morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

Today I had to hike the roller coaster, which everyone has been hyping up. The roller coaster is a series of tightly packed ascents and descents over 14 miles of the trail. I was a little worried about it at first, but it was fairly easy and was very similar to the trail in Georgia. The only difference between the roller coaster and Georgia is that I'm no longer sucking wind or feeling like my leg muscles are going to explode. Also, instead of struggling to hike 15 miles in a day, I now feel like I can goof off most of the day and still easily hike 20 miles in a day.About 10 miles into the roller coaster, I stopped at the Bears Den Hostel for a long lunch break. The hostel is an old stone private residence that the AT now owns. If I had it to do over, then I definitely would have planned my hike around staying there because it's really nice. I stayed there for almost 2 hours before finally forcing myself to leave.With 3 miles left to the shelter that I originally planned to stay the night, I took a side trail to the Blackburn AT Center, which offers a lot of free services to thru-hikers including a hostel and shower. I just wanted to see it and resupply my water bottles. However, as I was about to leave for the shelter the caretaker of the center stopped me and highly recommended I stay here tonight. After missing the trail magic last night, I took her advice and decided to set up my tent outside the center, and I'm glad I did. The trail maintenance crew for that section of the trail was staying there tonight and cooked a huge feast for the thru-hikers.Tonight I'm staying at the center with Heart Rock, Rabbit, Tall Boy, Jungle Juice, and Chickadee. We stayed up late talking about the great meal, our excitement for reaching Harpers Ferry tomorrow, and our plans for once we get there.
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

After 550 miles, I finally finished the state of Virginia this morning and arrived in Harpers Ferry, the psychological halfway point of the AT. I didn't plan it, but it was pretty cool to arrive in Harpers Ferry on Memorial Day.My parents met me at the AT Conservancy headquarters where they snapped my picture for the archive. I was the 221st thru-hiker to arrive so far this year. I also got to see the pictures of Oz, Silent J, my cousin who thru-hiked in 06, and some other hikers I know. A lot of things changed since my first day on the trail, including the drop off in the number of hikers and the weather. I also didn't sleep at all the first night as I doubted if I could actually do this. Now I just think about how awesome it is that I'm actually hiking the Appalachian Trail. However, I spend most of my time thinking about food.After browsing the picture archives, we ate lunch, took a trip to Walmart for a resupply, and stopped by the outfitter for some supplies. I would have liked to have toured Harpers Ferry more, but it was packed with tourists for the holiday and I was exhausted.I'm heading to DC tomorrow with Trucker, Two Speed, Shadow, and Blue Eyes. We plan to tour the city and go to a baseball game, so this will be my last entry for a few days.
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Harpers Ferry Hostel
Miles today: 1.4
Weather: broken clouds

We had a great time the last couple of days touring the Smithsonian Museums and seeing the different monuments. We even managed to get a tour of the Capitol building thanks to my cousin's fianc© Janelle. We also nabbed tickets to the Nats/Orioles game thanks to a section hiker we met a few days ago on the trail. I'm afraid we may have lost Trucker though. That guy was living it up being back in the city and decided to stay another night along with Pumpkinhead. We have been joking around that he may become a bartender. I hope he comes back to the trail.Two Speed, Shadow, and I rode the 4:00 pm Amtrack back to Harpers Ferry this afternoon. I must say the trains are a lot nicer here than in Birmingham. As soon as we sat down on the train, we all wished that the ride back to town was longer than 1 hour.When we arrived in Harpers Ferry, we hiked a short 1.4 miles to the Harpers Ferry Hostel. We are tenting outside the hostel tonight since the hostel has no AC and it's cheaper at only $6 per tent. The caretaker of the hostel was very nice and gave us leftovers from the kitchen. When she found out that Shadow and I are both Eagle Scouts and thru-hikers, she asked us to take the flag down for her, and Two Speed snapped a picture for their photo album.
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Harpers Ferry Hostel

