morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-13
From: Ironmaster's Mansion

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We hiked out of Pine Grove Furnace State Park. It was overcast and remained that way all day but it did keep the temps down. The trail was a mixed bag today. Some rocks and boulders and some excellent trail. Pennsylvania takes you to the top of every rock pile near the trail. The trail lingo for this is P.U.D.S.-Pointless Ups and Downs. However, I go where the trail leads and that's the bottom line. PA does have, in my opinion, the best shelters I have seen on the trail. The ones I have seen so far have been 1st rate. There has been a phenomenon going on in the forest for the last couple of weeks. An insect called a cicada hatches every 17 years and millions of the males get together and vibrate plate-like organs on their thorax to produce a mating call. The sound that is produced reminds me of the sound track from the War of the Worlds movie. It is an eerie sound that permeates the forest. It really gets your attention when it's overcast and you're walking through a dense wood. Folks, you can tell I'm running a little short on journal material. When I decided to do this journal online, I wanted it to be more about what I saw on the trail and focused less on personalities. I did not want it to become a soap opera. Lately I feel like the journal has become a little stale. I will try to do a better job. By the way, cicadas only live a few days. Basically I think they mate and then die. The eerie hum is gradually receding.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-14
From: Boiling Springs

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 25.6
Weather: light rain

We didn't start the hike out of Boiling Springs until about 7AM. Boiling Springs seemed to be a nice clean little town. However, camping was not allowed in or near the town. The weather was threatening and the only place to stay was at a rather pricey Bed & Breakfast. Wicomico and I split the room cost, so it wasn't that bad. The trail today was another mixed bag. We spent some time walking through corn fields and also spent a lot of time walking over rocks and boulders. I have heard that north of Port Clinton the rocks are much worse. I don't see how it could be much worse that what we did today. I have been wearing different boots since Harpers Ferry. The Merrill's have a tougher sole so I thought they would be bettter on the rocks. Wrong! They have really been hurting my feet. I also have been using my P-2 pack that I started with in Georgia. I thought I could adjust it better and it would be okay. Wrong again! I bounced my Dana pack and old boots ahead to Duncannon. I'm glad I did because I'm sending the P-2 and Merrill boots home. My old boots do not have a lot of life left in them, so Ethel is sending me another pair of boots from home to Port Clinton. I met an old friend today that I have not seen in a while. I stopped two shelters before Duncannon and read in the shelter log that Just Pete was waiting for Wicomico and I at the next shelter. We haven't seen Just Pete since before the Shenandoahs. It was good to see him. We hiked into Dunncannon together. He will hike with us for about a week before he stops to meet friends from Ohio. We are all staying at the famous Doyle Hotel in Duncannon. A brewery owned the hotel back in the 1800s. I understand it was really something to see back then. Now it's a run down hiker hotel. The rooms are $10 a night. The new owvers are trying to fix it up, but they have a long way to go. I am taking a 0-day here. Port Clinton is about four days down the trail. Somewhere before Port Clinton I should hit the "less than 1000 miles to go" mark. Looking forward to that and a good day of hiking when we leave here the day after tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-15
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This is a town day in Duncannon. I did the usual town day stuff. I found that my Dana Design pack has a medium hip belt. I thought it was a small. So I called my friend Tommy Smith at Buffalo Peak Outfitters in Jackson, MS. He called Dana Designs and they are going to ship a small hip belt to Port Clinton. It should be there when I arrive. Thanks Tommy! My feet are starting to feel better too. I'll be ready to go hiking tomorrow.
Date: 2004-06-16
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Rattling Run
Miles today: 21.5

