morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-08
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 18.6

After a restful night and a morning of mostly downhill hiking, my fellow hikers and I officially exited SNP. Personally, I have very much enjoyed the park, though very little of the foliage was actually in bloom. Most of the trees had small leaves on them, but the wildflowers were still barely buds. It was a reminder that, even though I have seen some truly wonderful sights during my trip, everything could be entirely different within a month. I¢m definitely planning a return trip to SNP, if only to see another side of the park.Shortly after exiting the park, Birdman, Sea Biscuit, Mumbles and I came to US 522, where we were planning on hitching into Front Royal, VA for resupply. There we found two sources of trail magic. First was a sack of oranges and a case of beer left by our friend DoYi ¢ DoYi considered a 17 mile day to be ¢basically a zero¢, so he has to be at least a day or two ahead (hopefully he figured out what the source of his knee pain might be ¢ I¢m willing to say its hiking 30+ miles a day without breaks). The second was provided by fellow thru-hiker ¢Sunrise¢ and her friend, Sarah. When they heard we were planning on going into town, Sarah quickly offered to shuttle us wherever we needed to go. We jumped at the opportunity and soon found ourselves downtown grabbing lunch at a local diner. Special thanks to Sarah, our trail angel of the day!After lunch, we hoofed our way to the local Food Lion for resupply. Along the way, however; I decided to stop in a local salon and get my hair cropped short. Not only will this help with the heat, which is consistently in the 70¢s and 80¢s now, but more importantly it will make it easier to locate any ticks. Daily tick checks have become a part of our lives now, and even though I¢ve only had one hitchhiker so far, the last thing I want is for my trip to be hindered by a bout of Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. So after a few minutes and a few flicks of the clippers, I am now more prepared to deal with any pesky parasites.We finished our resupply and quickly hitched back to the trailhead, as we had only a few miles to hike to one of the neatest shelters on the trail: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter. This campsite features Adirondack style benches, a large deck on the shelter, two privies, and a solar powered heated shower. By hiker standards, it is a paradise. The shower was initially clogged, but Birdman discovered the source of the problem and the chilly-yet-cleansing waters were quickly flowing again. After a week of sweat build-up, going to bed clean made me feel like I was a full human again, not just hiker trash.Sea Biscuit bought some mousetraps to help rid the shelters of some of their vermin, though this site seems relatively free of mice. We shall see in the morning if his first night¢s hunt was a success.
Date: 2014-05-09
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

After months of hiking in the brown and gray of an exceptionally long winter, the green tunnel finally exploded seemingly overnight. The trees are fully leaved, and animals are running, crawling, flying, and scooting everywhere, and the wildflowers have finally opened up all of their buds to reveal beautiful displays. I walked for miles through fields of trillium, with waves of pink, purple and white coating the forest floor. Even the Shenandoah Mountains were still clinging to the final vestiges of winter, so the environment today was like a breath of fresh air.For various reasons, we all ended up hiking primarily alone today, which allowed me plenty of time for contemplation and for paying close attention to my surroundings. I saw rabbits in the throes of passion, a butterfly collecting moisture from the carcass of a dead deer (I had to sing ¢The Circle of Life¢ to that one), and a four foot long rat snake that had just had something rather large for dinner. I also saw the most depressing sight of all: someone had left coolers full of trail magic by the AT, but other hikers had gotten it all before I arrived. Bummer.Our tallest climb today was 2,102 feet, half the size of the mountains we were climbing just last week. It¢s surprising how quickly the terrain has changed, though I still wouldn¢t call it ¢easy¢ by any means. Tomorrow we will be tackling the Roller Coaster, a section infamous for its steep climbs and constant ups and downs. I¢m expecting to be out of breath continually.Tonight I¢m staying at Rod Hollow Shelter, and along with the usual suspects, thru-hiker Sunrise is here as well. She was smoking a huge cigar with her feet in the creek, happy as a clam. I have a feeling we will be good friends.
Date: 2014-05-11
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: HarperÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Ferry, WV (Teahorse Hostel)
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: few clouds

