morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-09
From: US340 underpass, Harper's Ferry Hostel

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

It was tough to leave the hostel this morning...such a comforting and comfortable place. Blueberry pancakes this morning, with sausage, didnt disappoint. I lingered over coffee and read a chapter of my book. The hostel manager loaded me with goodies, including the despicable gummies in the photo (most hike days i do feel rather despicable). A trail section-hiker/volunteer worker was also at the hostel...he thru-hiked years ago, trail name Mud Elephant...offered to swing past the convenience store so I could get a bottle of OJ to drink in his car as he dropped me back at the trailhead, saving me the extra 1.2 mile walk. I started up the Trail and met a flip-flopping thru (he's starting at Harper's Ferry, going north to Maine, then will go Harper's Ferry to Springer later in the year) named Lightning Bolt (I hadn't the heart to tell him there's already a hiker with that name, a German I met a couple states ago, and also Lightning, of a few days ago who gave me Aleve), who saw me looking at my AWOL guide, and told me once we climbed the first ridge it would be flat all day. (I also hadn't the heart to tell him this is the AT...there are big hills and hills less big, but there are always hills, and you can count on it!). So, up I went, and the hills were mostly less big today, and there were rocks, but perhaps less rocks, and in places maybe even a bit of yellow brick road to hike on. And there were modern conveniences scattered along nicely: state camp grounds with flush toilets and sinks to wash your hands and fill up water without having to filter, and even trash cans to throw out your garbage even where the guide advertised there were none. One campground rest room even had complimentary showers available. Unfortunately, it was 5 or 6 miles away from my stopping point today, so I didn't make use of it. I sensed history in the area, as I passed the ruins of a barn....a old stone church...the original Washington Monument, which I climbed like a lighthouse, with its spiral staircase. A bit later I crossed the chain - linked footbridge over I70...and am staying in a shelter just half a mile from there, with the traffic going past our night-time "white noise". A father and son SOBO section hiking team from Columbus, Ohio decided to share this small shelter with me tonight, as earlier it seemed to be threatening rain, though now it seems unlikely. After eating, they got out a deck of cards, and offered to teach me the game "the Big Kahuna". I was glad to...it's the first game of my hike...but I have to admit I wasn't any good at it. Guess that's the luck of the draw!
Date: 2015-06-11
From: Deer Lick Shelters

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: overcast clouds

When the Trail has been rocky for a period of time, all I want is to know that there's still some "normal" trail ahead. The early part of today was normal trail, which brings a measure of relief, both physically and mentally. I felt a bit of change...maybe improvement...in my bad foot, as I walked with the new insole. I took a short break to work on writing yesterday's journal entry, and just then Count and Lavender showed up, back on the Trail for the day (they are commuter hiking this week...Lavender has family hosting them nearby), so I walked with them. Well, more like jogged....they are extra fast these days from having had showers and slept in beds, eaten good food, and are carrying light packs (they only carry lunches and snacks for the day). Soon we found ourselves on rocks and boulders again, but for shorter lengths today. And then we caught up with Trudge, who had gotten a few miles ahead because he wasn't sure where the rest of us were. Not that we're a "family"...groups are loosely attached on the AT, but we do look out for each other...so it was fun to be reunited. Midday, the trail accordion-pleated us all, as hikers arrived at Caledonia State Park, where we could have cold drinks or snacks at the pool concession, sit and enjoy lunch at picnic tables, throw out trash and use restrooms, fill water bottles without having to filter, and soak our hot, tired feet in the river. Stay as long as needed...some longer than others. After the Park, there was a climb onto a ridge, where signs indicated the area was a refuge for timber rattlesnakes, and to leave them alone if we saw them. Yeah. As if I needed someone to tell me that...no matter the snake, I don't mess with them. But I didn't see a single one today. I did walk through miles and miles and acres of forest with blooming pink and white mountain laurel understoried beneath pine trees, their scents intermingling fragrantly. Too (I'd met him in Front Royal at the hostel) came along during the last couple of miles and hiked with me. He's an ultra - distance trail runner, so we conversed about running, mostly...a nice way to pass the miles. I was good and hungry when we arrived at the shelter, so I cooked my noodles right away, then decided to put up my tent, for the first time since my water-logged episode in Shenandoah. A stream flowed well, just down the trail a few yards, and I took advantage of it, with a refreshing wash-down. Just removing the layers of sweat from the day was relaxing and a buoy to my state of mind. I tried to catch up this journal, but found I was without cell service...this came as quite a surprise after the past couple of weeks where I had it pretty strong most of the time. But it was past bedtime anyhow. Sleep, wonderful sleep.
Date: 2015-06-13
From: Pine Grove Furnace SP, Ironmaster's Mansion

