morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-13
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up to...NO rain! Yippee! By the time we got packed up, most everything was dry. Of course, that's not saying much for us. Actually, we were on the Trail at 9:00.   The Trail was pretty uneventful today. Handy Andy was pleased with the gentle hills. He was tickled to find a little dead snake. Which he threw at Cricket. He claimed he was trying to spare her walking the 20 feet back to see it. She'll speak to him again...some day.   We had a nice break at the snack bar. We sure are roughing it. Snack Attack came by doing Trail Magic. Mr. Journey was also there with food. He had just dropped Journey off in Waynesboro. We're glad to hear she's doing well.   We had the chance to talk to more tourists. So many people are so interested in what we are doing. Handy Andy just loves talking to them, as do we girls.   It looked like the storm clouds were gathering again, but we couldn't delay getting going any longer. Sure enough, it started raining on us. It was short-lived. But the thunder started rolling. And it was getting louder. Cricket made tracks for the shelter, diving in just as the rain started falling again. Sassafras and Handy Andy weren't far behind. They ducked into the shelter just as the deluge started.   Looks like we'll be alone tonight. Everyone that was at the shelter last night was planning on doing 23 to a hostel. Tomorrow we'll head for Front Royal, but not before celebrating Handy Andy's 100 mile mark!
Date: 2003-06-14
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was a beautiful night once the rain stopped. We ended up being the only ones at the shelter and there was a gorgeous full moon. Today was Handy Andy's last day on the trail with us. He did an amazing job hiking; we are so impressed. When you consider all the circumstances--he's never backpacked before, he's 72 years old, and he's a cancer survivor, you have to admit the guy's pretty tough!   Hiking today was great fun. Dad couldn't wait to hit the 100 mile mark! Cricket made a "100" on the grond out of sticks and took a picture of his feet next to it. Then we all did a silly "100 Mile Dance" in celebration. His official AT mileage total is 107.1--not bad, Dad!   We got off the trail at US 522 and hitched ride into town in the back of a pickup truck just as the rain started! Hot showers for all and Chinese food for dinner with Cousin Mike (who came to rescue Dad) and Sean-O (who was staying at the same hotel as we were). Dad, thanks so much for sharing our adventure with us! We love you and Happy Father's Day :)
Date: 2003-06-15
From: Front Royal

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: moderate rain

Happy Fathers Day to all you dads out there! We got our chores done: laundry, shopping at the nearby Exxon station, finding fuel, and repacking. Because we were so busy we missed breakfast and had to settle on Dunkin Donuts and bagels. Tough times. By 11:00 we were on the Trail. We'd heard from Sheepstuff that we'd encounter an area with deep mud. It didn't take long to find it. Sassafras was leading the way. It looked like there was no way around it. When the mud oozed up over the top of her shoe we said a collective "Yuck!" To make matters worse, the muck was collecting from a zoo research area. It smelled like exotic oriental donkey poop. Nice way to start our day.  We forged on, sometimes opting for the poison ivy and tick infested grass and woods. Fortunately it wasn't raining on us. Apparently it was raining somewhere, because there was a stream running down the Trail from time to time.  The day wasn't all nasty. We stopped at the very nice Jim and Molly Denton Shelter for lunch. It even had a nice deck with furniture. We also met several families out enjoying the challenges of the Trail. How do those parents get their kids out on these hikes? Cheyenne, Fighting Mouse, and Strider Wing are a dad and his two young teen sons. They were on their first day of a 60-day trip. Good luck to them! After stopping at the snake-infested Manassas Gap shelter for dinner, we pressed on for a few more miles. With our late start, it made for a long day. We were glad when we reached the trail to Dick's Dome. After a slick descent and a tricky stream crossing we got to see why it's called Dick's Dome. It is a quasi-dome shaped building. More like a yurt. Covered with roofing shingles. Hmmmm. We opted to tent.
Date: 2003-06-16
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

