morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-10-21
From: Blue Mountain Summit B&B

To: Blue Mountain Summit B&B
Miles today: 0.0

(In which I take my favorite zero day)Best zero day ever. This morning Kelly and I had breakfast and a plan. The day was to be filled with fun things - after laundry and resupplying of course...The two of us love lists, so we got to work planning the logistics of laundry, resupply and fun so we could maximize the fun part. The biggest hitch in the get-along was trying to find cooking fuel. Once again I was stumped when trying to buy fuel in the form of antifreeze in the yellow HEET bottle. This stuff is in every gas station in Wisconsin and New York, but I haven't been able to find it in the last 5 states. My guess is the stock ran out by this time of year and more wont get into these stores until the temperatures drop. I had to settle for a 32 oz can of denatured alcohol from a mom and pop hardware store that charged a whopping $10 for it. I took what I needed with the plan of leaving the rest for other hikers at the first shelter I come to.After the boring stuff we went to the movies. My first trail movie! I haven't seen a preview for a long time, but I had heard about a movie called Looper a week or two ago - it sounded good to both of us. It's intense, and really dark, but definitely worthwhile to see in the theater. The opening scene has the main character practicing French via audio... okay, a cool coincidence. A minute later you find out that the name of this character is Joe... alright, crazy coincidence (that's my first name). A little later in the movie there's a pole vault reference! Really creepy! I fidgeted in my seat a little. Crazy coincidences aside, it was a good flick. There was a short while when I was concerned that the movie would end without Bruce Willis killing at least 20 bad guys... but I needn't have worried. Go see it.After the movie we went to a winery - my first winery experience. I need to do this more. Brewery tours are great and I have to give wineries a try too. We did some wine tasting but the tours were done for the day. Afterwards we got a bottle and sat on the patio looking out at Pennsylvania.Earlier in the day we had passed a corn maze and we made plans... after the winery we found the corn maze, but rather than do the maze in the dark we settled for the hayride. It's only haunted on Friday and Saturday nights, but the prospect of doing something without having to walk appealed to me a lot. Hot chocolate and a hay ride - my fall activities for the year are satisfied.After dinner we watched the O'Riley vs Steward debate (via Internet - pay to view). It's amazing how something that supposed to funny can be more insightful than a serious presidential debate. It was a blast watching this and it's worthwhile if you're a Jon Stewart fan... or I suppose if you're an O'Riley fan (do they have those?)So there you have it. A zero day that was productive, relaxing and eventful. It doesn't get much better than that.Today's post was brought to you by Kelly, because her last-minute decision to pick the hay ride over the corn maze made a great, walking-free day, even better.
Date: 2012-10-22
From: Blue Mountain Summit B&B

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

(In which I roll out an easy 20 miles and patch up the pack with a makeshift pack frame)-Currently sitting at a picnic table in front of the shelter, looking at a bright half moon-This morning Kelly and I had breakfast at the B&B and said goodbye to Ken, the owner. This is the second time I've stayed at a B&B and it's growing on me. I'm used to the hotel or motel where you almost never interact with the owner or operators unless you need something or something is broken. In a B&B you're expected to interact with the owner and this makes it feel like you're sharing someone's house (I suppose you are) rather than occupying a room. I've enjoyed the B&B stints, but I think in the future I'll stick with hotels while hiking. Stinking up a hotel room is one thing, stinking up a room in someone's house (or at least feeling like it) is another.Kelly headed for the airport at 8:50 and I got hiking at the same time. I made it to this shelter around 4:45 and rather than plug on for a few extra miles as planned, I decided to stick around. I needed the extra time this afternoon to catch up on blog entries from this weekend and alter my ad-hock pack frame. At second lunch today I saw that one of the two sticks I've been using as a pack frame did indeed poke through the fabric at the top of the pack as I thought they might. It's the skinnier of the two sticks, but I expect that over time the other might tear through the fabric as well. I spent the last hour or so whittling away at another stick to make a lintel for the two post sticks. The two sticks in the X-pattern now are connected across the top of the X by this new addition. It fits great and I can't imagine how the sticks could poke through the fabric now (at least at the top of the pack). If I have any trouble with the sticks poking through at the bottom of the pack, then I'll have to do some more whittling in the future. In case you're curious, the knife I'm using is the one on the Style CS (Leatherman that I've been carrying - surprisingly sharp for an out-of-the-box knife.The shorter day today makes tomorrow close to a 30 mile day. I'm not too worried about it considering there's a shelter at the end of the day and the terrain is, once again, easy.Today's post is brought to you by a leisurely stroll through the woods, because beautiful leaves, perfect temperatures and flat trail made today feel just like that.
Date: 2012-10-23
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 29.8
Weather: broken clouds