To: Mt. Holly Springs, PA, Holly Inn
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

The German hiker Earth (on left) is quite a character...he is happy and funny and is totally into his AT adventure. One thing he insists on is getting a picture of just about everything, and usually he instructs the person taking the photo to make sure they include his feet. A hiker's feet are important gear!!! Also, he carries his AT "passport" book (something new this year, I believe...and wish I had known about sooner), and is diligent about having it "stamped" at every venue possible. This morning, he was waiting for the AT Museum to open at 9 so that he could visit and have that stamp added. He says it will be like a memory book for him to take home. (The hostels, museums, ATC centers, etc. have individual rubber stamp made with their emblem or logo to ink into the passport books). Trudge (photo, right) and I left via the Trail, passed the lake, and cheered on runners who were using the path for a small 5K race. We stopped at a midpoint shelter to take a break (I'm on a strict "rehab" program...), elevate feet, and eat some lunch. We continued to the road junction where we could head into Mt. Holly Springs, tried to call the Inn for a lift, and got the answering machine instead. We tried calling a shuttle service, but he was busy with other hikers, and said it would be close to an hour. So we started walking the 2.5 miles into town. We briefly tried hitching, but no takers. After about a mile and a half, Trudge tried calling the Inn again (my phone had suddenly gone black-screened, for the second time on this hike, very mysterious), and got through but then his phone cut out. Just then a guy in a big black pickup truck went past, asking if we wanted a ride. Nice. He dropped us off and even scribbled the phone number for the local pizza place (with delivery) on a scrap of paper for us...we later made use of that, and it was delicious. Usual town chores were completed, including a trip to Family Dollar, and a local pharmacy. This is true small-town America, where there's no chain drug store. I walked down the main street this evening, and said hello to people sitting on their porches. I yearned to explore the library, located in a big stone building that looks as though it may have been an armory or something similar, but sadly, it was closed already. Other than that, it was relax with feet up, answer emails, etc. I may get really used to these short hike days after all...
Date: 2015-06-15
From: Boiling Springs, PA, Allenberry Inn and Playhouse

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: light rain

Breakfast was at 7:30 in the main building of Allenberry....I was there and ready for the sticky buns, and whatever else was included in their continental fare, which turned out to be toast with jam or marmalade, various pastries, yogurt cups, juices, and coffee, plus a bowl of take-away granola bars (I took one, and it didn't make it to lunchtime). The sticky buns were good, but not quite "legendary" in my opinion. For $3 though, it was a good breakfast! Afterwards, it was back on the Trail, very warm and humid once again...and muddy, since it rained heavily during the night. The first 12 miles were very flat and easy by AT standards. Some of it was through woods alongside farmland, and some went through pastures and fields, very pretty. At mile 10 there was a nice spot to take a break or have lunch at a hiker - friendly farm, including a picnic table, porta-john and fresh water that didn't require filtering. After a few more easy miles we started climbing a ridge. At one point there was a spring to get water, and while stopped for that a girl hiker arrived named Oz. I hadn't met her before today, so we exchanged names and info and she told me that yesterday there was a guy doing trail magic asking for me, and when she told him she didn't know me or where I was, he gave her the Dr. Pepper and left. Wow! I missed trail magic, it was my favorite soda, and I have no idea who the angel could have been. But I told Oz I was glad she enjoyed it for me, and she assured me it was delicious  The rest of the day was just hiking miles, stopping at a shelter with a privy named the Taj Mahalo (I couldn't tell how it received the honor except that it was so large it could sleep two or three hikers in extreme weather if necessary), and continuing on to this current shelter. I'm very thankful to be set up here inside because about ten minutes ago it began to thunder and now it's pouring down rain. I am dry, which is exactly how I like it, thank you very much!
Date: 2015-06-16
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

