morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-20
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Front Royal, Va.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Mary's getting bored. As beautiful as the scenery is, day after day, step after step, it's starting to seem like the "same old, same old" in the eyes of Little Billy Goat Gruff. But on she goes, the Camel too, now 496 miles and more than six weeks into their hike on the Appalachian Trail."It's a mental thing now," Mary said Thursday. "But I've got to finish so I can be a hero, so I can prove to the kids I can do it, too."Mary said she feels like shaving her head because her hair is driving her crazy."It's not long," she said. "I guess because it's hot and sweaty."The hikers stayed at the Center City Motel in Front Royal, Va., on Thursday, just outside the boundary of Shenandoah National Park. They were disappointed that their mail drop didn't arrive in Front Royal, but they did get packages from Ann and Emily. Their mileage totals since we last heard from them look like this:Sunday: 8Monday: 8Tuesday: 11Wednesday: 13Thursday: 13On Friday, they plan to hike 15 miles, and then 15 more are scheduled for Saturday. That will bring them about 17 miles short of the first shelter in West Virginia. So far, their walk hasn't taken them out of Virginia.Here's a report from Jeff on some stories from the last week:On Wednesday night, they played 500, the card game, at the Gravel Springs Hut wit Slow Barbara and her buddy Red Cheeks. Jeff won. It was the first day on the trail for Barbara and Cheeks, who had done seven miles that day.Earlier in the week, they spent a couple nights with GoMo (short for Go Moter), an ICU nurse from New Hampshire. She's hiking from Georgia to New Hampshire.On Thursday, they ran into Woodstock, who they hadn't seen in about a month. He's an engineer who is doing parts of the trail in between jobs and going back and forth from the trail to work. Woodstock, Camel and Billy Goat all got a ride to the City Center Motel with Kelly, a girl from Front Royal who picked them up in her SUV. She gave them all hugs when she dropped them off and wants to do the trail herself some day.Jeff has seen four bears now, Mary just two. The closest one he saw crossed the trail about 40 feet in front of him and kept going."We have hand signals now when we have animal sightings," Jeff said. "For a bear, fist in the air. For a deer, we wiggle our fingers. For a snake, an undulating arm wave. For humans, you just move your two index fingers back and forth."Jeff almost stepped on a copperhead this week. He said Mary must have passed right over, it, and he was going to step on it, but he saw it wiggle its tounge, and stepped further to avoid it. He also thought he heard a wild boar trouncing through the woods.
Date: 2006-07-21
From: Front Royal, Va.

To: Bluemont, Va.
Miles today: 0.0

Hi Guys, Jeff and I are here at Bears Den Hostel. OUr first hostel by the way. We will be sleeping in bunk beds tonite. How cute.Haven't slept in bunk beds since college. We did about 20 miles today to get here. OUch, my feet hurt. My blister is back after this hard day. The section we hiked is the last part of Virginia before we get to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. It is called the roller coaster and is famous for being difficult! Boy oh boy are they right!!! Hope everyone remmebers it's my birthday august 2nd. You know how much I like attention so give me a note on this site. Pennslyvania is right around the corner. That is about 192 miles worth. Yikes. LIke my best friend cookie says, one day at a time with the Lord's help. love to all our buddies and family of course!!
Date: 2006-07-24
From: harpers ferry , west virginia

To: Harpers Ferry, W.V.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Yeah, we made it to Harpers Ferry West Virgina. So cool to be here. We are in the headquarters of the Appalachian trail. this is such an historic town, too bad I'm tired . We are staying at the Hilltop house motel. Call us please ! 304-535-6322. Today we hiked 9 miles. It seemed a lot easier than other hikes we've done. We are going to be in Boiling Springs, Pennslyvania for my birhtday August 2nd.
Date: 2006-07-25
To: Harpers Ferry, W.V.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hi Friends and Family, I'm in a good mood! Jeff is going to hike l8 miles today and I am going to get a ride to the campground and get some time off! A fellow hiker who is done with the trail is going to give me a ride. So my knees will get a much needed break. This hiker who is giving me a ride is the same Grannie Frannie who happened to meet Jeff on Hiker Naked Day. she was the only witness beside me to see that. It's amazing that we ran into her again at Harpers Ferry, Appalachian trail headquarters. we will be in waynesboro, PA. On July 27. at the Best Western. Phone# 717-762-9113. So call us if you can. Then we will be in Boiling Springs, PA on August 1Tues. at the Gelinas B&B 717-258-6584. Received a nice present from my lovely sister Ann in our post office box. Yummy licorice and candy. Thanks Ann. Also finally got the pictures from Adam and Susan and baby Lucas. I can't believe how much he's grown. If it's possibe he's even cuter! All my love, Keep us in your prayers. We miss you more than you can imagine! love, mary and Jeff
Date: 2006-07-27
From: waynesboro, PA.

