morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-04
From: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground

To: Devils Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

Today I rehiked a section Sue and I hiked in 2003. It seemed like I raced through it and was into new territory in no time. (It took a whole lot longer when Sue and I hiked it back then.)I stopped at Annapolis Rock, which is a large rock outcrop with a really nice view of the valley below. They say it is also a popular rock climbing rock, but no one was climbing today.I decided on this shelter as my destination as it is only 5 miles from PA.   I'll be out of MD by noon. That will make 6 states done out of 14. The others will fall away in due time.I lucked out this evening when I arrived here. Brian, a fellow who is working on fixing this shelter up, drove Gumby into town for pizza. We all ate well tonight on one of the main trail staples. Incidently, the other trail staples are cheeseburgers and fries.Just one item about the journal entries. I type them every night, but only send them when I'm at a land line phone. I've had trouble with cell phone transfers, so I've stopped sending them that way. This may cause delays and then a whole bunch of new entries on the same day. Please keep checking for them - I am still doing daily updates. Old Goat.
Date: 2006-06-05
From: Devils Racecourse Shelter

To: Rocky Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: 0

Cell good.I entered Pennsylvania around 10:00 am this morning. I've now hiked through six states, that makes eight to go.I'm going to make a rough guess of where I will be for the next few weeks. I'm starting to get close to where family lives, and some have told Sue they would like to meet me and say hello. I'll give Sue the list, then she and I will track the progress I'm making to keep it as accurate as possible. If anyone is interested in that info contact her and she'll give you the info.I was asked how my feet are doing. I mentioned a while back that I lost three toenails. Since then they have been holding up pretty good. Ocasionally I'll get a blister from hard downhill hiking, but they are usually small and don't cause a problem. I'm actually not doing much for my toes/feet except for keeping them clean and changing my socks often. Oh yes, and I take my boots off in camp and wear my dorky baby blue crocs. Crocs are a form of slippers made from a foamy plastic, they are very light weight. I have a pair of light blue ones...that's why I said dorky. Light blue was the only color I could find in my size. Well enough for tonight we have an early start tomorrow. Goodnight.Old Goat Gumby & Coyotebec on MD-PA Border - Click picture to see full size Sue's Note: Old Goat is referring to "we" again. The others are Tinkerbell, Coyotebec, and Gumby. He just happened to meet up with them along the way and their hiking styles and speeds are similar, so he's ended up hiking with them for a few days now. This is all part of the AT community - meeting up with some people, stopping for a 0 day or two, then hiking alone or with a different group....always changing.
Date: 2006-06-06
From: Rocky Mtn Shelter

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: 0

Cell none.Today we reached a huge milestone - we passed the halfway mark today! This feels good knowing that I'm getting closer to home and the miles are adding up.My orignal plan was to stay at the hostel tonight, but there seemed to be some type of problem there. We decided to hike up to the state park and camp there.I'm drawing a blank right now so I'm going to keep this entry short.Old Goat
Date: 2006-06-07
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.4

Cell poor.Pennsylvania was kind to us today. The trail was gentle and straight, that's not to say it was without any rocks or hills. It did have some, but nothing really bad and no long stretches.We [Cayotebec, Gumby, Tinkerbell and I] are spending the night in the yard of Gelina's Manor B&B. We have use of the yard and nothing else. We've heard they have vacant rooms, but they're not filling them tonight. We also stopped at the Garmanhaus where we got looked at like we were the scum of the earth before the owner pulled out his reservation book [for show I'm sure], and then told us he was totally booked. We passed the AT campground, which is located right next to a busy railroad tracks. I don't recommend staying there if you want to get any sleep. The rest of the town people are very friendly - many have stopped to talk to us and were very nice. I especially recommend JC's cafe. He has ice cream, coffee, and in the morning breakffast sandwiches. The outfitters is great if you want to stock up on your flyfishing gear, however, the only thing I saw for hikers of any use were maps.The ATC has a regional office here, but we didn't need anything so we didn't go in. I did see this little bit of info on the bulletin board that I found interesting. The statistics for 2005 thru-hikers are: 1392 hikers registered as thru-hikers on Springer Mountain, GA. )(They said they were planning to hike to Maine.) At Neels Gap (30.5 miles), 1156 hikers registered, so 236 had left the trail. At Fontana Dam (161.5 miles), 1123 registered, so another 23 had left the trail. The next statistic is Harpers Ferry (1009.4 miles). and 682 hikers registered - that's 441 down from the last count. Of all the hikers who started, 338 hikers registered at Katahdin. They have some ongoing 2006 statistics on their web page (www.appalachiantrail.org). I won't put them here, as they are still changing. The only thing I can add to the statistics is that I'm the 190th hiker to register at Harpers Ferry.I weighed my pack outside the ATC office, and discovered it weighed 34 pounds. I had some food and water, so I felt that was a pretty fair assessment. I probably carry another 6 pounds when I have a full load of food and water.That's it from Boiling Springs - a nice town with a poor lodging choices for hikers. Old Goat Sue's Note: I plan to go visit Old Goat later this week. I woke up with some kind of flu bug today and stayed home sick from work. (I slept all but about 2 hours today and had a 100.3 fever all day...aching all over, can't eat a thing without feeling nauseous.) This is a puzzle - the last time I planned to go visit, I came down with something and ended up being sick for 4 days. Luckily I got well before I left to go see him last time - I'm hoping this bug is just a 24 hour thing and I'll be well enough to drive down on Thursday to visit Old Goat for a couple days. I'm sure this bug is not psychosomatic - but the coincidence sure is puzzling!
Date: 2006-06-10
From: PA 850 (1124.2 miles)

