morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-02-21
To: Route 850 to Route 225
Miles today: 0.0

On Saturday and Monday, Socks and I hiked two sections in Perry and Dauphin counties in PA. First, on Saturday, we went from Route 850 just north of Blue Mountain (aka Darlington) to Duncannon. My wife picked us up in front of the famous Doyle Hotel. That is a moderately difficult stretch with some great views of the Susquehanna and some nice farmlands. I think Route 850 marks the official beginning of "Rocksylvania". There's a definite increase in the number of rocks and bolders starting north of Blue Mountain. Just above Duncannon, there is a breathtaking view of the valley where Sherman's Creek flows into the Susquehanna. I wish I'd had the camera. The toughest part for me was climbing down into Duncannon. It's a steep climb over shale, and there has been quite a bit of erosion lately. The maintainers are working on it.On Monday, Presidents Day, we left the truck at the Doyle in Duncannon and walked to Route 225. Once you get out of Duncannon and across the river, there a nice climb to the top of Peters Mountain. The toughest part for both Socks and me was when we got to the top of the mountain. We had to hop over sizable boulders for about a mile or so. It was one case where it was tougher for Socks than for me. She kept falling down between the boulders and I had to help her up. Usually, her four feet make her much more surefooted and faster than me. It's unusual for me to have to help her. After that, we came upon what has to be one of the best views in all of PA. For about three miles, the AT follows the crest of Peters Mountain. If you look right, you see the Susquehanna all the way down to the famous Rockville Bridge. To the left is the Juniata River as it winds North and West. Each time you think you are seeing an unsurpassed view, it is topped by another one just around the bend. A great way to spend a winter weekend.We've had some windstorms lately, and they've caused a lot of blowdowns in this area. Plenty of work this spring for the maintainers.
Date: 2006-03-04
To: St. Anthony's Wilderness
Miles today: 0.0

Today, Socks & I hiked from Rte. 325 to Swatara State Park, at the junction of Rte. 72 & 443. It was about 17 miles, counting a couple jaunts on side trails. I did it with a 25 pound pack. This was a chance to see what a typical day on the AT will be when I do the thru-hike. I would like to say that it was a breeze, BUT THAT WOULD NOT BE TRUE!!! In addition to being the longest trek I've done with a fairly heavy pack, it was a moderately tough stretch. There were two climbs of roughly 1 1/2 to 2 miles each, plus a long down stretch over rocks at the end that was probably even worse. Also, I was rushing at the end, because I was about a half hour late to meet my wife at the park. I was pretty tuckered out at the end. I'll have to get used to this. This area is also known as the Stony Creek Valley. For history buffs, its a pretty interesting area. From the late 1700s to about 1880, it was heavily mined and timbered. It has been largely deserted since then. It is known as the second largest roadless area in the state of PA. That's remarkable, because it's only about 20 miles from the state capital, Harrisburg, and also close to some other metro areas. You can see plenty of evidence of the mining activity, as well as the remains of two ghost towns, Yellow Springs and Rausch Gap. As a trail maintainer, I have to tip my cap to the folks who maintain this stretch. Very well done, considering how isolated it is.
Date: 2006-05-26
To: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Miles today: 0.0

