morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-18
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I didn't really want to get up! Ate at the microtel continental breakfast. The TV said "Old people should stay indoors!" It was going to be very hot and very humid! Can Do Will Do showed up right on time. (He really made this town visit possible and must have spent many tanks of fuel running us all around)! We stopped at Cabella's again and I bought Bisbee some pawtectors (They only lasted a couple hours. He plopped down for the first time ever and wouldn't go any farther till I took them off.) Our trail angel took Hopeful's and my packs to the Eckville Shelter. Hopeful got his backup pack from his wife and I started up the trail. I kept catching up to Santa and Big Foot. Each time they were taking a nap! There were some awesome views today and I was very glad to be slacking. A big rat snake was hanging out up in a tree over the trail. The shelter small, but I got in in time to get a bunk. Barely. It got crowded fast. Probably 20 or more. The shower was wonderful as was the ice cream sandwiches and soda in the fridge out front of the caretakers house. Then it got interesting. The caretaker was quite a character, if anyone asked him a question, he told them to read the signs. Pretty soon, we all started warning the newcomers to read the signs, but it was so funny, it was hard to keep from laughing. anyways, he took the donation can in the house and came back and wanted to know why there was only 5 dollars in the can. Well, Godspeed spoke up and said he knew there was at least 20 dollars. Hopefull jumped in and confirmed it saying he had just put in a five and took four ones and he said there were at least 3 other fives. Well, that set the caretaker off big time. He got a chain out of the shed and a padlock and started chaining off the refridgerator. Failing to find a suitable anchor, he took all the ice cream in the house. It got real ugly, but Hopeful saved the day, He actually calmed the guy down, either that or scared him with talk of writing to the Blue Mountain Eagles. I guess this guy has been here a long time, but has never been too popular among the hikers. Hopeful got his ice cream bar after offering to pay for the entire contents of the fridge. Anyways, it was not the normal pleasant AT atmosphere, but it did make for an interesting day at least!
Date: 2005-07-19
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Everyone in the shelter got up real early. I didn't want to be the only one left when Mr. Grumpy came out so I was on the trail by 6:45. A record for me I think. It was a Looooonnnnnngggggg day. Hot, humid, buggy, and very rocky. Water at Dan's spring was just a drip! I met Moonshine- the guy who got fined $100 in the Shenandoah's on the first day of summer for hiking naked. He's pretty friendly. Peter Pan passed me and I saw flash go by. I got to the PA 309 and took a nap on the picnik table behind the restaurant by the water spigot. I had to carry water from there 6 miles to Bake Oven - dry. I got the last spot in the shelter and fixed dinner just before the rain started. Hopeful and Jude got left out in the rain.
Date: 2005-07-20
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

To: Smith Gap Road
Miles today: 20.0

Saw a bear today! A big bear - about 600 lbs. only 30 feet away! Luckily I had just hooked up Bisbee's leash near the bulletin board at Smith Gap Rd. I guess hopeful saw the same one about a mile from the road. It's about an hour later which is probably right about behind the Blue Mountain Dome where we're staying tonight. Linda is very friendly. They have an open cold shower at the back of the house and sodas too. Santa, Bigfoot, Godspeed, Aslam, Jude, and Hopeful and I so far. The weather was less humid today and I got a good start at 7:00 am. Hit the spring about 10 ish. Trail magic near palmerton was a grocery bag in a tree with poptarts, moonpies and a tampon? Shared a poptart with Bisbee and crossed the road. Climbed a very steep rocky outcropping that overlooked Palmerton. Had to lift Bisbee over one spot. Then I met a hawk watcher. He showed me where Metallica spring was at. No one else found it. There are angels at Little Gap but the jugs were empty. I walked into Danielville for dog food and got a hamburger and milkshake too! on the long walk back up the road, Bisbee and I stopped in the shade and a black convertible stopped to give us a ride. Her name was Denise and she had taken Moonshine, peter pan and a few others to the jail last night in Palmerton (a real popular place to stay) and invited me to her house tonight. If I met them at Smith Gap at 8:30 pm. I got in earlier than that and after seeing the bear, I was not going to hang around. I tried to get a ride, but the two cars at the road crossing must have just about hit the bear. The lady in a car smiled and waved at me, but wasn't about to stop and pick me up. The man in a pick up, slowed down enough to verify that I was at Smith Gap, the left before I could say any more. I walked an easy mile downhill, but it was my 23rd mile of the day with my lunch detour. I was beat. I hung my hammock in the yard. Oh, and I saw a rat snake today too!
Date: 2005-07-21
From: Smith Gap Road

