morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-13
From: Blackburn A.T. Center

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Wrong Way and I woke up on the porch of the Blackburn Center. It was early around 6:00 a.m., but I had been awake off and on for a few hours because I was a little chilly. We were both excited to get the day started. It was a big day for us--breaking through the milestones. It began to rain around 7:00 a.m. as we were getting ready. Which meant an automatic delayed start on the day. Neither one of us were wanting to get wet; no matter how excited we were. We hung out on the porch with NR-Chi, Jimmy Walker, Sycamore, and Jake. We all sank deeper into our sleeping bags as the temperature and rain fell. It was interesting to see the older generation hikers head out in the rain as all of us 20 & 30 somethings held out for fairer weather. We jokingly said something like, "when are those crazy kids gonna learn not to hike in these conditions?" Our waiting paid off and we got underway at 9:30 a.m. It turned out to be partly sunny and in the low 70's--perfect.It was a fast 3.5 miles to the David Lesser Shelter, which was a fantastic shelter. The PATC does an excellent job maintaining it. A hour & a half later at Keys Gap we decided to have lunch and drink our red wine. It was the perfect spot because as we sat next to the road; in one direction a sign read 'Welcome to Virginia' and in the other direction it said 'Welcome to West Virginia'. The wine was suprisingly good and we were soon feeling light and silly, and not really wanting to hike the 6 miles to town. We eventually gathered our stuff and began north. The trail was quite rocky most of the way---not so much fun for a couple of winos.We got into Harper's Ferry around 4:30 p.m. just as my cousin Michele was arriving. We of course decided the number one priority was to eat, so we headed to King's Pizza. We also got a look at the AT Headquarters and although I've seen pictures of it; it didn't look as I had imagined. It's wild to think we are really here. I don't think it's really sunk in. I will allow myself to absorb, feel, and marvel in this accomplishment. Too often I acheive something and instead of living in the present moment and acknowledge it I look to the future and what's coming next. I often have to remind myself that this moment is all that is real.Tonight we are in Baltimore at my cousin's. It's great to be staying with family. We love to talk about childhood memories. The one I thought of tonight was how we used to watch Solid Gold, and how I wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer when I grew up. So funny. Well, I'm exhausted...it's off to sleep.
Date: 2004-06-16
From: Harper's Ferry

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"Botanists say that trees need the powerful March winds to flex their trunks and main branches, so that the sap is drawn up to nourish the budding leaves. Perhaps we need the gales of life in the same way, though we dislike enduring them. A blustery period in our fortunes is often the prelude to a new spring of life, health, success, and happiness when we keep steadfast in faith and look to the good in spite of appearances."                                                -Jan Truax-I feel so full of emotion, yet so at a loss to express all that swirls inside me. There have been times recently while we hike along that I just want to burst into tears. Not out of pain, disappointment, or frustration, but because I feel happiness, compassion, understanding, a sense of beauty and order to this universe, this trail, this body that my spirit exists in. I feel exceedingly grateful and blessed. I feel my heart opening and see myself trusting more. With each step forward, it's as if a drum beat breaks through to a deeper level of awareness. I'm slowly letting go of my seemingly sense of control. I'm remembering how to move and weave in and out of the rhythmn of this planet with grace. Just as in everyday life, life on the trail requires moments of reflection and contemplation. Let go of the miles, the goals...are you here to conquer or grow? I feel that I have been half asleep in my life recently, but the trail is reconnecting me. Just like a foot that's fallen asleep, that has lost that fresh current of blood supply, I'm being re-awakened. It can be a bit frightening, a bit painful, but very exciting. I think too often I sensor my words and supress my emotions. I worry too much about what others will think, and I allow the shallow waters of my life to spill onto the page. It's safer, but so boring. It serves no one. I don't give others enough credit. Most people have been through the extreme highs and lows of life, so they can relate. Not everyone is quick to judge. My hike is about being honest with myself and thus others. It is about staying in the present moment. It is about reconnecting with myself, the planet, and others. It is about nourishment. Nourishing my body, my spirit, my heart, my mind, my life. I will allow those deep emotions to surface, and I will feel the enormous amount of love that surrounds me.
Date: 2004-06-17
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

