morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-07-06
From: Woods Road Campsite

To: Clarks Ferry Shelter, PA
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

We were up and out by 8:00am this morning. It was a very cool morning and good for hiking. Last night we were both cinched in our sleeping bags...it was a lot colder than normal...but quite nice.Our morning was uneventful until about 11am when we spotted Flatlander's backpack next to a tree. He and "Flicka", his daughter, were stopped at an overlook. We had passed them by last week and didn't know it, but since our break over the 4th they had caught back up to us. We finally met Flicka and really enjoyed her. She's almost been on the trail for 2 weeks and has committed to Maine. We caught up for a while and enjoyed the view before moving on to Ducannon just under two miles away.We decided to eat lunch before emerging from the woods into Duncannon, that way we wouldn't be tempted to spend money on town food. However, we did get some cold drinks at a gas station, as it was now much hotter. One thing I love about traveling to different places is getting new brands of root beer. I've probably tasted 30-40 different types over the years. I like to grade them. Today I tasted another new brand and rated it on my top 3.We want to give a big shout out to Deuter, and specifically to Steve from their customer service dept. Steve has been following along on our journals. Deuter expedited a new strap system and it was waiting for me at the Duncannon post office, just 2 mail days after I called them. It is *SO* nice to have my pack back in order. I am very pleased with Deuter. Thank you for standing by your product!We were able to move right through Duncannon, but not before stopping for some ice cream with Flatlander and Flicka. They were both staying in town at the famous, hiker friendly, Doyle Motel. We were at the Doyle for a bit today checking our emails and coordinating a shuttle to the supermarket for a 4 day resupply. We saw StewBall there and agreed to meet him further north on the trail tonight. Hiking out of Duncannon was tough. Steep and very rocky. Actually, it's going to be rocky from this point on- very rocky- but we've made it a point to just let it be and not talk about it....so consider this our formal complaint for the state of PA (we love PA ).It was a great ending to our day. We arrived at the shelter where Stewball and Wizpee had already made themselves home. Until today, we hadn't seen Stewball since Daleville (400 miles or so) but he has been communicating with us through the trail logs. Tomorrow we are planning to hike together.Berry and I spent the evening talking with Wizpee and Stewball. We all helped eachother build a nice fire for dinner time. Glowworm showed up later and we all talked until dark. We are camped now at the top of the hill above the shelter with Glowworm. We're right off the trail on a nice flat spot with Stewball and a Wizpee below us in the shelter. It's late and time for bed.
Date: 2009-07-07
From: Clarks Ferry Shelter, PA

To: Yellow Springs Stealth, PA
Miles today: 20.0

Whoo! The dogs are barkin' tonight. Bark and I had planned to do a 20 miler today come rocks or not. We woke up early and hit the trail around 7:30, early and cool. We thought there might have been a chance of rain, but luckily the clouds blew right over and blue skies prevailed. We left just before Stewball and saw him later at the next shelter as we were heading out. The steepest climb of the day was at Mt. Peter's shelter- an 800 ft. steep descent down to a well piped spring. The climb back up was brutal though. We desperately needed water so we really had no choice, but we will really be checking the distance to water sources while here in PA. We continued hiking through the day and saw Wizpee a few times as we had either stopped for lunch or vice versa. The three of us all stopped later in the day at a large creek. After soaking our sore feet in the chilly water we headed out to complete the final 7ish miles of the day. Wizpee pressed on a few more miles to the final shelter, but Bark and I cut it off at the 20 mile mark and set up camp. Bark built his usual fire and I cooked a dinner of Ramen noodles, yummm. Overall, we had a great day of hiking. We watched the landscape change here and there and climbed up and over a few hills and mountains. The views are beautiful and the rock outcroppings have been fun to see. After dinner we hunkered down in our tent, then lo and behold we saw a green shirt hiking towards us- it was Stewball! We were hoping to hike with him throughout the day, but turns out he had pulled off the trail to listen Michael Jackson's funeral service on his radio. Either way, we were glad to see him. The 3 of us are having some good conversations, so I better say goodnight for now. Tomorrow we're planning for another 20, but we'll see how we feel.
Date: 2009-07-08
From: Yellow Springs Stealth, PA

To: 501 Shelter, PA
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: broken clouds

