morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-06-11
From: Quarry Gap Shelter, PA

To: Ironmaster Mansion, Pine Grove State Park, PA
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: broken clouds

Ran across a Black Racer in the middle of the trail today. I had forgotten just how fast those snakes can move! When he saw / felt me coming, he snapped himself into the bushes so fast, it resembled someone yanking a garden hose with all their might! Glad he was going the other way. I don't think I could have outrun him.Much cooler today, and the trail was much kinder. Met flute-playing Dave (aka "Traveler"). He seems to have no real home; just travels around the country. For now, he's on the A.T.The cicadas were twice as loud as yesterday. It's like yesterday they were wooing, and today they got the "Last Call" at the bar, and now it was a mad scramble to pair up with someone - ANYONE - to avoid having to fly home alone.This afternoon, many of the cicadas had apparently mated, because they were just zooming around aimlessly, flying into hikers, with funny smiles on their little insect faces! Kinda like some people I've seen over the years...Staying tonight in a former stop on the Underground Railroad: Ironmaster's Mansion. It is complete with a secret room in the basement for hiding runaway slaves.We were able to make spaghetti and fresh salad tonight, which we ate along with a can of Hormel chili I had sent to myself here. Yum...
Date: 2008-06-12
From: Ironmaster Mansion, Pine Grove State Park, PA

To: Garmanhause B&B, Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.4

Beautiful hiking weather today. I went farther than originally planned. On one downhill, I met a man who looked about 85-years-old, all red in the face, and huffing and puffing. I thought to myself, "He doesn't look too good." Then I realized, "But hey! It's been awhile since I looked in a mirror - I probably don't look so good myself!" I got trail magic on a rocky mountaintop today. There, in the middle of the trail, was a cooler of E.R.T. drinks - "something ICE" was the name of it. It tasted funny for Gatorade. But it was cold and wet. I met G.G., who was just sitting on a rock musing and writing. She was a most pleasant lady. She seemed in no hurry to get anyplace in particular. She spoke about having hiked with her daughter recently, and one day they only went a mile-and-a-half for the day! I had dinner in the Boiling Springs Tavern with "Slammer", a school teacher from Vale, CO. I had a 1"-thick pork chop bigger than my size 12 foot; I can't believe I ate the whole thing! I'm in a B&B, because the only campground in the area is RIGHT beside the railroad tracks, and the trains run all night long. My brother Gary would have loved it. I'm havin an issue with the toe cap (otherwise known as the stone/root wacker part) of each shoe - they are coming loose. Hmm. Hope to repair them in Duncannon. Maybe some Shoe Goo or Super Glue....
Date: 2008-06-13
From: Garmanhause B&B, Boiling Springs, PA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: scattered clouds

DAY 19: I spent the whole morning hiking around fields of corn, hay and wheat; sometimes on the edges of the fields, and sometimes in a lane of trees nearby. I had to walk through about 2 miles of fields with hay up to my shoulders. Tried to do periodic tick patrols on my legs, but finally had to give up and just walk. Today was Mulberry Day. There were multiple Mulberry Trees along the way, and their fruit is just getting ripe. If you have never tried them, they taste like a cross between a blueberry and a blackberry. uh, uh, um... We didn't have them around where I grew up in Virginia. But I did know about them through that great children's action song about a monkey chasing a weasel... This was a long day today (almost 22 miles), so I can have a short hike tomorrow morning into town. This shelter has a warning sign about porcupines. They are are attracted to the salt hikers' sweat leaves on the shelter's board, on hikers' clothes, and equipment. The shelter logbook attests to their presence. One hiker's entry said a porcupine was in the shelter when he arrived around 9:30pm, and could only get it to leave by flinging his hat at it, only to have his hat stick to the creature's quills. When it ran down the steps, in the hiker's own words, "...I chased it down the hill, with my had stuck to its butt..." The guy apparently did recover his hat as the porcupine was going up a tree. He ended his entry by saying his hat was not much good, as it now had quills sticking out of it. I think it would be really cool if my hat had quills sticking out. I think I would trade with him if I could. Another entry, perhaps a bit more dubious, stated, "I came i for lunch. Ate a porcupine. It tasted nothing like either pork or pine." I'm in my hammock tonight, with it hung extra high so I don't wake up with quills in any of my body parts that sag near the ground in the night. I am armed with my trekking poles handy, and my camera ready! Woo hoo! Bring 'em on!
Date: 2008-06-14
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night we DID have a porcupine attack! At 3:30am, one stormed our shelter. It just waddled up the steps. There were four guys in bunks, and one on the floor. The floor guy shone his flashlight, and the critter ambled away, only to return later. I watched with amusement from about 25-feet away, in my extra-high hammock. It came back for a curtain call, but took off again when confronted. Hee Hee Hee. I've been camping with five other guys the past few days. We are all over 50, and call ourselves "The Over-The-Hill-Gang". The group: 5 Stones No Car Silver Good Fellow SlammerBoy, do they have funny names. Makes me appreciate my own sophistocated name, "Snakebait". Slammer is probably sitting out a couple of days to heal a nasty-looking heel blister.
Date: 2008-06-15
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