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

Linda "Crayon Lady" works for crayola. She was our wonderful host last night. She gave us a ride back up to Smith Gap. I hiked hard to Wind Gap to the motel for a grape soda and a lemonade with Santa, Big Foot, Godspeed and Aslam. There we caught up to Rest Step and treetops . The climb out of Wind Gap was steep. There were water jugs at the bottom, but I needed them at the top! I got to the shelter pretty early, but hung my hammock anyway. Its more comfortable and it didn't look like rain anyway. I didn't even put the tarp on. I felt a little light headed so I cooked some ramen and brown gravy. Moonshine, Peter Pan, Bubble Boy, and Blaze were the one's who stayed at Denise's last night. I guess they had a keg, played pool, did their laundry, took showers and even had the run of the house for breakfast!
Date: 2005-07-22
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I have limited time so in a nutshell, I hiked from Duncannon, PA to Port Clinton and then to here, Delaware water Gap. I've fell in with a great bunch of hikers, Santa, Bigfoot, godspeed, Aslam, Hopeful Hiker and so many more. Eckville was an eventful night, I'll tell you all about it later, or check Hopeful's logs. The Hammock is the way to go. The dog is not liking all the rocks, nor I. The weather was wet smelly socks and more wet smelly socks, then damp moist stinky sweaty shirt and more hot humid sweaty stinky shirt days. I'm keeping a paper journal, so will be able to add details later. Thank you all for the support. I'm still doing it! Oh, I have to say, I saw the biggest bear! It scared the *#@! out of me!I hurried in to the town, but missed the 10:00 shuttle to Stroudsburg. I left my pack on a bunk at the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain Hostel and met Amelda from Australia. She offered to keep Bisbee while I caught a shuttle with Rest Step and Beekeeper from the Pack Shack. We walked into the laudromat and were asked immediately if we were thru-hikers. She informed us the white machines were for us! She was great though, gave us a pillow to dry our socks faster and everything. While waiting, we walked up the street for a drink at Sarah's. When our laundry was done we got supplies from the shop-rite where I was given huge samples of halibut by a lady real interested in the trail, but too shy to let me take her picture. Anyways, we called for a ride back to Delaware Water Gap. The hostel was full. Paul, Amelda and another Australian and I had dinner together at Gus' Fine Dining. I watch snowman repackage 20 pounds of food and got the short blurb above on the internet thanks to the church. Hot night! Too hot to sleep!
Date: 2005-07-23
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Blue Mountain Lakes Road
Miles today: 18.3

Best Day Yet! as Big Foot would say. Went to breakfast at the Water Gap Diner with Kokomo, Big Foot, and Santa. Gave away most of a 2 liter bottle of gatorade and had a wonderful trail with awesome vistas. Then a terrific sandwich loaded with turkey and a sweet tomatoe at the Mohican Outdoor Center. Litmus and Cricket talked about his lyme disease. I Met the ridge runner, Navigator, at the two-man water pump and then camped about a half mile north on an old road. Cooked my ramen noodles for dinner again! Rest Step and Beekeeper joined Santa, Big Foot, and I for a very symetrical camp. Hammock, Tarp tent, Tarp, Tarp Tent, Hammock. All in a neat row. This is when I learned (From Beekeeper) that you can hang a hammock from dead trees, but he tried it and one fell over on him!
Date: 2005-07-24
From: Blue Mountain Lakes Road

