morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-02
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Started @ Peters Mountain Shelter Destination: Rausch Gap ShelterMiles today: 17.5Total Miles: 1160.8Stayed in shelterDay 113What a wonderful day for hiking! I am not so sure I could have done this many miles if the temperature and humidity were still high. It didn't rain last night but this morning we all awakened to a breeze and lower humidity. It was great not to sweat so much.The first part of the morning was all ridge walking and then the trail came down to a road and then it climbed for 3 miles gradually up Stony Mountain. The trail followed a rocky road up. Once on top I stopped for lunch. Ramblin Man, his son, Corporal, and Dandylion were all there also for lunch. I had a headache when I woke up this morning and still have it going to bed. It¢s not bad but I was so tired and by the time I had water filtered and clothes changed I did not feel like cooking so just had a granola bar. There is no privy here--I guess someone burned it down earlier this year. The shelter is 0.3 miles off the trail but it is a nice smooth flat walk. There are some camping spots off the blue-blazed trail to the shelter and beyond and there were some hikers camping off the white-blazed trail next to a stream.Tomorrow is another long day of 17 miles to 501 shelter. I hope my feet make it.
Date: 2005-07-03
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Pa. 501 (Rausch Gap Shelter)
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Started @ Rausch Gap ShelterDestination: Pa. 501 (501 Shelter)Miles today:17.4Total miles: 1178.2Stayed in shelterDay 113Today was a bit hotter and more humid. Someone said tomorrow the heat is supposed to be back as it was before. When I started out at 6:30 this morning it was a little chilly but it did not take long to get warm. No rain last night or today.After ridge walking and crossing 3 roads this morning there was a steep climb up a road and then up a rocky mountain side. Once up on top the ridge trail was narrow. There was poison ivy on one or both sides of the trail. I had met Spike hiking south to where Hopper was waiting for him in their truck camper at a parking lot. Hopper is still having trouble with her calves but says she is going to hike the Whites with Spike. Anyway, he told me about the poison ivy being really bad and he was right!   After 13 miles I finally came to the William Penn Shelter for a lunch break. Dandylion, Ramblin Man, and Corporal, were there for a break also. Then Mr. Clean Jr. came in. He was talking of staying there--he had done 15 miles already. But he was talked into hiking 4 more miles to the 501 shelter which is totally enclosed, has a sky light, has a solar shower, and you can order pizza to be delivered there. He had been talking of going into town to a motel just to get a shower. The shelter used to be a potter's studio at some earlier time. The shower was not warm but it did feel good. I even took my clothes and hand washed them out with camp soap and hung them on a line outside. Maybe if there was poison ivy on my pant legs it is gone. Animals I saw today were a turkey, a rabbit, and a chipmunk. I heard the turkey before I saw it. When it saw me it ran further away from trail but did not go away.      There were a few views of farmlands and wooded areas below but nothing outstanding. I got to the shelter about 4pm. There were the five of us there so we ordered 2 large pizzas and two 2 liter bottles of soda. It cost $6 each. Later as others came in they ordered pizzas, too. Tomorrow is a 15 mile day to the next shelter. I am tired and need to get rested up for tomorrow. I hope it stays on the cooler side.
Date: 2005-07-04
From: Pa. 501 (Rausch Gap Shelter)