Nothing was normal about today and we had an exciting hike. For starters we woke up way later than usual at the same time as Stewball. He was literally camped about 5 inches from our tent. It was nearly 8am by the time we poked our heads out from our sleeping bags. Last night was nice and cold with light winds and we slept like babies.We hurried along and got things in order and made it on the trail before 9am. We walked with Stewball the entire day and talked about all sorts of interesting subjects. It made the mileage fly by too.By noon we still hadn't gone very far and while taking a 45 minute break we looked at our guide book and noticed that we would soon be crossing a road that led to the town of Lickdale, PA. Stewball pitched the idea of hitching to the town and getting a hot meal and milkshake. We heartily agreed, this was a good idea.We would've made it sooner to the road crossing for Lickdale if it wasn't for the cooler full of cold soda's and fruit drinks put out by a trail angel. Delighted to see the drinks, we laid in the middle of the trail and sipped our soda's trying to motivate ourselves to get up so we could go into town. We finally did make it to the road. It took us about 15 minutes before somebody picked us up and drove us in. Lickdale turned out to be a hungry thru-hikers paradise. In an area of about 2 blocks there was a Wendy's, Subway, McDonalds, Blimpee's, Chester's Freid Chicken, a pizza/italian place, DQ and a local ice cream parlor. We hit up Wendy's and DQ and then got a few resupply items at the general store. It didn't take long for us to get a hitch back to the trailhead. All in all we spent nearly 3 hours in Lickdale, PA. By this time the day had obviously gotten away from us but we were determined to make it a good day in terms of mileage. We had some steep climbs right away but kept up the pace and continued talking with Stewball. Before we knew it we were at the 18 mile point with an hour or so of daylight left. We wanted to get to 20 miles so we hiked on. By the time we had reached the 20 mile point we decided to go a little further and make it to 501 Shelter. It seemed like forever but we finally made it, only using our headlamps for the last 10 minutes of the hike.The shelter was very nice and is placed right next to the caretakers house. There is a water spicket and make-shift shower house using a hose. We caught up to a lot of hikers who were already in the bunks. Wizpee was there with Bubbles and Birdie and a few other hikers were already asleep. Berry and I decided to camp outside because it was a litle stuffy inside the shelter (which was completely closed in like a shed).We sat outside in the dark at a picnic table with Stewball and the three of us cooked some food using our headlamps. Our day was one to remember and it was really fun having adventures with StewballIt's now 11pm and time for sleep!
Date: 2009-07-09
From: 501 Shelter, PA

To: stealth campsite near vista, PA
Miles today: 21.4

Well after our late arrival to the 501 shelter last night, we were in no hurry to pack up this morning. Bark and I both woke up around 7:00am to a bright morning. We heard a few other hikers rustling around and heading out as well. Stewball greeted us with a loud "Good Morning" and then it was time to get moving. Stewball has been having some pain and soreness in his heels so Bark offered to show him some stretches he could do in order to help. After they were finished, around 9:00am, the 3 of us headed out to the trail. I can't say we were moving too quickly this morning though- it took us all a while to get into a rhythm and feel awake. A couple hours into the hike, we hit a huge boulder field. Nothing like we had ever seen before, but we were sure it was the trail. I had to collapse my poles in order to maneuver over the massive boulders while Bark and Stewball took it nice and slow. It was at least a few hundred yards of nothing but rock, but somehow we made it all the way across. Then something strange happened... there was no more trail, no white blazes and no hint at a side trail close by. We had no choice but to accept the fact that we took a wrong turn. Oops!! Then, we all grudgingly started climbing back over the boulders to where we had begun. Honestly, it was a little scary crossing over the rocks. Many were very unsteady and difficult to get over. We all made it back safely and soon found the trail we should have been on all along. We decided that after such an ordeal, it was time for a good lunch break. Soon after lunch we got back on the trail and continued north. We had a great time hiking with Stewball. Conversations were good. The rocks must have taken their toll though because by 3pm we had only made it 9 miles! If we haven't said it enough before... Slow and steady, so we kept on going. Stewball rested a little longer, but we saw him shortly after at a spring and then later when we stopped to cook dinner. Bark and I had committed to press on just a few more miles so we would have a shorter day to town tomorrow. The terrain was not too bad and within a couple hours we had knocked out another 6 miles. A good meal always helps us get moving. It was just a little after dark when we decided to call it a night. We pitched our tent near a nice vista and hunkered down quick before the bugs started to swarm. Town tomorrow- hopeful for a good rest and needed shower!A couple of milestones for the day: it is officially our 100th day on the trail. We have been hiking a little over 1200 miles and that means one thing... we have less than 999.9 miles until Katahdin!
Date: 2009-07-10
From: Stealth campsite near vista, PA