DAY 21Slammer had to get off the trail to nurse that heel blister. Ouch! I miss him; he was a good conversationalist. Our "Over the Hill Gang" is now down to Five. Three of the other guys say a bear hiking down the trail toward them. They took a series of pictures, and finall had to work to scare him off. At least that's their story. People tend to embellish bear stories, you know. But their pictures didn't even look retouched...I met two separate locals on the trail today. Kevin is a young guy doing four days out. He's cowboy camping tonight (i.e., just sleeping out under the stars). And I met "RAT", who is just hiking for the day. He attests to the presence of LOTS of snakes around here. He said there were a copperhead and a rattler at a scenic rock I'll reach in the morning; and that one day while hiking near here, he and his buddies saw eleven snakes in a one-mile stretch of trail (3 copperheads, 4 rattlers, plus four others). Trust me: Snakebait's eyes are glued to the ground while I'm hiking, even if that big A.T. poisonous snake roundup has just recently occurred.I got to attend the Presbyterian Church in Duncannon this morning - it was GREAT to worship with a group of God's people. Pastor Kris is from Thailand - she preached the Gospel. Very nice, friendly folks.WEEK 3 HIGHLIGHTS:Saw a Bald Eagle from above, as I was hiking into Duncannon. Gorgeous!WEEK 3 LOWLIGHTS:Hiked up on a wide-bodied couple rolling around on a rock, making out - right on the side of the trail. They were above me as I approached; I could only see two large circular torsos with 4 tennis shoes waving around in the air. As I got closer, they sat up and we chatted a bit. I noticed he had a wedding ring and she didn't; maybe they are married and they just haven't been able to afford hers yet....
Date: 2008-06-16
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

It was cooler today, thankfully - in the 80's; a pretty pleasant 17-1/2 mile day. I had to ration my water this afternoon. A stream I was depending upon was just a stank, stagnant hole. I was a bit concerned as I sat just past there to eat my lunch. As I sat down, the sky was blue; as I finished, the sky clouded and there was a light sprinkle. It was as if God was saying, "Ken. or Dr. T. or Snakebait, whatever you're going by these days: I can bring water from out of a rock, or rain from out of a blue sky. Stop worrying. My anxiety left me. I still rationed my water, but several miles up the trail were two springs not listed on my map. It's raining tonight. That should cool things down even more. Yay! We've been hearing loud blasts to the west. Mining? Military artillary demonstrations? New Yorkers invading Pennsylvania? Got out of camp ~ 6:30 this morning, and into this place at 4pm. Kinda nice to get in a bit earlier. One of the hiker journal entries from last week was some gal who claimed she and her hiking companion say an EMU on the trail! She said they walked around a bend in the path, and there it stood - right smack in the middle of the trail. They shooed it away, but a minute later it was following them! That story has made me think twice about what I assumed was a hugh turkey I spotted a few days ago about 100 yards away through the trees; it looked to be about 4-1/2 - 5 feet tall and ran UPRIGHT (I expected it to run with its head down like other wild turkies I've seen). Hmmm. A group of emus escaped from a nearby ostrich/emu ranch? I dunno. Maybe those two were just smoking some wild whacky tobaccy. But I wasn't.
Date: 2008-06-17
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: broken clouds