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

After an all you can eat pancake breakfast at the hostel, Two Speed, Shadow, and I hit the trail. I hiked most of the day with Two Speed, and we took it really slow due to the 90 degree temperatures and so we could view several historical sites on the trail. We visited and toured the civil war museum and war memorial at the Gapland State Park, where we received trail magic including sandwiches, drinks, and ice cream. The trail also passed Washington Monument, where I took another long break. The highlight of the day though was running across some shower stalls at the Dahlgreen Campground around 3:00 pm when the temperature was above 90 degrees. I hopped right into the those cold showers with all of my clothes still on. Without that shower, I don't know if I would have made to the shelter in this heat.Tonight I'm tenting outside the shelter with Shadow and Two Speed. We also caught back up with Z Man today, who is staying in the shelter tonight.
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Falls Creek Campsite
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: few clouds

After 2 days, I finished the state of Maryland today and now have 8 eight states remaining. Crossing the Mason Dixon Line was extremely difficult though as we had another day of temps above 90. The trail was also extremely rocky for several miles, and my feet were killing me by the end of the day.Toward the end of the day, the trail travelled through Pen Mar Park, where a wedding was taking place. I totally photo bombed the wedding as the trail passed about 20 feet behind the wedding ceremony. If I didn't make one of the photos, then I'm sure I'm in the background of the movie.I originally planned to hike to the Deer Lick Shelter but stopped 4 miles short because I was exhausted. I setup my tent, took a dip in the creek, and ate two of my dinners from my bag. I was in bed by 7:00 pm and thought I may be tenting here by myself tonight, but Shadow arrived around 7:30 pm.
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Falls Creek Campsite

To: Quarry Gap Shelters
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Shadow and I left Falls Creek early this morning at 6:30 am and booked it up the trail as heavy thunderstorms were forecast for this afternoon. We hiked 18 miles to the Caledonia State Park by 2:00 pm where we ran into Two Speed, Medicine Man, and Kudos, who were all taking a long break. The park had a pool and grill, which we didn't think were open for the year yet according to our guidebook. After eating some real food and ice cream from the grill, we hiked another 2 miles to the shelter and beat the rain.Tonight we are staying at the Quarry Gap Shelters, which are really nice. The caretaker of the shelters must spend a lot of time up here, because the shelter is extremely clean and surrounded by mountain laurel, rhododendron, and pansies.
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Quarry Gap Shelters

To: Ironmasters Mansion Hostel
Miles today: 16.9

Everyone at the shelter woke up early this morning and hiked the quick 17 miles to Pine Grove Furnace State Park, the true half way point of the trail and home of the half gallon ice cream challenge. You have to eat a half gallon of ice cream in under an hour to receive a minimal award.By the time I arrived around 1:00 pm, several other hikers were just finishing up their half gallon and were struggling to hold it down. After watching several others try, I decided not to attempt the challenge so I could actually enjoy some ice cream. So, I ate a cheeseburger and fries, and then Two Speed and I split a half gallon.Tonight I'm staying at the Ironmasters Mansion Hostel with Z Man, Two Speed, and Shadow. The hostel is an old mansion built in 1829 and is purported to be a site of the Underground Railroad. The mansion is a really nice place, and the caretaker of the hostel let us explore tunnels underneath the house through the trap door. We had a good time down there, but it was definitely spooky.
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Ironmasters Mansion Hostel

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up to much cooler temperatures this morning which were welcomed after the extremely hot conditions the last few days. I left the hostel around 7:00 am and managed to keep a fast pace the entire day. Z Man, Two Speed, and I did take one long break at the Green Mountain Deli at one of the road crossings, but that was really the only break for the day. The last 3 miles of the trail being extremely easy as they passed through flat corn and wheat fields, so we all made it to Boiling Springs by 2:30 pm for the quickest 20 mile day to date.When we arrived into town, Shadow and I were extremely laid back as usual and took our time at the local AT center, outfitter, gas station, and nearby restaurant. On the other hand, Z Man and Two Speed were running around like crazy and never could relax. I think our behavior makes the situation worse for them, but I'm not changing it.Tonight we are staying in the Allenberry Hotel and Playhouse. The hotel is kind of interesting and has a working theatre, tennis courts, and pool. Walking through the complex and hallways to our rooms felt a little like scenes from The Shining.
Date: 2013-06-05
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 25.6
Weather: clear sky

