans. Hope to see him again. Then we moved on up the trail. The weather was fine for hiking - cool with some clouds. The trail has become more rocky as we move farther into PA. But we had several nice views from the ridgeline across the valleys.We had lunch by the trail. Then, even though on the ridgeline, the trail ran for several miles through a wet area where the water ponded on the trail. Lots of bushwhacking around the ponds or edging along the sides trying to keep my feet dry. We stopped briefly at the Ft Dietrich Snyder marker, the site of a frontier outpost during the French and Indian War.Since there was a large group of hikers behind that we expected to make it to the Eagles Nest shelter, we stopped a half mile short and set up camp in a hayfield. It was nice to be in the open rather than enclosed by woods. Just as I crawled under my tarp for the night another light rain shower blew over. Planning a short day into Port Clinton tomorrow.