Another 17+ mileage day today. Gorgeous weather: started in the 50's, and stayed in the 60's with overcast skies, and a breeze. Aaah. A new record: 4 hours 15 minutes before my first toe stub on a rock. Wow! Hiked all kinds of trail today. Besides a couple of 1,000' elevation gains, it was pretty level. I've come up with what I call "SNAKEBAIT'S SYSTEM OF TRAIL RATING":1) Smooth2) "Rock Hiking" - where there are lots of rocks in the trail, but you only have to modify your steps a little bit occasionally;3) "Rock Stomping" - where the trail is covered with rocks, some of which will move under your feet, while others are pointed and have the seeming intent to do the bottoms or sides of your feet some harm;4) "Rock Hopping" - where the trail is covered with larger rocks, and you have to step from one to the other; often, many of these rocks have a flat top, so that while they may slow you down, they are easier on your feet that "Rock Stomping";5) "Boulder Scrambling" - where the trail is covered with large rocks that you have to measure each step (unless you are young and reckless!), and may involve stepping up or down three-feet from rock to rock. This trail portion is really slow. Also to mention are the trail types of "Mud Slopping", "Root Pounding", and "Water Wading" (where the trail has become a small creek that you have to hike in). We're staying in a shelter tonight with ALL sides enclosed and with a central skylight. We had to rough it and order pizza for supper (they delivered to a road crossing a few hundred yards away). That cell phone is a good thing to have for emergencies such as this!
Date: 2008-06-18
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton Hotel, Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Got out with the "Regiment"; i.e., the rest of the Over-the-Hill-Gang at 5: 50 this morning.It was a loooong day of mostly rock stomping. Beautiful weather, but boy, are my feet sore! Sharp rocks were poking each foot nearly every step. No consecutive strides could be the same length, due to rock placement and angles. It was impossible to get a hiking rhythm.I got rained on by a cold rain / thunderstorm around 4pm today. I made it into town just as the gang was passing in a van to go eat. That Arby's sandwich was mighty good.I'm expecting more trail rocks to come; the really big ones are still to come farther north in PA."Every night while you're sleepin', Poison Ivy comes a creepin' around..." Poison Ivy was hanging all over the trail from both sides for lengthy stretches today. Aargh. It makes me itch just to look at it. So far, I've not gotten any bumps, and I've been hiking through it since May. Of course, I may have just jinxed myself on this, just like the football announcer who says, "Venateri hasn't missed a field goal from this distance all season; the snap, he kicks it, well I'll be! He missed!"NOTE: yesterday's new record for going with getting a painful toe-stubbing in the trail was not a new pattern. It took only a matter of minutes today.
Date: 2008-06-19
From: Port Clinton Hotel, Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter, PA
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Another beautiful day. Around 75-degrees. Great scenic views from "The Pulpit" and "The Pinnacle." Lots of Rock Stomping all morning, then smooth trails all afternoon. This was a "short" day of only fifteen miles today. I got into the shelter just after 3pm. It has a solar shower(still pretty cold water!). Then we just sat around like trail bums for the rest of the afternoon. This shelter has bunks - each with some padding! How luxurious.
Date: 2008-06-20
From: Eckville Shelter, PA

To: Bake Oven Know Shelter, PA
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

The padding last night wasn't much; it was still basically sleeping on wooden boards. I wish I'd hung my hammock instead. That's what I am doing tonight - gonna be a chilly night, but I should sleep better. Today's hike had all four types of rock trail, with a LOT of Rock Stomping, and several sections of Boulder Scrambling. One of the latter is know as "The Knife Edge"; it was downright scary: the trail went along the top edge of a rock ridge where the exposed rock of the mountain was at a slanted angle that was difficult to stand on, let alone walk on. One stumble, and you'd break multiple bones as you tumbled down. Beautiful views from up there, whenever I dared to stop and look! I chanced upon a road-crossing at 11;45 this morning, and voila! there was the Blue Mountain Summit Bed & Breakfast & Restaurant! I got a "Black and Blue Burger" (where I think they beat the cow before they butcher it), onion rings, and som Chinese-sounding version of GatorAde for my Electrolyte Replacement Therapy - it was called "Ying Ling." It was pretty good!As you can see, I'm going for that Brad Pitt / Hollywood stubble look. The problem is that on me, it looks more like the Yassar Arafat / Billy Bob Thornton look...
Date: 2008-06-21
From: Bake Oven Know Shelter, PA

