morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-05
From: Darlington Shelter 

To: ClarkÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Ferry Shelter 
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: scattered clouds

When we arrived in town, we were parched and ready for a short break, so we stopped at a quickie mart gas station for a drink and some A/C. When we came out to get our packs, Lisa asked us if we needed to do any shopping at the grocery store? She was willing to take us there and bring us back. Oh yes please, and thank you very much! We jumped into her vehicle and she ran us to the store where we got enough food to take us to our next stop, thank you so much Lisa!Afterwards we walked to the one and only Doyle Hotel. I was so excited, this is one place I really wanted to stop at and at least get some food. Sadly, no food was available but our shoes did arrive, yay!! So we ate at a pizza place that served gluten free crust and packed out half of it for dinner tonite. We went back to the Doyle and had a beer and cider then on our way out stopped at an ice cream joint just to top off our stomachs.Finally, after 3 plus hours of avoiding the trail and the heat, we strapped on our packs and slogged thru town headed for the hills. Our last 4.7 miles were absolutely brutal. The heat just saps you of your strength, and we got a taste of the rocks to come. I suspect that our mileage may go down just a tad over the next couple of weeks...at least thru Pennsylvania and the first part of New Jersey.We made it to the shelter just after 6pm and expecting rain, are in the shelter again this evening. Our teeth are brushed, food is put away, and we are hoping that tomorrow the heat relents just a bit.
Date: 2018-07-06
From: ClarkÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Ferry Shelter 

To: Tent site at mm 1169.3
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

We woke up to overcast skies and continued threat of rain for the morning. That was ok though because the trade off, at least in the morning was cooler temps. We were on the trail at 7am loving the weather! We knocked out the first 7.5 miles by 1030 and stopped at a shelter for a snack and break. The rain was off and on all throughout the morning, but it was more of a pleasant, cooling drip than an annoying and never ending type of rain. It actually felt quite nice, but by noon it was over and the heat returned, although not like it had been the past few days.Our pace slowed with the heat but fortunately, we had awesome terrain with very little elevation gain, and the horrible rocks we have heard so much about have not made their appearance yet. The result is that we decided that rather than doing 20 miles today, we would grind it out tomorrow, and enjoy a very special campsite that we are now pitched in.We had to camel in all of our water for tonite and tomorrow morning, about 4 liters, but it is more than worth it. We are on top of a mountain underneath a stand of pine trees. Our ten is pitched under the trees and we have pine needles for our bedding. The cool wind is blowing from the east and all bugs have been blown away with it. Somebody took the time to make chairs out of the large stones, and we ate our dinner sitting on them. As I type this out, we are in our tent and the flaps are open, which means that not only are we getting the awesome breeze but the sun is setting on Curly¢s side of the tent...she is out like a light!I think today was one of our best days on the trail, just because of the little gifts that the Lord blessed us with...cool breezes and pine needles! We are going to make up the miles from today by hiking longer tomorrow. We want to get to the ¢Rock and Sole Hostel¢ on Sunday, and get there early enough to get our chores done and have a little down time. It means hiking 20-22 miles tomorrow. If the terrain is as nice as today, it will be a long day but it is doable. We shall see!
Date: 2018-07-07
From: Tentsite mm 1169.3