After the storm went through last night and I had finished posting my journal, I went to sleep. But just before midnight, I was suddenly awakened by loud, strange noises...very close by my head. Long story short, the shelter had notices posted that it was frequented by porcupines. I guess I thought they were kidding, sort of. They've taken measures to prevent porcupines from entering, from the front. This guy was smart, trying to come in the back wall by climbing in the open rafter. It wasn't afraid of banging, as Trudge did when he was suddenly awakened by the noise also. I turned on my phone to check the time:11:55. The light from my phone made it stop in its tracks. It climbed back down ways, and Trudge turned on his headlamp, and then it left. I'm very glad I didn't realize last night that porcupines could climb that high, and that the rafters were open, because I wouldn't have slept a wink all night! As it is, I did sleep afterwards. This morning I hiked into Duncannon with Trudge. We stopped at Sheetz, where I got OJ. We had second breakfast at Goodies diner. We visited the post office. Then went to Jolene's salon. Jolene was my trail angel today...her shop a haven. She welcomed me as a walk-in, since she had had a cancellation. She pampered me with a great color, shampoo and blow-dry, as well as bringing me coffee and then iced tea while I sat in her chair. What a treat...thank you Jolene!!! We did a small resupply at Quick Mart, then stopped at a travel plaza on the way out of town to get Subway (half for lunch, the other half carried out for supper later). We crossed the Susquehanna River, then made our way up the next high ridge, which began with smooth, switchbacked trail, changed for a whole to difficult rocky trail, and finally improved again to reasonable trail. This shelter is large and quite a few people are here, including Earth and Cheswick....good to see and talk to them again. It faces west, so we have had a nice breeze blowing in, plus benefit of pretty sunset. On the downside, the water supply was way, WAY down a steep trail, with "300 steps", as advertised. On the up side, the spring water is very good and really cold. It was a refreshing bandana bath today
Date: 2015-06-17
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: campsite near PA 72
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: clear sky

As nice as the shelter was, and the spring water, the sleeping was not, so much. There were some section hikers staying there who weren't quite up-to-date with trail etiquette. Their stuff was spread all over the place. They sounded like a herd of Buffaloes in the middle of the night to take a potty break, rifling through their gear, etc. They took up most of the table at mealtimes. Also, the shelter was infested with those teeny weeny no-see-em gnats that bite, and we were all swatting ourselves by morning. No matter, the hike goes on. Trudge and I trudged off along the ridge, by 7am. It was a little cooler this morning, and the breeze brought in some drier air. This was great, as it has been quite humid for days. Partway through the morning we ended that ridge, which meant dropping into a gap. How very nice to find a lady named Linda doing trail magic there!!! She had a few chairs set up at the edge of the parking lot, near a stream, and a table set up with meat and cheese slices, and bread slices to put them on. Since hikers don't carry sliced bread, we thought this was right up there with, well, sliced bread! She had cold Gatorade in one cooler, or your choice of Pepsi or Coke in another. And some sort of chocolate snack cupcakes for dessert. She even had a garbage bag for us to empty our trash into. Thanks trail angel! And good timing, because after that we had to climb the next ridge of the day. Most of the hiking today was fairly easy, by AT standards. Not too much to tell about it, other than lots of walking in a straight line. Saw one 4 foot black snake, that wiggled away quickly. Arrived at the next shelter around 4 o'clock, decided to cook and eat supper there but not stay, as it was a 6-person (though looked comfortable for only 4) and we knew of at least 7 heading there for today after a space of 18 miles without one...it was going to be full. We opted to go another 4 miles to a campsite by a bubbling stream and set up tents tonight. I'm listening to that now, as well as traffic noise from nearby roads...My cell service is very weak here, so this will be posted another time.
Date: 2015-06-18
From: campsite near PA 72

To: Hertline Campsite
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Sometime in the night it started to rain. I heard the drops pitter-patter on my tent fly, and wasn't too concerned: it was a gentle rain, so I knew I would stay dry. So I slept soundly. I've found that rain is the best white noise out here. The problem is when you wake up and know you have to pack up to get going, and it's still raining. You wait a bit, hoping it will "let up" but in this case it didn't. In fact it rained most of the day. I learned a few more techniques with my tent, making it possible to take down in the rain while keeping the tent, footprint, and backpack/contents mostly dry. (The rain fly, of course, gets wadded into a plastic bag, because it is sopping wet). After that, the next job was crossing a stream that had risen with the rain. Now the rocks normally used for hopping across were underwater. Hence, a risky...and very slow...maneuver across a wet log, carrying a full backpack, was in order. Slick business, but I made it Not too long after that, I crossed the fancy metal bridge in the photo, left. Then it was a long, steep ridge climb. The Trail wasn't pleasant on the ridge. Lots of it was overgrown, and vegetation edging the Trail was heavy with wet and hanging onto the path. To make matters worse, for miles on end, much of that vegetation was poison ivy. It was unavoidable to rub up against it. Fortunately, it is early in the season so the leaves aren't oily. And I guess I'm not very allergic to it, because as much of it as I've walked past, I haven't broken out yet. At lunchtime, we stopped in at the architecturally interesting William Penn shelter (very tall, with a ladder up to the loft platform), and I decided to cook a meal...it was just that sort of a drippy day. The Trail improved for a while, widening and softening, but then turning rocky again, and often with large boulder fields to cross. We reached the 501 shelter, known for its ample space, fully enclosed walls with door, and solar shower (not much use on a day like this). Also, it sits close to the road, so hikers can order in a pizza. We were tempted to stay dry there indoors, but opted to move on for logistical reasons; I wanted to make it to the Hamburg interchange by Friday afternoon. It was a long day of trudging along muddy, rocky, slippery trail. Just before reaching the campsite, I fell on a downhill section, landing on my right arm, giving myself a nice scrape and "goose-egg" bruise. Tents set up, quick chores done (the weather today meant I wasn't sticky with sweat, so no bandana bath needed, just a muddy leg wipe-off), it was down for the night. Oh no, what is that I hear? Rain, heavy rain, falling on my already wet rain fly, bouncing up off the muddy ground onto my tent. Sigh. And again later, around midnight, awake because of lightning flashes, thunder, and a second downpour...my neoair mattress a floating island of "safety" once again. Good thing it's a town day tomorrow...
Date: 2015-06-19
From: Hertline Campsite