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 2.4
Weather: broken clouds

We both woke up at 6:30 to ants all over our tent. Apparently I selected a tent spot over an ant bed last night. Berry had a couple ants crawl on her face through the night but we weren't aware till this morning that we had laid on an ant bed. With several shakes and brushes we were ant free and on the trail by 7:15.It was a steep descent into Port Clinton- a very small town with friendly locals. When we arrived we were greeted by "Spider" who gave us the scoop on the town scene. Spider was full of energy and it was nice meeting him. We've seen him in the trail-logs so we finally put a face with the name. Most of the hikers were at the pavilion packing up a getting ready for the day. Some were shuttling into Hamburg, PA for a restaurant run and visit to Cabela's.We made it to the post office to pick up some packages and our food drop. The parents sent us some goodies- very nice! We also received another phone, it feels good to be connected (somewhat) again. We sat on the steps of the post office and got our food packed away and then hitched to Hamburg. Once in Hamburg we enjoyed a lunch date at pizza hut buffet and then went to Cabela's to pick Berry up a pair of socks and get a sewing kit. Berry helped sew my pants today. The past couple of days I've been walking around with a red tent patch to keep my pants together.Stewball gave us a call and we met up in Hamburg for a good visit before he hitched back to Port Clinton. We stayed in Hamburg in order to get a good nights rest, clean up and do laundry at the local hotel. We're planning on keeping off our feet for the night and all morning tomorrow before heading back on trail for the push out of PA.
Date: 2009-07-11
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter, PA
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Bark and I woke up around 7:00 this morning, grabbed breakfast at the hotel and then returned quickly to bed in order to soak up the remaining hours in town. We had a great time catching up on the phone with our friends Anthony and Ashley Pratt from Texas, but soon realized it was time to leave. We packed up our gear and were out on the trail just before 2pm. With gray skies overhead and the sound of town resounding in our ears we have to confess it was difficult to leave. Right now we feel that we are on a section of trail that tells us on the one hand we have come a long way, but on the other hand we still have a long way to go. One of the biggest encouragements on the trail recently has been seeing other thru hikers. The numbers have really thinned out and some days we won't see anyone while others we will see 3 or 4. Today we did run into Bones on the trail. He was struggling with the "leaving town crawl" as he called it. Since getting a phone back in Port Clinton we had received a message from Otter. We were able to get in touch with him today and found out he is now about 2 days ahead of us and that Freebird had to leave the trail in Duncannon, but will return soon.Bark and I had already decided to stay at the first shelter since we got a late start and were feeling a little down. Luckily when we arrived a few hours later Bones was there too trying to decide if he was going to press on or not. We ended up having a great conversation about life on the trail and just backpacking in general. He is former military which gave him and Bark a lot to talk about. Since we knew we were not moving any further we set up our tent and are now just waiting for the rain to start.Tomorrow is a new day with great views (so we are told) and we are hoping to get back in the rhythm and keep heading North with renewed energy.
Date: 2009-07-12
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter, PA

To: Allentown Shelter, PA
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: clear sky

We weathered out a few waves of thunder storms last night. The first at 10pm and then 2 more which lasted well into the morning. It has been a while since we tented through a good storm. The rain was heavy and lightning lit our tent all night. We slept like babies though, only waking up a few times to check on everything. We camped in a sandy area so the storms created a lot of mud splashes all over our tent.Today is blue and clear and not a cloud to be seen. We were on the trail by 8am feeling good. We saw two spectacular views at "Pulpit Rock" and "The Pinnacle". The Pinnacle was one of our favorites. We took a nice break there and watched two eagles circle below us. Sometimes the eagles would get within 20-30 feet from where we were sitting. It was difficult climbing in the morning until we reached The Pinnacle. When we left there the trail smoothed out and emptied onto a woods road. We like it when this happens because we can walk side by side instead of one behind the other- and that's what we did for nearly 5 miles! Isn't love wonderful?!By noon we were ready for lunch and made it to Eckville Shelter. The shelter was superb. A nice gentleman named, Mick, was the caretaker of the shelter and it was right next to Mick's house. The shelter had a separate bathroom with flushing toilet and a gravity shower. It is a very nice set-up and really makes hikers feel appreciated. We had a long lunch break there, checked out the log entries, laid our tent out to dry and read our Bibles in the shade on a beautiful PA afternoon.We left Eckville Shelter around 1:30pm and had a fairly uneventful hike the rest of the afternoon. We took a good break at "Dan's Pulpit" overlook. PA has some beautiful farmland and rolling hills and it's really neat seeing the landscape from the overlooks. There have been a lot of locals on the trails today near the overlooks, but other than that we've spent the entire day without seeing any hikers. In reading everyones log entries it looks like most hikers are pushing out big miles to get out of PA and done with the rocks.It's just after 8pm. Berry and I are in the Allentown Shelter and it looks like we'll be alone for the evening. This is the second time since we started the hike that no one is at a shelter.
Date: 2009-07-15
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Near Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: clear sky