To: Waynesboro, Pa.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hey, we made it to Pennslyvania. Yeah!!! I still can't beleive I am hiking. Who would have thunk it! Last nite in Maryland we were the only ones sleeping at at campsite. I was just getting ready to leave the tent to go pee before sleeping when I noticed a bear about 10 feet away. I wasn't scared just excited. Jeff who was sleeping soundly was woken up when I whispered in his ear , over and over, "Bear, Bear, Bear." By the time he got his contacts in the big guy had ambled off. I'm sure I scared him off with my lovely voice. AFter hiking 12 miles to Pen Mar state park which is on the border of PA and Maryland I called a trail angel that best western recommended for a ride into town. And he came lickey split, just like that. His wife Rhoda said , no problem. Then he drove us to his home and said just keep the car for the nite so you can get around and I'll see you in the morning. We still can't believe it!!! So tomorrow Jeff is going to hike about 30 miles with the trail angel dropping him off at the trail. Then I only have to hike about one and a half miles to the shelter. Only thing is I need to hike south to north since I'm going the other way to the shleter. I will have to carry alot of Jeff's weight since he is going so far. Maybe I will ask the trail angel for help. It's a little scary being by myself till Jeff gets there. But 2 zero days I should be good as gold for the rest of the journey. Now our finish date is moved up!! We expect to arrive in Bear Mtn. New york on Aug. 23, Wed. and will also try to stay at the Thayer Hotel in West Point on Thur. Aug. 24. So would leave for Ohio on Aug. 25. I hope my kids can make it home that weekend to see us! My brother Robert is going to host Jeff's retirement party , maybe Sept. 2nd. Our next stop in civilization is Mon. July 31st. at Gelinas Manor B&B, Boiling springs, PA. 717-258-6584. Hope all is well at home. Thanks for all the good wishes. Got a call from Wayne Boblitt, from our local newspaper, Brown County press. my son David called them and told them they might want to do a story on us. So he is calling tonite at 9 p.m. I feel so famous! Now I have to finish!! love to all, mary and Jeff,,Camel and little billy goat gruffp.s. favorite part of this trip is the nice people we meet on our wayp.p.s. Met 2 guys on the I-70 pedestrian bridge , they took our picture and hopefully will send it in.
Date: 2006-08-01
From: boiling springs, pa. 

To: Boiling Springs, Pa.
Miles today: 15.0

getting ready to eat a nice breakfast at this b&B. One of the nicer places we have stayed. Today we will hike in over 100 degrees about 15 miles to the next shelter, called Darlington. I hope it's darling! ha , ha. Tomorrow Aug. 2nd we will hike and get off in the town of Duncannon, PA and stay at the Doyle. We will have to use a pay phone if we want to make calls. I just hate that. Just think when I get my pay phone I won't have to worry about that anymore. talked to all mykids last nite and sounds like they are getting along just fine without us. I sure do miss them though. OUr old cat patches hasn't been seen for awhile so that makes me kinda sad. Such a personality for a cat. David is just returning from an amtrak trip to Canada, Em and Noah will be starting school the end of august, even though Noah has never stopped. Adam and Susan are delivering babies. love, mary and jeff
Date: 2006-08-02
From: Boiling Springs, Pa.