The walk from the Blackburn AT Center to Harper¢s Ferry was the perfect ramp-down after several days of long, tough miles. Primarily a ridge walk, there were very few climbs and well-worn paths into town. This long stretch gave me the opportunity to call and wish a Happy Mother¢s Day while still making progress toward the town. Multitasking for the win!Climbing down from the mountains, I was given a lovely view of the Potomac River, glinting in the morning sun. After climbing all the way down, the AT moves onto a large bridge going over the river, and the Sunday morning traffic was definitely in full effect. It¢s strange how quickly I became unaccustomed to the speed of vehicles, which almost seemed out of control as I watched them barrel past. I was reminded of a quote from the Shawshank Redemption: ¢The world went and got itself in a damn hurry.¢ Readjusting to a quick life pace will definitely take some time.After crossing the bridge, it was just a quick trail walk over to the Appalachian Trail Conference building, the headquarters of the people who organize the upkeep, rerouting, publicity, and all other aspects of the trail. Here I kicked back and relaxed for a bit, enjoying some soda with Mumbles and viewing some of the exhibits. We were also photographed and registered as thru-hikers with the conservancy, with our photos placed in an album for all visitors to see. I¢m officially a part of AT history now! Also, I was the 91st thru-hiker to come all the way to Harper¢s Ferry, meaning I have bypassed almost 200 people since my start on Springer. I¢m not sure how many of those people are just slower than I am and how many actually gave up on their AT hiking dream.After lounging for a bit, I finally moved on to find a place to stay. I decided on the Teahorse Hostel, as several hikers had noted its cleanliness and, more importantly, the size of the breakfast. I was definitely pleased with the upkeep of the place, and I am already looking forward to an endless supply of waffles in the morning.After settling in, Mumbles and I went back to the ATC to meet Birdman and Seabiscuit, who had just rolled in. Together we all went to the Outfitter to grab a few supplies ¢ I needed Aquamira and new trekking pole tips - and to grab some food. I also grabbed some red velvet cake ice cream, a delicious mash of desserts.We all walked back to the Teahorse, where we were reunited with Sunrise. It will be another great evening of story swapping and celebration, with all of us thrilled to have made it this far. Sunrise and Seabiscuit will be moving on tomorrow, while Mumbles, Birdman, and I are zeroing. I can hardly wait to do nothing ¢ is that even possible? ¢ as my legs need a break from the long miles.
Date: 2014-05-12
From: HarperÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Ferry, WV (Teahorse Hostel)

To: HarperÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Ferry, WV (Teahorse Hostel)
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a much needed zero day, revolving around resupplying, eating, and walking as little as possible. Breakfast at the Teahorse Hostel was excellent, featuring all-you-can-eat waffles and fruit. The owner, Laurel, then took us over to the nearest Walmart for resupply. This always takes longer than expected, as it is easy to be overwhelmed by so many choices on the grocery shelves; when all you have to eat is already in your pack, the choices are much easier.Upon our return, I was finally able to send home my 15 degree sleeping bag. Not only had it collected the stink of 1,000 miles, but the nights have just been too warm to sleep comfortably. Also, I have never used a bag with zippers that get caught so often ¢ I actually had to cut the edge of the zipper guard on multiple occasions because it had become so ridiculously stuck. Thankfully, my father mailed me a 25 degree bag, still warm enough in case a cold front moves through, but with a full length (and much less ornery) zipper, I can ventilate the heat much more easily.I am staying once more at the Teahorse, as its cleanliness, convenience, and ample supply of food have won me over. Everyone else has either moved on down the trail or found different accommodations. Birdman was actually offered a free room and dinner by a family friend in Maryland. I¢m not even slightly jealous (read: I am very jealous about it). Still, the solitude will allow me to focus on something that I have been ignoring too much lately: constant, uninterrupted sleep.
Date: 2014-05-14
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Antietam Shelter
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: fog

