morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-28
From: Gorham NH

To: Gorham NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It was Sunday. I was up early. I went to Gorham Hardware and Sports. I told the owner I wanted to replace my hiking pants that had a rip. I wanted four front pockets. He said I was describing the pants he had on. His son had purchased these Royal Robbins convertible pants for him. He brought out a big roll of Gorilla tape. He said it would repair my pants. I said I would be leaving most of the roll here in Gorham. It was too heavy to carry. He said I could bring my pants and I could use his Gorilla tape. I walked back to the Barn; got my pants; walked back to the store and used the Gorilla tape. It worked great. I also bought a map of the White Mountains. In my reading before the trip, it had been suggested to have a map of the Whites, but by the time I was convinced, if I ordered the map, it would not arrive before I flew to Maine.Red Squirrel and I went to the Congregational Church that the Libby's helped to found. The church prayed for several concerns including for Bobbie. We had breakfast at Guidies. We had HUGE omelets. They were delicious.When we returned, Miss Claire was on the front porch of the B&B with her son. They were both very pleasant. It was hard to believe Miss Claire was 80. She said with a twinkle in her eye that she was a hiker, too. She hikes 3 miles in the morning and 3 miles in the evening. She does not hike the mountain peaks any more and she misses them. I had my leftovers for dinner. I joined Red Squirrel in the park at sunset.That night it poured.
Date: 2016-08-30
From: Joe Dodge Lodge Pinkham Notch

To: Madison Hut
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: broken clouds

We had breakfast with Free Bird and Dory. They were SOBO hikers Red Squirrel had met the day before. We asked them if they had heard Lake of the Clouds was closed due to bed bugs. They had not heard. We told them our plans. They decided to do the same.We hiked up Mt Madison in beautiful weather. The first 6 miles were generally uphill, not too steep and we moved at our 2 mph pace. We were pleased. Red Squirrel said when she was at the Visitors Center, she was told that if she was rescued without a map, even though her hiking partner had a map, she would be found negligent and fined for the rescue. Red Squirrel purchased a map of the Whites. When we got above treeline with awesome views and rock fields. The rocks were dry. We slowed down to a crawl. Coming down the rock field to the hut took us almost an hour to go half a mile. Marcia asked me to slow up with some panic in her voice. She needed assistance as to where to place her feet. We stayed at Madison Hut and had a very filling dinner and breakfast.
Date: 2016-08-31
From: Madison Hut

To: Pinkham Notch/Joe Dodge Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

The next morning we woke to rain and fog. Red Squirrel started worrying the night before about the weather. She did not sleep well and could not eat much for breakfast. Neither of us was willing to face climbing wet rocks, in fog up Mt Adams and then to Mt Washington, all above treeline. We decided to go out the Valley Trail to the Appalachia parking lot, zero miles on the Appalachian Trail. Two groups joined us who tried Mt Adams but when they stood at the rock cairn, they could not see the next rock cairn, so they came out the Valley Trail. I was told by two different people, the way to handle fog this thick is, walk 10 - 20 feet from the rock cairn, then look for the next rock cairn. If you can't see the next one, walk back to the original rock cairn and walk 10 - 20 feet in a different direction, always within sight of the original rock cairn. Red Squirrel had some panic on dry rocks in beautiful weather. I could not face her panicking in fog and on wet rocks. Free Bird and Dory did hike from Madison to Washington that day. Both slipped and fell on the wet rocks. On the hike down the Valley Trail, Red Squirrel asked me if I had ever had a trip with so many changes. I said no. She said she wanted to just hike. I suggested Massachusetts. I have some friends near Boston that could help us do that. Of course, that would put us further away from our Portland Maine flight. At the parking lot, I called my husband. I told him our most recent change of plans. He was doing the taxes and asked me the figures of how much I paid last year for flood insurance, home owners insurance and taxes on my rental house. I lost it. I told him we were changing plans daily and I was not handling it well. I told him I was on the trail and would answer his questions when I got home. Until then he needed to figure it out himself. He apologized and we both said we loved each other. I told Red Squirrel I lost it with my husband and she made arrangements for us to fly home the next day. We flew from Portland Maine on Thursday before Labor Day weekend and before hurricane Hermaine hit Florida. Since Red Squirrel flew home, her 92 year old father fell. Because we were off the trail, she was with him in the ER. Then her daughter fell off a 60 foot cliff in Idaho. Her daughter suffered broken ribs, broken eye socket, broken knee and broken arm. Red Squirrel needed to come home when we did, we just did not know it.
Date: 2017-04-14
To: travel day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Again and I had been planning since November 2016 for this three week hike in Pennsylvania. Last July I hiked for five days with Coyote from Duncannon to Port Clinton. It was 95 degrees and some of the Springs were dry. Two miles from Port Clinton I tripped over a log on the descending rocks and broke my nose. I was having a difficult time getting motivated for this hike. At the end of three weeks, Again would drive home and Tag Along and Buzz would hike one more week with me for a total of four weeks. Again drove her truck and my husband drove me to meet her at a rest area. Again drove us in her truck to the Riverfront Campground in Duncannon for $5 a night to camp. Mom always said you get what you pay for. We camped with thru hiker Early Riser on a small plot of grass. I thought the porta John was the only toilet so I used it through the night. Again told me I'm the morning that the bath house had toilets, a sink and a shower. At dinner at the Ranch House, I had a headache. I told Again about my reluctance to do this hike. She said I was scaring her. Again has not backpacked alone. I took some sinus medication and the headache was gone in the morning.
Date: 2017-04-15
From: Pen-Mar Park

