morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-05
From: Bavarian Inn in Shepardstown

To: Comfort Inn in Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Esra and I got breakfast and packed up. After checkout I still had to pick up my package from the Harpers Ferry outfitter (they didn't have it when my Dad and Ben first met me) and I needed to resupply and by the time we checked out it was lunchtime so I figured I would catch lunch with Esra before I left. We headed to Harpers Ferry to take care of all these errands and I stopped by the ATC office to show Esra and see who had come in since me. Trill and Roundhouse were inside looking around and were staying the night in Harpers Ferry. We all got lunch at a cafe up the street and they tagged along while I went to the outfitter, post office, and grocery store in Charles Town. It was after buying my food that I realized if I hiked today I wasn't going very far. Esra and I talked and it wasn't long before I decided to stay one more night. We stayed at the Comfort Inn which is right off the trail and is where Trill and Roundhouse were staying. The room was nice and we ordered pizza for dinner. I got to just relax with Esra, watch TV, eat pizza, and sleep eventually. What a perfect zero day.
Date: 2008-05-09
From: James Frye (Tagg Run) Shelter (800')

To: Darlington Shelter (1770')
Miles today: 26.5
Weather: light rain

Today was a wet day. It was raining a little when i got out this morning and then poured hard. The trail was flooded and my boots and clothes were soaked in no time. I don't bother with rain gear anymore because it's warm enough to hike without it and I like to keep it dry for when I stop for the night. The rain let up right before Boiling Springs and I ran into the only other hiker I saw all day. His name was Bamboo Bob and had done a northbound hike in 2002 and has since section hiked south from Katahdin to where I saw him. I stopped at the ATC office to get dry a bit and warm up (temps were in the upper 40's). I ate lunch and relaxed for about an hour. There was an outfitter next door I checked out that just had fishing stuff. It was a nice fishing outfitter though. I got the weather report from the ATC office which just called for rain for the rest of the day, night, and tomorrow. It felt cold outside once I started again and the rain had picked back up again. The trail was completely flat except for the last mile before the shelter which had a little uphill. By the time I reached the uphill I was feeling really tired but once I started going up I woke up again. I'm sure there is an explanation for that involving blood flow etc. but I felt really energized for the last mile. It had stopped raining mostly for the last hour or so of the hike and birds were out chirping in the fields. I saw a goldfinch for the first time on the trail. They are one of my favorite birds. I also witnessed a woodchuck fall off a tree that was lying about 6 ft above the trail (the tree had half-way fallen down and got caught in some other trees). I had seen a squirrel fall out of a tree a couple of days earlier, both incidences I felt bad for the animals but also laughed as they tried to run away while they were stunned from the fall. When I got to the shelter I collected water and aired out my feet. After dinner a bird flew into the shelter and settled into a nest. It's been sitting there quietly for a while now. No sign yet of this huge storm thats supposed to come in. The wind was blowing like it was about to storm but the sky held out. I've recently been trying to get a grasp on this trip. Now that I'm closer to Katahdin than Springer I realize I've got limited time left. I'm trying to figure out what kind of hike I want to have and what it is I want to have gained when I walk away from this. I have some time to think about it I suppose.
Date: 2008-05-10
From: Darlington Shelter (1770')

