morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-01
From: 501 Shelter

To: PA 183 (and on to Endicott, N.Y.)
Miles today: 9.3

Today was a great example of enjoying an unexpected turn of events with the AT experience. We woke up to another brutally hot and humid day, faced with walking the rocky, green, buggy, snake/tick infested trail that seems to be the Pennsylavania AT (if you're a PA resident, my apologies - I'm sure your state has much to offer). We'd planned on only 15 miles today and a nearo day of only 10 miles the next, putting us in Hamburg for a light day to rest and resupply.I promised Goat and Tommyhawk that I wasn't going to complain for the day, so everything was rosy on my end. About an hour into the hike, however, Tommyhawk stopped at an overlook, snacked on a pop tart, and realized that he'd temporarily had it with the trail and needed a break. Within another hour a plan was in place to get off the trail. Goat called his friend Fred (now known as Fred the trail angel), who jumped in his car and drove two and a half hours to meet us at a road crossing at 1 p.m. Flip was ahead of us and sadly there wasn't room for 5 in Fred's car, so we texted him about the change in plans. About an hour before we reached the road crossing we passed a family who warned us that they'd encountered a rattlesnake about a mile ahead of us, but the snake must have slithered away by the time we made it to that point. I think I'd be fine without seeing a rattlesnake in the wild, so this seemed like a good turn of events. By 1:15 Foxi, Tommyhawk, Goat, and I were crammed into Fred (the trail angel's) car and being whisked up the I-81 corridor toward Binghamton, N.Y. Goat received a text and picture from Flip, who'd seen his first rattlesnake in the afternoon. We stopped for some fast food lunch and were at Tommyhawk and Goat's home in Endicott by late afternoon. Their dad was there, working on Tommyhawk's garden, so Foxi and I had a chance to meet him. After showers, the big event of the evening was going to Greek Fest, in Vestal. This festival is a favorite for Tommyhawk and Goat, and one of the motivating reasons to head this way for the weekend. So by 7 p.m. we were under a tent at Greek Fest, eating souvlaki, gyros, honey puffs, and spanakopita, and drinking Greek wine and beer. We were there with their friends Fred and Holly, Justin, Kendra, and their young son, and Amy and her two adorable kids. We ate, drank, played Euchre, watched the Greek dancing, and yelled "opa!" a lot. We're taking a zero day tomorrow and will be back to Pennsylvania on Monday morning. Less than 100 miles left to go of the AT in PA, and after the wonderful break this weekend, we'll be ready to hike on. The trail has taught me flexibility and spontaneity, and it's all good...Today's highlight: taking a break from the trail.
Date: 2013-06-02
From: PA 183 (and on to Endicott, N.Y.)

To: Endicott, N.Y.
Miles today: 0.0

Lovely to have a true zero day! We had a chance to resupply in the morning, followed by visits with Tommyhawk and Goat's family and friends in the afternoon and evening. So much good food, especially rhubarb meringue pie made by the guys' dad and apple pie made by their mom.Too short a day, but feeling rested and ready to tackle the trail again tomorrow...Foxi's quote of the day: "Auf Geht's!"Today's highlight: not walking - need I say more?!
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Endicott, N.Y.

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Goat and Tommyhawk's dad was at the house by 6:30 a.m. to drive us back to the trail. After a few stops we were back on the trail by 10:15.A bit cooler today, which was a welcome change. Our terrain was fairly level, although once again sprinkled liberally with lots of rocks. Early on we met Fiddlehead, a thruhiker from Maine. He started in February but took a couple of weeks off the trail so he had news of hikers behind us. We'd eaten leftover pizza when we were dropped off, so we didn't feel the need for much of a lunchbreak. I ran across a garter snake, but once again no rattlesnakes. I'm really okay with that...There was more mountain laurel either on the cusp of blooming or in bloom today than I've seen before. It was a welcome break from all the green. At about 3 p.m. we started our descent into Port Clinton. No switchbacks used for the drop; just a steep downhill with some occasional rock steps. We'd been told about the Peanut Shop, so of course we had to stop there once in town. It's a candy store that offers all those favorite candies that you thought weren't made anymore. We had fun reminiscing and buying a few sweets, and then took a break on the front porch. Port Clinton has a park area with an old pavilion (think the kind of structure that might have housed amusement park bumper cars) and free tenting for AT hikers, so we walked the several blocks from the Peanut Shop to the pavilion and set up our tents and hammock. Foxi, Goat, Tommyhawk, and I are the only ones here, so we have the pavilion and area to ourselves. There's a busy 4 lane road near us, and behind us we're bordered by a stream with train tracks on the other side. Might be a noisy night, but we're enjoying the comfort of our tents and hammock, along with being sugared up from our Peanut Shop sweets. Today's highlight: being at our campsite early enough to soak my feet in the river and relax for a bit.
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Allentown Shelter
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: broken clouds