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 8.6

John who runs the Riverfront Campground shuttled Again and I from the campground in Duncannon to Pen Mar Park.   We listened to his Sirus oldie Goldie rock and roll as he drove. The songs played over and over again in my head for the next week.    The park does not open until May so the bathrooms were closed. This is our third time at PenMar. Only once has the bathrooms been open. We started hiking at 11:30.   It was a lovely day. We took pictures at the Mason-Dixon Line. The hiking was pleasant. Some up and down but nothing challenging. Since it was Saturday we met some day hikers. We arrived at Tumbling Run Shelter before dark. Two couples were already at the shelter with their tents already set up. They were eating dinner at the pavilion between the Snoring and Non snoring shelters. We set up in the snoring shelter. It took a day or two to fall back into the rhythm of setting up camp. As I laid down in the shelter there was a loud creak. I moved closer to Again. It was better but still creaked. In the night I moved over to the empty non snoring shelter. This shelter is maintained by the Potomac ATC. So far, I like the shelters maintained by the PATC. The privies are nicer, often with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. They often have something humorous.
Date: 2017-04-16
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

Again and I woke to the birds chirping.  Again had many messages on her phone. Her youngest son's baby was born at 2 am, three weeks early!  We made plans to hike these dates before Again knew this grand baby was coming.  Again had hoped that since this was the mother's first baby, she would come past the due date.  Her daughter in law had extensive family in the area.  So even if Again had been waiting at home for the birth, she would not have seen the baby the next day.  Again wanted to hike today and talk to her husband and children before changing our plans. A mile after Tumbling Run Shelter we passed Chimney Rocks.  It reminded me of several places in Virginia where there are a pile of rocks near the trail. Then the trail goes on top of the rocks, down the spine then down the rocks to the flat valley. Since it was April, the seasonal  springs were running. The leaves were not out yet so there were better views.  Each day my skin got a little browner.  This was much better than my experience in July of last year in 95 degree heat and dry springs. In July I hiked with Coyote from Duncannon to Port Clinton. We had a nice hike.  I had purchased pocket maps by AntiGravity Gear.  Again used it while we hiked.  We were surprised that Caledonia State Park had a stream, and flush toilets. We filled up with water there while families celebrated with Easter picnics.  Later in the day we were hiking in Rhododendron.  I did not realize Rhododendron grew this far north. We came out of a thicket of Rhododendron into the Quarry Gap Shelter.  What a very beautiful shelter! The caretaker prides it as the nicest shelter on the trail. My eye caught the daffodils first, so pretty. They were next to a babbling brook and sundial. The swing was a very nice amenity along with the bear box. The water was nearby and the privy was nice too. Later we were joined by Rawhide and Pillow Toes. They met at Kincora Hostel on their thru hike of 2006. They were married a year later. Rawhide now works at a Delaware REI and does clinics on light backpacking. They were trying out a new tent. It was great meeting them.
Date: 2017-04-17
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Toms Run Shelter 
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: few clouds

We woke to light rain, trying to wait to go to the privy until the rain let up. The rain sounded worse on the shelter roof than it actually was. We chatted with Rawhide and Pillow Toes. They were surprised by the rain but it was a good test of the new tent.  Again got a message that her mentor's wife had died. Rawhide needed to be at work the next day and Pillow Toes had places she wanted to stop before they got home. They packed up quickly after Pillow Toes coffee and left.  We took our time leaving. We hiked most of the day in a light rain.
Date: 2017-04-18
From: Toms Run Shelter 

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter 
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

It was cool when we woke up so we decided to have breakfast at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The General Store, home of the ice cream challenge was closed. It was too early in the season. I do not think we would have done the challenge if it was open. We had breakfast at the outside tables. The AT museum was officially closed but they were doing repairs. They kindly let us use the bathroom and take a peek. Again pointed out we had a long day planned and we needed to get going. After over an hour break, we continued on, past public bathrooms. It was a little confusing following the blazes. It was a lovely flat walk next to a stream.  Later in the day we were getting tired. I explained that I was willing to camp any where but I needed water before we camped. The next water we found was at a campsite just south of Alec Kennedy Shelter. There were two tents already set up. One was near the trail and one near the camp fire. The people appeared older than us. They let us know the shelter was 0.2 off the trail. They said they were too tired to go there. We were also too tired to go there. We set up our tent and tarp near the tent near the trail.
Date: 2017-04-20
From: Darlington Shelter 

