morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-20
From: Toms Run Shelter

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter, Pa
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today, I was very glad to see two groups of girls ¢ maybe 12 in each group- on extended backpacking trips on the AT. The two groups couldn¢t have been more different, however.The first group had gear more or less piled onto backpacks, everything haphazardly tied on. They were sleeping in tents protected by a layer of visqueen plastic thrown over the fly. And, they were hiking, strangely enough, in cotton flannel pajamas. A big storm was brewing. And these girls were going to be out all week. They were the backpacking unit of a Mormon camp. I kept wishing their leaders had simply called one of the ATC clubs to get some help with basic backpacking skills before going out. As it was, the potential for disaster was very high.The second group was ethnically diverse and very together. Someone had obviously taught the girls exactly how to load their packs. They were obviously enjoying the outdoor part of being outdoors and were interested in what they were seeing.
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA

To: Darlington Shelter (After Boiling Springs, PA)
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was unusual because of terrain. Almost all day I walked along the edges of cultivated farm fields; mostly corn, but also wheat and other things. Until the last mile, there were also no hills. But the last mile also had an excellent viewpoint to see where we had been: mildly rolling terrain, 3 interstate-size highways, barns and silos, very plain salt-box houses.Earlier in the day, I had walked into Boiling Springs, perhaps the prettiest town of the whole trip: Georgian-style houses around a lake and park land.All this flat terrain does not mean easy hiking! My feet are very sore, and completely numb on the bottoms from repetitive pounding. This is a standard thru-hiker complaint.
Date: 2007-06-22
From: Darlington Shelter, PA

To: Clarks Ferry Shelter, PA (After Duncannon)
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

For some reason, I manage to end up at the most rocky, technical ridges at sunset, exactly when I shouldn¢t be there. I planned to stay at Duncannon tonight, but I did my laundry, ate some ice cream and kept walking. We cross the Susquehanna with the freeway; I thought the trucks would blow me off the bridge. That put me on the afore mentioned rocky ridge at sunset. Duncannon is both shabby and pretty. The AT is routed through a back street with plain row houses almost busting into the road.Extraordinarily, three different sets of older women came up to me in Duncannon and expressed admiration for my hike. It impressed me how assertive they were in saying so. Thank you, Women of Duncannon!Hawk Rock, before Duncannon
Date: 2007-06-23
From: Clarks Ferry Shelter

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: clear sky

I took this morning off to nap and rest my legs. I also had to go through my pack and decide what to toss at the next opportunity. I normally do this in town, but since I passed through Duncannon without intending to, my pack has all kinds of things in it that needed to be weeded out, like 15 days of Gatorade, 60 tea bags, 153 aspirin, and 3 liters worth of powdered milk. Normally, extras like this go in the ¢hiker box¢ in town. Thru-hikers can help themselves to things in the box. Or else, I mail extras to myself for later. As it is, I am stuck carrying this extra stuff. And it is heavy when you add it all up.
Date: 2007-06-24
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

Shortly after I started out this morning, I came across some trail workers (thanks guys!) who reminded me that there were some rattlesnakes on the rocks in the trail near Shikellimy Overlook.By the time I got there I was with Hungus who was very eager to see them. I was not. Well, we saw one. It was very sedate. Then, just as I jumped to avoid a second one, Hungus yelled at me, ¢No, SILVER!¢ Too late, I landed right in front of a third one, which was by now all coiled up and rattling fiercely. Momentum carried me forward, and luckily I was out of range.Then I hiked and hiked and hiked ¢ thank you, trail angels, who left the soda in the stream near PA 325. I passed through the remains of old mining villages, and here I am tonight on what seems to be a pile of coal. I was unable to find the shelter (owing to incorrect data) and have no idea where I am exactly. But I have water and a roof and that¢s all I need for now.Transcriber note: Jennifer McGarrahan (Low Branch's wife) allerted me to the fact that Silver had snake trauma by telling me about Hungus' journal a couple of days before I received Silver's update. The following is his snake tale: "I took a short nap at a viewpoint until Silver showed up. She and I walked the next mile together and when we got to Shikellimy rocks we found a note on the trail warning of rattlesnakes. It said to go down hill from the rocks. I was about to head that way when I spotted a rattler under a rock downhill from me. I decided to go the normal way and cautiously walked on. I was in front of Silver and turned around and realized that I had just come about a foot away from one coiled under a rock to the left. I tried to warn Silver, but she panicked and the snake started rattling. She then ran to where I was and we watched the snake from a distance. A third snake was nearby as well and rattled at me when I took a step in its direction. I felt like Indiana Jones dodging all those snakes. Paranoid that there was death awaiting under every rock, I hiked on." Low Branch, Jennifer and Catchup
Date: 2007-06-25
From: Campsite