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Started @ Pa. 501Destination: Eagles Nest ShelterMiles today: 15.1Total Miles: 1193.3Stayed in tentDay 115The weather today was not too hot and there was a breeze at times. It was sunny and there was no rain again. The water sources are getting pretty dry. I stopped at a spring about a mile before getting to the shelter this afternoon. It was 200 yards off the trail and there was water but it was not flowing. There were "floatees" in it but it all filtered out. I had stopped at one spring earlier and walked a long way down to find only a small pool so did not get any there. The spring for the shelter here is not flowing either--just a few pools of water. We really do need some good steady rain for a while.The trail today was pretty much on the ridge with a little climbing at times. There are lots of rocks on the trail and a couple of times there was just stepping from one big rock to another one. Until the trail leaves Pennsylvania there will be rocks of all shapes and sizes. It sounds like the worst may be coming.I am going to stop at the outfitter in Port Clinton tomorrow and am going to buy a net for m head to keep the bugs out of my eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. They seem worse when I am all sweaty. The shelter is 0.3 miles off the trail. Mr. Clean, Jr., Mouth, and Doc Narly are here. Others may come in but some are pushing all the way to Port Clinton tonight. I only plan on doing the little over 8 miles tomorrow and then just hanging about in town, which I hear has little in it. But they do let hikers stay in the pavilion at night and there is a water spigot at the hotel we can use. I'll just relax and get a meal at the hotel, which I hear has a good restaurant.
Date: 2005-07-06
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Started @ Windsor Furnace ShelterDestination: Eckville ShelterMiles today: 9.9Total Miles: 1217.9Stayed in shelterDay 17Today has been a great day! I was, as almost always, the first one up and the first one to leave for the trail.The trail is supposed to be rocky all the rest of the way through Pennsylvania (70 miles). They were not that bad today, at least not any worse than they have been. Only 5 more days left for me of this state so I will take whatever rocky challenge comes my way. And those days will be fairly short except for tomorrow which is a little over 17 miles.Today was nice because I was at this shelter by 11:30 and there are sodas and ice cream sandwiches in the refrigerator on the caretaker's porch for a donation. I actually did more miles than I thought--I thought it was only an 8 mile day. I've had a solar shower which was not warm, but refreshing. I washed out my hiking clothes again with camp soap and I was surprised that there was so much dirt that came out of them. When I got here it was cloudy and the caretaker said he thought it looked like rain. Dandylion was here with Ramblin Man and Corporal and was listening to the radio and whatever station they were listening to said there was a chance of thunder storms today. So I was glad to be stopping for the day. Last evening it stormed while we were all in the shelter and in our sleeping bags. I was awakened several times with the rain and thunder but went back to sleep. There were 7 people in the shelter for 6 people and 2 people in a tent. The only water that fell today was from the tree branches and leaves.    Ramblin Man, Corporal, and Dandylion moved on as they were only here for lunch. Doc Narly stopped here for a break and decided to stay. Also, Mouth, Princess, and Mr. Clean, Jr. are here. The couple that tented last night, Guideless and Spitfire, is here and are going to tent again. Blotter, also a hiker that was at the shelter last night is here and he is planning to go on but has taken a nap out on the lawn. It is 6pm and I am about to have another ice cream sandwich. This has been a most relaxing day!
Date: 2005-07-07
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: light rain

Dorothy sent this one but for some reason it did not come through cyberspace. I will check with her to re-send and then post at a later date.TotoOk, I found this entry in the spam mail!! Started @ Eckville ShelterDestination: Bake Oven Knob ShelterMiles today: 17.4Total Miles: 1235.3Stayed in shelterDay 118I hiked from 6:05am until about 5:45 this evening. There were some short breaks in there and a longer break at the Blue Mountain Summit Restaurant.While stopped at the Allentown Hiking Club Shelter for a break Mr. Clean, Jr., Spitfire, Guideless and 3 hikers out for 3 days talked of going to this place to eat lunch. When I got to the road it was so foggy I could not even see it. Mr. Clean, Jr., myself, and the 3 hikers we had met earlier stopped for hamburgers. Boy, were they good! And I had carrot cake and ice cream for dessert.The day was long because there were rocks and hiking over them is much slower for me. Then just before the shelter there were cliffs the trail went over and more rock scrambling. There were times I had to put down my poles and hold onto the rocks or nearby trees to get myself down to a lower rock. I think it is ridiculous that the trail runs right over them. I did not care for them at the end of a long day and with a loaded pack on.I saw a snake today that was curled up on the side of the trail. I was stepping past it when I saw it. Mr. Clean was behind me and we both took a picture of it. It did not move at all. Spitfire and Guideless up ahead had also seen it. We really do not know what kind it was. I also saw a little garter snake or else it was a black snake earlier in the day. Last evening Princess said someone told her there is a black snake at this shelter. Sure enough after we got here Princess saw a black snake comingg out of a log and then it retreated back into it when she yelled. I am staying in it anyway because I know it won't hurt me. Mr. Clean, Jr. is tenting and Princess and Mouth have moved on to get to Palmerton or at least closer to it. Doc Narly may be the only other one that may come to this shelter and even if he does he may not want to stay in here with a snake.The weather today has been very cloudy with some light rain that came down for an hour or so. There were places where it had obviously rained a lot more because there were large puddles of water. Whenever there was a place for a view there was none because the clouds were so low.Well, it is a bit chilly and I am going to get inside my sleeping bag. I will sleep well tonight.
Date: 2005-07-11
From: Bethlehem, Pa., St. Luke's Hospital