I got up at 4:45, had breakfast at 5:15 and hiked out of Duncannon at 6:30. We had to road walk about 2 miles before we started climbing Peters Mountain. In the process we crossed the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers. Like previous days the trail was very rocky in places and smoothed out to a good foot path in others. Wicomico, Pete and I all hiked out of town together. There were seveal climbs in the morning and a big 4 mile rocky climb in the late afternoon. I saw a lot of wild roses and daisies today. There also were a lot of white and yellow butterflies fluttering around the flowers. I saw a turtle and a deer too. I haven't seen a lot of wildlife since entering PA. Tonight I have my tarp set up near a babbling brook. I hope this will help me sleep better tonight. The fire station was next to the Doyle Hotel and the siren went off twice last night. That's not condusive to a good night's sleep. It should be better tonight. I have a big day planned for tomorrow, so I'm going to try and get some rest.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-17
From: Rattling Run

To: William Penn Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: haze

I slept a little better last night. It rained during the early morning hours but was all over by 5AM. The humidity was probably 100% today. I stayed wet all day and hiked through heavy rain in the afternoon. The trail was also covered with rocks and briars growing over the trail. I ran out of energy during the latter part of the day. I also ran out of water 5 miles from the shelter, so it turned out to be a tough hike. I'm still hiking with Wicomico and Pete. We don't see much of one another on the trail but we get together at the campsites or shelters. It's kind of nice having people to talk to. We figure that Mellow Yellow is one day behind us. The PA rocks are living up to their name. It's not that big of a deal, you hike each day and go where the trail leads. It's not very complicated. A big thunderstorm developed late in the evening and dropped a lot of rain. It has been raining a lot lately. Finch if you're reading this, I know that you went through a trememdous amount of rain last year, so I'm not going to complain too much about the rain. I met a lady named Lucy Seyler back in Long Beach. She was visiting her mother and mentioned that she has a hiker hostel near Port Clinton in PA. She have me directions and a phone number. Lucy said when I got close to call. Port Clinton seemed like a dream then, if I could only make it that far. Well folks, I'm only a few miles from Port Clinton. I called Lucy from Duncannon. She has been ailing lately but was happy to hear from me. She invited me and my two partners to stay at her hostel. She will pick us up at a road crossing near her hostel. I seem to be expending more energy lately. I know the high humidity has a lot to do wiht that. So it will be great to take a short break. We plan to be back on the trail Saturday morning. Looking forward to tomorrow, plus a shower, food, and rest.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-18
From: William Penn Shelter

To: PA 143
Miles today: 13.4

We were up at 5:15 and were over 13 miles away. Lucy planned to pick us up at 12:00 or 12:30. The trail was again very rocky, so we needed a little extra time. We got to the road about 11:30 with time to spare. Lucy picked us up at 12:30. Her hostel is one of the nicest I have seen on the trail. Everything is so hiker friendly. It has everything a hiker needs: bunkhouse, shower, washer, cooler full of drinks, and a nice porch. She also had internet and phone for hikers. We cleaned up first and then had sandwiches and brownies. This is really a first class operation. I also had a chance to visit with Lucy's mother. I met her last year when she lived in Long Beach, MS. She is a very nice lady. She relocated to PA so she could be closer to her daughters.Everyday is not a fun day, but everyday presents a new challenge. At the end of the day I feel good about what I accomplished.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-19
From: PA 143

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: few clouds

Lucy got us back to the trailhead and we started hiking at 9AM. Lucy's hostel is very nice and we had a great time. Thanks for everything, Lucy! The trail into Port Clinton was rocky but not bad. PA is a very rocky state, but I should be out of this state in about 4 days. Pete, Wicomico and I had our maildrops sent to the outfiters. Tommy Smith also had a new hipbelt shipped to the same outfitter. When we got to the outfitters, we found that my hipbelt was there but our maildrops weren't. This presented a problem. The post office was closed and would not open until Monday. The maildrop consisted of my food for the next 5 days. So, I will have to wait until the post office opens on Monday. I called Lucy to see if Wicomico and I could stay at her hostel until Monday and she said that it wouldn't be a problem. Lucy is good friends with Cindy Ross, a well-known author of books and magazines about the outdoors. Cindy was having a party and Lucy said she would pick us up at the outfitter and we would all go to the party. Wicomico and I were right off the trail, which means that we had not cleaned up. We still had on our trail clothes. Lucy said there would be mainly hiker-types at the party and that our appearance would not be a problem. So we went to the party. We met some interesting peoply and really had a good time. We will hike 15 miles to a road crossing in the morning. Lucy will then pick us up and bring us back to the hostel. Sometimes out here things don't always go according to plan, you just refigure and do the best you can.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-20
From: Port Clinton