To: William Penn Shelter (before 501 Shelter)
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: mist

The story of today was that I had to hike dreadful trail ¢ overgrown, poison ivy, rocks ¢ for 7 miles with NO water. That¢s 3 12 hours of hiking. It was very difficult to maintain focus ¢ because of the rocks, you have to watch every step ¢ while dehydrated. The inevitable happened, and I took a really bad fall. I thought for sure I had broken something, either my shin or my knee cap. But everything still seemed to work, and I had to get to a water source.I have now spent my evening re-hydrating. I have already had 2 liters of lemonade and will have to continue drinking a lot tomorrow until I¢ve recuperated from the dry spell. At least our water source here is a good spring!Wm. Penn Shelter by Rangoon
Date: 2007-06-26
From: William Penn Shelter, PA (before 501 Shelter)

To: Campsite, PA
Miles today: 9.6

Today, I was not enthusiastic about hiking. Pennsylvania has become tedious and boring. And the heat is overwhelming. Andy I¢m spending longer on this stretch than I planned.So . . . I spent the mid-part of the day resting at the 501 Shelter. That shelter has a cold shower (a rarity), and there is a pizza place nearby that is willing to deliver.~ ~ FREE . I ordered myself a pizza (first time in 35 years). It would feed me several meals, and, since I had little food left in my bag, and town was still 25 miles away, this meant I¢d have enough oomph to make these miles.You have to be very alert in Pennsylvania when hiking, because a momentary lapse can cause a very damaging fall (millions of rocks all seeming to point upwards). Being low in calories was going to be a very dangerous prospect.
Date: 2007-06-27
From: Campsite, PA

To: Port Clinton Pavilion. PA
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: few clouds

Today was perhaps the most tedious, boring relentless, disabling trail of the whole trip. My only mission was to make it to town in one piece.I did. But that was far from the end of my day. It was 9:30 p.m. and a violent thunderstorm pulled in as I was walking through town. Lightening zig and zagged just a few yards away. I knew I had to let go of my trekking poles and was lucky enough to find a bus stop shelter, where at least I seemed safe.Port Clinton allows hikers to sleep in the town pavilion. When I got there ¢ with lightening still flashing in the background ¢ I found a party in full swing. There must have been 20 or 30 hikers thoroughly enjoying themselves (all 20 somethings) with whiskey, beer, snacks, and food of every description. The event occupied most of the pavilion. To my benefit, they were quite happy and eager to provide me with whatever food I needed. I had none left in my pack.A retired judge (Grasshopper) and I assertively grabbed some floor space and went to bed. I was soon asleep. The party continued!
Date: 2007-06-28
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: ZERO DAY
Miles today: 0.0

My feet and legs: 3 twisted ankles, massive lumpy bruise on left shin, smacked right knee cap, rock-blistered soles. Day of rest. Ha!Readers: I need Sudoku puzzles. The hard ones. They can be clipped from the newspaper. Thanks!Silver will be picking up maildrops in:Fort Montgomery, NY 10922 (mile 1389) ETA 7/14/07Kent, CT 06757 (mile 1452)Salisbury, CT 06068 (mile 1485Dalton, MA 01226 (mile 1555)Manchester Center, VT 05255 (mile 1637)Killingotn, VT 05751 (mile 1690)Send to Judith Engle ("Silver")Please Hold for AT Thru-HikerGeneral Delivery
Date: 2007-06-29
From: Port Clinton Pavillion. PA