To: PA 61, Blue Mt. Rd, Hamburg, PA
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I guess I don't need to dwell on a description of packing up today...everything was wet, muddy, stinky, or a combination of all three. Never mind, the rain had stopped, and I had something good to look forward to: my younger daughter, Allison was coming to meet me. I haven't laid eyes on her since March, so you can only imagine how that overshadowed carrying soggy gear. It also put a little extra motor into my steps all morning, while the Trail was uphill and super puddly from the rain last night. It carried me across bumpy trail during the middle part of the day, and through lunchtime, when I stopped for lunch at the rather remote Eagles Nest Shelter (.3 miles off trail isn't oft visited by thru hikers). I started to tire after that as the trail became more and more rock-infested. Also, my wet socks were beginning to leave "hot spots" on my feet. I stopped to take off shoes and socks for "airing" at one point, and could see young blisters starting to form amid the white, shriveled dishpan wrinkles. Finally, I made it to the end of the ridge, and started down the steep, then steeper, and steeper yet descent...picking my way carefully and slowly along, using my poles. But I still fell, TWICE! My feet slid out from under me because of the dirt covered by loose gravel. This time no scrapes, but my tailbone is bruised. Ugh.I walked through Port Clinton, then reached my destination, removed my shoes (ouch, yes, now tender blisters on heels), and the silver Subaru pulled into the lot. Hotel, here we come! Backpack emptied, gear all over the place drying, a long, hot shower...Allison now knows what it's like to come off Trail and have a dozen priorities all at once. After eating some of the yummy, healthy food she brought (and a great variety of snacks for my food bag too!!!) we visited the huge Cabelas across the road for a while. It's the beginnings of a nice visit; tomorrow we have plans for some hiking together before she heads back to Ohio
Date: 2015-06-20
From: PA 61, Blue Mt. Rd, Hamburg, PA

To: Hawk Mt. Rd.
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

It was a late night at Microtel, partly because of all the hiker chores that needed to be done, but mostly because of the Mom/daughter reunion going on...even after lights out! The room was cool and dark and comfy, so it was tough to get up and going today. But the promise of hot coffee down in the lobby was calling, along with toasted bagels and cream cheese, cereal with real (not powdered) milk, and other pastries. This fueled us up for a quick stop at Walmart for a few small resupply items. Just outside that store, packing up his food bag, was Trudge, who needed a lift back into Port Clinton, which we quickly supplied, since we were heading that direction. Our destination was up the road further, at the General Store, where we met our Trail Angel, Rick, who had graciously offered to help with some shuttling today. Since Allison (Trail name Bambi) wanted to hike, but needing a shorter section, he suggested starting at Reservoir Rd, leaving her car at Hawk Mt. Rd, hiking Pulpit Rock and Pinnacle section, then when she needed to leave, I could do the missed section from 61 to Reservoir and be shuttled from there. It sounds complicated, but worked quite nicely, and I managed to squeeze in a decent mileage while visiting with Bambi in the woods: a win/win. We enjoyed a mostly easy (especially by PA standards) hike, chatting and catching up as we walked, and taking photos. At one point Bambi noticed movement off to the left and it was 2 bear cubs climbing a tree. Mama bear was at a distance up the hill, and when she saw us she moved off in the opposite direction. The cubs climbed higher, and we couldn't get any real good pictures or video, but Bambi sure got a thrill from the encounter! 9 miles, 3 bears, that's pretty good stats for a one-day AT hike  Of course, it was way too short and I hated to see her go, as I strapped my pack back on at 61 and headed up the steep hill. But I'm so glad I got to hike today with Bambi...it's forever part of my AT "movie reel" in my head. Trail Angel Rick was able to further assist by feeding my hiker hunger away with a big cheeseburger and fries after my hike, and a place to stay out of the (what?, again???!!!) pouring rain, so I'm dry for the second night in a row. It's been a very happy day.