morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-08-30
From: Medei House (Lehigh gap)

To: Allentown Shelter
Miles today: 17.5

Day 90 (Wed)Up at 8am. Worked on laundry and repacking when the zipper on the compression cap of my Z pack finally gave out. Breakfast - Wegman's cereal w/ cream (very good) and coffee. Off to outfitter around 9am to deal w/ pack. Went to EMS at mall at 9:30 and they had a medium Zpack but couldn't exchange without authorization from Gregory, who didn't open until 9am mountain time. Went over to Nestor's and picked up an Osprey Atmos 50 instead. Into Palmerton to see if anyone stayed at the jail (nobody did) and then on to the trailhead at 11:40. Hiked up to George Outerbridge shelter, wrote rebuttal to someone's "top 10 reasons the trail in PA sucks" and met a caretaker / maintainer and a day hiker Ernest out preparing for a thru hike next year. Maintainer gave me an apple and then told me to chuck the core in the fire ring (I threw it in the woods instead). Hiked w/ Ernest until around 3PM when he decided to turn around due to rainclouds on the horizon. Hiked on to Ante Oven Knob Shelter - 4pm and stayed until 5pm reading the New Yorker. Hiked on and was caught by Degoba and Blind Monkey after climbing bear rocks and taking video. Register at Bake oven knob indicated T-Rucka (brian) was going for the blue mtn inn 6 miles ahead that night and also that E.T. was thru on 8/8 and that someone (day hiker) died on the AT going into lehigh gap (fall and head injury) that day. Degoba and blind monkey tneted at New Tropol campsite (arrived 7pm), 2 mi shy of blue mtn inn (they had hiked 28 miles after zeroing at Leroy Smith shelter the day before w/ tentpole, gentleman jack and bonzo). I hiked on to the blue mtn inn (arrived 8pm) and found brian hanging out waiting for the owner to how up to get permission to camp and planning to hitch out and go home in the AM. I asked him, "so what, if you can't hang w/ Spoonman, you're just not going to hike at all?" to which he replied, "yeah, that's true." (meaning I had a point) and decided to hike on to Port Clinton. I cooked dinner (sweet and sour turkey w/ couscous - good) and Brian started hiking to Allentown shelter, 4 mi ahead. I said I would be behind him as soon as I finihsed dinner after the owners arrived and said I could tent out back. I thanked them but indicated I was going on to Allentown shelter (promised Brian). Left at 9:45 and had an easy dirt road trail to Allentown shelter; arrived 11:30pm to find spoonman and T-Rucka both asleep. In bed 12pm, after reading register where T-rucka credited me w/ "convincing" him to stay on trail.
Date: 2006-08-31
From: Allentown Shelter