To: Sunrise Mountain
Miles today: 15.6

Another beautiful Day in New Jersey! I hiked ten miles to Culver's Gap for a lunch date! Saw Snowman who asked us if we had seen the "Berries". Of course we had been eating them all day. But he was pretty excited about it so we listened until we figured out he was saying "BEARS" in his austrailian or New Zealand accent. He had seen a momma and I think 3 cubs! They are supposed to be thick here and not hiker friendly either. At Culver's Gap, I got my feet wet in the lake. I got to drop off a few unnecessary items and had a great lunch at the Gyp's tavern. Another hard climb out of town but nice views. Got water at the shelter, then packed it up to the Pavillion. Set up camp just off the summit and hung my food with Santa and Big Foot. Rest Step and Beekeeper did the same. I'm really feeling good these days. I know I've lost at least 30 pounds and I am starting to keep up with these young guys! OK, well some of them are older than me, but not by much!
Date: 2005-07-25
From: Sunrise Mountain

To: Quarry Road (Unionville, NY)
Miles today: 16.9

It rained last night. Packed up wet, but it made for a cool morning hike. At least till we got to High Point State Park. We walked a mile in and a mile out to the concession stand for chicken fingers, hamburger, snicker's ice cream and orange soda. The boys had a great looking philly cheese steak sandwich and took advantage of a hot shower too! I missed out on that one! People were just starting to get in the lake. We trudged on at breakneck speed to get to Unionville for Santa's mail. It got hot fast and humid. Just before town, we stopped for water and found a delightful little private cabin. Crazy horse was there. I got a quick shower to cool me down, then off we went again. We were beat, but cousins of Santa came and the mayor visited us at our cute little town park gazebo. I hung my hammock inside with Beekeeper. Ate a turkey sandwich from the deli with ice cream and strawberry milk! Bisbee got canned Alpo for his treat. It's still hot! Too hot! During the night Bisbee found a skunk. It got him, must have scared him too. He came and spent the rest of the night on the picnic table right by my nose!
Date: 2005-07-26
From: Quarry Road (Unionville, NY)

To: Phoenix, AZ
Miles today: 0.0

I can't say why exactly, but when I got up this morning, everyone had left and I just felt alone! It was so @#%$! hot, too hot for me or my dog. I called a cab and got a ride to the TA in Maybrook. From there, I caught a ride back to my truck in Glen Burnie, MD. I wasn't sure if I was going to sit out the heatwave or go home, but the more I thought about it, the more it looked like I was going home. From the sounds of it, My pool was green with algae, the trees were all dying and my bank account was empty. So, all I can say is, Happy Trails to everyone out there still doing it! I wish you all the best. Hope to see you out there another year.
Date: 2005-08-15
To: Phoenix, AZ
Miles today: 0.0

End of the line for this summer! I'm out of the woods and home again in Phoenix. I had a pretty good handle on hiking the AT, but I had no clue as to what it was going to take to keep up with my life outside the trail. The swimmming pool is as green as the trees on the trail. The bills got messed up, the yard is overgrown, the electic pedestal fried from the heat, Cats had Kittens, Water got left on for 3 days! yeah, it was a mess. Anyways, I'm staying home till I get a house sitter or sell the place! It just didn't work out leaving it unattended. So, Now that Cox had fixed the cable and internet lines, I have electricity again, I'll get caught up on this journal and eventually everything else. I managed to lose a lot of my photos when a hard disk failed, stupid me, I didn't make a back up. They want $2700 to restore it. (Like that's gonna happen) so, anyways, check back, I just have a few hours a day to pluck away on the computer and I'll have this thing filled with all the details. Best wishes to those still on the trail, see you out there next year?
Date: 2005-08-17
To: Back to the Grind
Miles today: 0.0

Hey, it was great while it lasted! But, I'm out of money. I need to get back to work. It was well worth every dime. I lost 35 lbs, 10 percentage points of fat, gained muscle and energy, as well as had the time of my life! Who does that? Who walks some 816 miles and goes on a weight loss program and has the best time of their life too? I learned a lot about myself, I met a whole bunch of interesting people and saw a lot of trees!!! I saw a lot of other things too, but there were a lot of trees in between. And what about next year? I don't know. I don't like to make promises, because I am so fickle. I still want to sail around the world and see the 7 wonders and all that, but I just may be back on the AT next summer and finish the remaining 1358.5 miles. I know there's a wonderful way of life on the trail. I want to thank all the trail angels and fellow hikers. It would not have been the same without each and every one of you! If I started to make a list, I would surely forget someone and it would be a monumental task, so I'll leave it to you to remember the times we had together! It would be good to hear from you though, so even though I'll be out on the road, I do check my email. I may even be in your neck of the woods, so call me if you want to get together and laugh at all the great ways we figured out to get through this thing! You can see where I am by checking the internet at http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=kd7ftu-9Anyways, Happy Trails,
Date: 2005-04-03
From: Springer Mt Shelter