To: Motel in Bethlehem
Miles today: 0.0

Started: Bethlehem (St. Luke's Hospital)Destination: Motel (in Bethlehem)Miles today: 0Total Miles 1242.8Stayed in motelDay 122Today has been a much better day. I am in better spirits about this whole thing. Another neurologist stopped by today and he said the MRI did not show ANY signs of a stroke. The amnesic spell could be related to heat, dehydration and benadryl I take at night for allergies and sleep. So I will not be taking benadryl again. He also said that if all tests come back negative he did not see any reason why I could not hike again but that it would be better if I was not alone. My daughter told me yesterday that when we make plans God laughs. She is a pretty smart girl. Toto is on his way right now to meet up with me. The Dr. did say he thought I should wait 72 hours before starting out on our hike. I told him I've already waited 2 days. Anyway, I don't think Toto will let me start hiking for a couple of days. Later: I got a taxi ride from the hospital to the motel and around 11:30pm Toto arrived. We have to decide where we will go to wait out the time before we get back on the trail. ------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2005-07-12
From: Motel in Bethlehem

To: Palmerton
Miles today: 0.0

Started @ BethlehemDestination: PalmertonMiles today: 0Total Miles: 1242.8Stayed in hostel:Day 123T-2 drove us from Bethlehem to Palmerton today. Again I am at the borough hall's basement and we will spend 2 nights here. Thursday we plan to hike out. I am a bit anxious about going up that steep mountain and rocks again but I do not know of any other way to get to the top where I left off. Besides, I don't even know how far I got except that I was told I had reached the top. This time I will have Toto with me. We got permission to stay 2 nights since the Dr. had said not to hike for 3 days. A hiker, Mother, is here a second day because he has been sick with a fever. So far since we have been here Goat, Buffet, and Sleeveless have come in from the trail. Sleeveless was bitten by a raccoon back in Maryland and is having to get rabies shots. That must have been a scary time for her. The temperature here is 100* according to the thermometer on the bank. We walked over to the diner after we got here and then to the library and then decided we could go out this evening after it gets cooler to walk around a bit more. We have the fan on in the basement here and it is feeling quie nice down here right now. I am feeling fine but still have no recollection of that span of time on Saturday. Perhaps I will start remembering it when I hike up the mountain again in a couple of days. Perhaps it would be better not to remember it.I have received lots of well wishes from people everywhere and I cannot express how much I appreciate them. We have met so many great people via the trail journal guest entries as well as in person on the trail. I have to say they are the best people I have met in a while. ------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com
Date: 2005-07-13
From: Palmerton