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 91 (Thursday)Up at 7am to see Spoonman leave (going 22 mi into Port Clinton). T-Rucka left sometime around 8:30. Took a nap until 10am when Degoba and Blind Monkey showed up and Degoba said, "come on dude, let's go hiking!" Got up and unloaded some extra food on Degoba (2 breakfasts and 1 dinner) and let them go. Hung out until 12pm when Tentpole showed up just behind 2 dayhikers and hiked w/ Tentpole. Caught Brian just before Eckville shelter around 3pm and planned to go to Eckville for ice cream. Stopped in, but no ice cream (freezer broken). Hung out until 4:30 (Tentpole and Brian left around 4pm). Climbed up to the pinnacle, catching brian en route and arrived at 6:30. Looked for "secret cave" entrance until 7:30 and stumbled on it after giving up search and finding another smaller cave. Checked out cave w/ Brian - large multichambered cave going back 100ft that we could follow, blazed and tight w/ a few bats (took some pics inside). P.S. saw a spider wrap up a horse fly that was stuck in its web on Tuesday at little gap - just shy of lehigh gap. It was very cool.I was glad Brian was around b/c I wouldn't have done the cave exploration alone (just in case I got stuck). Caved until 8:30 (dark) and night hiked last 4 mi to windsor Furnace shelter, arriving around 11pm. Dinner - turkey w/ herb and pasta (good). Tentpole and Blind Monkey at the shelter. I assumed the 2 bodies in the lean-to were them until what I thought was Blind Monkey started talking w/ a female voice. Turns out it was a GA-NH NOBO named GoMo and Blind Monkey was tenting (blind monkey is a 27yo flip-flopper ending in VA w/ a recently completed master's in forest ecology who hiked w/ Tentpole extensively before taking a few days off, btw). Originally from Hatiesburg, MS. In bed midnight.
Date: 2006-09-01
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 92 (Friday)Up at 7am w/ plans to hike 6 mi to port clinton and wait out tropical storm ernesto w/ tenpoles grandpa and tentpole and blind monkey. Easy 6 mi into pc. (motto "any port in a storm") coined by me after reading register entries about the town not being hiker friendly. (not true). Hiked in behind blind monkey and tentpole after falling off their pace 1/2 way in. Stopped at post office for mail drop and picked up food, dreading the extra weight since I still had extra food from slatington, but the osprey carried the load effortlessly. found tentpole and blind monkey at port clinton hotel and had a bacon cheeseburger and extremely large fries and 2 iced teas ($15). Went to the town pavillion to hang out after visiting the peanut shop (candy store) where I bought about $4 worth of candy and tentpole bought about 4x as much and I remarked that he was like a kid in a candy store. At pavillion, link and easy rider showed up after brian (who we directed to the hotel for food) followed by gentleman jack. We relieved tentpole of his commitment to ask his grandpa to take us in after he lamented how he felt guilty sprining this on him at the last minute and fretting about the cramped car. Back to the hotel to hand out w/ jack, link, easy riderand blind monkey after securing permission to camp at the pavillion for the night. Expected to find Brian there as well, but he was MIA. Bonzo showed up at the hotel and we did $1.75 drafts of ?? lager and yogid 1/2 a philly cheesesteak. (split w/ blind monkey). Lin's gfP showed up at some point (recent grad - new hs english teacher in MD). Back to the pavillion where link and his girlfriend bid us good night and left and a good time was had by all. Pitched tent on a mattress in the corner of the pavillion. In bed 10pm.
Date: 2006-09-02
From: Port Clinton

To: Eagle's Nest Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: moderate rain

Day 93 (Saturday)Up at 8am. walked .4mil to 3c's restaurant at 9am with jack, easy rider, blind monkey, and bonzo, only to find them closed due to power outage. Waitress offered us homefries and creamed beef and let us in. Turns out they were able to prepare everythng except breakfast meats and I had a hearty breakfast of eggs, french toast, homefries, toast, juice, coffee, and chocolate cake w/ peanut butter frosting and ice cream. They even fed bonzo's dog, Rio. Back to the pavillion where some guy told us we had to move out b/c they were having a party, so we packed up (Tropical Storm Ernesto not hitting very hard anyway) and hiked on. Hung out at the historic railroad for a while and hiked on to eagles nest shelter, clearing a few small blowdowns along the way. At eagle's nest, round degoba who had zeroed there for the storm along w/ jack, easy, blind monkey and 2 female section hikers (crinkle and liz) believed to be a couple. Dinner - beans and couscous w/ herbs (decent). 2 weekend hikers showed up and tented and good times were had by all. Fell asleep listening to one of the weekenders telling a very loud, long, and rambling story about some local french and indian war massacre. In bed 8:30 and asleep 9:15.
Date: 2006-09-03
From: Eagle's Nest Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 94 (Sunday)Up at 7am for a leisurely morning. Breakfast - granola on trail 10am w/ Jack (last of everyone). Easy hiking on flat but slightly rocky terrain. Caught up w/ easy around noon and stopped for lunch. Reached a cool view w/ many turkey buzzards flying around and hung out a while. Passed several day hikers including some menonites from lancaster who didn't know E.T. (apparently there's a lot of menonites in lancaster). Fell off Jack and Easy's pace after giving Jack my cell phone so he could order pizza from 501 shelter. Reached 501 around 5pm just in time to see jack bringing in a sausage pizza and 2 liter pepsi. Split that w/ him and decided to call it a day. Met the caretaker who offered us extra food (we didn't need any). Tentpole showed up around 7:45pm. In bed 8:30.
Date: 2006-09-04
From: 501 Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: few clouds