To: William Penn Shelter 
Miles today: 21.3

Last night was one of the best sleeping nights on trail. Temps were down so far I had to get into my sleeping quilt rather than lay in top of it. Amazing breeze passing through the vestibules all night long. It was an amazing night...until around 3am when I was awakened by a noise unlike anything I¢ve ever heard before. It was a cross between a cry and a howl, and it was in a low pitch that was very eerie. It was right outside our tent and continued sporadically for about 30 minutes. I knew it was an animal of some type, and had read that there was a porcupine that frequented this camp. Later in this day I ¢googled¢ what a porcupine sounds like and sure enough, it matched what I heard with the exception of intensity. I just hope what I heard was pleasure and not pain because it sure sounded like pain!Speaking of pain, we needed to hike over 21 miles today in order to enjoy the pleasure of Sunday¢s Hostel visit. Curly isn¢t a fan of twenty plus mile days, but if we don¢t, then Sunday becomes a long day and keeps us from relaxing more. No pain, no gain. Fortunately, we only had a couple of big ascents the entire day, and the rocks are getting worse, but they are still tolerable, so getting big miles wasn¢t that difficult. And the weather was absolutely perfect, with the humidity finally backing down. Even the locals were talking about this weeks heat and how unbearable it has been.We came out of the woods at 130pm and much to our delight-trail magic! Two young married thru hikers from last year, ¢Checklist¢ and ¢Trail Name¢ had their parents out with them and they were feeding hikers awesome food. Burgers, dogs, fruit, cold soda and Gatorade...it was a great way to get up that mountain at the tail end of this day. We filled up, said thanks, and got on our way. The rest of the afternoon was spent hiking to our destination-William Penn Shelter, which sets us up for a short hike tomorrow to our pick up point. Tomorrow we will also cross the 1200 mile marker! Hard to believe we are under the 1000 miles to hike mark!
Date: 2018-07-08
From: William Penn Shelter 

To: Rock n Sole Hostel
Miles today: 13.4

We woke up to another gorgeous day and looking forward to two big events: the first was cracking the 1200 mile mark, which happened late in the morning. It¢s really hard to conceive that we have less than a thousand miles to hike before this adventure is over. That¢s not something I want to think about, but as the miles tick downward, it¢s hard not to. Up to this point in the hike, both Curly and I have spent much of our time just figuring this thing called thru hiking out. I won¢t say we have mastered it, but the conversations of returning home are beginning to take place. Crazy!The second event was that we hiked a short day in order to stay at the ¢Rock n Sole¢ hostel, and we are so glad that we did. We were due for showers and laundry, but more important, ready for some rest. We put in plenty of miles this week and our feet needed the break. The rocks of Pennsylvania are beginning to take their toll, and with 90 more miles before New Jersey, they will only get worse. For that reason alone this stop is worth it.But this hostel is the real deal. Craig and Jody, the proprietors of this hostel, are incredible people that run an awesome hiker home. It¢s probably the cleanest place we have been in, excepting Quarterway Inn, and the food is right up their at the top. Their price includes dinner and breakfast, and we ate like kings tonite! In addition, they have a retro camper named ¢Trashy¢ that Curly and I are sleeping in tonite. It¢s a 1958 tin can type camper as cute as bug. All this to say that we are having a great time and will be ready for the next leg of this journey, which will get us to the PA/NJ border by Saturday morning.Tomorrow morning we will enjoy a home cooked breakfast, then sling our heavy packs and back on the trail. Our next town stop will be Saturday in Delaware Water Gap. As much as I enjoy Pennsylvania, I¢m looking even more forward to putting these rocks behind me as we continue our trek north.
Date: 2018-07-09
From: PA State Route 183

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

I¢m glad we didn¢t stick around, even though it was tempting. Today¢s weather was absolutely glorious with sunshine and 80 degrees. Our terrain is getting progressively rockier, but the grade is pretty flat, with only one steep ascent today. Plus we only had 14.5 miles planned, so with breaks we still ended up arriving in Port Clinton right around 5pm. There is a church in town that has a large pavilion and green space and they allow hikers to tent there for free. It¢s on the river ( water can¢t be consumed), and a highway is on the other side, so earplugs will be mandatory but it¢s cozy and there are a half dozen other thru hikers here, so all is well.Tomorrow the plan is to hike 15 miles to a shelter. I would like to do bigger miles, but the rocks make it difficult to plan larger days. The other consideration is water, or lack thereof. There just aren¢t many water sources over the next 80 miles, leading right into New Jersey, and the rocks limit camping sites. We will need to focus on shelters through the rest of PA, which means our miles will be a little inconsistent. Tomorrow we climb out of Port Clinton first thing in the morning and then on to more rocks!!
Date: 2018-07-10
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter 
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