To: Duncannon, Pa.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

The Camel and Little Billy Goat Gruff arrived in Duncannon, Pa., today (94 miles from Baltimore and 53 miles from Gettysburg). They are staying at the Doyle Hotel (www.doylehotel.com), which Jeff described as something out Gunsmoke. It's an old, small town, and the Doyle is the only place around.The high temperature in the area today is 99, and Jeff said five hikers at the Doyle were preparing to return to the trail Wednesday afternoon, but they weren't too excited to brave the heat.Mary had a hard time with the rocks on the trail Wednesday and also hit her head on a tree branch as she tried to negotiate the tough terrain. But she sounded in good spirits on the phone this afternoon. It is, after all, her birthday. She had a birthday beer as she talked to me.Also the hikers are becoming more famous. Mary did an interview with Wayne Boblitt of the Brown County Press last week, and the Cincinnati Enquirer was also supposed to talk to them Wednesday for a story.They have now hiked 673.8 miles from Damascus. Jeff plans to do another 30-mile trek Thursday, while Mary will take the day off to rest at the home of a Trail Angel.They now plan to finish the hike Aug. 22, their anniversary. They should be home Friday, Aug. 25, so there should be a welcome home party that night. Put it on your calendar if you want to welcome them home, and we'll let you know more later.
Date: 2006-08-03
From: Duncannon, Pa.

To: Duncannon, Pa.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Hi Family, Friends and Fans, Well I'm here staying at trailangel Mary's apt. She lives above the local pub where she also works. Jeff left this morning at 7a.m and is planning on hiking about 30 miles. This heat is killing me so I needed another day off. I feel like such a wimp. Camel is kicking my but in the hiking category. Last nite we stayed in the Doyle hotel and sweated ourselves to sleep. Oh my gosh I don't know what time we finally got to sleep. What with the heat and the train noise! Anyone who knows me understands how hard it is for me to get to sleep sometimes. Trail angel Mary is letting me crash on her couch tonite and she does have an air conditioner in her living room! Praise the Lord! Tomorrow, Friday she will drive me to a road that accesses the trail and Jeff will be hiking north to meet me. Hopefully all goes as planned. Well my new cell phone is only 19 days away! that is my present for hanging in there. We will be in Bear Mtn. New york on our 31st anniversary! My brother David and his lovely wife Kathy will be meeting us at the Thayer hotel at West Point Academy. I can't wait to see them. but most of all I can't wait to see all of you. Especially my favorites: my kids: David, Adam and Susan and Lucas, Emily and Noah!!!   Went to the grocery with two hikers that I met today at the Doyle. They invited me along to at least get some air conditioning. David from Hawaii who made his living windsurfing and who has done the trail twice!!! He is hiking part of this and then hiking to Canada! What planet do these people come from is what I want to know. Also a young lady from London who has to return to the military to take some test over. She has served in Iraq. They were very helpful giving me encouragement about the trail. It's all a mind game now. My feet and knees are good. I'm not even wearing my knee wraps. I'v got to finish now because I got interviewed my the Cincinnati Enquirer last nite and last week by the Brown Cty. press. Gosh I guess I'll have to get sunglasses and a disquise since I'll be so famous. My son David has done a great job with this journal and contacting the papers to get us in the news. Maybe he should be an agent! love to all, keep sending messages. I love them as I love all of you! Mary also known as Billy Goat Gruff
Date: 2006-08-07
From: hamburg, Pa.

To: Hamburg, Pa.
Miles today: 10.0

well folks today we hit 700 miles. Two more weeks to go. Looks like we are going to make it. Set to finish on Aug. 22nd our 31st wedding anniversry.. Never thought I'd be doing this for my anniversary. Hope everyone enjoyed and got to see the newspaper articles in the Brown county press and the cincinnati enquirer. Thanks again to my journalist son, David for being our personal press agent. I'm so glad Cookie Linskey was mentioned. We coudn't have done this without the help of her and her darling husband Harry. One more week in rocky pennslyvania and then on to new jersey and then new york Yipee!!!! love ya, Little billy goat gruff, Mary
Date: 2006-08-08
From: Hamburg, Pa.