To: Doyle Hotel
Miles today: 11.3

It was supposed to rain last night but never did and it didn't rain this morning. I ran into a guy running on the trail and we both commented on the change in seasons and how its been fun to watch. Running up and down the hills must be a real workout. There was a good lookout right before Duncannon that had a view of the Susquehanna, Duncannon, and river. I got into town at 11 and the hotel hadn't really opened yet. Esra had been in town for about a half hour and was eating across the street when she saw me and ran over. We checked in and our room was on the corner of the hotel and had a curved window in it. The room reminded me of 3:10 to Yuma where Christian Bale is held up in a room with Russel Crowe at the end. The room was like the one they were in in that scene. I dried out my boots and got cleaned up. The water was scolding hot in the shower so I was pinched between burning water and the dirty shower curtain for a little while. We got settled and I went through some of the stuff Esra had brought and the really nice hiker box at the Doyle. I also glued some of the leather back on to my boots as the old glue came off in one place and a few other areas needed repair. And to think I've gotten about 1,100 miles out of these boots after someone at Neel's Gap told me I needed new ones. We went for a drive to get gas and resupply a bit as I need to add some stuff to my medkit. Esra had called Katie earlier to see if she wanted to visit and by the time we were done with our drive Katie had arrived. She just finished finals and was about to go home from WV went Esra convinced her to come to Duncannon instead. We got dinner at the Doyle and basically just stayed at the bar from dinner until closing time that night. There was a couple of other thru-hikers who I chatted with and they sat with us for a bit. They had previously done the PTC and had started on Mar. 10th on the AT. They're the only hikers besides Strides (who started on the 8th) that I've met that started after me. There was live music all night and I was able to just relax and drink for the first time since being on the trail. Once the music was over and the bar closed we got a six pack for the room and Katie had her guitar with her and her and Esra played and sang for a while. I had no idea that Katie played the guitar and was pleasantly surprised by her and Esra's little jam session in the room. I wasn't concerned at all about getting to bed like I normally would because I got to Duncannon a day earlier that I thought I would and I figured that the reputation of the Doyle being a good bar for hikers would hold true (which it did) and I would want to take some time to enjoy myself.
Date: 2008-05-11
From: Doyle Hotel

To: tenting near spring past PA325 (650')
Miles today: 17.4

After the late night last night, I still got up before 7 and packed up a little while Esra and Katie slept in. We got breakfast across the street and I got tricked into trying scrapple which is all the leftovers from a pig. It wasn't bad but also anything taste's good to me on my thru-hiker's pallete. After breakfast we went to a grocery store to get my food for the next couple of days and then I finished getting all my things together and organizing my bounce box. As I was finishing getting ready Katie and Esra were taking pictures with my pack and hiking poles pretending to be hikers. Katie then locked her keys in her car just as I was about to leave. Her and Esra insisted I leave and that they could handle it (they had Esra's car) so I just left. I felt bad but locking keys in a car isn't a huge deal. My walk was a little rocky but not as bad as people make it out to be. I'm sure it gets worse though. I met the couple from the Doyle at the second shelter and took my lunch. Next to the huge 20 person shelter we were at was a very small and humble shelter that Earl Shaffer (the first thru-hiker) had built. It was really cool to see and I didn't even know it was there or what it was because my book didn't say. I hiked with those two the rest of the day and they have incredibly light gear. They make my pack feel really heavy but it is my personal choice because I'm too stubborn to give up stuff. We camped at the last water source after a road and I got my tent set up and my stuff inside just before it started to rain. It has been raining for a couple hours now and isn't slowing down. The only thing that it wet though is my tent which is nice. I cooked under my vestibule for the first time and felt quite cozy hanging out in my tent. I had thought about using it if Esra and I ever went backpacking but if a situation like this arose where you and all your gear needs to be in the tent then I don't think it would work. I was really glad Katie came up yesterday and it was great to see Esra again. It was hard to leave because imagining myself relaxing at home for a couple of days is a warm thought, but I know it wouldn't be long before I was itching to get back out again.
Date: 2008-05-12
From: tenting near spring past PA325 (650')