We started our day with a home cooked breakfast from the 3 C¢s Restaurant.  They are only open for breakfast and lunch, and don¢t like dirty, smelly hikers. Since we just had showers the day before, we took a chance and we passed the ¢sniff test¢ from their resident Flo. We poured on the southern charm and she told me to quit calling her ma¢am. The coffee was hot, the eggs and pancakes delicious, and Curly got to eat out for her favorite meal.Afterwards, she then did something she has never done before...she ¢slackpacked¢ today for the first time. Slackpacking is when you hike all day without your backpack; you just take water and snacks. Someone delivers your pack to the location you will be stopping at for the night. We met Tom Kennedy last nite, he is co-founder of ¢Hike for Mental Health¢, a non profit dedicated to helping people recover from mental health issues thru hiking. It¢s a great organization and one worth getting to know better. Anyways, he was in Port Clinton and offered to slackpack thru hikers to Eckville Shelter for one dollar...just to cover his gas! Curly took him up on it and she had an amazing day. She said she felt light and fluffy without that 20 plus pound pack. The net result for us is that we made great time to the shelter, leading to the third reason this was Curly¢s day.We got to camp early! By 415pm we were in camp at the shelter. This is always a desire for Curly just because it is down time. This shelter had a shower (cold) which Curly took. She got in a cat nap. And she got some great conversation time with other hikers. All very good things for Curly!In the end, we hiked 15.4 miles and enjoyed a beautiful day, taking in amazing views of the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside. Tomorrow the fun will be severely dialed back as we finally face down the rocks everyone talks about. The mileage goes up to over 17 as well, so we need to get an early start on the day. Weather is supposed to be cooler and clear which is a good thing. And if you were wondering...no, I did not slackpack, I¢m not ready to do it quite yet!
Date: 2018-07-11
From: Eckville Shelter 

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 17.5

Well, the day we have all waited for with fear and intrepidation finally arrived. We knew it would be soon, and when it arrived, there was nothing we could do about it except push through. That moment? Our official introduction to the Rocks of Pennsylvania. Now mind you, it¢s not like we haven¢t experienced hiking over rocks during this trip. It¢s just the fact that Pennsylvania is known for their rocks. And the rocks we hiked over and around today were no joke.With 17.5 miles to hike today, we got an early start and were on trail by 645am. The first 7 miles were fairly tame, although there were indications that we may be coming into some new terrain soon. After a short lunch, we got back on trail after crossing PA Route 309, it all changed. The rocks got big...way bigger than anything we had seen up to know. Big boulders stacked on top of each other. The white blazes led us over, around and under rocks of all shapes and sizes, most of which were way bigger than us.It requires great focus to navigate these boulder fields. So much focus that you are drained mentally once you get out. And the blazes require you to do a fair amount of scrambling. Both Curly and I found ourselves ditching our sticks at times so we could use our hands to grab hold of crevices. Or we ended up sliding down huge stone slabs on our rears to get down to a new level. What topped everything however was our next to last mile of the day. We had climbed up and over these boulders only to find ourselves on a knife edge. I¢ve talked about this before, and it is essentially a razor edge walking area where falling to your left or your right leaves you tumbling over a mountain ridge. The knife edge we had to traverse was not only crazy dangerous like just described, but it was all rocks...rocks that required getting down from. Curly hates dangerous settings, and she hates heights. This was both in spades and there was no backing down. So we took it one step at a time. A slooooow step at a time. It was a long journey off that edge, and it shook her up pretty good. But Curly is a trooper and she got through that challenge with flying colors. What was really cool was that when we got to the next road crossing, all of our thru hiker buddies were sitting around drinking ice cold Cokes, compliments of Sparky! We haven¢t seen him since before Fathers Day a month ago. Running into him was sweet, and being that he is from this parts, he got a friend to bring up some cold drinks for all his buds! Thanks Sparky, you¢re the best.We finished our drinks and with a burst of caffeine energy, wrapped up our day by hiking the last mile to Bake Oven Knob Shelter, where we actually are just a tad past on the trail. Bumblebee found a great tent spot, and temps tonite are for a high of 60 degrees. Gonna be a great sleeping night, which we need cause tomorrow is another big day for us.
Date: 2018-07-12
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Delpa Spring Tent Site 
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