To: Delaware Water Gap, Pa.
Miles today: 0.0

The Camel and Little Billy Goat Gruff are almost done. On Sunday, they stayed at the Water Gap Country Club in Delaware Water Gap, Pa. Mary washed her clothes in the hotel room¢s trash can because the sink was full of ice and beer. Jeff watched the Reds game (it was on locally because they¢re so close to Philadelphia) and later the Bengals game (which was on national TV).It was a much better room than their previous hotel in Palmer, Pa. Their room there was above a noisy bar that kept them up until 2:30 a.m.After today, they have nine more days of hiking. Next Sunday, if you want to call them, they will be staying at the Tuxedo Motel in Southfields, N.Y (Phone: 845-351-4747).So are they ready to be done?¢Heck yeah, we¢re ready to be done,¢ Jeff said. ¢It¢s only been two and a half months.¢Added Jeff, ¢Your mother¢s going to finish strong. She¢s ready to kick butt.¢Here is Mary¢s best story from the past week. The day after their stay in Palmer, Mary took the day off to avoid a steep, rocky part of the trail. She got a ride from the motel with a guy in a pest control truck to the point of the trail where she would meet up with Jeff.¢He didn¢t really know how to get to the spot I wanted to go, so he drops me off where he thinks I want to be. I start walking, but I don¢t know if I¢m going the right way. I¢m feeling really unsure, so I start praying. I ask god to help me because I¢m all by myself. I think I¢m going to go back to the start of the trail and case out the area and try to figure something out. I go back to the parking lot because there are two cars there.This lady pulls up and she tries to help me. I ask her to give me a ride to this one spot. She couldn¢t because she had four hours of driving to do. But she tells me where I¢m at. I¢m going to start hiking. I have to go four miles to get there. I didn¢t have any water, because I thought I was going to do 3/10ths of a mile. I¢m standing there, and all of a sudden two guys come out of the woods. They just happen to be the ridge runners taking care of the trail.They¢re like arguing over who¢s going to help me. They give me water, let me use their bathroom and give me bananas. The ridge runner takes me back to where I want to go. And he carries my backpack to the shelter. It was like a miracle.¢
Date: 2006-08-24
To: Home at last
Miles today: 0.0

Hello Friends and Family, It is l0:39 p.m . here in Mt. Orab , Ohio. and we are finally home. I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, " there's no place like home, there's no place like home".      My brother David Leary and Kathy his lovely wife picked us up at the Thayer hotel of West Point. We all spent the nite there after a fancy dinner. My friend Cookie Linskey sent some dress up clothes with my brother so we wouldn't look like hikers.    We also got to meet a senior west point student named Adam Vogel. Adam went to school with my youngest son Noah. They ran cross country together. It was a real honor to meet with Adam . I am so proud of him for his achievement! It took us about 11 hours for us to get home and Camel is already trying to get the hot tub going again. Of course none of this would have been possible without the support of our children and friends and family. Thanks cookie and Harry! Noah for taking care of our yard! David for making us famous! love to all, mary and jeff, Camel and little billy goat gruff
Date: 2006-06-17
To: Prep #1
Miles today: 0.0

In ten days it will be time for my daughter "Thistle" and I to resume our love affair/battle with the Appalachian Trail. In 2003 we sloshed through almost 1500 miles to Mass. (it was a very wet year) and in 2004 we paid a short visit to get into Vermont. This year it's Vermont to Maine, and I'm feeling apprehensive. Three years older, not as fit as I need to be, and facing the toughest part of the AT. Training has been sporadic. I've renewed my acquaintance with Bob the Boulder, I've slogged out a modest amount of miles in the Pentland Hills outside Edinburgh, and it's brought back all the old familiar pains and fatigue. We've only got 10 days ........
Date: 2006-06-27
To: Prep#2
Miles today: 0.0

My last training session was yesterday in the Lomonds above the village of Falkland in Fife. East lomomd Hill is a tough climb, more than 1200 feet in about a mile, so well up to AT standards. I was carrying almost full pack weight, and I struggled. Gasping, wheezing, frequent pauses during the climb. My hiking partner David - an old school friend (so that's going back 47 years!) seems in much better shape than me but was very understanding. Once at the top it was quite different with great views in all directions, including the Firth of Forth to the south. Rest of the walk - we only did about seven miles - was very enjoyable on a quite beautiful day for it.Today it's been all about packing, going through lists, doing all sorts of things I've been putting off for ages, reproofing a tent and our rain jackets, while trying to keep tabs on the World Cup in Germany. It's a minor planning disaster that I'll be on the Trail when the tournament is in its final stages. Still, I'll probably be in too much pain to care.
Date: 2006-06-29
To: Arrival
Miles today: 0.0