What a difference a day makes. Today was less humid, cooler, sunny, and breezy... all in all good weather for hiking. We'd heard about a nearby restaurant for breakfast, so we got up early and were there by 5:45. Great breakfast at 3 C's Restaurant - if you're ever in the Port Clinton area, stop in.We first hiked up and out of Port Clinton. Once at the top of the hill the trail stayed relatively flat along a ridge for most of the day. Of course there were rocks, because this is Pennsylvania, after all. Midway through the morning we ran into some new and some familiar faces on the trail. Hoosier was there, whose name I'd heard but never met, along with Olde English and Chapinlara, who I hadn't seen since Front Royal. Also there was Smooth Sailin', who I hadn't seen since Neel's Gap. It's amazing that you can be at the same place with another hiker 30 miles into a hike and then not run into them again for 1200 miles.Two items of note today. First, there were some decent views, which was a nice change. We stopped at Pulpit Rock, then The Pinnacle, and finally Dan's Pulpit. At Pulpit Rock we met Buffalo and Postman, two other hikers whose names I've heard but never met.Second, the cicadas down here are out of control. For the past few days we've listened to the incessant drone of the cicadas, and in some points it's really loud. Goat noted that it's the sound used by movie directors to signal an alien presence or invasion, so I walk through the woods wondering if UFO's will soon be landing on the AT. And then to top it off, there are places on the trail where you see dead cicadas or their exoskeletons everywhere. I stopped for a break today and saw a dozen cicada shells clinging to a tree trunk, more attached to the underside of leaves, and cicada bits on the ground. I took a picture of a live cicada and added it to the photo section if you're interested in an up close and personal view. I ran into Hoosier at Dan's Pulpit and hiked the final 4+ miles with him to the Allentown Shelter. The last few miles of a long day always seem to take forever, but we reached the shelter by 6:30 p.m. Tommyhawk, Goat, Foxi, and I are here tonight with Hoosier, Bear and Babe (section hikers), and Kadima. Time for sleep...Smooth Sailin's quote of the day: "Each of us brings a sense of urgency with us. In the real world the urgency is to collect material wealth. On the trail the urgency is to collect miles because if we don't we fear we won't finish."Today's highlight: the much improved weather.
Date: 2013-06-05
From: Allentown Shelter

