morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-23
From: Toms Run Shelter

To: Rocky Mountain Shelters
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I confused many people I met on the trail today that didn't know about my plans for this week of hiking south to Harpers Ferry. Yes I am a thru hiker and no I did not start in Maine. I was pleased to meet several northbound thru hikers that I had become separated from, either ahead of me or behind me.I saw Sunshine and Marathon man taking a break at Birch Run Shelter (I had not seen them since the night of the severe thunderstorm). I also met a new German couple thru hiking. I greeted Toothbrush who ate dinner with me at the Italian Pizzeria in Harpers Ferry. I passed Flinch whom I had not seen since NOC. Also Mad Jac passed me (I last saw him when we entered Shenandoah national park). I met TBird in HF and saw him today.I passed Cowboy who stopped to give her dog a rest. She is a German lady I met at a campsite before SNP but got ahead of here after Waynesboro because she stayed three nights at the Grace Lutheran Shelter. I don't know why, but it always makes me happy to see her. Maybe because she seemed so happy to meet me the first time because she had seen my name in shelter journals but I was always a day ahead of her.The trail is quite different here than where I last hiked in WV. Because of flip-flopping fast forward I didn't experience the usual gradual change. The creeks are called runs and the three I saw today were crystal clear with white sand and rocks on the bottom. There are less long climbs and more relatively level walks. Sometimes there are heaths, some in the conifer forest and some in the hardwood forests but not many large trees.I was happy to pick my first blueberries on the trail today growing in isolated spots by roadways where the forest canopy was missing. This morning the wind was calm but that was okay because the temperature and humidity were down. It was the quietest hiking I remember. I could hear a few birds but the traffic sounds were gone and the sound of airplanes and jets was missing for awhile. Even when a jet went over it was so high it was barely noticeable. (I was always near some airport coming up through VA.)The Mountain Laurel was on its way out further south but still bearing lots of blooms here with their delicate aroma.I passed the old half way point and the official 2014 halfway point today but it didn't count for me since I have several miles in Maryland to go back and cover after getting back from my son's wedding.I can't hear a creek tonight but there have been occasional breezes to create a sighing in the tall trees in front of my shelter.There is no one at my shelter yet but I can hear voices and smell the wonderful aroma of woodsmoke wafting up from a separate campground down the hill.
Date: 2014-06-26
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Harper's Ferry High Street
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I planned to only go to Ed Garvey Shelter, a distance of about nine miles, so I started later in morning. I noticed after hiking for awhile that I would reach the shelter by around two o'clock and I started thinking about some phone calls I needed to make, and other things I needed to get done in Harpers Ferry. By the time I got close to my planned stop, I had talked myself into going the rest of the way into town.I ate a leisurely lunch at the War Correspondents Monument at Gathland State Park under the shade of a huge linden tree. The Civil War interpretive park is an oasis for hikers with water, electricity, bathrooms, benches, shade and a garbage can during the day. (A walking tour recounts the battle for South Mountain.)Since at least half of the 15 mile hike today followed an old road bed, I was able to cruise along engrossed in my thoughts. The only notable thing about the forest today was the number of squirrels. Perhaps the no hunting rules along trail in Maryland accounted for their abundance. I also found my first snake skin on the trail. I'll say it's a rattlesnake but it could be any kind I suppose.When I got near the Potamic River, canoeists were loading up their gear after their trip down the river. A lady stopped me and asked if I were an AT thru hiker. She got very excited and asked to have a picture made with me stating that I was the first thru hiker she had met. She was visiting her from Israel. She apparently had heard a lot about the trail. I remember times over the years when I was excited to meet and talk with hikers whenever I chanced to meet one while on vacation anytime near the AT.I stopped for a rest-break at the AT Conference headquarters on my way up the hill to the Teahorse Hostel. Since it was a hot strenuous climb with my backpack, I was ready for a couple of their really cold 50-cent sodas. They also provided some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and an apple.I went to the Convenient Mart for milk and had 2 bowls of granola left over from my food pack for dinner. I met a family of three at the hostel who had bicycled from Pittsburg, PA on the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal. They were on their way to DC. Toots and Navigator, thru hiking sisters from Maine, compared and contrasted life on the trail with the cyclists' experiences on the bike trail. It is unlikely I will ever see any of them again but I was happy getting to know them for the short time we were together.
Date: 2014-07-07
From: Jamaica