¢You¢re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.¢ Christopher Robin to Pooh (A.A. Milne)What a fantastic 3 days in Baltimore! We had so much fun. It was full of so much happiness, good food and rest. Absolutely perfect. My cousin made us banana bread, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, grilled vegetables, fresh salad from the garden, chocolate chip cookies, scrambled eggs and much more ¢ all homemade. It was awesome. We also at Bar-b-que and Chinese. We saw the sights in Washington, D.C. We saw the new Harry Potter movie. Thanks Chella, Vanessa, David and little Michele! We plan on meeting up with them in N.Y.C. in about a month. Yeah!We got back on the trail around 5 PM. It was a nice easy walking on the tow path. Prior to getting on the trail, we got our pictures taken at the A.T. Headquarters. We looked at the pictures from last year. It brought big smiles to our faces to see all of our friends. We really met some wonderful, exceptional people last year who will always consider dear friends. We also got to see more of Harper¢s Ferry. It¢s a very quaint place. And apparently John Brown did something bad.Looks like we might get a brief shower tonight. I hear the thunder off in the distance. It¢ll feel great to cool things down. It¢s great to be back.Oh yes, I got a pedicure in Baltimore, son now my toenails are purple! Number one rule in hiking: take care of your feet. My feet are happy and festive! The nail tech said my feet were in great shape for having been hiking for the last month. It pays to love your feet!
Date: 2004-06-18
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Dahlgren Campground
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

We are literally surrounded by 75 or more boy scouts and girl scouts. It¢s quite entertaining, as well as overwhelming. We are at a backpacker campground that has free showers and restrooms and it¢s a Friday night (which we had forgotten about.) All that makes for a busy place. As we were eating dinner, group after unending group kept appearing from beyond the trees. It was so funny.We arrived way before the masses, around 5 PM. We got all setup and took an amazingly refreshing shower. I felt like a new person after my shower. It was so hot today that a shower made all the difference. We ate lunch at the last shelter around 2:30 PM and it was so hot I had to sit and collect myself. I was a bit overheated.We¢ll be getting an early start tomorrow. Shouldn¢t be hard with this large group.
Date: 2004-06-19
From: Dahlgren Campground

To: Devil's Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 19.0

It¢s no wonder we were so hot yesterday. We found out from a local that it was 95 degrees with 80% humidity. It all makes sense. Today was quite the opposite. It was about 80 degrees with very little humidity. It was wonderful hiking weather.A highlight of the day was crossing over I-70. There¢s a screened in bridge that says Appalachian Trail right over the highway. I-70 goes through Kansas City, so it felt like a connection to home. We also met a guy named Tom who comes out every year with a group of friends around the Summer Solstice and walks/runs from Harper¢s Ferry to Pennsylvania. That¢s a distance of 43 miles. They do this in one day. We chatted with him for a while as we ate lunch and he informed us that they had stashed Gatorade, Pringles, etc at each road crossing. He told us to help ourselves. We came to the first two roads and couldn¢t find anything, but finally the last road before the shelter we scored. We grabbed 1 Gatorade, 1 bag of Pringles, 1 Sierra Mist and 1 pretzel. It was so nice! Great way to end a long day. We also got a slice of watermelon from a Boy Scout troop ¢ a great trail magic day.Well, I¢m pretty tired. No deep thoughts for today. Sweet Dreams¢¦..
Date: 2004-06-20
From: Devil's Racecourse Shelter