We got a super early start because we wanted to beat the heat and sun since that part of the trail is exposed. Also, as I mentioned previously, Curly is not a fan of heights and she had been spending way too much time dreading this day...the sooner we got it over, the better. Plus, there was motivation for Curly to conquer this mountain. We discovered the previous night that there was a ski resort just off trail about 13 miles into our hike, just past Lehigh Gap. They served hot food and ice cold drinks and that always appeals to Curly! That would be our reward after!So we got an early start and hit the Gap right at 11am. From the start we knew it would be difficult. Straight up the mountain without switch backs and lots of large rocks, but not too treacherous the first half hour. Then it got ugly. The trail led out into exposed areas with only rocks to grab on to. Hiking Sticks were not much help at this point. You had to hug the rocks and lean in towards the mountain because our back packs wanted to pull us backwards. The higher we went, the scarier it got, and the more it affected Curly. We came to a place where we had to grab a rock with one hand and lean forward with one leg pushing up. It felt like if you didn¢t actually get up to the next level, you would fall backwards down the mountain. I don¢t think anyone has ever died up there, but it was a meltdown moment for Curly, and I hated to see her go through it. She struggled with her breathing for a moment then gained her composure and proceeded to kick that mountain¢s butt! I was super proud of her and we were able to get over the mountain in short order. We hiked another mile or so through boulders and then the trail, I¢m sure as if to apologize for putting us through such torture, attempted to make up by giving us a couple miles of soft, green grass to hike through.Once we hiked through the next several miles, we got off trail and took a dirt road to the local ski resort, which is open year round and loves hikers. I told Curly she could have anything on the menu as a reward and she (we) had a delicious steak with plantains and asparagus! Sure beats dehydrated potatoes with crushed Doritos! We ate with several hiker buds that had likewise been traumatized by the mountain and ended up spending 3 hours at the restaurant!  It was hard to break away but we still had miles to do, so off we went back on trail for a couple more hours and 4 more miles. We ended up stopping at a tent site that sets us up for another 17-18 miles tomorrow and a short day Saturday into Delaware Water Gap. Only a couple more days and we will be in New Jersey!!
Date: 2018-07-13
From: Delps Spring

To: Tent site mm 1288.5
Miles today: 19.9

We had planned on passing by town today, but when we saw the mileage put us at the halfway mark for the day, and we could get our water topped off, we found ourselves in the middle of a Diversionary Tactic! The down side was that it was a mile off trail into Wind Gap, and nobody would pick us up. The up side was that a great diner was waiting for us when we arrived! We ended up spending a couple hours in town and lucked out hitching a ride back to the trail. We ate well again, and heading into town tomorrow, that will make 3 days in a row for town food.We spent the rest of our day hiking 9.5 miles with the intention of staying at the shelter. With a half mile left for the day, we came to a road crossing and Mrs. Santiago, the wife of Santiago was there with trail magic! We have been hiking with Santiago off and on for the past two weeks and it turns out that she drove out to spend the weekend with him and they planned on cold drinks, chairs and chips for his hiking buddies. Once again we experienced the generosity and power of relationships on this trail. It was really kind of them to treat us all so well and it was a blast hanging out with other hikers and enjoying cold drinks after a long day of hiking. Puff Puff, a British hiker, told me about a grassy area just past the shelter with amazing views and the perfect place for a sunrise. We hiked there and sure enough, it really is amazing! I placed the tent so that the sun will rise directly in front of Curlys vestibule, and there must be a dozen hikers pitched here. There¢s a camp fire going on and though it¢s late, folks are having a great time. Tomorrow we have less than seven miles to town. We will be meeting Chris and Liz DiVietro and their kids for a day of reunion and reconnecting. I can¢t wait to see them and catch up on their lives!!
Date: 2018-07-14
From: Tent Site mm 1288.5