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

Yesterday, while I was hanging out at Port Clinton¢s Pavilion ¢ all the previous night¢s hikers had returned to the trail ¢ a man I didn¢t know came looking for Low Branch and next thing I knew I had an invitation to ¢slack¢ with a group of very compatible people.So, today, my pack was taken by car to the Eckville Shelter, and I could hike with just snacks and water. I covered 15 miles ¢ the day¢s destination ¢ by 1:15 p.m.! Normally, I would have been hiking until dark. I am hiking with old friends Ziploc and Nitro and new friends Catchup, Bonafide (and her dog), Spirit, and Raincheck. Catchup¢s husband, Richard (a man of many kindnesses and full of nice surprises) figures out where to meet us with our packs. He should be nominated for a Genius Award.All those Pennsylvania rocks? They were much easier without a pack!Plus, the invitation to ¢slack¢ with this group is apparently for 4 days and not just one! That will get me out of Pennsylvania altogether!
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: light rain

Heck, these rocks are torture even without a heavy pack! I continue to enjoy my new companions, and have time to spend with each of them on the trail. We still managed to hike all those miles by about 4:00 p.m. This means we must have got up early, right? Those of you who know me will realize how delightful hiking with this little group is when you hear that I got up at 4:53 a.m. and I was the first one up. Miracle! One of the unusual things about this group is that four of us are solo women hikers. There are very few all told on the whole trail, and it¢s astonishing that we all hike at about the same pace and were all in a clump on the trail.Ziplock, Nitro, Spirit, Skiman, Rodney, Silver
Date: 2007-07-01
From: Campsite

To: Harold LiebermanÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Backyard
Miles today: 21.1

The highlight of today was the climb out of Lehigh Gap. It went straight up, hand over hand climbing. The most amazing sight was three over-50 women scampering up these cliffs at an alarming speed! Tonight, though, may be even more amazing. Catchup¢s husband, Richard, arranged for the four budget-conscious of us ¢ Ziploc, Nitro, Spirit, and myself ¢ to sleep in someone¢s yard, since this would make convenient pickup and drop off of our heavy stuff, so we could continue to hike light.Harold is letting us sleep beyond his trailer, next to his shed. In return, we tell stories and Ziploc plays his guitar. Harold hasn¢t had so much excitement for a long time!Front row: Silver, Catchup, Nitro, Ziploc ~ Back: Rodney, Raincheck, Skiman (Catchup photo)
Date: 2007-07-02
From: Harold's Backyard

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: overcast clouds

By the time I got up this morning, I was already exhausted. My feet were tired, my legs sluggish, and both ankles twisted over and over. I knew I should be resting, but I had more than 20 miles to make it into Delaware Water Gap.There were rocks everywhere, mile upon mile of 1-2 foot size rocks, point upward, interrupted by piles of big boulders. I finally came to a stretch that looked like an old road. This meant I could stretch my legs a bit and make up some time. But no, a few feet into this piece, a 600 pound bear waddled onto the trail in front of me! I backed off, expecting it to see me and waddle back into the woods. But no, he began white-blazing like the rest of us. He strung me along for 2 miles! He kept looking behind to check and make sure I was still there, eat a little bit, waddle some more, taking his time! Ha, ha!
Date: 2007-07-04
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: light rain

After checking my boots last night, I found that the soles were completely worn down, coming unglued, and falling off in chunks. This was after only 400 miles of wear. It put me in quite a fix, since today is the 4th of July, and I probably couldn¢t get replacement boots. What to do? What to do? I got some super glue, stuck what is left of the soles back on the boots and headed back to the trail.It was cold, windy and a thunderstorm was imminent. The Delaware Water Gap parks were packed with Latin American picnickers. The trail was getting into my hiking groove because curious tourists kept stopping me.When I was finally done with all that, it began to pour. Sections of the trail were crowded with vegetation up to my shoulders, so I was soon soaked all over. And, with my worn shoes, I was sliding everywhere.No opportunity for fireworks tonight. It is foggy, wet, and cold. Welcome to New Jersey!!
Date: 2007-07-05
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Brink Rd Shelter, NJ
Miles today: 14.3

It has been said that there are bears in New Jersey, but my experience today made that seem what an understatement.I set off this morning in wet boots, wet socks, and wet just about everything else. When I could, I spent some time on the phone with the boot company ¢ Garmont ¢ and they are addressing the problem with my boots.I had just finished that little chore, when I rounded a corner and heard a roar! I turned heel immediately and walked back for a piece, turned around, and there was actually four cubs, two bigger ones and two smaller ones. And the mama bear, who was quite clear I wasn¢t to come closer. I took my time, and she eventually let me go by.Within half a mile, two young bears popped out of the blueberry bushes beside the trail.By now, I am quite bear-weary and I still have 50 miles of New Jersey still to go.Mmmmmm, so good to eat!
Date: 2007-07-06
From: Brink Rd Shelter