To: Harper's Ferry - Teahorse Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I arrived back in Harpers Ferry at the Teahorse Hostel after a 34 hour journey from Negril, Jamaica. The lowest price fare back to DC was on Copa Airlines with 4 hour layover in Panama City, Panama. The plane from Mobay to Panama City had more amenities than my United flight to Jamaica with a video screen on back of the seat in front of me. There was a menu to choose from a variety of movies and music to watch and listen via headphones.This was my first experience of being in a country where the citizens spoke only Spanish, especially in the restaurants. How did I do? Let's just say, I didn't go away hungry as I sampled the local food. (It was truly an international airport with people passing through from both North and South America, the Caribbean and Europe.)The plane back to DC from Panama City wasn't quite as nice as the first leg, but I could have watched a movie on the overhead screens. I spent my my time reading a posthumous publication by Kurt Vonnegut, mostly about prisoner of war experiences in WWII Germany. We were provided a full meal but each portion was tiny, I felt like I was getting my rations in camp. I'm not complaining, because the chicken, rice and vegetables were better fare than POW camp food. But the feeling was compounded by being stuck by the window and trying to not let my claustrophobia take over.I arrived at DC 12:30 AM today so I spent the morning eating, sleeping and reading in the terminal until the buses started running. I checked on a shuttle to Harpers Ferry but it cost far more the the amounts I paid on public transportation. My fares were $3.00 bus + $2.95 subway + $5.50 MARC commuter train.After checking in to the Teahorse Hostel I went next door to the Canal House Cafe with six other hikers for dinner. It was a refreshing time with organically grown local vegetables and an international company of hikers. (Two were German and one was Australian.)I declined to look at the desert menu since I had a Hershey Almond Bar waiting for me at the hostel. The others ordered but soon the waiter returned and announced that they were out of what they wanted. He offered instead fresh blueberry cobbler. I tuned into that conversation very quickly and said in that case I will have a dessert. I had extra ice cream with it also, provided by one of the lactose intolerant hikers who couldn't eat theirs. Once again, I enjoyed the serendipity of the AT.
Date: 2014-07-08
From: PA 233 near Pine Grove Furnice State Park

To: James Fry Tagg Run Shelter
Miles today: 7.5

Laurel, the owner of Teahorse Hostel surprised me at breakfast with a batch of fresh blueberries to go with our waffles. I also got a break today by getting to share the cost of a ride back to Pennsylvania. My destination to start the hike was Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I found out why the word furnace was part of the name. There had been an iron furnace on the site. The General Store at the park is the site of the half gallon ice cream eating challenge. I have been traveling and relaxing, not backpacking for 10 days so I am not in shape today to eat that much ice cream. I did get 2 scoops of Denali Moose Track ice cream.Next I visited the Appalachian Trail Museum and enjoyed hearing the caretakers tell hiking stories and looking at the relics from early pioneers of the AT.Then I continued my northward trek for a mere 8 miles. I started too late in the day to reach a more distant shelter. As I arrived at James Fry shelter and lay down for a rest. a family of three from New Orleans, but now living in Houston, were camping as part of section hiking the AT they do every year. In spite of all the conversation, I slept undisturbed by the sounds but most importantly there were no biting flies or mosquitos.The hikers asked me a couple of times if I were staying or going on. After the nap I looked at distance to next shelter and at the weather report and decided to make it a short day. There was a severe thunderstorm watch for my area with warnings already to the west. Eventually, the storm came through but wasn't as severe at the shelter as it could have been, because we were on the lee side of the ridge.I was talking to Mama Bear from Alabama and she asked me my plans for the section coming up with limited camping. I had not looked that far ahead and had no plans. I called David, one of my former students living in the area and he agreed to pick me up at Boiling Springs. Now I have a plan.
Date: 2014-07-10
From: PA 174 ATC Mid Atlantic Office