To: Hawk Mt Shelter
Miles today: 7.6

Today was a much more relaxing hike. I was nearly one of the last hikers out of the shelter in the morning but still got off to a much earlier start than yesterday. I left camp about 11AM with 4 guys. Kung Fu and Mad Cow, who just started today, and also Trent and Brad from Columbus. They are on Trail Journals and I recognized them when we met. The 5 of us all hiked together to Hawk Mt Shelter. I think Kung Fu and Mad Cow will be hiking at a faster pace but I might be seeing Trent & Brad a little more along the way. They are all cool guys and looking forward to getting to know them more.The hike was great today. The weather is perfect. It is about 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. It is such a stark contradiction to yesterday. I think I'll have a few more days like this until a front moves through later in the week. I am hoping the bad weather passes through when I am at the Walasi-Yi Inn hostel.I put some duct tape on my feet today and it helped so much with my heels that were starting to blister. It also helped that I did not have many up and down hills today which is how my feet began to hurt. I will be sure to use the duct tape again tomorrow.I got to Hawk Mt Shelter early today about 3-4pm and have plenty of time to kill. I think just about everyone at the shelter last night has gone on further but I've decided to stick to John's and Tin Man's training schedule. I feel like I could have gone further but I am sticking to the advice of some experienced people.I have just been hanging out and enjoying the beautiful day with my free time. It is nice taking it easy like today and getting to enjoy the surroundings. My spirits are still high and actually, I am really surprised at how much I am enjoying every minute of the day.Still keeping my eyes open for my first bear sighting, but all I have seen was a tiny, tiny mouse that I almost stepped on today!I still don't understnad how people say you loose your appetite for the 1st two weeks. I have been chowing down and eating as much, if not more than usual. Don't expect me to come back skinnier than I already am!That's all for tonight......Looking forward to tomorrow!Breakfast: pop tarts; beef jerky; and other snacksLunch:   can of tunaDinner:   Mac & Cheese and snacks
Date: 2005-04-04
From: Hawk Mt Shelter

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 3 was a pretty difficult day hiking. I was only planning on a 7.1 mile day so I did not think it would be rough but it got to me. I started the day with Trent & Brad and we made several climbs and descents that really got to me. After taking a break a couple of miles in, I let them go ahead of me. I kind of like hiking at my own pace and also enjoy the solitude during the day. I did meet up with them and a bunch of others at this nice campsite about 2 miles from our final destination. I was planning on spending the night at Gooch Mt Shelter but decided to hike an extra mile to Gooch Gap. The other guys were doing it and it will also cut down on tomorrow's big day.My stove or rather lack of stove is really annoying me. I found a nice lady, Dottie, who has an alcohol stove and let me borrow hers to cook dinner tonight. Red beans and rice....best meal of the trip so far. I've also been watching what others eat and I'm picking up some good ideas.I'm spending my 1st night out in my tent. It's probably in the mid 40's but I left the rain fly off because once again it is a clear sky and the stars are just amazing. I hope I don't get too cold!Oh yeah, tonight is the NCAA B-Ball championships. It probably just ended. I've been trying to get it on my radio but haven't had any luck. Hopefully UNC pulls it off so my UNC friends have something to cheer about. It was 2 years ago when Syracuse won it. What an awesome experience. Well, it's getting late and I have a big day ahead of me so I'm going to hit the hay.Oh, one last thing....I'm trying to get to sleep earlier so I can wake up when the sun comes up. (ARE YOU HAPPY DAD!!)I figure I should make the most of the daylight hours.So long for now.
Date: 2005-04-05
From: Gooch Gap