It never did rain last night, but instead we awoke to a fine, cloudy mist that coated everything with moisture. That also meant our views were extremely limited. Birdman and I stopped at the cliff line at Annapolis Rocks ¢ a great view on clear days ¢ only to find it shrouded in fog. Granted, the craggy rocks were still beautiful, but much of the majesty was lost in the mist.Of course, not having the distraction of views meant we had few reasons to stop, so we quickly put in the desired 25 miles to our destination. We did have two sections that seriously slowed us down, however. The first was a massive boulder field near the end of the Maryland section, filled with ankle twisting stones of horror that left me aching by the time we finally found flat ground again. The second was Pen Mar County Park, the location of a historic train station and amusement park. We were not slowed down by rides or crowds, however; as the park was very nearly abandoned. Instead, we had a park wide search for an operational soda machine, which our AWOL guide said was present in the park. Yet all we found was an unplugged, empty Pepsi (yuck) machine. Our dreams of sugar and caffeine buzzes dashed, we shuffled out of Pen Mar with heavy hearts.That is, until, we crossed over the railroad tracks approaching the Mason-Dixon Line. We officially exited the South today, and after a few commemorative photos, our spirits were renewed by entering our seventh state, Pennsylvania.The mist had turned most of the trail and shelters into a soggy mess, but we finally found refuge at the beautiful Antietam Shelter. Surrounded by dark pine trees and situated next to a swift moving creek, it is one of the prettiest locations I¢ve slept at yet. Birdman and I are sharing the shelter with section-hiker, Wicked, a 67 year old woman with a great personality. She is currently in the middle of a 150+ mile trek to Lickdale, PA, an ending point she picked because it shared her son¢s name ¢ the ¢Dale¢ part, not the ¢Lick¢ part.
Date: 2014-05-15
From: Antietam Shelter

To:  Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: light rain

This morning continued our walk through heavy mist, which at this point has saturated everything almost as completely as a heavy rain would have. This saturation often turns the well-packed trail into a paste that is simultaneously slippery and sticky. My boots slid, my hiking poles got stuck, and I sank six inches into seemingly solid ground. Luckily, outside of a few climbs, the terrain was relatively easy-going. Still no views, but our spirits are doing fine, at least for now.About 11 miles in we came to Caledonia State Park, and after yesterday¢s disappointment at Pen Mar, Birdman and I made it our mission to find a working soda machine. After 20 minutes of searching, we found the only operational soda machine in the entire park, though it was empty aside from Sierra Mist. Even so, we guzzled that sweet, sweet nectar until our heads were spinning from the sugar buzz. It was an absolutely wonderful feeling.After our sodas and a leisurely lunch, we planned to hike an additional 16 miles or so to Tom¢s Run Shelter. Yet at around 3:00 PM, the skies began to get progressively darker and darker. At 4:30 PM, after three days of threatening skies, the ceiling completely fell out. We were immediately drenched with a deluge of rain and surrounded by lightning strikes, so we double-timed it and dove into the nearest shelter, Birch Run. Bad news: it looks like the rain is only getting worse, as it has become difficult to see the trail, only 20 feet away, due to the thickness of the rain shower. Good news: this shelter is wonderful, featuring individual bunks, recently cleaned environs, and most importantly protection from the wind and rain. Birdman and I are joined by fellow thru-hiker, Lighthouse, a friendly guy from Buffalo, NY. I¢m a bit worried about the intensity of the rain, as it may impede our progress tomorrow. Birdman and I both want to reach Boiling Springs, PA tomorrow evening. We¢ll see if it is still a possibility after we get started in the morning. If not, I guess it won¢t be the first time I¢ve changed my plans.
Date: 2014-05-18
From: Duncannon, PA (Doyle Hotel)

