morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-05-14
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground, MD
Miles today: 17.2

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling hungry. This despite a meal out, and afterwards finishing off the container of cubed and candied sunflower/other seeds Mark had brought me, and having three oranges. I resisted the urge to eat something, but after several seconds gave up fighting it. I fished a two-pound summer sausage from my food bag, and cut a piece off the end. It was delicious. So was the next piece. In fact, I can honestly say that the whole thing was scrumptious. I went back to sleep. In the morning I enjoyed the Econo Lodge's breakfast of biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and pork patties. I had more than one helping. I was a bit late getting hiking, and so relaxed that I failed to note the time I stepped in the trail. I crossed the bridge from Harpers Ferry and West Virginia into Maryland - my third state in as many days, and sixth overall. It was a warm and sunny day, but quite windy. There were lots of people out biking, walking dogs, and hiking. I met a thru-hiker called Rooster, who is part-sponsored by his employer, a nutrition company called Isagenix, and we hiked together for the several miles that were left to get us to Gathland State Park, with the eye-catching War Correspondents Monument. What was even more eye-catching was the sight of Vicki strolling towards us, and saying "You must be Tipperary!" Vicki has been reading my journal, does trail magic, and had emailed me that she'd be there and would bring me lunch. I had an egg and cheese sandwich, brownies, fruit, and she forced me to have a French-style chocolate pastry. There were several other hikers there, and Tesla, an 18-year old who thru-hiked last year, and who was also doing trail magic. We eventually took our leave of Vicki, and waddled our way north. I was with Rooster, Walden (a hiker I'd met at Dick's Dome) and Sparky, a former engineer who also keeps a trail journal. We saw a big black rat snake which did not act at all friendly. We all ended up at Dahlgren Backpack Campground, which was amazing, with six gravel campsites, each with a picnic table and fireplace, and restrooms with toilet paper and hot showers. Even though I'd had a shower yesterday, I had another. Now this is living. Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-15
From: Dahlgren Backpack Campground, MD

To: Raven Rock Shelter, MD
Miles today: 18.8

I was the first up at the campground, taking a trip to the restroom, retrieving my food bags off the bear pole, and eating my breakfast. Others began to emerge from their tents and soon we were all on deck. I was taking down my tent when Cheap Sunglasses appeared, hiking from a stealth spot he'd camped on back on the trail despite the no-camping-except-on-designated-spots rule. Hats left shortly after that, and I followed, at 7:56. It was just warm enough that I could get away with wearing only one layer. I soon caught up to both CS and Hats. I stopped to climb up to see the Washington Monument, dedicated in 1827. Later Rooster caught up to me, and we hiked together for several miles until he stopped with Hats for a snack. The trail was fairly flat, although one or two sections were very rocky, and another section was wet and muddy. I made good time. I saw what I assume was a groundhog which waddled off the trail into a burrow before I could get a photo. I also saw the most exquisite little bird, a scarlet tanager, but my photos of it are dire, so I used one I lifted off a Web site. I opted to stop for the day at the Raven Rock shelter, and not to try to reach the next campsite which would have been another 5.7 miles. So unusually I finished in sunshine, had my pick of spots to pitch my tent on, had my dinner and was in my tent in daylight. Rooster appeared shortly after me nursing shin splints. Then came, among others, Sparky, Hats, Slip and Slide, and Walden - the gang's all here. Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-16
From: Raven Rock Shelter, MD