To: US 11 & 15 PA 274
Miles today: 25.2
Weather: broken clouds

Today I got to slack pack a 25 mile section of trail. I walked out of Boiling Springs to where the trail diverges into the woods with Mama Bear from Alabama. I did fifteen minute miles for the first 4 miles going through farms but eventually the terrain began to get tougher as I went into the woods. It felt refreshing to go sailing along the trail without the 35 pound backpack. I enjoyed traveling by streams for a change and listening to the sounds of the running water.The climb across Blue Mountain was quite pleasant. However, Cove Mountain was quite difficult with 4 miles of rocky traveling. I assumed this to be a preview of the rocky section ahead. I had blueberries and almonds for snacks today provided by my hosts. I texted a friend today to let her know I was thinking of her and she said she had just picked some blueberries for me. I replied, it looked like it was going to be a blueberry day.
Date: 2014-07-11
From: US 11 & 15 PA 274

To: Near Kinter View
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: few clouds

Duncannon to "camping site" about 17 miles.David, my host, served me a bowl of blueberry-strawberry Irish oats with good home-brewed coffee. Then he drove me back to my stopping point from yesterday at the Sunoco. Somehow, it doesn't seem so drastic as when I get dropped off by the side of road on the woods. For me nor the driver. I went in the convenience store to to get one more day of supplies. I was thinking I would get day four but bought a fresh sandwich and Pepsi for lunch.It took an hour to get through the village and across two bridges and a railroad track to get to the woods. (Juanita and Susquehanna rivers). The trail started right at the edge of a big bluff and I couldn't imagine how that was going to work. It started with some steps but turned into a path shortly that had been dug out from the hillside.It was such a strenuous climb, my legs got tired. After a while I past the bluff and began to mount the ridge by mostly climbing on rocks. I passed a man and woman both running the trail on their way back down the bluff. I couldn't image myself running down that steep hill with a bluff straight down if I missed a step. But experienced trail runners make descents look like a dance.Once, I missed a turn in the trail and climbed 50 ft up a rock pile before realizing there were no white blazes to see where to go next. I backed up and picked up the correct path. As far as I'm concerned there cannot be too many blazes through the rocks and boulders. It was quite a few rocks until I got to Clark's Ferry Shelter. Once, in order to get down a rock, I took my pack off and lowered it over first. I was glad I did because the wet stones were slippery, and it was a bit of an additional drop-off if I lost my footing.I met Birdshot, a section hiker just getting ready to get on the trail after spending the night even though it was 11:00. He got his name because a dead pigeon was discovered outside the hostel just as he came in. I said that was appropriate for him because he was shooting footage of birds for the Audubon Society. He thanked me because he had not thought of that.After my lunch at the shelter, most of the trail was just a nice pathway to walk on with only occasional rocks.I cooked dinner and secured water at the next shelter, Peters Mountain shelter, then went on a few more miles to pitch my tent for the night.A few minutes before sunset, Pilgrim came into the campsite and set up his tent, so I will not be the only person here tonight after all.
Date: 2014-07-12
From: Near Kinter View

To: PA 443, Green Point, PA
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: light rain