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 13.2

The good times just keep on comin! Another absolutely gorgeous day. Mild temps, beautiful sun in a cloudless sky. It feels like spring.We took our time this morning breaking camp. It was a bit chilly so we gingerly started the day. No need to hurry or rush because we are on an extended vacation! We arrived at Pen-Mar Park around 12:30 and guess what, there¢s a concession stand and it¢s open. We scrounge around for money and find $2.81. Thank God! Enough to buy a hamburger and soda for us to share. What a great way to celebrate crossing into Pennsylvania, which is what we did .2 from the park. By the way, the park was so nice. There were families having picnics, live music and a spectacular view.We had to make a quick run into town because we are low on fuel and needed a bit more food. It was only a two-hour detour. Not bad for hitting the grocery store, gas station, (for fuel) and restaurant. The restaurant owner even got one of his employees to drive us the 3 miles back to the trail!We walked an easy 2.1 miles to Deer Lick Shelter ¢ take a quick break and move on 2.4 miles to Antietam Shelter. We got to that shelter about 6:30 PM and we were going to call it a day. However, another hiker came along and convinced us to walk the 1.2 miles to Tumbling Run. While we were deciding whether to hike the 1.2 or not, we noticed in the register that someone had left some trail magic in the stream. So we enjoyed a Sprite and Mozzarella stick. What an awesome day! So after a fast, easy 1.2 miles, here we are. Not bad for such a leisurely day.We had an interesting conversation with some other hikers at dinner tonight. The topic was about hiking every white blaze and slack packing. One hiker is very much a purist. He hikes every blaze with his pack. He does not ever slack pack. It¢s interesting to see the differences between hikers. I asked this hiker if he¢d ever like to color outside the lines and the answer was no. So his way works for him. There¢s order and structure and some measure of predictability to his hike. For me, I prefer to have a choice. If I want to go down a blue-blaze trail because it¢s more scenic, so be it. Or if I skip 100 feet of the trail, who cares. There is a 25 mile section we skipped near the Tye River just because we anted too. We may or may not go back to finish it. And part of me loves that we skipped it because I tend to be a perfectionist (too a point) and the fact that we skipped it bugs me a little bit, which is good because I believed the trail is all about stepping outside your comfort zone. We are hiking our own hike this year and it feels great. To each his own¢¦
Date: 2004-06-21
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shleter
Miles today: 12.2

Happy Summer Solstice everyone! What a grand day we had today. Today was also ¢Hike Naked¢ day, which happens every summer solstice. On this day hikers are suppose to hike naked. We didn¢t see one naked hiker, which quite frankly is fine with me because I really don¢t care to see a farmer tanned, chafed and pimple butt naked hiker. Scary things happen when you hike this much outdoors in the heat, and it¢s not pretty and I don¢t need to see it. So I count myself lucky.Today was another fabulous day of great weather. We spent 3 glorious hours at the Caledonia State Park pool. Ironically, we didn¢t swim because what we really wanted was a shower. So we ate hot dogs, hamburgers, and nachos and then showered and lounged. It was great. Around 6 PM we gathered our stuff and hiked 2.2 miles to this adorable Quarry Gap Shelter. The maintainer even has hanging flower baskets. It¢s so quaint and charming. I¢ve been meaning to put this next bit in my journal ever since we left Baltimore, but I kept forgetting. My cousin Michele¢s friend Vanessa was telling us about her natural childbirth because I had inquired. It really amazes me that women can give birth without drugs. Hell, I can hardly tolerate cramps¢¦.anyway, Vanessa told us the process and how she was dilated to a 3 and the pain was pretty intense and things were moving along slowly. So she asked her doctor what the deal was. Her doctor (a woman) replied in a very calm, smooth, matter of fact way, ¢First you¢re going to throw up, then you¢re going to want to give up, and then it will be time to push.¢ Of course Vanessa was like this woman doesn¢t know what the hell she¢s talking about, but it turned out exactly as the doctor predicted. Wrong Way and I think that quote can easily apply to the trail. We recite it every now and then as we hike along and it always makes us laugh. We¢ve altered it a bit to this, ¢First you¢re gonna throw up, then you¢re gonna want to give up and then you¢ll summit Katahdin!¢   Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-22
From: Quarry Gap Shleter

To: Pine Grove Furnance State Park
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: light rain