To: Motel in Fayetteville, PA
Miles today: 22.8

This was a tiring day. Rooster, Hats and I set off early, around 7:30. We met oodles of hikers. It's because Harpers Ferry is a conventional starting and ending point for people section-hiking or 'flip-flopping' (going from HF to say Katahdin, then flying south to do Springer to HF, or HF to Springer). During the day we met the foursome of Strider, Glim-Glom, Legs and Darwin whom I'd met on the wet, wet hike out of Daleville. They (apart from Glim-Glom) and several other young guys had done the one-day four-state challenge - starting in Virginia, and going on the AT through West Virginia and Maryland, and stopping once they entered Pennsylvania, a distance of about 42 miles. I was both glad to be done with another state (Maryland) and uneasy about the tough miles ahead, which are referred to as Rocksylvania on the trail. I hiked for an hour or so with Strider. But most of the day was spent with Rooster. He was a bit off his usual pace due to shin issues. He too was suffering, as I used to suffer, with backpack issues. (But my hips are healing, Leukotaped and with my poncho bunched up and serving as a soft buffer between my hip belt and my right hip until the healing process is complete. A good sign today was that my hip started itching a lot and no longer looks as impressively inflamed as before.) I actually felt great about my backpack today. I had other issues bothering me but I won't bore you with them. I was with Rooster because he was heading off trail to resupply and stay overnight in Fayetteville, and as I reviewed my food supply in the morning I'd decided that some replenishment was in order. So after almost 23 miles in the warm and dry conditions, but with a significant amount of rock-dodging already encountered, we arrived at the road into the town, started hitchhiking and got a lift almost immediately from a deputy sheriff, Sean, heading home. He dropped us off at the Scottish Inns motel where I shared the room with Rooster.  I showered and we headed for the restaurant across the street, where Kira served us broccoli soup (delicious), their 12-ounce burger, and a double-scoop ice cream cone. Then it was a short walk to Dollar General where Jess walked us around helping us find stuff. She's young, ex-military, and desperate to thru-hike. I did our joint laundry when we got back to our room. Very domestic. Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-17
From: Motel in Fayetteville, PA

To: Toms Run Shelter, PA
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

On a day when the temperatures were to soar to 90F, Rooster and I took it easy. He ran a bath to soak his troubled feet in the morning. We strolled back over to the Flamingo where I had a double breakfast of biscuits with beef gravy, and of huge pancakes with bacon, onion rings and other edibles, washed down with coffee and orange juice. Rooster was in awe of my capacity. Oh, and I ate all his toast too. I mean, why not? We hitched a lift back out to the trail with Trish, a self-described hippie. At the trail we met Soggy, who was there to see if any hikers wanted a lift. He told us that our hike would be easy. It was. For sure there were climbs, but nothing too steep. Rooster and I spent some time watching bees swarming hIgh in a pine tree. We soon caught up with Hats and Walden, and we all took a lunch break at the next shelter. Afterwards we split up, with Rooster and I setting a good pace. When he had to stop to adjust his backpack, I kept going and soon was crossing the AT midpoint (1,094.9 miles). There was a large brass band there to celebrate this achievement, and a crowd bigger than at Donald Trump's inauguration. At the destination shelter, I finally got to use the portable shower bag I'd bought in Richmond. It was so nice to be clean. Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-18
From: Toms Run Shelter, PA

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up early and on the trail by 7:27. I passed No Rush (51-year old hiker who says he's doing 5 miles per day) and caught up with Hats, whose shins were very painful. Shortly after that, I was overtaken by Butterfeet, an 18-year old who has been having Achilles issues and left the trail for 2 weeks to recover. We were all aiming for a store at Pine Grove where they have the half-gallon challenge - if you can eat that amount of ice cream, you get a small commemorative spoon. I fail to see the challenge. If it were one and a half gallons, okay, now we're talkin'. But a half? Anyway, it was all a damp squib as the store was closed. Much of the trail was level like the last couple of days but there were rocky stretches and in particular two 'rock mazes' where you were going up and over and among boulders, following arrows because just blazes would have been too uncertain. I was sweating like a pig. I made sure to drink and refill at many of the streams I crossed. There was only one snake today, but he was a big lad. I also noticed lots of small brown frogs. I had had notions of doing about 24 miles to get me through the town of Boiling Springs and camping beyond it, but in just that area camping is forbidden except at designated spots. So I hauled myself into Alec Kennedy Shelter at the 19-mile mark after 9 hours and 20 minutes of hiking. I had to go about 5 minutes beyond the shelter to find a level spot, but it's a beaut - by a brook, nobody else here, a good tree right by my tent for hanging my food bags. I took a shower (LOVE my shower bag), washed out my sweaty clothes and hung them on a line, and then took my food stuff up to the shelter to join Butterfeet and two female hikers for dinner. I'm now back in my tent and it is hot and humid and insects are besieging my castle. I may have to take another shower just to cool down. Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-20
From: Footbridge, stream @ 1139.8, PA