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

The day started with a huge breakfast across the street from the Doyle in a restaurant decorated exclusively with camo wallpaper and deer heads. The more I explore Duncannon, the stranger and more charming it becomes.Today was relatively short hiking-wise, as we all had full loads of laundry to complete. Thankfully one of the hotel staff members had taken everyone to resupply last night, otherwise it may have been an even later start. Myself, I received a HUGE mail drop from home with all sorts of goodies, so I will definitely have plenty of food to get to Port Clinton. There I will be getting off for the Memorial Day weekend to spend some much needed time with my wife, Alison.When we finally started out of Duncannon, the clock had already struck 12:00 PM and the heat had begun to rise. Yet the first several miles were extremely flat because the trail went directly through the middle of town. For over an hour, we journeyed down the sidewalks of Duncannon, a stark contrast to the townies with our disheveled looks, ragged clothes and huge backpacks. At one point we came to yet another part of the trail that was several feet underwater, so we followed the train tracks over this section. As we followed the rails, I am sure we looked like true hobos.After crossing a lengthy bridge over the Susquehanna River (and being yelled at by two peregrine falcons nesting on a strut), we finally found ourselves back among the trees and climbing up to the ridgeline. Shortly after starting the climb, the shoelace of my right boot snapped, and I was given yet another sign that my trusty Keens would need to be replaced soon. I fashioned a replacement shoelace from 550 paracord and continued down the trail.Thus far we have had only minimal experience with the dreaded Pennsylvania rocks. What we have mainly experienced is flat ridgeline, allowing us to hike extremely quickly ¢ we reached our shelter for today in just three hours. The only strenuous part of the day was collecting water at Peter¢s Mountain, which required a 300 step descent to the nearest spring, and then up the same route with added water weight. Still, everyone is thankful for the relatively relaxing day and the next few days seem to be similar in regards to the terrain.
Date: 2014-05-19
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a great day if only because I was able to mark two of my must see animals off of the list. The first was a wild porcupine, which was encountered shortly after leaving the shelter. It was kind enough to climb up a tree about five feet and pose for us before waddling into the woods, allowing me to get a close look at him. Unfortunately, he seemed to be a bit camera shy and never allowed me to get a good picture.The second animal had no such qualms. We continued walking north with Whiffle at the lead, when suddenly he said ¢Everyone stop, there¢s a snake beside me.¢ We came to find out he was roughly six inches away from stepping on a rattlesnake, and he only realized it because it moved slightly as he stepped next to it.   Timber rattlers are very timid and rely on camouflage to avoid conflict ¢ they only bite when danger is imminent. As we all stopped to look at him/her, it finally started to get nervous and began rattling its tail. This snake was huge, roughly three feet long and very thick, and we were electrified by the sight and sound of its defense tactics. As we didn¢t want any harm to come to this magnificent (and endangered) creature ¢ or the poor soul who stepped on it ¢ Birdman and I found a large stick and slowly moved it off of the trail. Whiffle wrote a note warning of the snake¢s proximity and left it on the trail, and we all left feeling lucky to have experienced this wonder.Terrain-wise, today was another relatively easy day, with the majority of the trail being spent on the ridgeline. We occasionally experienced some rocky sections of the trail, but so far nothing has been too bad. That means, I¢m sure, that the worst is yet to come.We¢re staying at the small-yet-wonderful Rausch Gap Shelter tonight with a father and son team, Caribou and Chief. Caribou recently graduated and will be starting an art school program in Manhattan in August, so he¢s hiking as much of the AT as possible before school starts. Both he and Chief are great company, so it will be a fun night.From the sound of things, tomorrow will be a fun morning as well. One of Birdman¢s readers on TrailJournals.com will be bringing us breakfast in the morning. That will be a truly excellent way to start the day.
Date: 2014-05-20