To: Jailhouse Hostel, Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 18.0

Woke to another stellar weather day. Today was the day we hiked over both the "Knife Edge" and "Bake Oven Knob", two spots in Pennsylvania that receive a lot of hype for the danger factor.So off we went, not sure quite what to expect from the day, although we knew that rocks were guaranteed. As has been the case with many things on the AT, the hype was overdone. The Knife Edge is a tenth of a mile over a rocky ledge that includes rocks stacked at a 45 degree angle that are fairly narrow on the edge. If you can visualize plates stacked and slanted, you'll get the picture. Made it through there, and then on to Bake Oven Knob. Bake Oven was yet another PA boulder field to tackle. It's really something to look up the trail and see boulders as far as the eye can see. Both of these challenges just took time to navigate but weren't over the top awful.I found the afternoon miles to be some of the prettiest we'd encountered in PA. We walked through some open high areas where the mountain laurel was in bloom and we could see into the valleys.The trail finally wound down into civilization, and we'd made plans to stay in Palmerton for the night. Once down, Goat, Tommyhawk, and I talked about hitching into town but instead opted to walk the blue blazed 1.5 mile trail. It was 3:30 by this time, and let me tell you, that was a long and sunny 1.5 miles! We stopped at a convenience store for cold drinks, and Foxi came along shortly after.Palmerton offers the Jailhouse Hostel, which is a free bunkroom in the basement of the municipal building. We had to sign in and show photo ID's at the police station, where they're most likely running our driver's license numbers through their system as I type this! Anyway, thanks to the town for the free bunk space and showers. Here with us tonight are Hoosier, Scott, and a southbound hiker.After dinner at Subway, a few groceries at the market (which very kindly gives a free piece of fruit to hikers), and ice cream at Claude's, we're back at the hostel cleaned up and well fed once again. We're ready for the final two day push to Delaware Water Gap and on to New Jersey.Today's highlight: making it over the Knife Edge and Bake Oven Knob.
Date: 2013-06-06
From: Jailhouse Hostel, Palmerton, PA

To: Wind Gap, PA. (Red Carpet Inn)
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: broken clouds

Thanks to the residents of Palmerton for a good stay! We had the free hostel and complimentary piece of fruit yesterday, followed by a ride to the trailhead this morning. We had just left the hostel at 5:45 when a kind man with a work van stopped and offered us a ride.Our first challenge was to hike up the steep trail out of Lehigh Gap. It's a deforested ridgeline due to zinc smelting that took place between 1898 and 1980 and it's a superfund site. This is another AT icon, and I'd seen pictures and read accounts of the rocky 1,000 foot climb. Lovely. Well, it was steep and rocky, but doable and actually kind of fun. We collapsed our hiking poles and just went for it... check that one off the list. Another lesson about listening to all the AT hype.We then followed the ridgeline for awhile that we quickly found out was absolutely loaded with ticks. Tommyhawk and Goat took turns leading the way for Foxi and me and they each picked off 30+ ticks by the time we made it through. The rest of the day was lots of walking through the woods that included, you guessed it, rocks of all shapes and sizes. In my mind I was shaking my fist thinking: "bring it on, PA, you won't get the best of me!". So we kept walking up the rocks, through the ticks, and over the rocks for 20.1 miles. It started to rain lightly in the afternoon but nothing too serious. By 3:30 we were out of the woods at Wind Gap, and were quickly picked up by drivers of two different cars who drove us to the Red Carpet Inn. Thanks, kind residents of Wind Gap!It's now raining hard, so we're glad to be inside. We ordered in pizza and subs from Sal's Pizza and are all happy to be resting our feet. We'll be in Delaware Water Gap tomorrow - last hiking day in Pennsylvania!Today's highlight: the climb up and out of Lehigh Gap.
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Wind Gap, PA. (Red Carpet Inn)

To: Delaware Water Gap (Pocono Inn)
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: light rain

It was still raining this morning. Tommyhawk and Goat are exceptionally skilled at avoiding hiking in the rain, so they hatched a plan to see if their dad could pick them up this morning in Wind Gap instead of Delaware Water Gap since they're going off the trail with Foxi for a few zero days at home.I wanted to hike on to Delaware Water Gap, where I'd made a hotel reservation for the night. I very sadly said my goodbyes and took a cab for the few miles to the trailhead. Our hiking "family" has been together for about 6 weeks, so it felt very strange to be heading out on my own. Tommyhawk, Goat, Foxi, and Flip, it has been wonderful getting to know you all and I'm hopeful our paths may cross again further up the trail...It was only me and the red efts (aka those cute orange salamanders) on the trail all day. I stopped counting the efts after I saw the 20th one. My adrenaline was really in full force as I crossed Wolf Rocks. Nothing like adding rain to the rocky mix for some excitement and potential danger on the trail.Today was truly a day for my fully charged IPod, and I walked the miles at a blistering pace. Well, at least as blistering of a pace as a woman my age can travel over wet and slippery rocks. I arrived in Delaware Water Gap by 2:30 and was totally soaked. On my way to the Pocono Inn I passed the Village Farmer and Bakery which is widely known on the trail for their hot dog and slice of pie $2.49 bargain. I walked in there in all my fully drenched and smelly glory and ordered the special, along with a large cup of English Breakfast tea (no Earl Grey on hand). That combo nicely took the edge off my chill and I continued on to the hotel to check in.It's almost 8 now and I've showered, eaten dinner at the Water Gap Diner, and done my laundry. On the way back from the diner I ran into Eagle Runner and Hurry, who I haven't seen in weeks. They're super fast and were way ahead of me but took a bunch of time off the trail. Back at the hotel I met Push Up, who I'd never met before. Zero day in town tomorrow to rest up, and then I'll be in New Jersey after only .3 miles on Sunday!Today's highlight: conquering that wet, slippery, and rocky trail by myself.
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Delaware Water Gap (Pocono Inn)