To: Peters Mountain Shelter, PA
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I blasted out of the starting gate at exactly 7am, on a mission to catch Blueberry, who had left a little earlier. It was a steep climb up but I pushed it and soon had teamed up with him. A little later Rooster latched onto us. The sky was overcast, very occasionally a light mist, and it was chilly if you weren't moving. AWOL's guidebook says "trail very rocky from here [for next 6.2 miles]". It hasn't said that about any other stretch of the AT that we've done, and there have been some mighty challenging rocky ridges in Virginia. So everyone had been a little apprehensive. We needn't have worried. There were rocks indeed, but nothing excessively scary. So we motored on for the town of Duncannon. On the descent I had to let the others forge ahead as my knee was protesting vigorously. One result was that I missed a turn - more of a swerve, really - off the old trail onto a newer trail. I was in the town when I saw Rooster and Blueberry behind me and they explained where I'd gone wrong. I went back the way they'd come until I hit the junction I'd missed, then turned around and hiked the new trail piece again, in the right direction. It's important to preserve the purity of one's AT! In Duncannon I rejoined the guys at a breakfast place, Goodies, where, like yesterday, I had a double breakfast. (Next time, a triple.) Smoky showed up, and Van Grizzle was also there. I charged my phone and updated my trail journal. I was almost the last to leave and hiked the rest of the day - 11 miles - on my own. The trail led out of town and across the broad Susquehanna. I dislike these stretches along highways. They are boring and noisy and I can't use my poles on their concrete or tarmac without hurting my right wrist, which has developed quite nasty carpal tunnel syndrome. During the afternoon I stopped to do a full water refill at an intermediate spring as there were no water sources for several miles after that, and the one at the destination shelter was described as being steeply downhill with 300 steps. It was a good move. With my food supply being fairly low, and my new backpack working so much better, the extra water weight was less troublesome than it normally would have been. I rolled into the shelter around 5:30. There were lots of people there, many of them weekend hikers. I was lucky to get the last decent spot for my tent. It was lovely reading my New Yorker in daylight.Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-21
From: Peters Mountain Shelter, PA

To: Campsite on Second Mountain, PA
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: moderate rain

Today was a bit of a zen day. After an awesome night's sleep, I was on the trail by 7:32. This part of the AT continued to be fairly flat (less than 3,000 feet of climbing today) and the rockiness diminished substantially, with some delightfully easy stretches of trail. I overtook a few NOBOs and saw quite a few SOBOs. I concentrated on a steady pace, enjoying my iPod (it was a big Billy Joel day, but some Rolling Stones too). My knee was fine, but my right little toe, which I'd Leukotaped last night, was very sore, as was my right wrist. So I played it defensively, doing barely my 2mph, and trying to place my right foot only on spaces between rocks; that wasn't always possible. I stopped only briefly for food. I had enough water left from yesterday (1.5 liters) to see me through most of the day. I passed two shelters before I went dry, and refilled 4 liters at a stream. Then it was a mile up to the top of Second Mountain looking for a spot to camp. I didn't find one until I was almost all the way down the far side. It was too cold and windy for me to subject myself to a cold shower this evening. I'm almost out of food so am planning a resupply in Hamburg, PA on Tuesday. A word about maps. I use the A.T. Guide (2017 Northbound) and have it in a ziplock bag in a side pocket of my pack where I can reach it and refer to it during the day. It tells me about notable features along the route, distances, elevation, water sources, shelters, where to leave the trail to get to the nearest town, shuttle services, hostels, hotels, shops and so on. I also have Guthook, a GPS app for the AT that tells me exactly where I am on the trail, and provides some of the same data as the AT Guide; I find it most valuable when I am tired towards day's end and want to be sure I don't overshoot a water source or want to avoid the despair of the 'false summit'. Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-22
From: Campsite on Second Mountain, PA