Day 95 (Monday)Up at 3am and caught up on 5 days of journal backlog. Back to bed and up for good at 8. Hiked 1st 5 mi from 10 - 11:30am to William Penn shelter (personal speed record) on easy terrain. Passed 1000 mi mark just before noon (no marker) had lunch at a scenic overlook w/ many turkey buzzards flying around. Fell behind Jack and Tentpole in the afternoon, but caught them at an iron bridge just after passing under I81 around 4pm. Tentpole wanted to hitch into Lickdale for Dairy Queen and Jack and I agreed to go along. Tough hitch w/ Tentpole's "hiker to town" bandana not helping much, but we had a yogi'd backup ride from some dayhikers planning (hoping) to do the AT when they retire. Hitched into Lickdale, but the line at DQ was long, so we ate a pizza from Sbarro (split 3 ways) while waiting for it (the line) to go down. I had a moolatte from DQ; tentpole and jack had blizzards. Hitched back to trail around 6pm and did the last 6 mi in 2 hours, stopping briefly to throw a log across a stream to cross w/o changing shoes or getting feet wet (jack got his feet wet - crossed before we thought of the log and called me and Tentpole pussies). Arrived at shelter around 8pm passing tenter "solitary man" on the way in. At shelter, met NOBO "can man" (would-be thru hiker who took off too much time in the summer due to heat - now planning to hit DWG and finish in sections). and the sorceress (aspiring thru hiker out for a section w/ can-man). nice shelter built into ground (rausch gap shelter). In bed around 8:30pm (can man and the sorceress had a nice fire going - our first since VT). Also, shelter had a spring running 5ft from it. Very convenient.
Date: 2006-09-05
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Clark's Ferry Shelter
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: moderate rain

Day 96 (Tuesday)Up at 7:30 - nobody else moving, so I went back to sleep for 1 hour. Jack and tentpole wanted to push 28 mi to Duncannon to stay at the Doyle, but I was feeling tired and lazy after yesterday's 6 mi in 2 hours x 2. On trail slightly before 10am having skipped breakfast (only had oatmeal somehow) in order to keep option on Doyle open, after Jack offered me some cliff bars. Maintained a 3mi/hr pace for about 45 min and then fell behind Jack (tentpole started about 5min ahead of us). Reached rt 325 at 2pm (hiking in light drizzle) 11 mi in 4 hrs. Reached Peters mtn shelter 6.5mi further at 5pm and met NOBO section hiker G.R.U.M.P.(GA-WV '05). Retired minister and former airman w/ PTSD; gave me an apple. (I initially stopped at the original shelter built by Earl Schafer before realizing there was a brand new one 20ft behind it.) Left Peters' Mtn at 6pm and reached rt 225 (3mi) 7pm; Clarks Ferry shelter at 8:30. Fog made night hiking very difficult. Visibility around 5ft and had to carry my headlamp in my hand to prevent glare from the fog from blinding me. Saw easy rider at the shelter and cooked up some sweet and sour chicken jack had abandoned at rausch gap (very good). I picked it up despite still having 3 dinners b/c I love sweet and sour. Easy cooked up some knorr beef lo-mein (2nd dinner for him - he'd been there since 5pm and reported Jack and tentpole came by around 6 and I made some pistachio pudding w/ oreos for dessert. Read journal containing many great stories about good times at the Doyle in Duncannon. In bed around 10PM.
Date: 2006-09-06
From: Clark's ferry shelter

To: Justin's house (From Duncannon)
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 97 (Wed)Up at 8am; had some chai tea courtesy of easy rider. Spent a leisurely morning catching up on journal. Breakfast - oatmeal. On trail 11am. Easy descent into susquhame valley - crossed river on clarks ferry bridge and had a pleasant walk through the town of Duncannan and stopped at the community library to check email and take advantage of free drinks and snacks. Over to the Doyle hotel (100y.o. Anheiser-Busch hotel) around 2pm and found jack and blind monkey w/ tentpole and degoba Had a bacon bleusheeseburger w/ fries and yuengling ($2.25 / 22oz) and got my picture taken by Vicki and looked thru the picture book. Found 3 hikers younger than tentpole (probably not thru-hikers). Tentpole and Degoba hiked out around 4pm (start of happy hr and 90cent drafts for 11oz). Drank a few more, played the jukebox and ate a cheese steak. Grand total for 2 meals and 88oz of beer: $27. Called Justin around 7pm and apparently had a mixup on days, but he came to pick me up around 8:30. Met SOBO Supernova (started 7/5?) from nova scotia but now living in dawson city, canada - hiking w/ caveman (a different one than the one I met in MA(younger)) and small pot. Met Justin around 9pm after talking w/ Cleatis on cell and went back to his place for a few more beers, watched last of the mohicans, did laundry and took a shower. In bed 1:30am.
Date: 2006-09-07
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: few clouds