To: Duncannon PA
Miles today: 11.3

A day or two back, Again decided she did not want to spend another night at Riverfront Campground. We had heard that the Doyle had good food but not a good place to stay. Again called Red Carpet Inn. They were full because of the car show in Carlisle. Again suggested Stempas. I said I wanted cotton sheets. So she called Gelinas B&B.  She was closed. Again sounded desperate  Did we have cash? Yes. Then yes we could come but no packs in the house.  We hiked into Duncannon and followed the blazes, turning left up a street at the Doyle. The fire station was nice enough. As we continued the buildings were more and more in disrepair, some with trash on the front lawn. A woman from a TV station in a dress and high heels had a camera pointed at her. She was talking about the abandoned building. A house with a welcome flag had a dog on a tether that barked at us.  It was a long walk to the Riverfront Campground where Again's truck was parked. I was anxious to get to the truck where my poison ivy scrub was. After three days my poison ivy was weeping and getting worse by the day.  At last we arrived at the truck. I scrubbed my poison ivy while Again met a woman from St Louis. She was our age. Her husband had died and her children were grown.  She was hiking the trail. She might stay for the AT festival that was next week.  We went to eat at the Doyle. It seemed a tradition we should do. We did not do the 1/2 gallon ice cream challenge. So it seemed we should do this one. We joined Renee. We met Renee earlier on the trail that day when we were getting water. She was also from St Louis. She is section hiking PA to MA. Our waitress Vicki with the long braids gave us the Doyle treatment. I told her I met her last July and we became old friends. Again asked why the trail goes over a block. Bad hikers said Vicki. Some hikers ate tomatoes out a person's garden and other disrespectful behavior. She said on hot days she has actually seen hikers walk into walls. She calls them brain dead hikers. After dinner we drove back to Boiling Springs PA to Gelinas B&B. Mrs Gelinas let us into her very very lovely Victorian home. I was in culture shock going from the trail, to the campground, to the Doyle and now this. I got my cotton sheets like I requested. I felt like a new person after my shower.  Again removed a tick and put a circle around the spot.  Breakfast would be at 8:30.
Date: 2017-04-21
From: Gelinas B&B

To: Stempas
Miles today: 0.0

Again wanted a zero day. It is good we did. We did not leave Gelinas B&B until 11:30. We needed to do laundry, buy new shoes and air mattress for Again and drive to Stempas hostel in north PA. We had changed our plans. Our next trek would be from Kittany Visitors Center in NJ back to Stempas. Then Port Clinton to Stempas. If Again was not with me I did not need to rehike Duncannon to Port Clinton.  We came downstairs at 8:30 am to a dining room table set with two forks. On the colorful plate was a paper doily with a presliced melon with a strawberry and slice of pear. We had orange juice and Darjing tea. Neither Again nor I drink coffee. Mrs Gelinas told us that she was trained in England how to serve a proper tea. She had tea every afternoon with her grand daughter after school. The grand daughter would invite her friends.The second course was a very delicious sausage souffl© in our own individual souffl© dishes. Mrs Gelinas continued to entertain us with a story about a disrespectful guest. He learned a very valuable lesson there, how to apologize and how to be respectful.  We left at 11:30 and drove to Hamburg PA. There we did our laundry while we ate lunch from what we purchased at the grocery store in the same strip center. We went through our gear, discarding trash and preparing for the next trek. From there we went to Cabelas the largest in the country. The employees were unable to answer Again's questions so she just chose an air mattress and figured she would return it if it did not work out. It was dinner time so we ate at Logan's Roadhouse. I ate there twice in July.  We drove to Stempa's Hostel. We missed the house and were on the top of the hill in fog. The paved road turned to dirt. I called John "Mechanical Man" Stempa. Conveniently he was driving the car in front of us.  We followed him home.
Date: 2017-04-22
From: Kittany Visitor Center

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: light rain

John Stempa shuttled Again and I, under duress into New Jersey to the Kittany Visitor Center. There is a dollar toll to go from NJ to PA. The flush toilets were closed and there was a line of Boy Scouts at the pit toilets. The Boy Scouts headed north as we headed across the bridge across the Delaware River.  The bridge is four lane with a separate walkway for hikers. It is well traveled by cars, trucks and 18 wheelers. It was very noisy. The water looked grey.  The trail goes thru the town of Delaware Water Gap. The town is quaint. We stopped at the Church of the Mountain. We used the bathroom and wrote our names on the register.  We went up the steep road to where there were many cars parked. We met a family out looking for Morel mushrooms but had found none. We continued up the hill to a view where there were three young men camping out with a small fire in violation of several signs we saw.  We hiked to the Kirkridge Shelter. The water for the Kirkridge Shelter is a spigot owned by a retreat. Thank you retreat for the water. Boy Scouts camped down the hill before the shelter, out of sight and sound. Two men thru hikers were at the shelter when we got there. No one else joined us. It is a beautiful view from the shelter.
Date: 2017-04-23
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Stempas 
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