To: Hartline Campsite
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: light rain

I had forgotten to sew up an unraveling compression sleeve last night, so taking care of that set me back a little this morning. I got onto the trail at 7:43. The day was cloudy and cool. A slight fog shrouded the woods and concealed the views. It eventually turned to rain. I hit trail magic almost immediately- somebody had left a case of Coca-Cola cans at a road crossing. I put one in a hip belt pocket to have later. The hike today veered from a stretch of about three miles of the flattest, widest, and straightest path I've encountered on the AT, to utter boulder bedlam, where it was hard to discern what the path was, and taking one's eyes off the rocks courted disaster. Of course, I fell, but not because of a normal trip and fall. No sirree, no plain Jane fall for me. There was one section where I followed the ostensible path, only to find I'd gone astray by a few yards and had to backtrack. Near the error point, there was a substantial rotting log which I felt would be better employed blocking the avenue I'd gone down and helping others stay on the trail. A public-spirited action on my part. In moving the log, I slipped on a rock and landed on my side. Result: dirt on my left sleeve; grazes on my forearm; but waaah! the can of Coke burst open and most of it spilled out of the belt pocket before I could slurp it up. What a disaster. But shortly afterwards I came up to a road crossing, singing "Little Musgrave" lustily. An elderly man in a bright red plaid shirt asked "Are you hungry?" I said "I'm a thru-hiker - I'm always hungry". He opened up the car boot to reveal boxes of provisions - soft drinks, cheese, trail mixes of different sorts, energy bars, ramen. He loaded me up while I munched and we chatted - he about his Scottish, Welsh and English roots, and me about my Irish background. His name is Donald Gauntlett and he is 77. Unfortunately it started to rain again and we went our separate ways. The rest of my day was spent managing the tedium and pain of navigating miles of rocks. I hate rocks. My "trail runner" shoes were a bit too light for the task and my feet began to feel bruised. I had intended to do up to 23 miles, but when I saw a built-up tent pad by a river at mile 20, I threw in the towel. While I was getting water, Rooster and Blueberry showed up. They tried to find a spot near me but failed and decided to hike up the hill to another campsite. I had a big meal, and then a shower - a bit too chilly this time. But it's always nice afterwards to feel so clean.Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-24
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: PA 309 - behind a restaurant
Miles today: 26.0

Despite only finishing my cleaning up and packing by 1am, I woke at shortly after 5am. While Rooster, Blueberry and I were having breakfast with a young hiker called Turk, another young hiker, Sean "Antman" Daly came up and offered to have his visiting parents drive us to the trailhead. Mr Daly, a keen turkey hunter, dropped us off at 8:15, and Mrs Daly provided us with sandwiches for trail snacks. I tried to keep up with Rooster and Blueberry but after an hour I had to admit defeat and drop back to my own pace. I made good progress and around midday was overtaken by Honey Badger, a 25-year old ironworker from Buffalo, NY, who started on March 4, and we hiked together for the rest of the day. We completed 26 miles and ended up camping, with the permission of Ken, who I think is the owner, on the lawn at the back of a restaurant where we had hoped to eat, but it was closed. Instead we both cooked loads of ramen. I heard from Rooster that he had ended up about 2 miles further along the trail and had lost track of where Blueberry is. Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-25
From: PA 309 - behind a restaurant