My wife and I decided to go to AT Trail Days in Damascus, VA last weekend. Believe it or not, it was her idea, not mine, even though I am the hiking fanatic. She was talking to an acquaintance whose daughter did a thru-hike. She told my wife that we have to go to Trail Days. So we did. We both had a great time. I talked to several past thru-hikers and got lots of good information. Two notable ones were Crocodile Dundee and Fig, who I believe both thru-hiked in 2000. Fig did it again with his wife a couple years ago. Fig's wife was there also and was also great to talk to, but I can't remember her real or trail name. I also said hello to Leif and Zipdrive at the Trail Journals booth.Going to Trail Days was good for both of us. My wife got a sense of what the experience will be like for me. In particular, she is not as concerned that I will be all alone, or that there will be bears or rattlesnakes around every bend. As for me, after talking to several past thru-hikers, I have a lot more confidence that I can do this. I also had a chance to see a lot more gear options, and to try some of them out.For me, the best thing was the GoLite hike on Saturday. It was led by "Coup", the co-founder and President of GoLite. He is a passionate advocate of lightweight hiking. Of course, he's an advocate for his company's products, but he also gave us great recommendations on other products as well as hiking in general. It was four hours very well spent for me. He even let me carry his GoLite Jam pack down the hill into Damascus. Crocodile Dundee and I walked down together. He dried almost all of the food for his thru-hike. My wife said she'd like to do some of that for me. I think it's just an excuse to buy a gadget and play with it ;-)While we were there, we saw two movies with AT themes. One was "Southbounders", a sort of romantic drama. It focuses on three southbound thru-hikers, two of whom become romantically involved. I won't give away much more, except to say it is worth seeing whether or not you are an AT freak like me. The other was "Appalachian Impressions". This was more of a travelogue, covering the AT from south to north. The scenery was excellent, but it is long, about 2 1/2 hours. It might get boring for a person who isn't really interested in the AT. However, my wife found it very interesting, because it gave her a sense of what it will be like for me on the AT.The weekend at Trail Days helped me to make a final decision on something I've been kicking around for awhile. I've decided to move up my thru-hike from 2008 to next year, 2007. I'm going to quit my job at the end of 2006 and head for Springer. My tentative start date is Sunday, March 25. I can't wait!!!I have some other decisions to make, such as which pack to buy for the thru-hike. But, there's still lot's of time to decide.
Date: 2006-09-05
To: MD & Southern PA
Miles today: 0.0

I did a 60 mile hike over 4 days over Labor Day. I started in Harpers Ferry, WV and hiked through MD, ending up in southern PA at Caledonia State Park. I wanted to do a multi-day hike to what it is like and make sure I can really do this. I got the bonus(?) of a two day hike in the rain. All in all, it was quite successful. I hiked to Rocky Run and stayed there the first night. It rained steadily the whole day and into the night. I stayed with three south bound thru-hikers and a couple of section hikers. RR is a pretty small shelter with very little head room. It also leaked a bit, though I stayed dry. On the second day, I hiked to the Ensign Cowall Shelter. That is a much bigger and newer shelter with a loft. By the end of that day, I had gotten pretty soaked. After I ate, I went right to bed and slept for about 11 hours. I woke up dry and feeling much better. It finally stopped raining during the night. Then, on the third day, it was on across the Mason-Dixon line, staying at Deer Lick. I was all by myself that night. It seems odd that there are three nice shelters within less than 4 miles in that area. It was a beautiful late summer night there. Then, on to Caledonia, where Judy picked me up.Some conclusions from that excursion: (1) It seems like I can consistently do about 15 mile days. Doing more than one 20 mile day in a row is too much for these old bones. (2) I need to get a blow up sleeping mat. My Thermarest ridgerest won¢t work for a long term hike. Again, I¢m too old. (3) The Asolo Fugitives seem to be just the ticket. They provide the support I need for the rocky sections. (4) Maryland is not as easy to hike as I had thought. There are a lot of ups and downs, as well as rocks. It¢s at least as tough as southern PA, though not nearly as bad as the true Rocksylvania of northern PA.I hope to get out again for a weekend sometime in October. I want to get a blow up mat, a head lamp and some medium weight fleeces before then.
Date: 2006-10-02
To: Another Shake-down hike
Miles today: 0.0