Last night's camping site was a good choice because it was on the ridge top with a good breeze to make a cool night. There was just enough wind when taking the tent down to have to hold on to it after pulling out the stakes. It dried out as I was taking it down and I didn't have to struggle with it to keep it from blowing away.The route today went into a remote valley and I lost phone service as well as the sound of traffic. Much of the time the trail followed an old road or train bed which made for easy walking. I passed an old coal mine settlement that reminded me of home in southeastern Kentucky with the waste coal and slate scattered around. The water from that area apparently has sulfur or iron oxide in it, coloring it yellow. I got one quart of it in case I had to use it.I heard a thunderstorm to the east in the afternoon but it went the other way as I expected it to do. However about three another storm developed right over my head with a drenching rain. I tried the no rain coat option and definitely got cooled off. Even though it stopped raining, I continued to get more water on me from the trees dripping and brushing past wet bushes obstructing the path.I stopped at the first camp site I came to because I was both tired and wet. I set up the tent right away, drank some yellow water and had a snack then went to sleep, even though it was early. The water had no smell nor bad taste, so I was glad I had it after all. (The creek was muddy from the rain so didn't want to drink it.)I had planned on a campsite one more mile beyond but I was stymied by the creek. The shower had it running high and the rocks were covered. There was also a large tree to cross on, but it was wet and looked slippery. My shoes were starting to dry a little so didn't want to wade the creek. I could have gone back to the road crossing and followed the road past this obstacle but I did not want to brush back through all those wet bushes again. I would sleep on it and solve the problem tomorrow.
Date: 2014-07-21
From: Lehigh River

To: PA 33 Wind Gap PA
Miles today: 20.7

The climb up the bluff out of Palmerton overlooking the Lehigh River was the toughest I ever undertook. It was hand over hand climbing from boulder to boulder. Most steps were no more than two feet up except for a nearly four foot rise. However, the grade was so steep, one misstep could have sent me tumbling down ten to twenty feet at least on the rocks. To say the least, I was very careful, taking frequent rest breaks in order to avoid a mistake. Also, I made frequent pauses to spot the route necessary to follow the white blazes.As I was easing my way up the bluff, I was thinking how it might be an analogy of the process of going through treatment for cancer. One misstep and it could all be over. For example, the treatments can damage the body's normal immune system to the extent a common cold can become critical. Also, there are decisions to be made and no easy answers. The white blazes were my guide but they were not always readily visible. The blazes showed the route but not where to find the next foothold. What are the white blazes for the cancer journey? Not in any particular order I thought of doctors, nurses, friends, research, and spiritual resources.After reaching the top of the bluff, the climb was milder and easy hiking. I had to pass by the juicy ripe raspberries and blueberries due to the possible contamination of zinc and heavy metals as result of the zinc smelting plant that operated for years in Palmerton. I was told that 20 years ago this was a totally bare hillside that is responding now to efforts of re-vegetation. I saw rabbits and turkeys, so they seem to be enjoying the environment.I was thankful for three things today. 1. Today that it was not raining because some of the stones were very smooth.2. I was slack packing and had very little extra weight.3. I was ascending rather than descending.Later on in the day, I caught up with another hiker and asked her how she managed the climb. She related that at one impossible looking part, she became so overwhelmed she just sat down. She said ,"I must have sat there for thirty minutes before a man came by and asked if he could help. I said I could use some help with my pack." I thought about the times I had help to get through difficulties from the unexpected in life.
Date: 2014-07-23
From: Millbrook-Blairstown Rd CR 602