To: Gren Anderson Shelter, NJ
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today, I am completely uninspired, so I spent extra time eating and sleeping in the hopes that my energy will return.I was just sitting here at the shelter waiting for the glue on my boots to dry, when along came Bonafide and her dog "Bone". I was glad to see them, and we have a plan to head for the same destination tomorrow. This gave me a good excuse to stay here tonight, get my stuff all dried out, and eat some more! Photo taken by Uncle Tom!
Date: 2007-07-07
From: Gren Anderson Shelter, NJ

To: Private Property
Miles today: 18.3

Tonight, I am settled in on a beautiful private property, obviously the site of an old homestead. There are rich, wide meadows, and a few old outbuildings. The lilies are in bloom and are drifted along the access road. Old trees dot the meadows. It¢s hard to imagine we¢re in New Jersey!There is a hilarious aspect to all this. Two donkeys live here. They are brothers. They are old enough (14), I am told, to know better, but they fight all the time.
Date: 2007-07-08
From: Private Property

To: Episcopal Church Basement, Vernon NJ
Miles today: 13.6

Today didn¢t turn out remotely the way I intended. It was very hot (and I can¢t deal with the heat) and I was easily distracted. And there were some fairly unique distractions, like the couple who stopped as I hiked along a road and asked if I¢d like a cold drink. Well, yeah!But then there were the butterfly-counters I came across. Apparently, today is the day for the national butterfly count. I chatted with them for a while. Then, underneath a tree I came across a very tired butterfly-counter who decided it might be more interesting to show me 5 different species of orange butterfly in a very small area. You can tell by this little adventure that I spent quite a bit of time not putting boot to pavement.Soon after that came a delightful section of trail: a mile-long boardwalk zig-zaggin through wetlands.After all this, I came to a portion of the trail that goes straight up a cliff (Wawayanda). Right then, I bumped into Castanets, whom I hadn¢t seen for 2 months, and he convinced me to not go up the cliff so near to sunset.So, here I am, at the Episcopal Church hostel. I¢m going to have to do some big miles to catch up with Bonafide, Ziploc and Nitro.Boardwalk photo by 357 MagnumBirthday photo of Castanets by BooBoo
Date: 2007-07-09
From: Episcopal Church Basement, Vernon NJ

To: Campsite before Warwick, NY 
Miles today: 10.8

It has become insanely hot, and water is scarce. The terrain is difficult: boulder climbing.Shortly before noon, I ran into a group of women out for their ¢Monday hike¢ in Wawayanda State Park. Of course, we got talking. One thing led to another, and I found myself accepting an offer of lunch at the home of one of them. Two of the other women came along as well.What a treat! We had a picnic beside a pond encircled by drifts of lilies. The food was perfect for a starving hiker: fresh fruit salad and a plate of fresh vegetables.We didn¢t have to walk to the pond, either. We were driven aboard a bright red golf cart with Longhorn horns embellishing the front.After our picnic, we got a tour of the property.This was such a great break during the heat of the day, when it wasn¢t going to be smart for me to be hiking.Episcopal Church Basement
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Campsite before Warwick, NY 

To: Campsite before Arden, NY
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

It was 90 when I woke up this morning and 106 at 11:00 a.m. That was when I reached the Creamery on Route 17A. In addition to the heat, the Creamery was our first water source for miles.Eight of us sat at a picnic table drinking water and eating ice cream for 2 hours. Then we hiked 2 miles to the next ¢water source¢. No water! We cooled off some more. We hiked 2 more miles to a ¢waterfall¢. Barely a trickle here.You get the picture. The heat has escalated our water requirements for higher than is available. So, we can¢t hike through this piece of trail with any kind of efficiency until the heat wave abates."The Appalachian Trail: ~~ a whole lot of hanging out...with a purpose."
Date: 2007-07-12
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: West Mtn Shelter, NY
Miles today: 8.4