Several things have happened since my last entry. I did another preparation hike last weekend. The first day we (Socks the wonder dog & me) started in the Cumberland Valley section near my house. We went about 15 miles to the Darlington shelter, where we tented overnight. The next day we went north to Duncannon, where Judy picked us up. Since the last hike, I bought a Thermarest Pro-Lite 4 blow up mat. It works very well, though it weighs a bit more than the ridgerest. I also got some medium weight fleeces and a head lamp. I used the top fleece Sat. morning, since it was pretty chilly. It works well, as does the head lamp. We got some rain showers over night, so it was the first night I'd spent in the tent in the rain. The tarptent kept us quite dry. I was surprised how many campers there were at Darlington. The shelter was about full plus five tents pitched around it.A lot of people who live near me in the Cumberland Valley take hikes on the AT near here. Some of them actually think they are getting a real AT experience. They're not! The CV is by far the easiest section of the 200 miles I have hiked on the AT, and from what I've heard may be the easiest on the whole AT. All they have to do is continue north from Darlington to Duncannon to get a taste of the real AT. Not that it is really tough; it isn't at all by AT standards. But, it's not a gently rolling walk through fields like in the CV. There are a decent amount of rocks and some significant climbs. In particular, I find the downhill stretch going into Duncannon to be tough. It really messes with my knees and ankles. But, of course, it's nothing like northern PA and (so I've heard) the Whites and Presidentials up north.The other thing I did was to tell the folks at work that I'm leaving around the end of the year. I guess I'm committed now! Everyone has said nice things about how much I'll be missed and how happy they are for me. So far, they've been holding their celebrations out of my earshot! ;-)I hope to do another weekend hike in November.
Date: 2006-10-26
To: Hike to Darlington
Miles today: 0.0

Today I led a day hike from the Scott Farm to Darlington and back, about 8 miles. We had a smaller group than I'd hoped because it had to be postponed from the day before due to the weather. It turned out to be a spectacular day for a fall hike, although a bit windy. The leaves were just past the peak of fall color. I'm enclosing several great pictures, most of them taken by my friend Tom, a very good photographer.I hope to do a two day hike this coming weekend. I want to test the fleeces I bought recently. The forecast is for a low around 30, so I should get a good idea of what it will be like on the AT in late March.
Date: 2006-11-05
To: Cold Weather Shakedown
Miles today: 0.0

Socks the wonder dog & I did an overnight hike of about 30 miles from Pine Grove Furnace to my house. We camped overnight near the Alex Kennedy shelter. It got down to about 28 degrees. I was ok in my 30 degree bag with all my clothes on. However, I realize that I will need a warmer bag for early in the hike and later on in VT, NH & ME. I hope to get out for a weekend again at the end of the month.Also, I've spent some time working on the schedule for my thru-hike. I'm using the ALDHA thru-hikers guide and Baltimore Jack's resupply guide (available on whiteblaze.net). BJ's guide is very helpful. His advice is worth taking, since he's done something like 7 thru-hikes. I'm planning to leave from Springer around March 25. I hope to get to Damascus by the end of April, then around Waynesboro by the end of May, and near my home in Central PA by the third week of June. Then Hanover by early August, and Monson by early Sept. I hope to get to Katahdin by early September. All of this is extremely tentative and subject to change due to any number of factors. I think a plan like this is useful, as long as you don't get too hung up on getting to a particular place by a particular time. It gives me some comfort that I should be able to do this, barring unpredictable factors like weather and injury.
Date: 2007-01-28
To: PA Ruck 2007
Miles today: 0.0