After a huge breakfast in Boiling Springs, I hit the trail around 7:30 am. The first 13 miles of the trail were extremely flat, since the trail passed through nothing but corn and wheat fields. I had to turn on my iPod after about 3 miles as it was an extremely boring day. I only saw one person near the trail today and that was near one of the road crossings, where I ran upon an older man. He needed help starting his lawn mower, and we were able to get it running.Despite the lack of scenery, the miles went by fast today, and I had already hiked 20 miles by 2:00 pm. The last 6 miles of the day were the toughest though as the trail turned to nothing but rocks. The rocks weren't as bad as I was expecting, but they still weren't fun and definitely slowed my pace. I finally made it into town about 5:30 pm.Tonight Shadow, Z Man, Two Speed, and I are staying at the Doyle Hotel. The hotel was built in 1905 by Anheuser-Busch, and I don't think it's been renovated or touched up since then. It's an awesome place as you feel like you are walking back in time, but it's definitely not the Hilton. The hotel has lots of bugs, peeling paint, and no AC.
Date: 2013-06-06
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: moderate rain

The Doyle Hotel was a cool place place to stay, but I got no sleep last night due to the bugs, passing trains, and lack of AC. After sending my winter sleeping bag home and resupplying my food, I finally left the hotel around 11:00 am. It started raining this morning, and it is expected to continue for the next few days due to Tropical Storm Andrea. I hiked a quick 11 miles in the rain to the second shelter and called it a day since it was another 18 miles to the next shelter.I'm staying in the shelter tonight with Shadow, Z Man, Two Speed, Prometheus, Chaser, and Blue Eyes. The shelter is built to hold 16 people so we have a plenty of room to dry some of our gear.
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Lickdale, PA
Miles today: 24.1
Weather: moderate rain

Since we had a break in the rain from Tropical Storm Andrea, we started early this morning with a goal to make it to the next shelter 18 miles down the trail before the heavy rain picked up again. However, after about 10 miles the rain started again and never stopped. Z Man, Two Speed, and I made it the shelter by 1:30 pm soaking wet and miserable. We then realized there was a town with a hotel where we could get dry if we hiked another 6 miles and got a hitch into town. We quickly decided to hike the 6 miles to the road crossing. We made it to the road by 3:30 pm and managed to get a hitch in less than 5 minutes.Also, I woke up this morning to what sounded like millions of cicadas. We had heard several weeks ago that we may run into some 17 year cicadas on the trail this year. I'm not sure if these cicadas are the 17 year ones or not, but there were tons of them on the trail today. I could even hear them over my iPod most of the day.Tonight we are staying at the Days Inn in Lickdale, PA. Shadow also decided to hike into town and arrived a few hours after us.
Date: 2013-06-08
From: Lickdale, PA

To: Hertline Campsite
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Z Man and Shadow left the hotel early this morning, but Two Speed and I were slow getting ready. As we were trying hitch out of town this morning, we were both wondering if hitch hiking is illegal in PA. After a few minutes of hiking down the road to the trail with our thumbs out, a police car pulled over in front us. Fortunately, hitch hiking is not illegal and he was just offering us a ride, which we gladly accepted.We hiked a quick 11 miles to the 501 shelter where we met up with Z Man, Shadow, and several other hikers. We had been looking forward to this shelter since you can order pizza from the nearby road. We all ordered pizza and took about a 3 hour break before hitting the trail again since we only had 6 miles left to the next campsite. The last six miles were tough as the trail was nothing but rocks. However, we still finished fairly early around 5:30 pm.Tonight Z Man, Two Speed, and I are tenting at the Hertline Campsite. Shadow decided to hike another 9 miles to the next shelter, which none of us felt like doing.
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Hertline Campsite