To: 501 Shelter (1460')
Miles today: 28.9
Weather: light rain

Everything was still dry in my tent this morning even though it had rained all night and still was this morning. I was able to pack everything up without leaving the tent and then of course I had to get out and pack up the tent. I left around 8 and there was no signs of movement from the other tent. It was cold and rainy so I actually hiked in my rain gear because I didn't feel like trying to tough out the cold. There wasn't much uphill so I didn't sweat in my gear too bad, also the cold prevented me from sweating as it was 42o most of the morning and got down to 40o. The AT was restored in recent years after Rausch Gap Shelter and went along a big stream for a while and eventually crossed the stream. All of the rain made the crossing tough. There were remains of a huge stone bridge at the crossing which was pretty cool. There was another stream next to a road that had really high water as well. I would have either soaked my boots or gone barefoot through it, neither of which I was going to do so I used the nearby road to get over it and then I rejoined the trail by the road. I really wanted to get to the 501 Shelter because you can get pizza delivered but when I got in I found out there is no delivery on Mondays. Very disappointing considering that's what I was thinking about half the day. Also now I have to resupply in Port Clinton tomorrow to make it to Wind Gap hopefully to meet my mom. There is one other hiker in the shelter (although its not a typical shelter because of the doors and support it has) who hiked the trail in '06 and was out doing a section while he has the time. I called home to get the weather and organize on a day for my mom and I to meet. I'm going to try and make it to Wind Gap in 3 days to meet my mom. I am now less than 1000 miles from Katahdin.
Date: 2008-05-13
From: 501 Shelter (1460')

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter (840')
Miles today: 29.8
Weather: clear sky

Finally there was sun today. It felt great to not have to worry about rain and I enjoyed the hike much more. After all the went and cloudy weather I had gotten into a little bit of a funk but today was beautiful. Not too hot either. I lost the trail a couple times but nothing too bad. I saw some birch trees for the first time in recent memory and there is a lot more pine out even at such low elevation. I got to Port Clinton to resupply and luckily the outfitter has relocated to right next to the trail. I got some mountain house and some good granola (all at a steep price but I didn't have much choice), Body Glide, batteries for my headlamp, and a pint of Ben&Jerry's ice cream. It was an easy 6 miles to the shelter from there and I really enjoyed the walk. There is another hiker named Andrew in the shelter tonight who started from Harper's Ferry and will return to Harper's Ferry to head south after reaching Katahdin. The tops of my toes really hurt today and I realized that the fabric on my socks has worn down above my toes to almoust nothing. So basically my toes are rubbing against the inside of my boots which hurts after a while. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice again which is good because I've planned on an even bigger day than today.
Date: 2008-05-14
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter (840')

To: George W. Outerbridge Shelter (1000')
Miles today: 33.3
Weather: overcast clouds

There was a great view this morning at the Pinnache which reminded me of McAfee's Knob. The rest of my walk was alright. Pretty monotonous with a lot of rocks. I see what people complain about with the PA rocks. I saw two snakes today that were pretty big, but got off the trail as I went past. One hid in some rocks and shook its tail like a rattler but there was no rattle at the end of it. I met a bunch of other hikers today. Allgood and Master Alex were two thru-hikers I've been seeing for a while in the registers, but never met. They were leaving for trail days today. I also met several hikers that started from Harper's Ferry and are headed north. It seems like a popular thing to do as I've met more people doing that it seems than are thru-hiking. The last couple miles were cool and had some different trees and views to look at. When I got to the shelter I made a fire for the first time in a while. It had been so long that today while I was walking I just knew I had to get a fire going. I felt lightheaded a little before dinner and I'm not sure what it was from because I wasn't dehydrated. I felt fine after a bunch of food. I talked with Dad and Esra to finalize plans for tomorrow. PA has looked very similar the entire way. There are little towns you can see from the ridges above and looking down on these towns is very neat. It reminds me of Turkey when I was in Amasya and eating at this restaurant on a cliff above town. You could see the houses and buildings tucked into the valley and only seemed to go where the terrain would let them. These little towns along the trail are no different. They're dependent on the topography the same way and are trapped in time. The only difference between Amasya and these towns is that there is American styled homes and buildings.
Date: 2008-05-15
From: George W. Outerbridge Shelter (1000')