Day 98 (Thursday)Up at 7am to help Justin do tile work on a property he is flipping, on the road 7:50. Place needed paint, so we spent the day painting instead. Lunch - subway. Painted until around 3pm and went back to Justin's for gear (remembered to freeze the water) and then back to trail. At the Doyle, met small pot (sobo) and got on trail around 5pm. Got an orange creamsicle from the Mobil mart. Stopped into cove mtn shelter around 6:30-7pm (very nice) before hiking on to Darlington shleter (talked to Carlos and Kellee while hiking (separately)). Nice full moon night hike across some open fields (didn't use headlamp). Reached Darlington shelter around 11pm (11 mi from Duncannon). Met nobo "kevin" (real name) planning to finish in November (minus katahdin). Jack woke up to eat some more food. Easy rider and link also in the shelter - blind monkey tenting. Dinner - tuna helper. In bed 12pm.
Date: 2006-09-08
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: few clouds

Day 99 (Friday)Up at 7am. Breakfast oatmeal cookies w/ date filling from walmart, on trail 7:45am (1st one out). Stopped at Scott Farm for a break 9:30 - 10am and got passed by link and easy rider. Flat terrain across cumberland valley farmland. Easy hiking, but a bit on the hot side. Lost the bite valve to my platypus just after crossing I81 and blind monkey caught me while I was looking for it. Abandoned the search and dumped my 2L platypus into the 1L and hiked w/ blind monkey to the middlesex diner on us11 for lunch. Lunch mac n cheese w/ fries, iced tea and cottage cheese w/ apple butter and clam chowder (all good). Blind monkey had a ruben. Hiked on w/ blind monkey to Boiling springs, talking about forest fire, invasive species, and land managment. In boiling springs, caught up w/ easy rider and jack. Picked up mail at post office and hung out from 2:30 - 6pm at the ATC office and park w/ the boiling spring, where we watched a bunch of sketchy H.S. kids running around. Had a lemon slushie before leaving boiling springs around 6pm (group of 4 weekenders also passed by). Started T storming on hike out. Passed a group of 4 tenting to leave us the shelter (nice of them) and reached Alex Kennedy shelter around 7:45 pm. Dinner sweet and sour chicken w/ couscous (good) In bed 9:30pm. Jack and blind monkey w/ me. Easy tented somewhere past the shelter.
Date: 2006-09-09
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Pine Grove furnace state park
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: few clouds

Day 100 (Saturday)Up at 7am in bed until 8. Leisurely breakfast - granola w/ leftover chocolate pudding (good). Last on trail around 10:30am. Hiked alone most of the day. Stopped at green mtn store and deli for ice cream after passing 4 weekenders (same ones from yesterday) at whiskey spring. Had a chocolate eclair and topped off water. Easy terrain day again. Reached pine grove furnace around 5pm and hung out and ate some lunch and then walked up to the store where jack and blind monkey were doing the 1/2 gallon challenge (eat 1/2 gal ice cream in 1 hr to celebrate passing trail 1/2 way pt passed a few miles back). Got sucked in and did it (they only had fro-yogurt in 1/2 gals, so I did 1 pt ea vanilla, choc, mint, and cookies and cream). Finished in 50min 37sec, about 8 min faster than jack and blind. Afterwards, stopped in at iron masters mansion (built 1827) and saw secret cellar used in underground rr and watched some video about lightweight backpacking. Tent camped at park w/ jack and blind in a campgrounds.
Date: 2006-09-10
From: Pine Grove Furnace state park