It didn't rain during the night, yippee! We managed to get out of camp by 8:30ish and made plans to do a big day to get to the hostel. We were all feeling the need for a shower after slogging through all that mud. Well, today was much more of the same. I've never seen so much mud in all my life! The ground is super saturated now so when it rains, there's just nowhere for it to go. We crossed streams to get to streams!   The big challenge for today was an area called the Roller Coaster. It's a 9-mile stretch of continuous ups and downs. It was quite a workout! The reward was getting to the Bears Den Hostel which meant a hot shower, laundry facilities and Ben&Gerry's ice cream! It was tough but we made it. Now Cricket is conniving with Sean-O to get me to do 20.5 tomorrow so we can get into Harpers Ferry a day early! What to do, what to do? My feet hurt tonight, but an extra "zero" day would be nice to rest up before Jim gets to H.F. on the 20th. Guess I'll just have to sleep on it.
Date: 2003-06-18
From: Harpers Ferry

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This is the end of the Trail for me. I'm not sick or injured. I know I could make it to Maine, but I'm choosing not to.    One thing I've learned while on the Trail is that it's not what you are doing that matters, it's who you are spending your time with. In my case I've chosen to spend my time with my husband.   When any of us undertake a trip like this, we ask our loved ones to make a big sacrifice. We often say we can't do a trip like this without the support of friends and family. True as that is, even with their support it's tough. It's hard for those of us on the Trail. It's even harder for those left behind.   The Trail has been a wonderful experience. I've loved the woods. The scenery has been outstanding. The views from Siler Bald and the Smokies in the snow are etched in my memory forever. I've enjoyed the challenges of the hills, rock scrambles, snow, and long miles. I've SO loved spending time with my big sister. So many times I've been to wonderful places and have exclaimed how I wish Lorna could be here to see this. I'll never forget how good it felt on our first day to have her there to share the excitement of being on the Trail.   The people will be what I'll remember most dearly. There's a special bond that forms between people that share a common experience of this magnitude. Even so, it could never eclipse the bond between a husband and a wife.    Maybe I'll be back some day to finish the trip. Time will tell. For now, I want to be with my husband. I'll shed a few more tears, but some of them will be tears of joy.   Not to worry about Sassafras. Her husband has missed her, too...so much so he's going to finish the Trail with her. "Bump" will arrive tomorrow evening and they'll hit the Trail together on Saturday. Pretty cool. They may both need some words of encouragement, so be sure to send your best wishes to them via the guest book.   To my Trailmates, best of luck to you. Have fun and enjoy the experience. God bless each of you with a safe journey.Brenda
Date: 2003-06-20
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

Our last zero in H.F. We made a visit to the outfitter and got a new pack for Bump. After all, a sherpa needs a good pack, right? Just kidding, I fully intend to continue carrying my share. :) We had a chance to have lunch with Sean-O, Wizard, the AT Boonies and a Sobo we just met named Stickey Wicket. One more sad farewell. :(Then we went to ATC headquarters and had Bump's picture taken and info put in the book. It's official, he's a hiker!
Date: 2003-06-21
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