To: Maura's Place (ended at Fox Gap)
Miles today: 29.9

I woke up early to no rain despite the forecast. It looked like it rained overnight though. The hike out of Lehigh Gap this morning was fun with a lot of exposed rock and a good view the whole time. The next couple of miles was also exposed which made for more good views and easy hiking. I turned one corner and came across a hunter in full camo and a gun on his shoulder. I've been hiking through PA game lands but I didn't think that it was hunting season. Apparently it is turkey hunting season this month and it was a little frightening to stumble across someone with a gun on the trail. The guy was real friendly though and shortly afterwards I ran into Captain Bly at Smith Gap and I hiked with him to the next shelter. He is a section hiker who has hiked as far north as where I saw him. He just retired from being captain of a container ship and from what it sounded like he has been all over the world. I took a late lunch at Wind Gap and got water at the motel there as it is really scarce in this section. I called my mom and found out I had enough time to hike the next road crossing before she got here to meet me so I started moving towards Fox Gap. It had rained a little just as I got to Wind Gap but in the time I took for lunch it had cleared and appeared to have cleared above where I was headed. The trail is real rocky and I'm seeing why people complain about PA. There are just little rocks all over the trail you can't help but walk over and they're pretty relentless. Occasionally there is a larger rock field and those are more fun because they usually come with a view. You move slower across them because you have to carefully hop from rock to rock but I don't mind it at all especially when compared to the little rocks. Right before Fox Gap there was a nice big rock field called Wolf rocks and there were some Rhodededrons around it. I got to Fox Gap at 5:40 and called my mom who was still on her way to meet Maura and then they were both going to come pick me up. They both arrived shortly afterwards and I got a warm hug despite my odor. There was chipotle in the car and other stuff that I ate. I showered and did laundry at Maura's and then we just hung around and relaxed until dinner. Dinner was actual steak and potatoes (as opposed to beef jerky and instant potatoes), salad, hamburgers, and sweet lima beans, brownies for dessert and I felt great and ready for bed. I used the internet for a little and got to watch some TV.
Date: 2008-05-16
From: Maura's Place (ended at Fox Gap)

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA (390')
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

I actually woke up early despite staying up late last night (late being almoust midnight) and had a good breakfast and coffee. It always takes me a while to gather my things in town for some reason so we didn't leave until later than I would have liked. It was raining all morning and showed no signs of letting up. It was very kind of Maura to have me stay at her place and for her to take time to hang out and make sure I got everything I needed in my night off the trail. My mom and I drove around Easton and she showed me where she used to live as well as where the rest of my family from Easton used to live. We also went to the cemetery and visited the Coddington site where my great grandparents and grandparents are buried. Ga-Ga died on my birthday and it is strange to see my birthday on a tombstone. I remember when it happened someone (Emiko I think) told me that when someone close dies on your birthday it means that all of their good days in life are passed to you. It was a long time ago and I was really young so I could be remembering that wrong. I got my groceries, a sub for lunch, and some cell phone minutes while delaying the inevitable hike in the rain. It was only 7 mi to Delaware Water Gap which had an outfitter I called that carries Granite Gear packs. I also called Golite and there was nothing they could do for my waist strap situation except exchange my pack for a women's pack (but that might not fit me correctly) or give me online store credit. My mom encouraged me to stay at DWG and try to get a new pack and as much as it kills me to only hike 7 mi she is right plus I would avoid the rain tonight. I said goodbye and I probably won't see my mom again for a while. I ran into Captain Bly and Gia on my way to DWG in the rain. I went to the outfitters and after lots of contemplation (and patience by the outfitter) I decided to get a new pack. It is 2 lbs heavier and has less volume but it actually has an internal frame and back support system and a waist strap that fits. All my stuff still fits in it and it is 10 times more comfortable than the Golite. The outfitter there, Edge of the Woods, was real helpful and I was glad to give them my business. I went up to the church hostel and met a hiker named Boots there. I got a huge Stromboli for dinner and saved some for breakfast and then went to an amazing bakery for dessert. They had all sorts of pies, pastries, and cookies. It was hard to contain myself but I was able to get out of there without spending too much money. I went back up to the hostel and ate some dessert and packed up my things a bit to get ready for tomorrow.
Date: 2008-05-17
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA (390')