We got up early this morning and we were on the trail by 6:45 AM. It was an overcast day with mild temperatures. A few sprinkles here and there in the afternoon. It was a very pleasant hike with easy terrain, so the miles passed quickly. We arrived at the camp store in the State Park at 3 PM, way earlier than we had anticipated, which was a good thing because it poured at 4 PM.At this camp store is the infamous 12 gallon ice cream challenge. So basically hikers try to consume a 12 gallon of ice cream. We saw one guy do it and 3 other guys did before we arrived. It¢s craziness. Wrong Way Brown and I had other fun food like cheeseburger and ham and chees sandwich and 2 scoops of ice cream. Those concession stands are such a big highlight. There¢s also Fuller Lake nearby, but with the rain it wasn¢t¢ ideal swimming conditions.There¢s a hostel here called the Ironmaster¢s Mansion that¢s almost 200 years old. We got to see the secret trap door for the Underground Railroad where runaway slaves would hide. Talk about history! It was so amazing. This hostel is a large brick home that is dripping with history. You feel like you¢re walking back in time. We are camped out at the State Park with another hiker named Rael. Much cheaper than the hostel. So far we love PA and haven¢t hit those dreaded rocks.
Date: 2004-06-23
From: Pine Grove Furnance State Park

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Had a great nights sleep at the campground. It was sprinkling a little bit when we woke up this morning, but it quickly disappeared. We were on the trail by 8:10 AM. It was a gorgeous hike along this nicely graded wide path around the State Park. The trail was kind to us the first half of the day. The second half it got tougher and hotter. It¢s crazy how yesterday¢s 17.4 miles flew by and today¢s 15.5 took forever.Tomorrow we¢ll have breakfast at Boiling Springs, a 4 mile hike and then it¢s 8 miles to Super 8. We are so looking forward to a shower and bed. Good times.
Date: 2004-06-24
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: US 11, Harrisburg Pike
Miles today: 12.0

We had a horrible nights sleep in the shelter last night. A new hiker to the trail was in the shelter and he was sleeping on something that appeared to be a raft. So every time he moved it made this loud noise that woke everyone up. The good thing is we were up early because of this, so we hit the trail at 6:40 AM.We had a nice breakfast at Boiling Springs and then it was onward to the hotel, 8 miles down the trail. We were averaging 3 miles a hour because we are in a flat section of the trail known as the Cumberland Valley. We arrived at the hotel at 12:45 with the whole day ahead of us. We had lunch with Palm Tree and Boonie at a diner across the street. We got to relax and do laundry the rest of the day. Tomorrow it¢s on to Duncannon.
Date: 2004-06-25
From: US 11, Harrisburg Pike