To: Brink Rd Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I enjoyed a breakfast at the Water Gap Diner. I had the scrapple with my eggs but decided I liked sausage better. I also got a cup of coffee and was ready to hit the trail. Michael picked me up at nine and by ten I was at the trailhead.Right at the beginning the Hunterdon NJ trail angels were providing trail magic. I had just had breakfast, so they wrapped me a hotdog to go along with a boiled egg and a can of Sprite. Those would be lunch because my food bag was down in the middle of the pack and I had thought I would just skip lunch.Near the beginning of today's walk was a place in the guide marked "swamp", but when I passed I noticed the beavers had built a dam and created a four foot deep pond.I had some good views along the way which usually involved seeing a pond or lake, that I assume were created by the glaciers. Or they may have been made by a meteor.The weather report called for 91 degrees today so I factored that into my decision to only go ten miles for the first day back out in a while with my full pack.I began to notice some of the rocks sweating like a glass of ice water. They were as wet as if it had rained but it was only from the humidity. They all sang me a song, "I'm not your steppin' stone." They would have been risky to step on. However, I failed to notice one large flat slightly sloping stone--it looked dry. As I was picking my self up from the weeds on the side of the trail I saw from my my closer vantage point that it was dripping wet. This time my right knee was jerked to the right. (Once it slipped forward and once backward under me.)It seems that when the rocks are sweating like that, rain is in the forecast. When I got to the shelter and checked there was a mention of heavy rain. Eventually we got some rain but I was in the dry of the shelter and lulled to sleep by the second round.
Date: 2014-07-24
From: Brink Rd Shelter

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I started my day off by trying out two packages of a new oatmeal: cranberry and almond protein. I added half the bag of blueberries, Jessica, Michael's wife, had picked for me. That was the best oatmeal I have had in camp!I planned to try to reach High Point Shelter, a distance of twenty miles for today. It was a bit ambitious but the weather for the day was cool, windy and sunny. It was an A+ summer hiking day. Also, I was well rested from the short day yesterday.I passed a sandwich-coffee shop at a road crossing and stopped for a sandwich for lunch and a coke for now since I had been hiking for two hours already. The older guy running the place would not even talk to me until I moved my pack around to the side of building out of sight. As I was doing so I saw two signs I had missed--one saying leave pack at the side and the other stating, "Don't worry about the dog, beware the owner." He was okay though after I learned the rules and followed them. When I stopped at a pavilion on a mountain top for lunch, I discovered he had piled the pastrami on thick.It was a great day of hiking with nice weather and great views. The terrain was varied from lots of rocks to areas smooth enough to speed through. I enjoyed the ups and downs which were frequent but not too long. They were just enough to make it interesting.I saw a side trail to the highest point in NJ, but passed it up In favor of getting to the shelter. For dinner I had the rest of my blueberries in oatmeal, coffee, and a moonpie from the "Joe to Go" shop.
Date: 2014-07-26
From: Vernon NJ

To: Vernon NJ
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I stayed put at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hiker's hostel to give my blister a day of healing. It improved sufficiently to walk the half mile to A&P this evening. I spent a little time catching up on my trail journal entries and washed a load of towels for the hostel.I plan to attend the eleven o'clock service here and then get a ride back to the trail and try to stay around 10 miles a day for a couple of days.I calculated where I will be. I should cross the Hudson River by the first week of August.
Date: 2014-07-27
From: Vernon NJ

To: Vernon NJ
Miles today: 0.0

I got up six am today took a shower and washed my clothes with plans to attend the service at 10 am at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Yesterday, the blister on the bottom of my foot had improved enough that I was able to stand to walk on it to the A&P grocery store. I was expecting to get five miles hiking in to the first shelter today. However after the shower I noticed my foot looking swollen. I soaked it in Epsom salts and checked the internet for a swollen foot with a blister. One response from a doctor said "cellulitis." I was given a ride to the Urgent Care Center and then to the drug store for antibiotics. The doctor was just opening so I was the first patient for today. She said to rest it for three days, take the antibiotic and soak it in salt water to see how it does.I noticed the doctor seemed to have an Eastern European accent which interests me be because I am an Orthodox Christian and many people from Romania and other nearby countries are Orthodox. When she said she was from the Ukraine, I told her I was sad about the conflict and was praying for the people. She responded that the fighting there was so unnecessary. That her people don't understand "where all this is coming from." Her mother fears her son will have to go fight in the army too. Speaking with her brought war even closer to home than CNN. I was in tears as I walked through the store and reflected on that short conversation while waiting for my prescription.