To: Delps Trail campsite 
Miles today: 23.4

Today was a very hard day. It had begun raining during the night and continued for much of the day. Honey Badger and I returned to the trail at 8:22. The section we were heading into is infamous as it is very rocky. There is one section, a ridge called Knife Edge. It's not very long, but the rocks are hard to navigate and in the wind and rain I made heavy going of it. I had already fallen hard on a dead level piece of trail - what I took to be a little pile of leaves contained a protruding rock which tripped me and I landed on another small rock with my left thigh. Very painful. So as I worked my way along Knife Edge I was already in pain. I fell three times on the ridge. I snapped the lower section of one of my poles but was able to push the stub with the crucial carbide tip into the pole so it was a bit shorter but functional. In a subsequent fall I bent but did not break the same pole. The trail never ceased to be rocky. Boulder fields occurred several times. I had lost my bottle as we say in Ireland so my progress was slow. Honey Badger was patient and stayed with me. We met Rooster at a shelter and he joined us for the rest of the day. We decided to eat a late lunch in Palmerton, at Bert's. The owner shuttled us to and from town. The whole exercise cost us two hours. When we arrived at Berts we met Blueberry. He has decided to quit the AT. He was clearly very upset and we were all sad for him too. We had a horrible climb out of that area, scrambling up a virtual cliff. By the time we reached our goal darkness had fallen and we had been using our headlamps for about half an hour. I am tired, have a badly bruised thigh, very sore left foot (heel and arch) and sundry other aches and pains. We have one more big hike tomorrow to get us within one mile of the New Jersey border. I for one will not be sad to see the last of the rocks of Pennsylvania. Tipperary
Date: 2017-05-26
From: Delps Trail campsite, PA

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 26.1

We had camped last night at a nondescript site a little off the trail, our choice dictated by our need to do close to 25 miles. We had found a young woman, Laken, and her dog already camped there, which had made it hard for two more tents to squeeze in. Rooster made the sacrifice and took a spot that was rooty and uneven. We all stuck to plan and were hiking by 7:04. It had rained just as we all woke up, but the rest of the day was mainly sunny. The day's profile was as flat as it comes on the AT, apart from a drop into and climb out of Wind Gap, and the final long descent. There was almost no respite from the rocks. In fact, we went over a few small boulder fields, a ridge called Wolf Rocks which was quite mild, and contended with rocks generally on the trail. We started out at a 3mph pace. I was able to hang onto the back of the bunch for over three hours, but then had to admit that the slight sense of discomfort in my right leg had changed into some full-blown complaint like shin splints, and I said goodbye to the other two and let them vanish over a hill. Shortly afterwards I saw them getting into a car at Wind Gap; they said they were being given a lift to a convenience store and asked if I wanted to join them, but I declined. They offered to bring me anything I needed and I asked for a can of Coke. It took them almost 2 hours to reappear behind me on the trail. This time, when they disappeared, it was for good. I stopped to enjoy the Coke and some trail mix for lunch. My sore shin continued to bedevil me, but I plowed on. At one point, as I climbed one of the last ascents before the final descent into the town of Delaware Water Gap, I had to apply Leukotape to a blistering toe. The descent, which had been described to us as "difficult"; "a sheer cliff"; "almost straight up", turned out to be no such thing luckily and was rocky but pleasant compared to many of the stretches of the trail I had encountered in the last week. When I finally emerged in the little town, I'd been hiking for over 13 hours and covered 26.2 miles. I called the golf club where I was to stay for the night and learned to my horror that it was a further mile and a half away from the end of the trail. Luckily, the receptionist whom I was speaking to sensed my plight and sent a car to pick me up. After the joy of a shower I went downstairs to the golf club patio and got the biggest pulled pork sandwich I could persuade the staff to make for me. I also had a second plate of side dishes such as pasta, mashed potatoes and more pasta.Tomorrow I will be going off the trail for a trip home; I will be back in the US and hopefully on the trail by June 2. So until then, happy trails!Tipperary