We are in the USA at Newark. First shock has been to discover that our previous means of reaching Manchester, Vt. is no longer available to us. Looks like we'll be bussing up to Rutland, Vt. and trying to link to the AT from there. Has been very wet over here by all accounts. Very heavy and muggy here, thunderstorms aplenty.
Date: 2006-07-01
From: Manchester, Vermont

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: clear sky

We have made it on to the Trail with a lot more difficulty than we expected. Our setback came when we checked into our hotel in Newark, and phone calls established that neither Bonanza Bus nor Greyhound have connections to Manchester, Vt anymore. Their only connection was to Rutland, Vt, a good fifty miles away, but we took it in the hope that we could find a way to Manchester from there. A nine-hour bus journey deposited us at the Rutland Transit Center on Friday evening, tired, hungry and at a low ebb. Two phone calls later turned things round. The Main Hope Cafe Hostel had places for us, and the Marble Valley Regional Transport Group provided FREE bus link to Manchester once a day. The people who run the Main Hope Cafe are a Christian group with an "extended family" of almost fifty people. Anyway, they not only put a roof over our heads but insisted on feeding us too. In Manchester we supplied up, and by 1.30pm were at the trailhead ready to walk. It has been extremely wet here for some time - areas of eastern Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey have been severely flooded, especially along the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers. But yesterday stayed dry. Main climb of the day was a 1500 ft effort up Bromley Mt. At the new shelter part of the way up, we met a section hiker who was in his second day at the place beacause of a twisted knee - when we arrived he was on his cell phone arranging with a family member to pick him up on the Manchester Road. He explained to us how he had fallen coming down the extrememly steep slope into Bennington several days earlier and happily showed us the thirteen stitches he had needed in his head as a result. Around the summit we realised we had strayed into skiing country - a corridor up the mountainside cleared of trees, a cable lift, arrival station and a separate hut for skiers to rest ot shelter were on hand. All told we hammered in almost ten miles and climbed around 2700 ft today to get beyond Peru Peak (elevation 3,429 ft) and into Mt Peru Shelter shortly after 8.00pm. We were tired - this is tough country, the ground much rougher than most of the AT we have trekked before now. Two thru-hikers are here, Pond Water and Snickers, who passed us earlier going at a rate of knots.
Date: 2006-07-02
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We had a bug-free night in the shelter but this morning, as we all stirred, yawned and scratched, distant thunder became a thumping shower of rain over our heads. It passed and we were off, but it's been a heavy day, very warm and humid, and that took its toll on me especially. The next climb, up Baker Peak, didn't look too demanding until we came near the summit. Suddenly the path of rocks, roots and mud became a very steep climb up continuous white rock. Great seams of quartz ran through it, and we were like goats for a while as we worked our way up and over it. It wouldn't be much fun on a wet day - actually it wasn't great fun today either. No view, it was very hazy. Just beyond the peak we saw our first moose poo beside the Trail! Believe it or not, we find this to be very exciting. Early afternoon we had covered six and a half miles to reach Big Branch Shelter. We had descended 1,000 feet so our progress was disappointing, but we are realizing that the ground does make big miles difficult. We were there only minutes when the storm that had been threatening for an hour arrived. Thunder boomed for twenty minutes and the rain lashed down. We sat smugly looking out at it. Less smug when a girl - a SouthBounder - walked past thoroughly drenched. She gave us a wave, seemed quite cheery and carried on her way. By about 5.00pm we were skirting Little Rock Pond - lakeside paths are always difficult - and at last we cut first down and then up to the shelter here - it feels a bit strange to know we will be sleeping below the level of a large lake nearby. Two New Hampshire gents are here, John and Paul. They go out for a few days like this three times a year, and they are good company.