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

Today was a pleasant and leisurely hiking day and I liked it. My goal is to meet Easy Rider and Hannah (we have to get her a trailname) in Branchville, NJ tomorrow night, and it made sense to only go as far as the Mohican Outdoor Center today, so no need to rush.After checking out of the hotel I stopped at the bakery for a breakfast sandwich and cup of tea. Also there were Just Roy, his son Little Foot, One Croc, Strider, and Pancake. They're all from Florida and are doing a 300 mile section hike north that started in southern PA. I'd met them when I'd had lunch at the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon not all that long ago. Unlike me, they'd already hiked six miles before the bakery, but they were heading to the Outdoor Center as well.We all finished and walked out of Delaware Water Gap and across the long bridge. I was hopeful there would be some kind of sign saying "Congrats, you finally made it out of PA", but no such luck. Regardless, goodbye PA and hello NJ!The miles seemed easy and the views were pretty. We first walked around Sunfish Pond, one of the few bodies of water I've passed on my entire AT hike. Then it was up to the summit of Kittatinny Mountain (1,513 feet), with an almost 360 degree view of surprisingly remote and undeveloped land. Before I knew it I was at the road making the .3 mile trek to the Mohican Outdoor Center.Mohican Outdoor Center is an Appalachian Mountain Club hiking and retreat center that's within 90 minutes of NYC. Apparently it was once a Boy Scout camp and it has lots of cabins and out buildings. The property includes Catfish Pond, and there are boats for rent and a swimming beach. We'd thought there would be a bunkhouse, but instead the Florida group and I were all placed in Black Oak Cabin, with our own rooms, a kitchen, and a common area. I've posted a couple of pictures in the photo section if you're interested. After purchasing a deli sandwich (I am getting so spoiled with all the recent real food opportunities) and dropping my things in the cabin, I wandered through the property to the swimming beach. The sun was shining and the water was a refreshing temperature, so of course I had to go for a swim. After I got out of the water I enjoyed a half hour lounging in the sun and drying off. Absolutely perfect...The weather forecast calls for rain to start overnight, so I'm glad to be under cover tonight. Tomorrow should be a long and rainy walk...Today's highlight: swimming in Catfish Pond this afternoon.
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Branchville, NJ
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: heavy intensity rain

I knew that rain was in the forecast so I was on the trail by 6:15, hoping to get a little ways up the trail before the rain started. By 6:45 it was raining, and the downpour continued all day.In spite of the rain, I'm enjoying the NJ terrain. The mountain laurel is in full bloom, and I walked by a lovely pond with pink laurel all the way around. Yes, there are still rocks, but they don't seem quite as harsh as what we encountered in PA. The trail meandered over a ridgeline for part of the day, and because much of the vegetation is lower, it all felt a lot more open. Lots of blueberry bushes with berries that aren't quite ripe. I've often heard people call the AT through New Jersey "wild", and a "hidden gem", and I'd have to agree. Considering the fact that we're an easy drive to NYC I'm impressed with how remote the trail feels. I even saw 3 deer today, and the one in the picture above was kind enough to pose for me.By 1 p.m. I reached the shelter. Stretch and the guys from Florida were all heading there for the night. Since I'd made plans to meet Easy Rider (aka my husband John) and Hannah in Branchville, I hiked on the remaining 3+ miles. By the time I popped out of the woods and onto the road it was pouring heavily. I didn't want to hitch since I was so drenched, so I walked the 2.5 miles to the motel. Let me tell you, that was an exceptionally long 2.5 miles. I hoped someone might take pity on me and offer a ride, but no such luck.Anyway, I survived the road walk and am at a rather sketchy motel. By the time I walked here I was too beat to consider another motel in the opposite direction. As it turns out, Easy Rider's back is really bothering him, so Hannah put him on a bus back to home and she's driving here alone. I just ate dinner at the Mexican restaurant next to the motel and am waiting for her to arrive. Hopefully the sun will return tomorrow!Today's highlight: seeing all the mountain laurel in bloom. I didn't know I'd see mountain laurel this far north.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Branchville, NJ