To: Straight Gap
Miles today: 11.0

I am writing my journal a little earlier today while cooking my dinner (Pasta Fagool)so I don't have to use my headlamp. Today was a good day.It started off with getting a good or bad picture, however you take it, of some big fat guy's crack. I met this guy last night and boy was he weird. Apparently he is from Clearwater and he is up here camping or something. He spent the night off a dirt road and he was camping in his van. He claimed to know everything about hiking yet at about 350 lb he did not look like he had hiked a day in his life. He claimed to have sectioned hiked the AT and said his trail name was Golden Eagle........WHATEVER!!I decided to hike on my own today so I could go at my own pace and rest when I felt like it. It was the best thing for me. I also enjoy the solitude when hiking by myself. I still met up with the guys about 3 times throughout the day including lunch. After the day is over we all get together for dinner and hang out for a while until calling it a day.In addition to Trent & Brad from Columbus, I've gotten to know Matt & Eric from Indiana. They are hiking together and Indy Andy who is from Indianapolis and hiking solo. The crew is about 23 years old and we seem to all be hiking the same pace and have similar interests. From the short time I have known them, I think we will all make it to Katahdin.Today was also a big day for wildlife. Shortly after starting my hike I saw a valley that wasn't too densely populated with trees so I kept an eye out for a deer and sure enough I saw the head of a doe. I thought I was seeing things at first because I couldn't make out the body. After a few seconds I identified the rest of the body. I had taken my camera out, turned it on, and right as I was about to snap the picture it took off with two more deer that I hadn't seen until then. Quite exciting and I'm sure a lot more to come.I also nearly stepped on a garter snake. It scared the crap out of me. It was lying right in the middle of the trail and wouldn't move. After a while I flicked it out of the way with my hiking pole. I also ran into another garter with the guys. It was really tiny..only about 8" long.......got a nice picture of it.I also had some spectacular views from some mountain tops. Apparently you can see Atlanta sometimes from the one site but we weren't lucky enough.I'm at a campsite at Slaughter Gap on Blood Mt. This mountain got it's name as a result of a nasty battle between the Creek & Cherokee Indians that let so many dead or wounded that the ground ran red with blood. On a nicer note, we had a beautiful sunset from our campsite. (I took a few pictures.)
Date: 2005-04-06
From: Straight Gap

To: Walasi-Yi Inn
Miles today: 3.3

Today was a very short mileage day. I only did about 4 miles crossing over Blood Mt. Summit which provided great views (pictures of me and the crew). The majority of today's hike was down hill and very rocky. I got to the Walasi-Yi Inn about 10:30AM and pretty much hung out for the day. I went to the outfitters where they are known for "shaking down" your bag and telling you what you don't need and should send home. Thanks to John, I came well prepared and only had a couple items of which I already knew that I was going to part with. I decided to part with my gym shorts that I just haven't used and dont't see using in the near future. I also got rid of my water filter and replaced it with a much small system of purifying drops. This helped cut down on weight. I also got rid of my handkerchief which I haven't used nor plan on using. Also to go was my sponge to wash my cookware and I also switched to a much smaller bottle of soap. I've learned to wash my cookware with leaves and no need to use soap since I'll be boiling my dirt away with my next meal.The guys I've been hiking with pushed ahead about a mile or 2 to camp for the night but I decided to stay at the hostel here. Got my 1st shower since starting and also got a ride into town with Tom (from Miami) and his Dad, Dennis and also Brad from NJ. I just met him today. They all seem to be good people. We went out to dinner (BBQ) and I got a huge plate of pulled pork, french fries and baked beans. I then washed it down with a pint of ice cream. I'm now back at the hostel where I'm getting another treat, watching the Talented Mr. Ripley. I am pretty tired and everyone in the hostel is asleep but I'm going to try to stay awake for the movie.It should be raining when I wake up in the morning and continue for a couple days. This is going to be a pretty big test as I'll be hiking in wet boots and clothes for a couple days. I forgot to mention that before I went to dinner, I met another Thru-Hiker, Jim. It turns out Jim is Danny Blatter's friend from St. Pete. We both tried getting a hold of each other to discuss our plans before leaving but never connected with each other. We didn't get much of a chance to talk tonight but I am sure I will see much more of him in the future.GOOD NIGHT!!