It's the first day of summer and the first day of thru-hike, part 2. Flying Cricket caught a ride to the airport with Sass and Bump's son, Zac at 6:00 a.m. I miss them both already.   We had a few errands to do and then hit the trail. Bump looked so excited to finally be hiking. It reminded me of that day in March SO long ago when Cricket and I started at Springer. He was all fresh and clean and carrying new gear. Any guesses how long before he looks and smells like the rest of us?   The weather co-operated and the trail was fairly easy. We crossed the footbridge into Maryland and Bump scored his first state right off the bat! As we followed the C&O Canal towroad, we saw a weasel and a small box turtle. Go figure, Cricket and I were out here forever before we saw any interesting wildlife.   We made a short lunch stop at a shelter and then pressed on to the next one. We caught up with In and Mem at Gathland State Park just as we started to hear thunder rumbling in the distance. We all decided the next shelter was going to be it for the day! It was only about a half-mile, but the race was on. We pulled into the shelter just as the rain started!    There was a very "unique" fellow there cooking his dinner. We all chatted for a little while (as we each decided we were not going to stay in the shelter with him) as the rain continued to fall. When he donned 10 trash bags in lieu of a sleeping bag and the rain let up a bit, we put on our packs and headed back up the trail in search of a campsite. We found a great spot, threw the tents up and dove in just as the next downpour hit!    Hey Bump, welcome to my world! And Cricket, it's still raining--any other suggestions?
Date: 2003-06-22
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Well, it rained all night but was only cloudy and dripping when we got up. Bump survived his first "night in the wild" even though I made him eat tuna for dinner :)   Today turned into an awesome day! We leap-frogged with In and Mem, Sparky and E-dogg all afternoon. We scored some trail magic, too. We had stopped at a backpackers campsite that had restrooms (flush and TP), running water and picnic tables. We thought that was great! Then this guy comes off the trail and asks if we were thru-hikers. When we said yes, he said, "Well, I've got hot dogs and drinks about 200 yards up the trail. Come on up." Didn't have to ask us twice! We passed the word to Sparky as she emerged from the ladies room and to E-dogg who arrived as we were packing up. Our host was Bug Man, whose son and daughter are hiking. He's heard so much about the kindness people have shown them, that he wanted to return the magic. In and Mem had passed thru ahead of us and told him we were coming, so he stayed later than planned. How cool is that? Thanks so much Bug Man! And In and Mem, too!   We visited the original Washington Monument today also. It was very interesting--shaped like a giant milk bottle--and offered a wonderful view from the top. Bump got to see his first mother deer and fawn this afternoon. And, when we got into the shelter, 2 young men who hiked the trail last year stopped by with bottles of Gatoraide and carried out any trash we had! Did I mention the sunshine we enjoyed this afternoon? Oh yeah, and the most gorgeous orange sunset this evening! As I said, it turned out to be an awesome day. The only thing that could have made it any better would have been to share it with my Flying Cricket.
Date: 2003-06-23
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Devils Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 12.7

The sun was out in full glory today, so it got warm. We had a couple of good climbs, so Bump got a workout today. Yesterday he had said, "Just a walk in the woods." This afternoon at a road crossing he said, "If Zac (our son) pulled up right now, I'd probably jump in the car!" Don't tell him, but I would, too!   The climb took us up near a beautiful lookout from a huge rock formation. Bump actually went the extra way to climb up for a look. Not me, if the steps don't get me closer to Maine, I just don't go there anymore!   We finally dragged ourselves down to the shelter and found a relatively flat spot for the tent. Hopefully Bump won't spend the whole night sliding down to the bottom of it :)
Date: 2003-06-24
From: Devils Racecourse Shelter

To: Antietam Shelter, PA
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

We awoke to another sunny day--what's up with that? We had made ambitious plans last night. We needed to get to Pen-Mar Park and then into Cascade to pick up a package from our daughter, Sara. Of course, since Rocky's Pizza is right on the way, we would have to stop there for lunch. We also hoped to pick up a few supplies at the local store and then back to the park and hike on to Deer Lick Shelters.   Well, we managed to get on the trail at 9:30 and got to the park in good time. We asked the caretaker, Bill if we could leave our packs in his office since it was a 1.5 mile hike into town. Bill was happy to oblige and told us about a shortcut to the post office. He told us to go down the trail to the railroad tracks. When we saw the Legion building on the right, go to the blinking light and turn left. There would be the PO.   Well, off we went, down the trail, onto the railroad tracks and on and on...no legion building. Sass remembered seeing a house with a big flag on it way back at the start of the tracks. Could that have been the legion? Did Bill say follow the tracks right or turn right at the tracks? We were sure he said "follow", so we kept going. Our feet were now hot and hurting walking on the tracks and rocks. There was still no sign of civilization as far as we could see. We finally decided to turn back. When we got to the road where the flag was, it turned out to be just house. Fortunately there was a man working on his truck and Bump asked him for directions. He said, "Follow the railroad tracks..." Bump said, "Can we just get there by the road?"   Anyway, we finally got there, got our mail, ate pizza and walked back to the park. The convenience store we passed ended up being a liquor store, so we'll go to plan 2 tomorrow. We're not desparate yet :)   When we got back on the trail, we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line (yeah! North!) and then the Pennsylvania border. Bump can put 3 states on his AT resume now!   When we got to Deer Lick Shelters (there are 2), they were mud bogs. We decided to push on the extra 2.5 miles and are happily camped by the stream at Antietam Shelter.
Date: 2003-06-25
From: Antietam Shelter, PA