To: Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

Hannah arrived at 11:15 last night (way past hiker midnight) so we slept in until 7 and had a leisurely start to the day. We had logistical issues to deal with, such as where we could park her car and who might be able to pick her up from the trail on Friday. We walked across the street from the motel to have breakfast at the Yellow Cottage Bakery and as we were waiting for breakfast the proprietors offered to let Hannah park the car (filled from her college house) in their lot, so we solved the first piece of the puzzle. I then contacted a shuttle driver, who said he could pick her up on Friday and return her to the car. It's always great when details fall into place so easily. Along the way we saw Buffalo and Postman, who were taking a zero in Branchville.The motel owner kindly gave us a ride to the trailhead, and we started hiking by 11. The trail today was more of the moderate ups and downs, but after the heavy rains yesterday it was really wet. Early on we saw a pheasant with her babies, which was a first. We stopped for a late lunch on top of Sunrise Mountain, and we met Tin Cup. I've heard his name before and it was good to finally meet him. Not long after we were passed by Wild Rain and Tin Man, who I hadn't seen in a long time.After 2 trail magics that included water containers in the bear box at Mashipacong Shelter and cold sodas not far beyond (thanks to the trail angels responsible for these treats) we reached the shelter at 6 p.m. The Florida guys were already here and we set up our tent on the lawn near the shelter. Hannah cooked us a gourmet meal that included orzo, dried chili peppers, kelp powder, garlic, parmesan cheese, potatoes, and fresh lemon, with a parsley garnish. Yes, I will be eating well for the next couple of nights...Today's highlight: having Hannah here, of course!
Date: 2013-06-12
From: Rutherford Shelter

To: Pochuck Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: light rain

Finally a beautiful day here. Hannah and I packed up and started hiking by 8:30. Within 2.5 miles we were at High Point State Park, complete with a monument atop the highest point in NJ, restrooms and running water, and a free Pepsi for AT thruhikers (thank you to the Friends of High Point for the soda). We met Jungle Juice along the way, who we crossed paths with a few more times during the day.It was rumored that many of the rocks on the trail stop after the park, and I'm happy to report that this seems to be the case. We walked through lovely woods, some beautiful meadows, and through a pretty swamp with a boardwalk. We were both ready for a lunch break by 1:30, so we headed down Lott Road and into Unionville, NY. The trail really walks the line between NJ and NY. Unionville offers a tavern, pizza place, and a general store with a deli, and we opted to stop at the store. We ended up sitting on the porch for close to 2 hours, eating lunch, talking with people, and finally splitting a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream. We met Navigator, who's thruhiking, as well as the man who owns the famous "secret shelter". A man from the sheriff's department also chatted with us and wanted to make sure we knew we could set up our tent in the town park. All in all a very fun couple of hours and a hiker friendly town.At 4 we headed back to the trail, which ultimately walked the perimeter of the Wallkill Wildlife Refuge. More NJ beauty... sorry, NJ for your state's undeserved bad reputation. After leaving the refuge the trail turned back into the woods and steeply up Pochuck Mountain.We stopped at Pochuck Mountain Shelter and are tenting here. The 5 Florida guys are all in the shelter and they also had a great day. Rain in the forecast for tomorrow so we'll see what happens...Today's highlight: NJ's beauty.