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

What a day! The rain that was predicted never arrived until this evening. We got on the trail early, the e hike was relatively easy, we met up with Wrong Way Brown¢s cousin, David, and we got to experience the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon! It¢s been a damn good day.The Doyle Hotel is this ancient looking, urn down hotel. It¢s about 3 or 4 stories tall and has a bar on the main floor. It was built by Anheuser-Busch around 1900 and appears to have never had any renovations. It feels like a haunted mansion as you walk around in it. It¢s creepy, but so part of the trail experience. The town of Duncannon has similar characteristics of the Doyle. Drugs, alcoholism, unemployment and crime are high in this town is what we heard from a local.We arrived in Duncannon around 4:30 PM. We called Wrong Way¢s cousin who lives about an hour away. David and his wife, Dee, have been kid enough to let us stay at their house and slackpack us. Also Wrong Way¢s parents are driving up from Texas to meet us here Monday thru Thursday. So it¢ll be great to see them. David is Wrong Way¢s third cousin who is in his early 70¢s. He and his wife live very close to the trail and David started section hiking 7 years ago and has completed 600 miles of the trail. It¢s amazing the family resemblance with David and Wrong Way¢s mother¢s side of the family. I feel like when I¢m talking to David it¢s Wrong Way¢s mom because they have so many similar gestures and words. It¢s so crazy.Well, it¢s 11:30 PM and I feel delirious, so I must go. I¢ll write something coherent later.
Date: 2004-06-26
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ah, the joy of sleeping in! That¢s exactly what we did today and it felt great. David and Dee¢s house is tucked back in the woods about a half mile from the trail. The house sits high on a mountain that overlooks the valley below. Their living room has large windows in order to have easy access to the view. It¢s a beautiful house on a great piece of land.On the way to the house last night, David drove us by the State Capital and Hershey (where they make Hershey Chocolate). We even stopped by Chocolate World (yes, that¢s the actual name of it) and bought some candy bars. It was total over simulation for a hiker. There were kids and families running and yelling all over the place. So glad we didn¢t stay for long.There¢s definitely a transition period from regular life to trail life and vice versa. It takes me probably a month to fully adjust and I guess the Chocolate World experience let me know I¢m in the trail mode now. I¢m sure walking at a speed of 2 m.p.h all day and not having TV will make the world slow down. I think this is one of the amazing things of the trail--how your energy vibration is more closely matched to the animals and nature around you. It¢s such a cool thing!Last night as Wrong Way and I were waiting for David to pick us up at the Doyle, we had a great conversation with another hiker. He¢s a tall man, 58 years old, from Rhode Island. He has that dry, sarcastic wit that¢s outlined in negativity, yet you can sense that he¢s so vulnerable and kind underneath it all. He took an early retirement about 4 years ago. He was a big wig in the corporate world and had access to jets, limos, basically the finer things of life. Of course, all of this power, money, and fortune came with a price, which was he never saw his wife or kids. Before he knew it his kids were grown and the wife that he saw a couple times a month was a complete stranger. So he took an early retirement and became very ill. He managed to get better and decided to try to thru-hike the trail. What was so interesting to me was that he said his identity was his job. My Dad has also recently retired and said the same thing. I¢m sure many people feel that way, especially men. It¢s very interesting and sad at the same time.This I know for sure. You are more than your job. You are more than your salary. You are more than your schooling or credentials. You are as beautiful and vast as the stars that hang above you in the heavens. There is a reason you are here and nothing happens by accident. You are magnificent. You are wondrous. Your life is waiting for you, so wake up; it¢s time. Yes, I¢m talking to you.
Date: 2004-06-27
From: Duncannon, PA

To: PA 325
Miles today: 17.1

We got up early this morning and David drove us to Duncannon. It was great to be able to slackpack. We don¢t make better time but we don¢t feel as tired at the end of the day. It seems that the rhythm your body gets into with a full pack carries over when you have a very light pack.It was another great spring-like day. We got some trail magic in a cooler by a hiker named Spam. That¢s always exciting. Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful day. David and Dee fixed a wonderful steak dinner for us tonight. They have been so awesome! We have been getting feed so well. The shower, bed, and laundry have been great as well. Another lack tomorrow and then Wrong Way¢s parents will arrive tomorrow night.
Date: 2004-06-28
From: PA 325

To: PA 443
Miles today: 16.4

Another great day of slackpackin! Which also meant another early morning getting up at 5 AM. IT usually takes 20 ¢ 30 minutes to drive to the trail, so that¢s why we have to get up earlier than usual.We headed south today to spice things up and I can honestly say it felt different. I swear people have an internal compass; especially after heading in the same direction for a while.It was another mild day. It was actually a little chilly at 7:30 AM as we got on the trail. A gorgeous section of trail, especially around Rausch Gap Shelter. The terrain was flat with rocks occasionally, nothing we weren¢t accustomed to. The PA rocks everyone talks about must be a big myth. Perhaps they come at the end of the state, but so far we love Pennsylvania!We were making good time today, so we had to call David and let him know we¢d be finished at 3 PM instead of 5. He couldn¢t believe our pace. So much depends on terrain, but also it looked like it might rain which always lights a fire under our butts. Since we were heading south, we got to meet some new hikers, which was fun.Wrong Way¢s parents arrived this evening and we had a wonderful meal that Dee and David prepared. It¢s great to see them and we¢re so excited that they¢ll get to see the trail firsthand. We¢ll take a zero tomorrow to hang out with them. I¢m so exited to sleep in!