To: Hawk Mountain Road
Miles today: 15.2

We started hiking frm the Port Clinton trailhead about 9AM and we only had 15 miles to go. The trail was very good in places and pretty bad in others. It was a beautiful day with temps in the 70s and low humidity. It was a good hiking day. Wicomico and I got to Hark Mtn. Rd. about 3:00 and Lucy was there to pick us up. We got cleaned up and then ate supper. Lucy made a big pot of lasagna. Tomorrow we will go to the post office and hopefully get our maildrops. Then we will head to where we stopped yesterday and start hiking north. Pete went on ahead because he's meeting a friend on Wednesday. We will probably catch him sometime during the week. Rocks or not I'm looking forward to another day of hiking.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-21
From: Hawk Mountain Road

To: Allentown Shelter
Miles today: 7.4

We got off to a late start this morning. We had to pick up the maildrop from the post office and transfer the contents to our packs and then send my boots and old hip belt home. It was 11AM before Wicomico and I were on the trail. It turns out that the Appalachian Trail Outfitters was supposed to pick up maildrop boxes from the post office. This is by far the worst outfitter I've seen on the trail! The store was poorly run and the person working did not have any knowledge about hiking gear or the trail. The trail was again very rocky. It's hard to get any momentum. I will be glad to get out of this state. We stopped way short today. We hope to get back on schedule tomorrow, but it's hard to do big miles with the rocks. We will get an early start in the morning and see how it goes. Lucy really helped us out a lot. She must have the friendliest hostel on the trail. For the last two days the weather has been near perfect. Tonight and tomorrow night it's supposed to rain. The rocks get real slick when it rains and that slows the pace down even more. So right now I'm taking it a day at a time. I should be out of Pennsylvania soon. That will be a good thing.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-22
From: Allentown Shelter

To: Lehigh Gap
Miles today: 17.4

We started hiking about 6:10. The trail proved to be true to form. There were a few stretches of good footpath, but for the most part it was rocks and more rocks. I got caught in a heavy thunderstorm on one of the exposed ridges. It was really a big boulder field and the rain caused the rocks to become very slippery. It was one of the most treacherous sections that I have hiked. The trail leveled out after that for a while. Wicomico and I decided to go into Slatington for the night. We could clean up and dry out. We had a number to call for a shuttle. It took us to a rooming house. It's amazing how low your standards can go when you're on the trail. This place was little more than a flop house. We were in a small room that had a dirty floor and had a dog smell to it, but it was cheap and for just one night. The weather promises to be much better tomorrow. A couple of more days and Pennsylvania will be history! I noticed today that the wild blueberries are ripe. I ate some today and they were delicious. We will not be able to get a shuttle back to the trail until 8AM. I'm ready to go now!Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-23
From: Lehigh Gap