I woke about 7:30 and missed the sunrise from the pretty overlook from the shelter. Darn.  We were not sure if we were going to hike to Leroy A Smith shelter or an additional 3 miles to Stempas Hostel.  We hiked up to Wolf Rocks with a local couple. They encouraged me to stand where there was the best view. The view was similar to the view from the shelter but required a lot more work. I think I am spoiled with the many views I have seen. This view was unremarkable to me.  Later in the day we were hiking in the infamous PA rocks. Again said here the trail maintainers look for rocks to dump on the trail. Again was getting tired so I went on ahead to the spring off trail to fill both of our bottles. I met her at the intersection of the AT and the path to the water and shelter. She said it was my call if we stayed at the shelter or continued on to Stempas. I chose Stempas so I could repeatedly scrub my poison ivy.  Shortly after this decision, Again fell to both knees and broke one of her hiking sticks. I waited for her reaction. I asked if she was hurt. No. Just skinned knees.  The horrid rocks continued to Stempas.  We had dinner at the Kunkletown Pub. We entered the side door into the dining room. No one was there to greet us. So we wandered over to the bar where there were 6-8 people. We had dinner. We came back to Stempas and took showers.  As we laid down, Again said she was considering going home.
Date: 2017-04-24
From: Port Clinton PA

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter 
Miles today: 5.7

In the morning, Again said she was going home. Her heart was no longer in it. She wanted to see her new grand baby. Falling and breaking her hiking stick was a sign to go home. She would do whatever she could to help me continue.  So I packed my pack to hike from Port Clinton to Stempas. I left three boxes of resupply at Stempas.  Again drove me back to the laundromat in Hamburg. I did my laundry and got lunch at the nearby grocery store. She drove me to Port Clinton. We overshot it. I used Guthook to find the trail where I left off in July. Again stayed with the truck as I walked to the picnic table I had waited for Coyote to pick me up last July. I returned to the truck, picked up my pack and off I went.  There were trash cans in two locations leaving Port Clinton. Too bad I did not get rid of my trash there. The climb out of Port Clinton reminded me of the climb out of Hot Springs NC.  I hiked to Windsor Furnace Shelter. I mistakenly thought it was where the trail takes a jog and there is a forest gate. I asked a man and his son but they gave misinformation.  I was the only one at the shelter. I did my nightly call to my husband and that helped some of the loneliness.
Date: 2017-04-25
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter 

To: Allentown Shelter 
Miles today: 16.5

Usually I use the privy before I go to bed so I can find it in the dark. I passed the privy as I hiked to the shelter so I knew where it was. In the middle of the night I used my red light to use the privy. As I was using it, I looked up at the door. There in a ledge of the door was a bird's nest with a small bird looking down at me. His face seemed to say, what are you doing here? I wonder if the bird will still be there when the hiker bubble comes through.  I tried not to hurry getting started in the morning and I left at 7:25 am. I only had 9 miles to Eckville Shelter. As I hiked, I was not sure if I would stop there. As it turned out, to go to Eckville Shelter, when I came to the paved road I was supposed to turn east. I just crossed the road and missed it completely. I had been looking for signs. About a mile after crossing the road, I stopped to find where I was. A man passed who said I passed it and it was closed. I later learned the caretaker has a job and is not there in the middle of the day. He is there in the evenings and weekends. Anyways that decided it for me. I hiked on to Allentown Shelter.  Most of the day I hiked on wide forest service roads with only a few rocks. As I approached Dan's Pulpit the rocks got bigger and more. It was raining. The rocks continued for about a mile to Balanced Rock.  It was getting dark as I arrived at Allentown Shelter. There were 9 people here with a camp fire going. All men. I pulled out my warm clothes and headed for the privy. I made dinner and called my husband. They saved me a space in the shelter.  The wind was blowing. There was a good chance of rain that night. Someone suggested hanging a tarp. What an idea! I should have hung my tarp all those other cold nights in shelters. I hung my tarp. It kept the wind out and made it darker.  Four of them were thru hikers. One had done the PCT and the New Zealand trail. I asked him which he preferred. He said the trails he has completed had awesome views. He was not impressed with the views on the AT so far. I told him if he has good weather, the Whites and Maine have awesome views. He was glad he was saving that for the end.