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: broken clouds

My hike almost ended early today. I had my ear phones in this morning to drown out the sound of the cicadas and of other bugs flying around my ears. Unfortunately, my ear phones also drowned out the sound of the largest rattlesnake I have ever seen. I was walking fast this morning through a flat section of the trail and when I rounded a corner, I came to within a foot of the snake before I even noticed him. He was ready to strike and definitely could have if he had wanted to. Fortunately he didn't, and I was able to back away. I'm sure I screamed like a girl when it happened.I waited about 10 minutes to see if he would move, but he just kept slowly moving towards me. After taking a few pics, I finally gave up and cleared a path around him through some very thick undergrowth. I thought for sure I would be covered in ticks, but I didn't find any on me.I arrived into Port Clinton, PA around 2:30 pm and met up with Z Man and Two Speed. A trail angel named Fred gave us a ride to Hamberg where we met Shadow, who arrived into town early this morning. We hit up Taco Bell and Wendy's and then resupplied our food at Walmart.Tonight we are staying at the town pavilion next to the river in Port Clinton. After getting our gear set up, we walked down to the Port Clinton Hotel where we were able to get a shower and do laundry for $5. We also ate again and had a few drinks in the downstairs bar before heading back to the pavilion.
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

We woke this morning to heavy rain with 1 to 2 more inches expected today and overnight. WIth that in mind, we decided take a zero day at the Port Clinton town pavilion.Z Man, Shadow, and I decided to get haircuts at the local barber shop. It's an old school barber shop and is owned by a father and son (Rocco and Frank). We wanted to stop there yesterday, but it was closed. It wasn't the best haircut in the world, but it was very entertaining to here the locals tell stories and make fun of each other in the barber shop.After the haircuts, we managed to get another free ride back to Hamburg for a late lunch and another trip to Walmart. Two Speed, Baker, Barley, and Crash joined us as well. We met Barley and Crash, who are from East Tennessee, late last night. Two Speed, Shadow, and a lot of other hikers make fun of my accent all the time, so I enjoyed having Barley and Crash around since they have much deeper southern accents than I do. I expected a lot more hikers to be from the south but very few are. Most hikers tell me that I'm the first hiker they have met on the trail with a southern accent.We had a good time in town and back at the pavilion tonight. Hopefully the rain will stop overnight and we can hike in dry weather for a few days.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: light rain

Before leaving Port Clinton, Two Speed, Shadow, and I made a stop at the local cafe (3 C's) for breakfast and to charge our phones. We were all hoping the rain would hold off today, because we needed a big day to make it to the shelter.Fortunately, except for a few minutes of drizzle, we didn't get much rain. But today was still an extremely tough day with a lot of rock scrambles, including the last 4 miles to the shelter that were nothing but rocks. I was starting to wonder if the shelter existed, but I finally arrived around 6:30 pm.Tonight I'm tenting outside the shelter with Two Speed, Baylor, Crash, and Baker. Shadow and Z Man are in the shelter.
Date: 2013-06-12
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Palmerton Jailhouse Hostel
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I got off to an early start this morning as I wanted to get in town early to do laundry and other chores. However, the hiking was extremely slow due to the rocky trail and several large rock scrambles. I actually lost the trail for about 30 minutes on the second rock scramble and made many trips up and down the rocks. Fortunately, a southbound couple from Birmingham helped me find the trail again. As soon as they saw me, they knew my name and that I was from Alabama as the hikers in front of me told them about me.I finally made it to the road to town about 3:00 pm and thought about trying to hitch but chose to take the 1.5 mile side trail to town. The side trail was a bad choice into town as it was flooded and then traveled through a sketchy part of town. I finally made into town around 4:00 pm.Tonight Z Man, Two Speed, Shadow, Baker, Crash, Baylor, and I are staying at the Jailhouse Hostel. We were all thinking the hostel was an actual old jail but it was just the basement of the old police station. The weather is supposed to be terrible tomorrow with numerous weather watches so we plan to take to zero here tomorrow. As such, we are all headed to the Palmerton Hotel's restaurant for a late night.
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Palmerton Jailhouse Hostel