To: Gren Anderson Shelter (1320')
Miles today: 31.4
Weather: clear sky

I got out early this morning after the remainder of my stromboli and the rain had cleared. It was a really nice walk and I came across sunfish pond which is a glacial pond along the trail and is the first of its kind the trail has crossed. I am now in New Jersey and there were a lot of beautiful views and open areas along the hike. There was also a lot more up and down and less rocks. I don't know if the New Jersey section is as nice as today was for the rest of the state, but after the northern Penn. section of the trail it seems like the nicest trail ever. I saw a lot more people today than I have in a while and I also saw a huge black snake. It was slithering across the trail when I saw it. There are 2 different Boy Scout groups camping next to the shelter and they all seem to be having fun. The group seems really organized and it appears that when scouting is done the way it is supposed to that it would be a great experience. I got lost a couple of times today when I followed paths that continue straight while the AT takes sudden turns. I also whacked my head pretty good on a blow-down. I was looking down to watch the rocks on the trail and then stepped on a rock step and when I stepped up I slammed right into the blow-down and then fell backwards down the hill. I hit it so hard I thought my head was bleeding but thank goodness that didn't happen.
Date: 2008-05-19
From: Just past NJ94

To: Fingerboard Shelter (1300')
Miles today: 31.4
Weather: light rain

It was a beautiful sunny morning and I was able to get water very shortly into the walk thanks to all the rain. I saw a deer leaping down the trail which was funny. They remind me a lot of rabbits. Their tails stick up and show white when they run (or hop) away, they both have beady black eyes that stare at you, and they're normally skiddish. Their fur is the same color and their mannerisms seem similar. I decided not to resupply at the Warwick turnpike because I really didn't feel like hitching. I walked to the NY17A crossing where there was an ice cream place off trail and I basically had lunch there and it was delicious. My boots/socks and feet were still wet and were getting uncomfortable so I changed into some dry socks and bandaged my feet a bit. I did cross into NY before the ice cream place and I caught some good views on some open rocks. The terrain today was very different and I would say more difficult. It took me a lot longer to do the miles today than it has the past couple of days. I passed into Harriman State Park before the shelter, which was beautiful. There are huge trees all around with little to no small trees and the big ones are all spaced out. I really enjoyed the 4 miles in the park before the shelter because it was so different from everything else I have been seeing. I might not be doing big miles anymore if this terrain keeps up and also I need to resupply tomorrow. The weather was wacky today with rain then sun then rain then hail. Yes hail. It was the biggest hail I've had yet on the trail and after the hail I didn't know what to think nor did I care what came next. I got in late, which I don't like doing so I'll have to take the miles down a bit.
Date: 2008-05-21
From: Graymour Friary/Biscuit's house

To: RPH Shelter (360')
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up and cooked eggs and sausage with english muffins for breakfast and Biscuit and her parents offered to have us for a zero day if we wanted. I declined because I knew I was zeroing in a couple of days but Indian Summer accepted the offer and was excited about exploring some of the historical sites in the area that day. Biscuit and Indian Summer saw me off and it was a beautiful day although rain was in the forecast. There wasn't much to see and the only people I ran into were right before the shelter and after I passed them I saw they had written their names on the rocks along the trail. Probably the first time I've actually been at the site of grafitti that has two names, a heart, and the date on the date it was written. It still hadn't rained when I got to the shelter so I set up my tent to dry in case I wanted to keep going. I got dinner ready and called Pop-Pop to arrange a meeting point. I'm going to meet him tomorrow just inside the CT border so we can go get boots in Kent. It started raining so I took my tent in and decided to stay for the night. I called Esra as well and found out how her finals went and whats been going on at home. I'm really ready for this zero day. Doing big miles wore me out quick.