To: Palmerton Police Station, Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 7.4

A short day into town today. Didn't have to really hitchhike; two hikers were loading at the trail-head and gave me a lift to town. Today is the first day of Summer. The tradition is that for thru-hikers, it is called "Hike Nekkid Day". I'm not making this up. Our Over-the-Hill-Gang has been working up our courage, and discussing our outfits for the day. Note that there is NO PICTURE of people for today's journal entry. We hiked into town. An unrelated item: we are all five sleeping under the jail tonight. NOTE: my theory about the origin of "Hike Nekkid Day" is that there were three college-age boys hiking with a couple of good-lookin' blondes. When the guys casually said, "Oh by the way, girls, on the First Day of Summer the Appalachian Trail tradition is that everybody hikes with no clothes on all day." The girls said, "Oh well, we couldn't go against tradition, now could we?". And the rest, as they say, is history...
Date: 2008-06-22
From: Palmerton Police Station, Palmerton, PA

To: Dry Camp, 2 miles past Leroy Smith Shelter, PA
Miles today: 17.4

DAY 28What a sad sight: Devastation on the mountain north out of Palmerton. Fumes from the zinc plant (Zinc, Cadmium, and lead fumes)killed virtually every plant and tree on the entire mountain. It looked like pictures of Iwo Jima after that brutal WWII battle.The trail was mostly Rock Stomping today.Brain: "O.K. feet! Let's get going!"Feet: "No way, Jose!"Brain: "That's not a request. That's an order."Feet: "Only if there are no rocks. Are there any rocks?"Brain: "Um, a few."Feet: "Just how many are 'a few'?"Brain: "Uh, maybe just another 28,432."Feet: [silence - a combination of rage and pouting]I did hike an extra mile today. Bad signage. My feet are still not speaking to me....
Date: 2008-06-23
From: Dry Camp, 2 miles past Leroy Smith Shelter, PA

To: Presbyterian Church Hostel, Deleware Water Gap
Miles today: 18.0

More Rock Stomping today - but not as bad as advertised. I had envisioned a day of Boulder Scrambling, based upon what other had told us.Had to deal with multiple KAMIKAZI EYEBALL GNATS. Which are demonic dots that can fly backwards right in front of your eyeball for up to two miles. If you wave at them to shoo them away, they simply wave back at you. If you stop and clap your hands to try to smash him, he only takes a bow. If you squint your eyes, he will try to fly through the slit in your eyelids, like Luke Skywalker trying to fly his spaceship down the Death Stars tube! I had only one short period in Pennsylvania without them; I think it was because I was staring at the rocks under my feet so hard that I forgot to blink for extended periods of time, and the gnats were just not attracted to a dry eyeball. Deet on my hat brim did not deter them one whit. The only thing that seems to help was hanging a fern frond from the front of my hat so it dangles in front of my eyes; I don't know if the deterrent is the aroma of the fern or the movement of the leaves swishing. But I DO know it makes me look dashingly woodsy.
Date: 2008-06-24
From: Presbyterian Church Hostel, Deleware Water Gap

To: Ken-Etiwa-Pec YMCA Camp, NJ
Miles today: 17.4

What a beautiful campsite by the lake. The two small cabins are full, so I'm hammock hanging. That's o.k. with me.We're in New Jersey now. PA was full of beautiful sites; but it was also full of evil morale-crushing, toe-stubbing, body tripping, sole of the foot-bruising rocks. This first day in New Jersey was a day of great trail hiking. There were a number of bear sightings by other people, but not by me; must be some of those Swan Lake Pres people praying for God to keep the bears somewhere else. I had my camera ready all day, but no luck on getting a picture. Which is not all bad news, since I was hiking alone most of the day.Met Vagabond (guy) and Pigeon (gal). He is hiking around the world for a Christian cause. The two met on the internet, and today was her first day of hiking with him; she has never hiked before. They are calling it one of the world's longest first dates! It seems to be going well, even though she is hiking on foot blisters...
Date: 2008-06-25
From: Ken-Etiwa-Pec YMCA Camp, NJ

To: Dry Camp, 1-1/2 miles before Mashipacong Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