To: Rocky Mtn Shelters
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 101 (Saturday)Up at 7am, another leisurely morning. Had dinner for breakfast since skipped dinner last night (full from 1/2 gal ice cream). Thai peanut sauce from Backpacker's pantry - very good. Also 1 of Kellee's brownies (also very good). On trail arond 10am fell behind jack but caught him at toms run shelters (blind monkey ahead of us) and met local sectioner w/ lots of piercings (jack said he looked like he would rust in the rain). Took a quick nap and hiked on after Jack and the sectioner (I'll call him Rusty) left. Caught them again at birch run shelter around 2pm and stopped for lunch. Hiked on behind jack. Rusty stayed at birch run. Also a family speaking french (I think) was having a campfire nearby. We didn't talk to them. Passd miesbunn cabin and saw some people packing up and caught jack hanging out w/ some local college kids from shippensburg U. (1 business major, 1 psych major)doing "homework" in the woods. Had a brief discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of globalization and hiked on. Reached Quarry gap shelter around 5pm. (the one w/ the gravel and hanging geraniums and decorative ducks). Met the innkeeper and read the register. Snacked on some sausage and pb and honey. Hiked on to caledonia state park and filled up water (register at quarry gap had a note from tentpole saying he was slowing up to wait for us a the 4 state challenge). Went in for pizza at us30 (taormina's Ny style pizza) split 1/2 sausage 1/2 ham with Jack, pitcher of root beer, garlic bread and corn fritters. Totaled $36 and we asked the waitress if she was sure and she said "yeah watch, I'll ring it up again" and it came out to $24 and she said "good thing I checked." Yogi'd a ride back to trail (.3) after packing up 4 slices from a nice guy in a crew cab pickup back on trail 7:20 and hiked last 3 miles mostly after dark and reached rocky mtn shelters around 9pm (terrain a bit rocky for ideal night hiking). Saw 2 women - 1 starting a PA-GA section hike and one out for a week w/ her. Blind monkey at the other shelter told us how he yogi'd lunch from the people at the cabin and had a steak n cheese sub at the pizza place and had been in since about 6:30 (23 mi day). In bed 10pm. Read journal entry from chunky (scooter) about how he was leaving trail at VA and wanted a word to describe his accomplishment other than "section hiker", like "almoster". I wrote back, how about "quitter."
Date: 2006-09-11
From: Rocky Mtn Shelters

To: Pen-Mar Border
Miles today: 14.9

Day 102 (Monday)Up early; raining out and cold. Stayed in bed a while and ate 1 slice leftover piza and 1/2 blind monkeys white bean chili. Had to do 15 miles to penmar rd to meet jacks 'rents (target 3PM) but Jack called them and gave them a heads up that we would be running behind due to rain. Back into bed until 10:30 for a nap and caught up on journal. On trail 11am. Ran into lefty and pyro around 11:45 (hadn't seen them since Monson - back when pyro was known as Josh). Talked for a few minutes and hiked on due to need to meet jack's 'rents. Lefty and pyro passed me and I caught up w/ them again at tumbling run shelter where we had lunch (blind monkey, jack, me, pyro, lefty, the 2 women christy and ?? and brains (of brains and brawn) filling in skipped sections to complete a NOBO thru hike - we met him at rocky mtn shelter when he stopped in before we started hiking). Passed Antietam shelter and met tentpole at deer lick shelters around 3:30pm. Hiked on to pen-mer rd behind jack, tentpole, and blind monkey after leaving a 2 page rant asking next year's nobos not to whine about the rocks of PA to every passing sobo they met. Met jack's 'rents at pen-mar rd around 5:30 and went out to dinner w/ them and jack, tentpole and blind monkey. Dinner at blue bonnet restaurant in Waynesboro, PA (I had "real" turkey w/ stuffing and cranberry sauce, salad and reece's peanut butter pie for dessert). After dinner, back to penmar rd to stealth camp, after a quick pharmacy stop for insoles (superfeet shock absorption not quite adequate). in bed at 9PM. P.S. Jack's 'rents also picked me up a replacement hose and valve for my platypus (thanks!)
Date: 2006-09-12
From: Pen-Mar State Line

To: WV-VA State Line
Miles today: 44.0

Day 103 (Tuesday)4 state challenge day. Up at 3am and out to Jack's 'rents at 3:30. Dropped overnight gear and had quick breakfast of bananas and muffins, loaded up on GU and gatorade and started hiking at 3:50. Passed pen-mar park in short order (pics). Reached US77 (8mi) at 6:45 for 1st break w/ jack's 'rents. 2nd stop at 10am at US40 (18mi in) had cold cut sandwhiches; passed george washington monument and saw a ton of migrating birds. Reached reno monumnet rd around 12:30 and took 1/2 hour break. Reached Gapland Rd around 3PM and ate more coldcut sandwiches. Last break of the day at gapland rd. 5:50 pm after stopping at Ed Garvey shelter to read Chunky's (Scooter's) farewell to trail message which included the phrase "Imagine thunderous applause as I say something witty here". Hiked along C&O canal and stopped to pick pawpaws before crossing the Potomac River into Harper's Ferry. Took side trail to ATC headquarters in fruitless search for restroom before hiking on to cross Shenendoah river around 8:40pm. Crossed rt 9 at 8pm and reached VA border at 8:15 and back down at 8:30. Jack's 'rents ordered us in Italian Food and got us a room at the comfort inn where we showered and did laundry. (chicken parm). In bed - 11pm.