(In which I pull another 30 mile day and meet a few more sobos going about the same pace)-Currently sitting in the shelter at a picnic table-Today I wanted to go the 30 miles to 501 Shelter (really close to US 501) so I could hitch into town tomorrow morning early. I got on trail at 6:15 am and got to the shelter a few minutes past 6 pm. Once again the body was hurtin' at the 25 mile mark, but the last few miles weren't as bad as the last few long days. I think this long-day conditioning will pay off in Virginia where I need to do back-to-back 25 mile days.Towards the end of the day I caught some southbounders taking a break on the trail. Angry German and Natty. They've been moving slower than me, but they're definitely able to go fast and they're planning to do similar mileage as me over the next two months. AG wants to finish on the same date I do - the winter solstice. With December 21st as a finish date, that means an average of just under 21 miles a day. Whether or not that pans out, it's nice to know that there's somebody else on the same schedule. Maybe we can have a solstice finish party...Not a lot going on today - the most interesting trail features were a monument indicating the site of an old French and Indian War era fort, and a scattering of less-than-stealthy bow hunters. Really fellas, if you're gonna deck yourself out in camo, you should probably go through the trouble of being quiet.Today's post was brought to you by bow hunters that you can hear over the sound of your own footsteps. How is it they can make so much noise just sitting there?
Date: 2012-10-24
From: 501 Shelter

To: Yellow Springs Village Site
Miles today: 22.1

(In which I resupply in Pine Grove and find my first tick)-Currently sitting by a fire at a campsite with military jets performing some sort of exercise above (very distracting...)-I got up just before sunrise to get my morning chores done and try to get a ride into Pine Grove as soon as it was light outside. Everything was going well until I couldn't get a ride... I waited only about 20 minutes, but the traffic towards Pine Grove was minimal and I wasn't feeling very hopeful. The decision to walk the 4 miles to town wasn't a terrible one, but about halfway to town it seemed like it. I made it to town by 9 am, got breakfast and resupplied at the local convenience store (that's about all there was in the town). While checking out I chatted with the attendant about hiking and the two days of resupply I was buying, but I tried my best to speed things up since a line of people was forming behind me who just wanted to pay for their gas and their morning coffee. Outside the building I sat down to eat and the fella who was behind me in line came over and asked if I wanted a ride back to the trail. Wohooo! What a way to improve the morning.Richard drove me back to the trail head in his Avalanche and told me stories about a few other hikers he has helped in the past. He said he loves to hear their stories and he told me he always wanted to hike the trail - life got in the way. He's in his late 60s and has a heart condition, so hiking all day, everyday, seems to be out of question for him now. I told him it's just a long walk - that he's not missing anything. He just smiled.In the early afternoon I passed under I-81. I must have driven the length of that from Binghamton, NY to Blacksburg, VA over a dozen times. This time, instead of going over the bridge, I went under it. When I stopped to admire the massive swarm of Ladybugs under the bridge, I noticed a little creepy crawly on my leg. An adult male deer tick! My first tick of the trip. It was making its way up my leg still, so I just flicked it off and checked the rest of me. A few minutes later I caught up with AG and Natty again and they both looked unhappy. Natty cursed the Ladybugs and AG, with his shirt off, was busy swearing under his breath and picking at a wound on his shoulder. I ask the obvious and he said he found a tick embedded in his shoulder a few minutes earlier. Small World! The bad news is that he has no idea how long its been there (it was warm today - first time in a while for a shirt-off day) and there's a small, circular rash around it. We all concurred that in the next week he'll have to see the doc and get himself a month's supply of antibiotics. Lyme seems rampant in these middle states and there's no reason to wait on the antibiotics if you're in his situation. Tick checks daily!Today's post was brought to you by ticks. Yuck. That is all.
Date: 2012-10-25
From: Yellow Springs Village Site

To: The Doyle
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: broken clouds