DAY 31Tried to go 22 miles today. I've done more than that before. The regiment made it, I'm sure, but Pappy, Ray (we have now name him "Tennessee Tuxedo"), and I are dry camping a few miles short.The "Regiment" is my term for the other four members of "The-Over-The-Hill-Gang". They are all in a flurry of activity, and then are marching out of camp together at 6:00 a.m. sharp, if not before. They hike too fast to enjoy it. They miss scenic view. Which is all a fancy, whiny way to say that I have started with them more than once, but cannot keep up. I simply cannot run with the big dogs.There was a lot more Rock Stomping today than yesterday. Probably about 30,000 rocks trying to tear my shoes to bits so they can then slice my feet into hamburger...I jumped two grouse today, but they flew up way to soon to be able to make me jump out of my skin like they usually do. A lot more bear sightings ahead and behind us, but none for me.We're in our tents at 8:30 pm due to mosquitos on missions from a nearby stagnant pond. Fires (the smoke of which would keep the bugs at bay) are not allowed anywhere in New Jersey, thanks to the NJ Trail Nazis.
Date: 2008-06-26
From: Dry Camp, 1-1/2 miles before Mashipacong Shelter

To: Mayor Dick's House, Unionville, NY
Miles today: 15.6

It drizzled and sprinkled on us most of today. The day's highlight was that we are sleeping in the mayor's basement. He cooked hot dogs and hamburgers for us. We got to do our laundry (woo hoo!). Aaahh.We are in a short sashay into New York today, but will be back into New Jersey tomorrow.
Date: 2008-06-27
From: Mayor Dick's House, Unionville, NY

To: St. Thomas Episc. CH Hostel, Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 11.8

Some really varied hiking today. A section of 2-3 miles of road walking. A mile or so around a hugh wildlife water pond. An extended hike through cattails. A section over some rocky, mountainous terrain (with clear bear activity). And road crossings right past residential houses. Truly unusual in its variety.We actually hiked about 12 miles; we missed the trailhead North going out of town, and ended up way out in the country. Grrrr.It sprinkled on us off and on pretty much all day, with the temperature in the eighties. It was indeed humid!Staying the night in the basement of an Episcopal Church, and are taking a "zero day" tomorrow, which means not hiking anywhere (except around town for meals, etc.). This is the first one I've done. I know that you have to keep your feet elevated and have to exercise a bit, else your feet and lower legs will swell (from lack of the usually trail pounding!) and your joints and muscles will get 'stove up', as they say.
Date: 2008-06-29
From: St. Thomas Episc. CH Hostel, Vernon, NJ

To: Wildcat Shelter, NY
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: light rain

THE HIKE: Not a bad weather day for hiking; mostly cloudy, with occasional sprinkles throughout the day. A bit cooler without the sun, but so humid it was hard to breathe, especially going uphill! We're now in New York for a while. SLICK: The rain made the rocks slick - and boy were there rocks! About two hours of solid Boulder Scrambling. At one place the best I could manage was a controlled slide, which worked. Later, there was an UNCONTROLLED SLIDE on the wet, steeply slanted rock face; I fell awkwardly on my right elbow and wrist. Actually, it was more of a Crash, Slide, Roll to the other side, Bam! as my left knee hit the rock, Slide, stop. I lay there crumpled for a few minutes to do a self-inventory, thinking I might have cracked some bones; but besides both knees bloodied (along with my elbow) and bruised, I seemed okay. THE CONTEST: The apparent "WE HAVE THE TOUGHEST ROCKS" competition between states is really getting on my nerves. I have a plan I will share in the future for bringing this foolishness to a halt... BUGS: Mosquitos were a nuisance ALL day. And the KEGS (Kamikozi Eyeball Gnats) were constant; always trying to cause me to fall and die so they can eat out my eyeballs and then my brains. It MAY be that they are just teenage boy KEGS that just like to hover an inch or two in front of the eye so they can look at their own reflection off the front convex eye surface - kinda like the mirror at the fair that makes you look fat and squat - and, looking at himself, the KEG yells to his buddies, "Hey Guys, see how big my muscles look! Ha, Ha, Ha! Oops!" Splat! Right into the eye. I finally caught up with Lady & the Tramp (a retired through-hiking couple) and Baggins, as well as Steady ON and Mandy at the shelter. A local trail angel gave me a can of a new Gatorade variety: something like "Bug-Whitener". Drank it with supper. It recharged my electrolytes.