To: Smith Gap Rd.
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

We had a late night at the restaurant last night since we thought we would be taking a zero day today. However, the weather cleared up some and the hostel wouldn't let us stay another night. We spent a good bit of time looking for a cheap hotel and a taxi because heavy rain was forecasted for tonight, but we didn't have any luck. So Two Speed, Z Man, and I reluctantly decided to hit the trail around 11:00 am. Shadow left early this morning as he never planned to take a zero.The rock scramble coming out of Palmerton is extremely tough and consists of nothing but exposed boulders on a mountain ridge. We have been hearing about it for weeks, and I was actually looking forward to it. However, one of the caretakers at the hostel informed us that a bad weather trail bypasses that first mile of trail and he highly recommended we take it since the rocks will be wet and more rain was on the way. We didn't have think long about it and decided to take the bad weather trail.After about 1.5 miles, the trail merged back up with the actual AT at the top of the mountain ridge and was nothing but a flat grassy trail for a few miles. Those easy miles produced a lot ticks though. I pulled 10 ticks off my legs after only an hour of hiking. Before today I think I only had 3 ticks to date for the entire trip.With about 7 miles left to the shelter, the heavy rain started and didn't let up. Z Man, Two Speed, and I walked 3 miles in the rain to the next road crossing and decided to called a nearby hostel to pick us up at the road as none of us felt like hiking another 4 miles.Tonight we are staying at Mechanical Man's (John) house who lets hikers sleep in his garage and take shower for $10. John was very nice and even gave us a ride into town where we all ordered 18 inch hoagies and ice cream. We also enjoyed playing with his two Dobermans.
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Smith Gap Rd.

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: few clouds

John's wife Linda drove us back to the trail this morning at 6:30 am. I had a long, tough day of hiking today as my shoes were still soaked from yesterday's rain. I had to stop several times on the trail to let me feet dry out for a few minutes. The trail was also extremely rocky, and the bottom of my feet looked like hamburger meat by the end of the day. I'm going to have to plan a short day tomorrow to let my feet heal.Tonight I'm staying at the Church of the Mountain Hostel. The hostel is full, so Two Speed and I are tenting in the backyard of the church and Z Man is staying in the nearby shelter. Shadow managed to get a bunk in the hostel. While at the hostel, I ran into Java Man today, who I hadn't seen since Damascus and Hermes, who I hadn't seen since before the Smokies. We had a good time catching up and then several us walked down to the Water Gap Diner for dinner.
Date: 2013-06-15
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: few clouds

I had a very late start today since Zman, Two Speed, and I decided to either set up a slack pack or hike a really short day. All of us needed an easy day to heal our feet from hiking in wet shoes the last few days. I spent several hours trying to find an outfitter to slack pack us but had no luck. We finally gave up around 11:00 am and hiked out of town. Tonight we are tenting at the Mohican Outdoor Center. We were looking forward to staying here because our guidebook said the tenting fee of $9 also included a shower. However, we learned that was a misprint in our books.Also, I gladly finished Pennsylvania today, and I'm now in New Jersey. I never had the so-called "Virginia Blues" but I really struggled mentally with the PA rocks and the rain. Only 7 states left to go.
Date: 2013-06-16
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Greg Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Zman and Two Speed left the center early this morning, but I decided to sleep in for a while. I finally packed up and left around 8:30 am.I had a fairly easy day today and took my time. There are much fewer rocks in NJ than in PA, and the trail is fairly flat. However, the ticks are abundant, and I pulled at least 10 ticks off of my legs throughout the day.Later in the afternoon, I caught up with Two Speed at a shelter where we were both hoping to find a decent water source. All the water sources in NJ have been terrible and this one was especially bad, but we were both out of water. I actually filtered and chemically treated it. After getting some water, we hiked onto Culver's Gap Road where we stopped and had dinner at Stokes Restaurant. Then we hiked another 3 miles to the next shelter.Tonight I'm tenting outside the shelter with Zman, Two Speed, Java Man, Gonzo, Grandpa, and several others.