To: Palmerton
Miles today: 0.0

Started @ PalmertonDestination: PalmertonMiles today: 0total Miles: 1242.8Stayed in hostelDay 124Today was a relaxing day for us. We started out with breakfast at the diner across the street. We ate with Lone Star, a young hiker that came in last evening to the hostel. He is a very nice young man from Texas that is going back to school this fall to continue work on his Master's degree. Last evening he came into the diner and sat with us and another hiker, York, who is also staying at the hostel. After breakfast we went to the P.O. to mail some things and then stopped at the library to check out the progress of some other hikers on trail journals. Mike got a pin at the jewelry store for his watch--the dog has caught the watch with his teeth at home and pulled it out and it was nowhere to be found. Then we stopped by a fruit and veggie stand and bought some bananas and peaches. For lunch we went to the Parkside Inn Restaurant and had a large chef salad with rolls. Between Bert's Diner and the Parkside Inn we have been eating well. I have even had 2 pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream today. Mother is still here as he is not feeling well. It sounds like he has a virus or something. He is cold when everyone else is hot. Sure hope he feels better tomorrow.Hikers coming in this evening are Lightening, Brother Buzz, One Thing, Wild Mountain Honey, Feelin Free, Pixie, and Pine Dragon. Feelin Free was getting ready to pass this wonderful little town up and go up the mountain on this side of the river when she saw lightening and decided against it. It started raining soon after that. Toto called a man whose phone number is here and who offers rides back to the trail. He is the same man whose truck I got into 4 days ago and can't remember geting out of. We told him we would like to be picked up at 7:30 and he said that he bet we were going to breakfast at Bert's. Toto said we were and the man assured us that because he services the restaurant for bugs that there were none there. Well, we are showered, have our water containers filled, and are ready to get on the trail in the morning. The day should be interesting going over the trail for the second time. I just hope it does not rain--those rocks will be quite slippery.
Date: 2005-07-15
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Wind Gap; Pa.33
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: broken clouds

Started @ Leroy A. Smith ShelterDestination: Wind Gap; Pa.33Miles today: 4.9Total Miles: 1263.7Stayed in motelDay 126We had wanted to get up early and start hiking early while it was cooler but it was after 6 when we finally got up and 7:30 by the time we hiked out. The morning was very humid from the start and making it seem warmer than it really was. As we started hiking the sweat soon covered our bodies. It was foggy at first but within a few hours it was gone and the sun shone for a while before the clouds hid it from view. The rocks were all over the trail but there were times when there was a small stretch where the trail was soft dirt, leaves, or pine needles. When Toto got to one of these places he said he wanted to stand there a minute just to have his feet on something other than rocks. We were planning to go to the motel that is just 0.1 miles from the trail when we reached the road that goes under Pa. 33. The information we have does not list any laundry facilities in Delaware Water Gap and since Toto was tired from the long day yesterday and I had aeakened with a headache this morning and it was not any better we decided to stay at the Gateway Motel just off the trail. The owner gave us a ride just a mile or two to town so we could do laundry, get something to eat, and go to K-Mart. When we were ready to go back we called and he came to pick us up. He does this for all hikers. Other hikers that came here are Poet, Scholar, and Captain Patagonia. It was good to see Poet and Scholar again. I guess Serenity may come here also. Tomorrow we will hike at least to the next shelter. The climb out of this gap, we have heard, is a rocky one. Our mileage will depend on how Toto is feeling tomorrow.Part of the experience of the trail is being in some of these small towns near the trail and meeting the people. Most likely, we would never be visiting here otherwise. These unplanned overnights also gives us a chance to get showered and get clothes clean. In this heat a shower is much needed after a few days in the heat and humidity. I found the first tick on me today. I did not have a bandana on my head so from now on I will try to remember to put one on. I still have no memory of climbing out of Palmerton last Saturday. I doubt that I ever will recall it. I really do think that it was due to heat and maybe dehydration (since I have no memory of whether I was drinking enough and I know from hiking up yesterday how much I perspired).
Date: 2005-07-16
From: Wind Gap; Pa.33