We were awake bright and early at the jailhouse. A trail angel named Kevin picked up Mass Gardener, Cas, Berry and I up at 7:00am and gave us a ride to the trailhead. We all loaded up on water and were anxious for the climb north out of Lehigh Gap.I'll admit that the climb was a bit more tricky than anything we have climbed before- some technical spots here and there. Berry was pretty nervous until we got over the initial climb, I had fun with it. To our favor, the weather was cool and breezy and in the low 50's. It made for a good climb on the barren ridge. It took us 2 hours to walk 3 miles. We walked with Cas on top of the ridgelines looking down on Palmerton and the surrounding mountains. The scenery this morning was different and beautiful at the same time. The effects of the mining on the area gave it a different feel. We took our time to snap some photo's and enjoy the new sights.The terrain was daunting today. Berry and I kept our heads down and plowed through. To keep our minds off the rocks we often sing silly songs to one another or tell stories. Lately, we've taken longer lunch breaks that include reading and stretching. It works wonders for keeping us going the second half of the day.Our biggest obstacle was finding water. The first available source was 13 miles from the start, but it was a mile off trail. At the start of our hike today we loaded up on extra water so we could possibly make it to wind gap which had a source .1 miles off the trail. Thankfully, we did make it to wind gap. It has been a long day but we made it further than we thought we could. We are excited for what tomorrow holds. It's roughly 16 miles to Delaware Water Gap and the NJ line!
Date: 2009-07-16
From: Near Wind Gap, PA

To: Delaware Water Gap 
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was a beautiful day for hiking. Our spirits were up anyway because town was within reach. The wilderness is a wonderful place, but the lure of clean clothes and a hot meal always has a strong pull. In any case, the sun was out all day today with a nice cool breeze. We said goodbye to our friend, PA. It left us with fond memories, a day of ridge-riding and rock-hoping. The descent into Delaware Water Gap was beautiful. It¢s very narrow and canyon-like. By the time we started descending our legs were pretty worn in for the day, so the long and steep nature of our climb down made things worse for wear. We saw a gravel parking lot and we knew we were close to being finished for the day. It was one of those moments when you¢ve got only one thing on your mind ¢ GET THERE! As we neared the parking lot we saw and older gentleman looking at us with curiosity. Then he started walking toward us. I thought to myself ¢¢oh no, we¢ve gotta keep our head down and move fast!¢ But that is the difference between me and Berry. She is always pleasant, even when she doesn¢t have the energy she makes every person feel like a million bucks. And so there we were, just within reach of the DWG church hostel, stopped by a man who was asking us a billion questions. I don¢t even remember the man¢s name¢¦ but he talked-talked-talked. He wouldn¢t let us go until we took his book with us (he was an author). So thirty minutes later we took his autographed book and went on our way. Hey¢¦ it happens. Everyone was at the hostel tonight. It¢s a neat place and they¢ve made a lot of provision for the hikers. Moe and Lucky Joe are here, as well as Otter and a host of other hikers that we¢re just now getting familiar with. We set up our tent with Otter toward the back end of the church on a grassy patch. Tonight all of us went to a local pizzeria. Thru-hikers filled the place; there were probably 25-30 hikers inside. Luck Joe had his camera out filming the chaos. After pizza, Otter joined us on a hitch into town for a Wal-Mart re-supply. Fortunately getting a hitch didn¢t take too long and we were back at the hostel by dark. We¢ve had a full day and now we are visiting with Otter and about to call it a night. We are clean, fat and happy.
Date: 2009-07-17
From: Near Wind Gap, PA

To: Mohican Center Campsite, NJ
Miles today: 10.5

The morning started off by joining our fellow hikers at the local diner for breakfast. We were with Lucky Joe, Moe, Otter, Nature, Android, Coolio, Wind Breaker and Cas. It was a great meal with a lot of laughs, stories and good conversation. We were there for a long time. Lucky Joe always carries a video camera with him for documentary purposes, He was filming a good portion of the breakfast. As we were all hiking back to the hostel Berry and I stopped by the bakery and picked up our friends a pie- cherry crumb- just a way to show our love.We sat around and chatted with everyone at the hostel until people started moving out. Finally we joined those leaving and headed out around 12:30pm.NJ greeted us with some humid weather today but the beautiful hike made up for it. We walked passed Sunfish Pond which is, "one of the 7 wonders of New Jersey." We read a sign that said the pond (big enough to be a lake) had a particular acidity level in which only two types of fish can live. The lake was beautiful and we enjoyed a long break taking in the view and breeze. Bull frogs were everywhere too. Mostly bull frogs are real jumpy but the ones at Sunfish Pond would let you get pretty close. Otter met up with us at the break and walked the rest of the way with us. After the pond we climbed for another 2 miles to a fantastic overlook with nearly 360 degree views.All the hikers that headed out of town were hiking to the Mohican Outdoor Center. We did the same and made it there by 5pm. After sitting in the lobby talking with Lucky Joe, Moe and Otter we went to set up camp, later they joined us and we are all camped together in a nice area beside a lake. The mosquito's are crazy. Our bear count is now 10! Otter, Berry and I were cooking dinner and one came into our campsite. Otter and I watched him for a while as he ate berries from the trees. Later, a wild turkey wandered into our site. Looks like this is quite the place for wildlife.