To: Caledonia State Park
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: few clouds

We woke up to another sunny day, so it was up early to get a good start. The day was warm and Sass and Bump started with a big uphill climb. We did mostly ridge running with some ups and downs that offered alot of great views of Penn.. And because we're on the A.T., they threw in few boulder fields to cross just for fun. Bump got to see his first big snake, a 4-foot black snake slithering his way across the path. We got a big surprise around lunch time; E-Dogg found a big cache of trail magic-- cold soda, water, juice and goodies. We got into the State Park and headed to the concession stand first thing. Cheese burgers, fries and jumbo cokes, yum. Now we're showered and relaxed and just trying work things out so that we don't end up in Boiling Springs on Sat. afternoon and miss the post office.Oh yeah, we ate our first wild blueberries today! We've been waiting and waiting for them to get ripe. Worth the wait :)
Date: 2003-06-26
From: Caledonia State Park

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: few clouds

We've set a new record--5 straight days with no rain! Did I take a wrong turn somewhere and accidentally get off the AT? Cricket would say it's because she finally got the message and went home. I believe it's because Bump is here :) Since he started hiking with me, we've had not only sunshine, but more trail magic than ever, beautiful trails, and tonight a brand new shelter! Life on the AT is pretty good right now.   Pennsylvania has been very pretty so far. The woods are lovely with mountain laurel still in bloom. If I hadn't changed my boots and developed blisters on my baby toes, we could probably be doing some big-mile days. Bump is doing very well; his feet and back are holding up just fine. He seems to be enjoying the company on the trail--meeting new people and sharing experiences. By now, everyone has great stories to share and he loves listening to them. We have wonderful company tonight--O.F.F., Nothing Decent and Slaughter. The shelter overseer came in this evening to apply some protective sealant to this great new shelter and Bump helped him. What a guy!   Today, we thought about trying to get to Pine Grove Furnace, the official halfway point, in time to celebrate my 50th birthday. 19.6 miles was a little too far for us, so here we are! Tomorrow we'll get there and celebrate with the traditional half-gallon of ice cream. I don't think I can really eat a half-gallon, but I'm willing to try. I'll let you know how I do :)
Date: 2003-06-27
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Iron Masters Mansion Hostel
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Half-way done!! Yee-haw!!! We made it into Pine Grove Furnace in fine style doing a little better than 2 miles per hour even with the heat. Bump took my picture at my estimated half-way point, he counted steps from the road to find .1 miles after crossing PA 233. Tomorrow we'll pass the permanent marker that was put up a few years ago, but is not exact for this year. Then it was on to the celebration at the camp store: a half-gallon of ice cream! As we were picking out our flavors, we learned that Sean-O was still at the hostel waiting for us! We went outside and there he was! Did I make it into the half-gallon club? Not even close! I chose peanut butter cup ice cream (not smart) and managed to down a little more than a quart. Slaughter scoffed down her 1/2 gallon of vanilla in 40 minutes! O.F.F. made the "loser club" with me! Sean-O chowed down his cherry cordial yesterday and Soul Train rolled in this afternoon and we got to watch him down mint chocolate chip. I've never seen someone sweat while eating ice cream :)   It was a really fun afternoon chillin' and waiting for the hostel to open. Iron Masters Mansion Hostel is just that--a mansion built in pre-revolutionary times. Reportedly, George and Martha Washington once stayed here. It's a pretty cool place. Tomorrow, we'll catch a ride to Boiling Springs to pick up our mail since there's no way to make it before Monday. Then, with my old shoes back, we'll start knocking off some miles. I'm looking forward to getting into New England and possibly meeting up with our boys to hike for a day or more. Can't wait :)
Date: 2003-06-28
From: Iron Masters Mansion Hostel