To: Wind Gap
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: few clouds

The climb out of Lehigh Gap was almost vertical. It was also a rock scramble. The trail didn't have any significant ups or downs after that. It was a beautiful day with low humidity. I hiked over an area that has been ravaged by zinc mining. It looked like the landscape on the moon. It almost brought a tear to my eye. I was totally exhausted after today's hike. I felt like the tank was empty. The Pennsylvania rocks have taken a toll on my legs and feet. One more day and I should be out of Pennsylvania. I don't expect the rocks to stop at the PA-New Jersey line. They will after a day or two. New Jersey has the highest bear population per sq mile in the country. Wicomico seems to be holding up well. In fact, he has gotten stronger. Except when climbing, I have trouble keeping up with him. I seem to be a strong climber but my short stride doesn't do me any favors on flat or slightly downhill trail. Tomorrow we walk into Delaware Water Gap. This is the PA-New Jersey line. We will probably take a 0-day there. Then New Jersey here we come!Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-24
From: Wind Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was little more than trudging over rocks and boulders with my head down. I didn't feel good at all today. I will be glad to have a rest day at Delaware Water Gap. Wicomico and I got to the Gap about 2PM. We stopped at the post office for our maildrops. A trail angel was there with pizza and drinks. I haven't been very hungry lately. I didn't eat anything. We got a ride from the post office to the Ramada Inn. We got cleaned up and then went to eat. I didn't eat much. You know I'm just not feeling very good. I got back to the room and went to bed. I don't know what's wrong. I have fever, aches, and no appetite. I'm going to try and get some sleep. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-25
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up this morning feeling terrible. Still no appetite. I feel like I have the flu, with fever, chills, and aches. I have all of those symptoms but I know this is not flu season, so it must be something else. I slept most of the day and I may have to take another day here. I can't hike feeling like I do now. I plan to see a doctor tomorrow. I have been feeling exhausted for the last few days. Hopefully this will quickly pass.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-26
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I spent about 4 hours at the hospital emergency room. All the tests came back negative. The doctor thinks I could have Lyme Disease. He bases this on the flu-like symptoms I have. He said it could take 4 weeks to make that diagnosis. I have been finding a lot more tics lately, most of which I just brush off. There have seen several that have been attached. The doctor prescribed antibiotics for Lyme Disease. So I'm going to take two to three days off and then see how I feel.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-27
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a bad night. The same fever, chills and aches. My lack of appetite is becoming a big concern. I am not banking any calories and that's not good. Tomorrow I will decide whether I'm going to hike or go home. Well, I wrote the above journal entry this morning. It's now late afternoon and I seem to be perking up some. So unless things change, I plan to start hiking in the morning. I will hike about 10 miles and evaluate how I feel. I'm not ready for my hike to end. When I was really feeling bad those thoughts did cross my mind. I will take it a day at a time and see how it goes. I might add that Wicomico and I are still together. I told him to hike on, but he wanted to stay with me. He has been a true buddy and I appreciate him very much. I plan on having a good day hiking tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-28
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Camp Road
Miles today: 10.3

We only planned to do ten miles today, so we were not in a big hurry to leave the Gap. I'm going to take it easy for a few days. I told Wicomico he needed to hike his hike and not let me be an anchor holding him back. I am feeling better but I do feel a little washed out. So we were on the trail by 9:30. The first two miles were a road walk and then we had a four mile gradual climb. The forest was very beautiful today. After a couple of miles we came to sunfish pond. It was a large pond covering several acres. Bullfrogs were croaking and birds were chirping. The water was very clear, an impressive start to New Jersey. The footpath changed to very rocky. We arrived at the Mohican Outdoor Center around 3PM. This is where we planned to camp for the night. Well folks, I had a pretty tough week. I think the worst is over. I will be taking antibiotics for 4 weeks and I expect to feel better each day. Now the focus returns to the hike. I do want to thank my family for being so supportive. I couldn't do this hike without them. I'm glad to be on the trail and I look forward to tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-29
From: Camp Road

To: Culvers Gap
Miles today: 17.9

Wicomico and I hiked out of the Outdoor Center early. Early in the day the trail was not bad but it later turned into a rocky mess. It was up and down all day. The climbs were not big, but at the end of the day I was exhausted. The weather was great for hiking, low temps and low humidity. I saw Bear Behind at Delaware Water Gap and then again at the Mohican Outdoor Center. The last time I saw him was near the end of the Shenandoah Park. It was really good to see him. I also saw Mellow Yellow at Delaware Water Gap. He has been behind since Harpers Ferry. He planned to leave the Gap a day after us. He had ankle problems coming out of Harpers Ferry. He's doing great now. Tomorrow should be a good day.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-30
From: Culvers Gap