To: Pa. 611; Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: broken clouds

Started @ Pa.33; Wind GapDestination: Pa. 611; Delaware Water GapMiles today: 15.6Total Miles: 1279.3Stayed in hostelDay 127This was our last full day in Pennsylvania. We are anxious to get into New Jersey and then into New York. We hear that New Jersey has rocks also so we will have to deal with them a while longer. We were on the trail by 9:50 and reached Pa. 611 by around 7pm. I thought we would be stopping at the shelter just over 7 miles up the trail but Toto said he felt good and rested and could make it all the way into Delaware Water Gap so when we got to the shelter he still felt like he could make it. It was mid-afternoon and he felt that he could go another almost 7 miles. There were a couple of weekend hikers there. They had hiked in not even one mile and had their sleeping bags and pads out and claimed their space in the shelter and were on their 3rd beer. We decided that would not want to stay there anyway. By the time we were within a mile or two of Delaware Water Gap Totostarted losing steam.. He was having some pain in his hips and had to keep stopping to rest and stretch his hip muscles. We were very happy to reach the church hostel which is not far from where thw trail comes out on Pa. 611. We checked out the bu k room and decided it was too close, hot and stuffy, and smelly. There is a lean-to behind the church and that is where we decided to stay. Before even taking a shower we went to the pizza place down the street and ordered a large pizza and ate the whole thing. By the time we walked back, got our showers, and got to the lean-to it was dark. It is a lot cooler here but it is still very humid. In the lean-to is Wolf Man. He is having some back problems and wants to finish the trail but may have to get off if his back does no start feling better. In the church basement is Scholar, Poet, Serenity, Goosebumps, Fancy Pants, JayWalker, Hitman, and Chipmunk, and Mother. Tenting are Pixie and Pine Dragon, and Walrus. Serenity had a friend meet her here this evening and she introduced her as Sundrop. I thought it was a trail name Serenity had given her but it turns out that that is her real name. Today was a very humid day. Acouple of times it sprinkled a little bit of rain but that is all. It was not enough to put our pack covers on. I'm glad it did not rain hard as it would have made the descent down into DWG a slippery one on the rocks. No animals out of the ordinary were seen today--just squirrels and chipmunks. They say there is a bear around the DWG area and there are bears in New Jersey so we may have opportunity to some.Tomorrow we plan on doing only 10 miles to get us to the Mohican Outdoor Center, which is operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club as a retreat center. We will again have a hot shower and they sell snacks.
Date: 2005-07-17
From: Pa. 611; Delaware Water Gap

To: Camp Rd, Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

Started @ Delaware Water GapDestination: Camp Rd, Mohican Outdoor CenterMiles today. 10.5Total Miles: 1289.5Stayed in HostelDay 128We did not get on the trail until about 9:40 this morning since we visited the DWG Diner for breakfast.They had a nice menu and great food.We walked across the Delaware River via a walkway on the I-80 bridge and then we continued to walk over a miles until we walked underneath the I-80 overpass and headed up the trail. There were many day-hikers out since it is the weekend and many of them had lots of questions about when and where we started, had we seen many animals, etc.Some of the hikers that stayed at the hostel had hiked out before us and some started later. While we were taking a break, Serenity, her friend Sundrop, and Poet came up the trail but Sundrop was the only one that had a pack--a daypack. Scholar was taking Sundrop's car ahead to the Mohican Outdoor Center so Sundrop can leave to go home and on her way she will drop Scholar off at the hostel in DWG. Scholar is waiting for the P.O. to open tomorrow so she can get her mail drop. Serenity said she was going to carry Toto's pack to Sunfish Pond as her gift to him for his retirement. And she did. Toto was able tospeed ahead quite quickly without his pack!When we got to the pond, Toto, Poet, and Serenity all went into the pond to swim. The pond, to us, would be called a lake. It is thw southernmost glacial pond on the A.T.The A.T. follows one sie of the pond for a long way over--what else, but rocks. At one point the rocks were piled along the edge and even inthe water. Someone had created some unique designes with them, pretty much like people doe with sand castles, only the final esults of the rocks are really not of anything except a rock structure. I had my camera in my pack because it hasd been raining when we were stopped erlir for the swim. We did have some views today but it was very hazy. We got rained on pretty hard a couple of times. We came to the Mohican Outdoor Center drenched. We could have tented but since it was raining we decided to pay the $12 each for a bunk with mattress, shower, kitchen, and nice living room with soft cairs and sofas. We boght some cokes and a couple of deli sandwiches to eat. Later Mike cooked one of our trail meals-spaghetti- and shared it with one of the other hilkers here.Well, it is almost 10pm and it is our bed-time. We have rinsed out our clothes, lubricated our water filter, cooked, showered, journaled, etc. ihope we rest beter than we did last night. I think we drank too much coke last night and now tonight I think we drank too much caffeine again.