To: Delaware Water Gap 
Miles today: 6.2

At 11am, the absolute best part of our day happened...Chris and Liz DiVietro and the kids arrived to whisk us off for the day. I was so excited to see them and they were indeed a sight for sore eyes! They carried us around to do town chores like resupply and laundry, then we went out for a massive Chinese Buffet! Best of all was the time spent with them. Honestly, visits from folks you love and miss make a huge difference on the trail. You don¢t think about that stuff while hiking, but when it happens, it makes everything right. Thanks Chris and Liz for a wonderful time.So now we are rested, resupplied and ready for our next leg of this adventure. We are hoping to hike all the way through New Jersey over the next 4 days or so, but rain is in the forecast and slim water sources may impact our plans as well. Either way, we head out tomorrow with great memories of what took place today!
Date: 2018-07-15
From: Delaware Water Gap 

To: Tentsite mm 1309.6
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

Our first 9 miles in New Jersey have been a wonderful surprise. If your only experience with this state is the N.J. Turnpike or Joe Pesci movies, you don¢t think immediately of beautiful sprawling forests and lavish ponds. But this part of the AT is remote and beautiful. Sadly the rocks have not gone away, but they can be overlooked when your eyes enjoy the beauty of distant views.We stopped at 1230pm for lunch at the Mohican Outdoor Center and had a cold soda and sandwich.  Bumblebee and Tree Hugger were taking a zero there, and with 10 miles hiked already, I was sorely tempted to do the same. Fortunately we fought off that Diversionary Tactic and hiked on. Besides, we are taking a nearo on Tuesday and staying at Mosley¢s Place, a hostel everyone raves about. It¢s supposed to be really bad day so if it turns out that way, we will dodge a wet bullet! If not, then a true rest day will be in order. After lunch we wrapped up the day by hiking 4 plus more miles to a quiet little camp site where we are ensconced in our tent, very little clothing on because of the heat. Oh yeah, the rain never came!Tomorrow we hike 16.5 to Gren Anderson Shelter then on to the Hostel Tuesday. We are both looking forward to seeing more of the N.J. countryside in the coming days!
Date: 2018-07-16
From: Tentsite mm 1309.6

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Prior to going to eat, just before coming off trail, I didn¢t realize it, but I had hiked down a wrong trail. As I was hiking along in grassy area, I almost stepped right on a Timber Rattler! I wouldn¢t have noticed him except that just before I stepped on him, he ¢breathed¢, meaning I saw his body rise and fall. What he was doing was ingesting something. He was eating! Good for me because I might have have been struck had he not had a mouthful already. I leaned in to see what he had eaten since a portion was outside his mouth. They were the rattles of another Rattle Snake! One Rattler chowing down on another! Needless to say, I gave him wide berth then discovered we were off trail. Backtracked around him one more time then left him to his food coma. But I digress...After our meal we hiked out the last three miles and set up camp at Gren Anderson Shelter. Rain is due back in tomorrow morning and we have 11.5 to our pick up, so an early day is in store. Hoping to make some miles before it gets sloppy!
Date: 2018-07-17
From: Gren Anderson Shelter 

To: High Point State Park
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We were on trail by 615am and off to the races with Bumblebee and Tree Hugger, hoping to get in 11 Miles by 11am...not the easiest feat for the two of us. Fortunately, the weather held out for us and the terrain was mild, and by golly we made our best time ever in terms of pace! We arrived at the headquarters of High Point State Park just a few minutes after 11am, and when we checked in, they gave all thru hikers an ice cold can of Pepsi. So yummy on such a muggy day.We hung out there waiting for our ride to the hostel, and when Mosey arrived, she dropped us off at Dairy Queen for lunch first. Burgers, fries and a Blizzard later, we were headed to her house. Showers, laundry, and yes a NAP later and we were all feeling pretty good. To top it off, she has a baby rabbit that lives in her garage that will come to you if you offer it clover. This rabbit is the offspring of a wild mama and a domesticated daddy. Neighbors let a pet rabbit go last year and now the neighborhood is full of half wild/half tame rabbits. Mosey has at least one she is looking after.Tonite there are 8 hikers in the hostel. We all are having a good time together and enjoying Mosey¢s hospitality. She runs an excellent hostel and is a sweet lady. She thru hiked in 2015 and has a great read on what hikers need/desire. In the morning she will make us breakfast then shuttle us back to the trailhead. Today has been a great day, we got out of the rain, sleeping in a comfortable bed, and our bellies are full!!