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

start: Pine Grove Furnace   What a day! Our ride into Boiling Springs showed up at exactly 7:30 as promised. Robert Freeman is a long-time hiker who loves to help hikers out when he can. He took Sean-O and us to pick up our bounce boxes and mail and then to the grocery store. We picked up 4 days worth of stuff since we planned 2 short days into Boiling Springs, then 2 days into Duncannon. He dropped us back at the hostel so we could pack up and head out for our 7.2 mile day.We hit the trail with Sean-Obi Wan around 11:30. It was great fun to be hiking with him again and Bump was enjoying the company. We got to the half-way marker and did the picture thing and Sean and I "graffittied" our names on the post! Please don't tell anyone though; I don't usually do anything like that! The trail was great again with fairly easy grades to the climbs and smooth walking. The weather was excellent, too. We arrived at the shelter at around 2:30. What to do? We had made great time, and as I said, the trail was pretty easy. We all decided to push on to the next shelter--a mere 8.2 miles north. Bump was low on water (I was too), but the spring was .4 miles down. We decided that Bump would go ahead to a little convenience store only .2 miles off the trail up ahead. What a plan!Off we all went on our merry way. Bump got to the road and tucked his pack into the poison ivy there for safe keeping. Sean-O and I got to the road and waited for him. Being the nice guy that he is, he brought us back ice cream sandwiches. We finally got across that road and started to climb. And climb. And climb some more! It turned out that we were climbing Rocky Ridge and then "AT now follows the ridge crest passing through a maze of rock formations to the east..." as the book says. It was a maze all right! Over, under, around, and through giant boulders and rock formations is more like it! At one point we heard a girl kind of scream and a guy swearing and hollering. We thought they must be fighting or something. Bump went up front with Sean-O to check it out. It was 3 teens day hiking and one of the guys came face-to-face with a rattle snake! Much to my relief, they scared it away.    Anyway, the "maze" slowed us down considerably and so did the next couple of little climbs and rocks. We finally got to the shelter around 7:30. Whew! Our easy 7 mile day turned into 15.5 and tomorrow we'll do 18 to the next shelter! But it's all flat; the book and the map say so. We'll see :)
Date: 2003-06-29
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: few clouds

As I mentioned in yesterday's entry, we would do 18 miles today. That was not really by choice. There is no camping permitted between the 2 shelters because most of the trail is near roads and residential areas, and through farm fields and pastures. The up side to it is that most of it was flat. By noon, we had done 11 miles which included a stop at the regional ATC office in Boiling Springs. We were smokin'!   We had a bit of trail magic at a stream crossing. Someone had left a cooler with soft drinks several days before and there happened to be 3 left--just enough for Sean-O and us :) Since it was very hot and most of the streams are not potable here because of the cow pastures, it was a real treat. We are carrying extra water right now. Which reminds me, we weighed our packs at the ATC office. Bump's came in at 46 lbs and mine was 38 and I added a quart of water afterward! HEAVY!!!   For the most part, the day was uneventful. The last mile was a great climb which rewarded us with a beautiful view that stetched for miles. The local trail crew had built a stone wall with a seat right at the overlook. It really was awesome! Then it was a last push to the shelter. Unfortunately, the water source is .25 miles downhill. Bump and Sean-O walked down and the water looked so bad, neither of them was comfortable using it. We decided to forgo cooking and had tuna on tortillas for dinner so we could save what water we have left to get us to the next stream tomorrow. Could be a long, dry 4 miles, but it's into town we go! Yeehaw, Duncannon here we come! P.S. Bump hit the 100 mile mark today. Yippee!!! =>