To: High Point Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

I had a hard time sleeping because my right leg ached all night. This also happened two nights ago. Today was another great day weatherwise. The trail today was a mixed bag but it was very rocky. There were a lot of ups and downs but the elevation change was never more than a couple hundred feet. I was tired at the end of the day. I'm still noticing wild roses blooming, today they were pink. I also saw more deer and tons of birds. There was a spectacular view on top of sunrise mountain. I could have spent all day up there. Wicomico wanted me to mention that I fell today. I was stepping over a downed tree when I tripped, falling forward. I fell hard with my pack slamming me into the ground. The ground was soft so I had a cushion. A few feet ahead was nothing but rocks. I have spent a lot of time in the journal describing his falls, so after he saw that I was okay, I think he got a kick out of seeing me on the ground. At Port Clinton we sent a bump box ahead to Vernon, NJ. The box has excess food and misc. stuff in it. Tomorrow we will hike into Vernon to get our boxes. We will stay the night at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel. We will be hiking through a lot of swampy areas tomorrow, so we will trade the rocks and elevation changes for water, mud, and mosquitos. It should be fun.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-07-01
From: High Point Shelter

To: NJ 94
Miles today: 18.9

We were on the trail by 6AM. The terrain was not as smooth as I expected. There were some flat swampy areas but also a lot of ups and downs over rocky terrain. The temps were hotter and the humidity a lot higher today. I felt fatigued most of the day. Right now I don't have a lot of zip. I have to get my zip back. I continue to see a lot of deer, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and birds. This state has the highest bear population in the country, so where are all the bears? I don't want to get up close and personal, but I would like to see one from a distance. Wicomico continues to get stronger. Lately I have been hiking behind him. My legs feel weak and I don't have a lot of energy in them. At times I feel like I'm back in Georgia working on my trail legs. I feel like I have to gut it out and work through this somewhat trying time. It's normal for things to ebb and flow out here. Right now I am ebbing a little bit. I'm confident the flow will come back. We are staying at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel. This is such a nice place. It has a large carpeted area for sleeping and also a TV, phone, bathroom with shower, and kitchen facilities. They only ask for a donation. We are staying here another night. We have a food drop at Bear Mountain, NY. The problem is that we could be there by Sunday. Because of the 4th of July holiday, the post office will not open until Tuesday. By taking an extra day here we will not have to wait as long at Bear Mountain. The price for lodging here is very inexpensive, but the prices will be out of sight at Bear Mtn. So another day here and then on to New York.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-07-02
From: NJ 94

To: NJ 94-St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I spent the day doing the usual 0-day chores. I'm still not feeling up to par. Wicomico and I will stay at this hostel a few days. We will continue to hike but Butch Cassidy (aka Brian Connors) will pick us up each day and return us to the hostel. It will be cheaper to stay at this hostel for $5 a night than in a motel in Bear Mountain. I recently received news that my son and his wife are going to have a wedding in Sicily at the beginning of August. They were actually married almost a year ago but had always planned on a nice wedding in Catania, Sicily. This is Rosy's hometown in Italy. So I'm not looking forward to getting off the trail, but I am looking forward to the wedding. I should be back on the trail around the 10th of August.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-07-03
From: NJ 94-St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel

To: NY 17A
Miles today: 17.2

It was a very pleasant day. The temps were in the 70s with low humidity. The hike today was mostly on the ridgeline, which presented some outstanding views. The New York City skyline was visable at times. It's hard to believe that I'm in New York! It seems that lately I've been moving in slow motion, but I am still progressing heading north.Happy Trails