(In which I see some crazy stick bug action, meet Rain Man and stay at the Doyle)-Currently sitting on my bed in the Doyle-Today was eventful! I woke up this morning to a light drizzle and so much fog that I couldn't see my feet from a standing position. I might have slept longer but I was laying on top of the bivy (it wasn't supposed to rain) and didn't want to put the sleeping bag in the bivy and bother myself with an hour's worth of condensation. Because of my early start I took more time than usual throughout the day. In late morning I stopped to take pictures of two stick bugs gettin' it on, at lunch I made coffee, and in the afternoon I chatted with section hikers. One of the hikers I passed was named Rainman. I came to learn that it was the Rainman I've seen post on Whiteblaze (www.whiteblaze.net) so often. We talked trail things for a while and shared stories of meeting a fellow hiker in one place, and then meeting them again a long time afterwards in another. Once again I had to agree that the hiking world is a small one.The final destination today was the Doyle. The Doyle is an old hotel in Duncannon, PA that has at least 100 years of history that I have absolutely no knowledge of. What I do know is that its been catering to hikers for quite a while now and it's almost tragic if you don't stay here on a thru-hike. It's a little rough around the edges, but for $17 it's not bad at all. As a matter of fact, it's much nicer than I pictured from reading about it in other hiker's journals. What really makes the Doyle a great place to stop is the food and the bar - both are great and have great prices. The management is also incredibly friendly. There are a few things on this hike that I wanted to do without exception and staying at the Doyle was one of them - I'm pleased. I even found some scraps of a blaze orange sweatshirt in the hiker box - modified bandanna on the way. Score!Eventful day, but I'm keeping this post short. It's already well passed hiker midnight and I have 25 miles to do tomorrow. I don't suppose I can outpace a hurricane?Today's post was brought to you by stick bugs. Exciting to find, incredibly boring after that..
Date: 2012-10-26
From: The Doyle

To: Backpacker's Campsite in Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 26.2

(In which I stop in Boiling Springs, PA and hear a whole lot about Frankenstorm)-Currently sitting at a campsite (overstatement - more like a lousy grassy area with a small fire ring) just south of town-I got out of Duncannon at 8:30 this morning after a diner stop. I said goodbye to AG, but I have a feeling it's not the last I'll see of him. The rocks for the first 10 miles were terrible. I've been told that after Boiling Springs the rocks are few and far between, so maybe earlier today was the grand finale. The other 16 miles of the day were the flattest, smoothest trail yet.I made it to town by 5:15 and stopped into the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's regional office just before it closed. I wanted to know the status of hurricane Sandy. On the door of the building was a printout of the weather outlook... and the outlook is not good. I chatted with the attendant and she said this storm is gonna his us hard. She thru-hiked in the late 70s and doesn't seem like the type to be spooked by the weather. She told me shes hiked through some horrific stuff, but the wind and rain that this storm is supposed to bring has her convinced that people out on the trail are going to get hurt. I hate to think about it, but I just might have to zero on Monday or Tuesday. If I can pull 50 miles over the next two days I'll make Waynesboro, PA. The trouble is that it's difficult to tell whether Monday or Tuesday will be the worst. I can afford a zero day, but two will put a hurtin' on the schedule. We'll see how it all pans out...Walking through town I had about 4 or 5 strangers stop to tell me they think I should get off trail come Monday. I thanked them for their concern and told them I had plans. I don't really have plans, but I figured that was better than "don't worry, I hike in 40 mph winds and blinding rain all the time."Today's post was brought to you by mother nature, because nothing beats a good plan like bad weather.
Date: 2012-10-28
From: Tom's Run Shelters

To: Deer Lick Shelters
Miles today: 29.4
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I book it to get close to Waynesboro to hide from Frankenstorm)-Currently sitting in one of the shelters with no one else around. Must be the storm...-Yesterday I passed the AT Museum in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I forgot to mention it yesterday so I thought I'd make up for that by posting the picture of it. The museum is brand new. I might be off by one year, but I think this is its first year in operation. Either way, the AT is 75 years old and it's about time it got itself a museum. The history of how the AT came to be is a fascinating one and I wish I had more time to burn in the one-room showcase. Right now it's a humble little building, but with time, money and artifact donations I'm sure it'll grow. I plan to donate later for sure, but I'm glad I saved my last $5... the general store only took cash and that was my hamburger. Mmmm.The only real interaction I had with anyone else on the trail today was brief. I met two section hikers going north who stopped me to ask how far away US 30 was. Since I don't have the AT Guide still, I told them I wasn't sure which road that was (except for NY, roads are almost never labeled when you cross them on the AT). We eventually figured out that it's the road next to Caledonia State Park and I remembered that. The conversation went something like this:Hiker #1: "How far do you think to the park?"Me: "Well, I left there at 12:30, and I took a 10 minute break, and I've been going 3 miles per hour... it's 2:10 right now -"Hiker #1: "You're an engineer."Me: "What's that?"Hiker #1: "Are you an engineer?"Me: "Uh, yeah. How'd ya know?"Hiker #1: "Come on... really?"We got a good laugh out of it and decided that 4.5 miles was about right.Today's distance was to be determined primarily on the timing of the weather. If it was going to get really bad today I would have kept marching and made it to town. It would have been an exhausting 35 mile trudge. Since the weather will hold off a little longer than expected I plan to stay here tonight, get up early and walk the 5 miles to Pen Mar Park in the rain.Tonight I called the Days Inn in Waynesboro to book at room for at least tomorrow night. When I asked Andy at the front desk (always ask employees for their name over the phone in a friendly way - it can only help you) if there was a hotel shuttle I could take advantage of, he told me there wasn't, but that he has a number of a someone who gives rides to hikers. I called up Dennis and he seemed to have no problem giving me a ride in the morning. What does a fella do when he's available to give rides to hikers at 9am on a Monday morning? Looking forward to finding out.No bad weather yet as of 8 pm Sunday night, but I think I'll be sleeping with my pad and bag in the back of the shelter. It's gonna get interesting tonight.
Date: 2012-10-30
From: Pen Mar Park