I went to the 2007 PA Ruck at the Ironmasters Hoster in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. A ruck is a sort of informal gathering of hiking enthusiasts, gererally in the winter. There's a lot of camaraderie, eating, and discussion of trail topics. There is also a Southern Ruck at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, on the AT in North Carolina. Here is a link to the PA Ruck website http://www.artofthetrail.com/paruck.htmlThis year's Ruck was led by Starlyte. I didn't get an exact count, but there were probably 70 to 80 folks. Many of them were past thruhikers, and it was great for a newbie like me to grill them on various concerns about my upcoming hike. Other highlights for me were the hike to Pole Steeple (see picture), a presentation by Jim & Ginny Owens (spiriteagle) on their recent CDT thru-hike (they are now triple crowners), and a presentation by Laurie Potteiger of ATC on trail maintenance and volunteers. I also had some long discussions with Laurie and her husband on the ATC and its current challenges, trail maintaining (they also maintain a section), and life in general. Great folks.On the hike to Pole Steeple, just after the halfway marker, I was about to tell the group about my experience a couple weeks back meeting Long Hunter. Just then, I looked up, and THERE WAS LONG HUNTER coming down the hill towards us. I stopped him, which takes some doing, because he is Resolute, as he says on his blog. I introduced him to the group, who found his story as hard to believe as I did. We told him to stop at the Hostel to get lunch, which he agreed to do. Once we got back from Pole Steeple (great view, by the way), Long Hunter was still there. We got to talking about whether we could slack pack him to the next trailhead. After looking at the map, it occured to me that he could leave his pack at the Hostel, and I could pick him up at Shippensburg Rd., which is 8 1/2 miles down the trail, and then he could sleep at the Hostel that night. So that is what we did, and I dropped him off the next morning at about 7:15.Some folks have understandably wondered whether Long Hunter is all that he seems. There have been a few scam artists on the AT in the past. All I can say is that his journal is sponsored by an apparently very reputable outfitter, and his hike and the cause are described on another site affiliated with the military. He appears to be everything he says he is. Also, in the many hours I have spent with him over a few days, he has never asked me for a dime for himself. He only asks for contributions to his military affiliated charity, and he wants those to be sent directly to the charity, not given to him. You can draw your own conclusions.Now, for me, it's back to the salt mine ;-) for a few more weeks. Will March 25 ever get here?
Date: 2007-02-24
To: Blue Mountain Winter Ramble
Miles today: 0.0

I led a hike for the two clubs I belong to, CVATC and SATC. My ulterior motive was to train for my upcoming thru-hike. We were scheduled to start at the Sherwood Drive AT trailhead. The snow and ice storm made that impossible, because that parking area had not been plowed. Luckily the Scott Farm ATC center driveway was plowed, so we parked there. Earlier in the week it looked like it would be impossible to hike, due to the buildup of ice and snow. But we had a few warm days that made the hike doable, though still challenging. We went from the Scott Farm north to the foot of Blue Mountain. I was going to turn around there due to the conditions, but the small group I had with me were all experienced hikers, and they wanted to go up the mountain. We went up to the overlook near the top and took a break for lunch. The view was wonderful, with no leaves on the trees and a cloudless sky. We then turned around and went back to the Scott Farm. It was about an 8 mile hike, but it took a lot more effort than normal due to the icy conditions. Crampons would have made it easier, but none of us had them. A young lady with crampons walking a dog zipped by us. I carried my full thru-hike pack and it was good training for dealing with icy conditions.Just 4 weeks to go!!
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Hawk Mountain

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I was originally planning to only go 10 mi. today. However, I hooked up with a nice fellow named Ron who is doing a section hike to Gatlinburg. Together we went to Woody Gap and camped in the parking area. Today was a tough little day. We went over Sassafras Mt. and Justus Mt., two somewhat difficult climbs. Tomorrow we go over the highest mountain yet, Blood Mtn. But a local said it is not as tough as today. The wildlowers are starting to bloom. I took a picture of some near Horse Gap.
Date: 2007-03-27
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We had a good night's sleep in a national park picnic area. It was nice to have a picnic table to use to cook, organize my stuff, etc. I have a good idea for the equipment manufacturers - a packable picnic table. GoLite and Granite Gear should get right on it. ;-) It was very foggy until late morning. The first half of the day had several climbs and descents followed by the big climb to Blood Mt. None were as bad as Sassafras Mt. yesterday, but together they took a toll. Coming down off Blood Mt. we took a wrong turn and went down a steep hill that we didn't need to. No real harm done but it was frustrating at the time.We are staying at Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi. It's a well known hostel and outfitter. It's the traditional place where hikers send gear back if they brought too much, buy new gear if they started with the wrong stuff, etc. It's also the first good resupply place. Ron and I washed our clothes and got much needed showers. There's an all you can eat spaghetti dinner tonight. Yum! The outstanding weather continues. Almost 80 today.
Date: 2007-03-28
From: Neels Gap