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Our green tunnel effect is definitely setting in a bit, particularly with the terrain becoming increasingly rocky. We spend more time staring directly at the ground in front of us than anything else ¢ if we don¢t, we will end up twisting an ankle on a rock or, even worse, potentially trip, break a bone, and end our entire trip. It makes for simultaneously monotonous and stressful hiking, and I can definitely understand why so many hikers have a low opinion of Pennsylvania.Of course, our actual hiking may have seemed less exciting because our day was bookended with awesomeness. Birdman¢s trail angel, Iceman, came through in a big way this morning, bicycling in muffins, bagels, fruit, juice, milk and coffee for all of us to enjoy. There was so much left over once we were full that he bicycled further down the trail to donate the remainder to another lucky group of hikers. Also, while I was eating breakfast, Caribou did an awesome sketch of me munching on a Pop Tart. If nothing else, he may be able to corner the thru-hiker art market.Though the hike today was relatively rocky and uneventful, the weather has been excellent the past few days ¢ sunny and in the mid 60¢s - so at least we have been comfortable. It has also been great getting to know Tuesday and Whiffle a bit better. Residents of Michigan, it has been fun listening to them talk to Birdman (a fellow Michigan native) about their homeland and their dislike of tulip festivals ¢ which, yes, is apparently a thing. After our 17.5 mile hike, we found ourselves at the 501 Shelter, a fully enclosed building with bunks and a skylight. Even better, a spigot and shower are provided outside near the caretaker¢s house. Best of all, we are close enough to a major road and town that we can have pizza delivered to the shelter. Together with fellow thru-hiker, Oofta, we quickly polished off threes pizzas before sliding satisfied into our sleeping bags.
Date: 2014-05-21
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA (HikerÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Pavilion)
Miles today: 24.1
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up to drizzling rain, and thus began a long, boring day of hiking the AT.Yesterday I talked about how it was essential that you watch the ground constantly in order to avoid slamming your feet into the lovely Pennsylvania rocks. That rule counts twice as much when it is raining, as everything becomes extremely slippery. That meant that instead of watching the ground 90% of the time, we had to watch it 100% of the time today. Not that there was much to look at anyway, as the Pennsylvania views have been few and far between.Mumbles discovered the true horror of our ground stare-a-thon, though. He left extra early this morning to meet his parents in Port Clinton around 2:00PM. We left the 501 Shelter roughly two hours after him, and after an hour of hiking, guess who we walked into going south on the AT. Mumbles was paying so much attention to his foot placement that he got completely turned around and started hiking back the way he came. We all felt sorry for him, as he had re-walked a full three miles of the trail, turning his 24 mile day into a 30 mile day.Even with the monotony, the day went relatively quickly. Before long, we found ourselves descending the extremely steep slope to Port Clinton, a one street town that still shows its coal mining roots. After finding accommodations for the night ¢ the town pavilion ¢ we called a shuttle to take us to the nearby Cabella¢s. Our shuttle driver informed us that this Cabella¢s is the largest in the U.S., filling over 7 acres of land with hunting, fishing, and camping equipment. It truly was a sight to behold, but as we only needed gas canisters, our stay was relatively short.Birdman and I didn¢t need to resupply anyway, as tomorrow we will be heading into Harrisburg, PA for some R&R and more importantly, to be with our significant others for a few days. I haven¢t seen Alison since Damascus, VA, so I¢m sure I will spend a lot of the night coming up with stories to tell her from the trail. It will be an excellent, long overdue reunion.
Date: 2014-05-22
From: Port Clinton, PA (HikerÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Pavilion)

To: Harrisburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today¢s entry will be short, as I am definitely using the rest of my zero day to do as little as possible. Birdman and I woke up early this morning and said our goodbyes to Whiffle and Tuesday, who are carrying on today. They will be taking five days off for a wedding at the beginning of June, so it¢s possible we will be seeing them soon.In order to get to Harrisburg, I posted a request on WhiteBlaze.net for shuttle advice. In less than an hour, we were offered a ride to the big city by former PCT thru-hiker, Malto. I talked to him off and on over the week, and we decided on the time and place of our pickup. Sure enough, at 7:00 AM we were on our way to Harrisburg. A big special thanks to Malto for his hospitality.We got into town around 8:00 AM and grabbed some coffee next to our hotels (we are in neighboring hotel buildings). Birdman¢s girlfriend, Anne, arrived shortly after 9:00 AM, so left to my own devices, I walked three miles to the Harrisburg mall to watch the new Captain America movie (thumbs up, by the way). By the time the movie ended and I walked back downtown, I was able to check into my room. Now I¢m just waiting for Alison to arrive and enjoying, for the first time in a while, not having to walk until dinner time.Note: Days 77 ¢ 79 (May 23, 2014 through May 25, 2014) are Zero Days!