Because of last night¢s storm ¢ I had to shelter earlier than planned ¢ I was left with the prospect of just too many miles to hike into Fort Montgomery today by 5:00 p.m. for a mail drop at the post office. This means I had to kill some time today and get there early tomorrow. And I¢m the lucky one! This is the dearest day of my entire trip. Right now I¢m making tea at a shelter that I¢ll bet very few thru-hikers come to, because it¢s quite out of the way,(.6 miles off the trail).Straight ahead, a mere 30 miles away, I can see Manhattan, every single skyscraper, it¢s that clear! Below me to the left is the Hudson River, pleasure boats, sailboats, and barges dot the water. Behind me, out of sight, the cannons of West Point are booming. Evidently, this year¢s plebes are getting in their workouts.New York Skyline from Black Mtn
Date: 2007-07-13
From: West Mtn Shelter, NY

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Tonight, I am at the most serene of places, A Franciscan Friary above the Hudson, which allows hikers to shelter in the Ballfield Pavilion. Everyone looks forward to coming here, and not just for the outdoor shower: it¢s such a privilege to be provided for on this sacred property.I spent a good part of the morning talking to tourists on Bear Mountain, dashed into Fort Montgomery for a mail drop, hiked through Bear Mountain State Park, Bear Mountain Zoo (the trail goes right through it and is the lowest elevation on the entire AT), and yes, across Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River. Crossing major rivers on historic bridges by foot, for me, at least, is a highlight of the trail experience. I alternately held my hat on and returned waves from cars whizzing by.Bear Mtn BridgePond in Bear Mtn State ParkDeer in Bear Mtn State Park
Date: 2007-07-14
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

To: RPH Shelter, NY
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

No more dawdling. This was a lot of boring, tedious, uninspiring, up and down miles.However, at dusk I reached this shelter. I¢m the only one in it. Slinky Dog are tented outside. And since they got here before me, they had a chance to order pizza. I got the leftovers.But Slinky was very glad that I shared some Sudokus with her. Thank you readers! Frog just west of the West Mtn Shelter
Date: 2007-07-15
From: RPH Shelter, NY

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: scattered clouds

This was another late night. I got in at 9:30 p.m. ¢ left at 8:30 a.m. ¢ which means I did some night hiking. I don¢t like to hike at night (I can¢t see anything even with a headlamp), but I end up doing so perhaps twice a week. I often have to hustle to beat the darkness, though.However, today was broken up by a side trip to a deli near the trail. This was an excellent deli, unlike anything I had experienced, but since this is New York, I guess I should have anticipated how wonderful it might be. There were boxes of crusty fresh rolls and bagels, fresh cookies, and donuts, subs, and sandwiches. I ordered a ¢Real Man Wedge¢ which provided me lunch and dinner!
Date: 2007-07-16
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: NY 22 Appalachian Trail RR Station 
Miles today: 3.1

Yes, the Appalachian Trail has its very own railroad station. On weekends, the train stops here and you can go into New York City. Seems a little strange when you¢ve just hiked here from Georgia.I am really, really tired, so it was very timely that a family of trail angles (The McConaghys) had offered to host me in this corner of the trail. And what wonderful hosts they are!I have showered, done laundry, dealt with my problem boots, dealt with my ripped pack, picked up mail, and done NORMAL things that aren¢t on the trail: exactly the kind of rest I need!
Date: 2007-07-18
To: Kent, Conn
Miles today: 0.0

Transcriber note: I received an email from Silver today which read: "I managed to connect with the Trail Angels on the NY/CT border and am staying at their house for a couple of days. Good timing, too, because it's pouring with rain.....SilverYesterday was history, tomorrow's a mystery and today is a gift.Ridge of flowers from previous days. "Postcard" photo by "Catchup"
Date: 2007-07-19
From: NY 22 Appalachian Trail RR Station 

To: Ten Mile Shelter, CT
Miles today: 9.6

I returned to the trail this morning after almost 3 days of rest, thanks to a wonderful family of trail angels. Rob - Kate - Charlotte and Ailene, how can I thank you? I had been just plain weary and it was so helpful just to do something else for a few days. And to meet such wonderful people, too! What a treat!Back on the trail, I found myself scampering between shelters to escape thunderstorms, but finally put in - earlier than I planned - at Ten Mile Shelter. At one point, I actually took refuge under a trail sign that had a little roof. It kept me dry for an hour or so. But here I am, and, interestingly enough, there is a Jesuit Priest from London at the shelter. He is a specialist in the psychology of religion at the University of London, so I have been peppering him with questions about Carmelites and Cistercians and Abbeys and priories. It's amazing who you meet on the trail!Rain beading up on Sassafras leaves after Kent, CT