To: around Poplar Stamp Gap
Miles today: 13.5

Another day of beautiful weather, around 75. There was some threat of showers, but so far none yet. We had several tough climbs and descents, the worst being a short climb up some cliffs above Tesnatee Gap. Some beautiful views were the reward. The hostel and spaghetti dinner last night were fine. We learned in the morning that we had some uninvited guests - mice! I left two packs of oatmeal out in my boots and when I got up there were tiny holes in them. Another hiker said he heard mice under him, so that mystery was solved.The big news is that Ron got a trail name last night, Tonto. It is from a funny joke he told that is not really suitable for mixed company. We've been hiking with Gold Wing, Farmer and some others whose names I can't recall right now. Tomorrow we have some stretches that look like they might be challenging from the topo map. One is a 1000 foot drop into Unicoi Gap and then straight back up 1000 feet.As I finish this up, it has just started to rain, the first of the trip.
Date: 2007-03-29
From: Poplar Stamp Gap

To: Steeltrap Gap
Miles today: 14.0

Several substantial ups and downs today. It was a bit murky in the morning, and in the p.m. the fog really rolled in and the temperature dropped. We went a little longer today than we originally planned to make it easier to get to the hostel and town tomorrow.Tonto (Ron) and I agreed that last night I had a true Laurel and Hardy experience. I was just finishing up yesterday's entry that exclaimed about the good weather when I looked down and saw a puddle of water forming below me. We had a 30 minute shower about 7 p.m. and the roof of my tent got inside the floor, allowing the rain to pour in. I got it fixed quickly and used my bandanas to mop up the water. No real harm but a few things got a bit soggy. I need two more tent stakes for the side to hold the roof out. For now I am using dead twigs, which work fine. When I get to town I may get some light tent stakes.The saying goes that if you don't like the weather just wait, it will change. It's been quite hot for late spring until this afternoon. Now it's pea soup fog so thick that it hits the trees and falls on the tents like light rain. Temp is about 48 - 50. We're tenting at this informal campsite with Gold Wing and Jim. GW is a prospective thru-hiker and Jim is out for a section, having done a thru a few years ago.
Date: 2007-03-30
From: Steeltrap Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: broken clouds

A short day today to the trailhead at US 76. Tonto had a maildrop at the Blueberry Patch Hostel about 3 miles away. We tried to hitchhike for about 20 minutes and shortly had our choice of rides from two nice ladies. One of the managers of the nearby Cloud 9 hostel offered to take us there, even though it is a competing hostel. Instead, we accepted the offer of the wife of someone whom we had met yesterday, Gator from FL (guess who they are rooting for in the final four!). She was at the trailhead waiting for Gator. Thanks Mrs. Gator!!The Blueberry Patch is run by a wonderful Christian couple named Gary & Lennie. They have a great facility with bunks, towels, showers and breakfast, plus THEY DO YOUR LAUNDRY FOR YOU!!. They also have two cats, goats, donkeys and sheep in the back. They don't have a set charge, but just take donations. What a place!!! Gary is going to take us into town to resupply and get an all you can eat dinner.
Date: 2007-03-31
From: Dick's Creek

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

AYCE at Daniels in Hiawasee for $7.50 was great. We were told it was easy to hitch back to the BP, but after 45 minutes we were starting to get desperate. I was calling Gary to come and pick us up when we got a ride from a college student heading back to Berry College. The only word for the breakfast this morning at the Blueberry Patch is decadent. I had 6 pancakes, 2 pieces of sausages, about 2 scrambled eggs, 2 biscuits, 2 glasses of oj and 2 cups of coffee. Then Gary took us back to the trailhead. Great place, great people. We were later than usual getting started, about 9:20.We only did 11.6 mi. today, but it was tough. We crossed into North Carolina today at Bly Gap. The first two climbs in NC were quite tough, probably the worst so far. We decided to stay in the shelter tonight because there is a good chance of rain tonight. We're sharing it with 4 other people and 3 dogs. One of them is Bubba, who talks a lot about how pheramones are the cure for everything from juvenile delinquency to homosexuality. Tomorrow may be the first rain day of the hike.