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter 
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

(In which I get snowed on for the first time and have to deal with a Sandy hangover) -Currently sitting in my sleeping bag in the shelter-This morning the weather was relatively nice around town - mid 40s and little wind. I waited until the last minute to check out of the room so I didn't get started until 11. I had planned to walk the 5 miles back to the trail head, but within the first 5 minutes a fella walking the other direction on the side walk asked if I was headed back to the trail. A few minutes later Craig was giving me a ride back to Pen Mar Park. Good start to the day! Craig's car looked like mine when I used to paint for a company during summers between school years - full of drop cloths, roller pans and miscellanious tools. When I asked how long he had been painting he laughed and said he never paints. He owns some apartments in the area and ends up moving all this stuff around from place to place. I was happy to have the ride and he wouldn't even accept gas money for going out of his way.The first five minutes on the trail set the stage for the rest of the day. Water everywhere. The first mile from Pen Mar was a river trail. Sometimes an inch deep, sometimes 8 inches. At times like these you just need to walk through the puddles otherwise you'll never get anywhere. A few miles later, as I climned in elevation, it began to snow. At one point 90% of the ground had a covering of white. I'd rather have snow than rain as long as it's in moderation, but the snow didn't last long and I was back in an icy drizzle in no time. At Raven Rocks Hollow (MD 491) I met my first real obstacle of the day - a creek turned river. The picture today is looking back at the crossing after I made it sucessfully across. I spent about 45 minutes to an hour trying to find a way to cross this creek-river. At one point I thought about giving up and hitching back to town, but that would have been way too disappointing. I ended up bushwacking upstream about three tenths of a mile before finding a big blow-down that I could use as a bridge. It wasn't the most dangerous thing I've ever done, but my heart was pounding while walking across that tree. I had my pack unclipped, my empty camelbak inflated and my empty gatorade bottles in stuff sacks tied to my elbows. Just precautionary of course... I had one more crossing like this one a mile or two later and ended up traveling downstream a little and using a road bridge to cross that. Between the scouting and the bush-wacking, both crossings chewed up about an hour and half of hiking time. I had hoped to make it 18 miles today, but after the second crossing I decided that a short day wouldn't be a bad idea, if only to give the small water crossings more time to settle down.This was the slowest, wettest, coldest feeling day yet. But hey, after the storm we just had it could be worse. I could be in Manhattan.Today's post was brought to you by 5 inches of rainfall, because without you, I would be writing about my 18 mile day.
Date: 2012-11-02
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter 

To: Rod Hollow Shelter 
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: broken clouds

(In which I roll through the roller coaster) -Currently sitting in the shelter after dark-This morning was another cold one. There was some ice forming in the water bottle that I keep next to me over night. Pretty soon I'll have to start keeping some water in the foot of my sleeping bag or at least store the water bottle upside down over night. I got started late (about 8am) in large part because of the cold. I knew it was a short day, but the body just doesn't want to get out of the cozy sleeping bag when the air temperature is hovering around freezing.Once I got moving I felt plenty warm. I'll have to get used to stopping a little more often in the morning to take off layers as needed. To start the day I had every layer on, by 9:30 I was hiking in my shorts and long sleeve shirt. For the bulk of the day I was hiking in the "Roller Coaster". It's about 14 miles of closely packed ascents and decents. I didn't mind them, but after the relative flatness of Pennsylvania these li'l bumps beat up on me a little. It's a good warm up for the rest of the trail. The most exciting news today is that I officially entered Virginia. Ten states down, four to go! At the same time I crossed the 1,000 miles-to-go mark. That sounded a lot better to me before I wrote it out... I suppose 1,000 miles is still a long way to go, but hey, that means I already knocked out 1,184. Not too shabby (Michel, it's slang for not too bad).Tonight I planned tomorrow's resupply in Front Royal and ate as much as I could in anticipation of a really long day. I'm hoping to go 27 miles AND resupply. No sleeping in for me tomorrow morning...Today's post is brought to you by PUDS, or pointless ups and downs, because if the whole trail was like Pennsylvania we couldn't even call it hiking...