To: PA 850 (1124.2 miles)
Miles today: 0.0

Cell fair.Today was another zero day. We had breakfast at the All American Truck Plaza in Duncannon. We're really living the high life here aren't we?The weather is beautiful today, it's sunny and cool out. We're relaxing at the motel and taking care of more chores. I've set up a hiking schedule of where I'll be as I get closer to New York. Sue is my social coordinator and will let friends and family where I'll be on a particular day. With the schedule set we adjusted the maildrop schedule to work with it. I adjusted the food I'll carry for the next four days and the next maildrop, Sue will adjust the others at home.I prepared my clothes for the bug season by spraying them with Permethrin Anthropod Repellant. This substance gets sprayed on the clothing and absorbed into the fibers. It is supposed keep the bugs from landing on your clothes and biting you. The application I did today should last about six weeks or washings, that should get me through the bug season. Another option for protective clothing is to buy Buzz Off clothing that has similar chemicals in the fibers and protects you the same way. I like the clothes I'm using, it has taken me a long time to get them the way I like them, so I'm treating mine.That is about it for today, tomorrow I go back to the trail and Sue returns home.Goodnight.Old GoatApplying Bug Repellant - Click picture to see full sizeFood Resupply - Click picture to see full size Sue's Note: We went to Applebee's for dinner - it felt like we were in the Applebee's we go to at home, so it was nice to have such familiar surroundings. We thought about going to a movie, but decided to just enjoy a quiet evening with the TV in our motel room. All very "normal" for us, and relaxing. I love having this time with Old Goat. It will be hard to leave tomorrow.
Date: 2006-06-12
From: Clarks Ferry Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: 0

Cell none.Last night I stopped one shelter short of my planned destination. That meant that I needed to do a few extra miles today to get on schedule. My plan called for me to be here tonight, so now I'm where I wanted to be.I awoke at 6:00am and was hiking by 7:00am. I hiked to the Peters Mountain Shelter and arrived about 10:00am. I decided to press on to this shelter, but realized it was almost 18 miles from where I was. That meant it could take 9 hours to get there, or about 7:00pm. I was lucky in that the terrain wasn't too bad and I arrived by 6:00pm.So far the rocks on the trail are similar to those I saw in Virginia; they say the bad ones are yet to come.I found it difficult hiking yesterday as I really wanted to be with Sue and not on the trail. As long as I've waited to do this hike, I now find myself looking forward to it's completion. I have a life with Sue and my family to get back to. I miss all of them and long to see them again. They say hikers sometimes have a difficult time readjusting to their normal life. I don't believe I'll have any problem when I get home, or at least I hope not.Old Goat
Date: 2006-06-14
From: 501 Shelter

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: 0

Cell good.The hiking went well today. The trail wasn't too rocky and the hills weren't killers. All in all everything went pretty smooth.The best thing about today was that we missed a big storm. The storm hit nearby, but we only had a sprinkle, and that happened after we were at the shelter.Most of today was uneventful so this is all I have right now.Old Goat Sue's Note: When we talked tonight, Old Goat said he had just realized he left home three months ago today and that he's starting his third month. He also said he talked with DieHard - Happy Birthday a day late, DieHard!! (It was yesterday, 6/13.)
Date: 2006-06-16
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: 0

Cell good.Well today was special - I met my sister, Terry, and my dad at one of the trail heads. We had planned to meet at about 11:30am, so I left the shelter to get there accordingly. I arrived at 11:20am, and they were already there, but had not been waiting long.We had a nice visit while they were here. I took them to the neat candy shop in Port Clinton, and then we had lunch at the Cracker Barrel. It was really great to see them, and I think they had a good time, too. I enjoyed showing them what I'm doing and what I look like with a pack on my back.Terry brought some trail magic [sodas and cookies] that we left while we were at lunch. She found a thank you note in the cooler which showed her how appreciated her effort was. They met NEFFA and Sputnik, who came out of the woods with me. I had been hiking with NEFFA all morning - Sputnik, on the other hand, had just reached us as we were doing our greetings. We didn't know he was there, so he was a surprise to see even for us.Terry, thank you for bringing dad here. I enjoyed seeing both of you. Also thank you for the lunch, it was a treat to have a cooked meal, too.Today's hiking went well. I made good time both in the morning and afternoon. The hiking went so well we passed an overlook called "The Pinacle," which is supposed to be really nice. I don't think there was a sign telling us we were at the side trail junction. We didn't know we had passed it until we saw a sign telling us it was 2 miles behind us. After I left Terry and dad the hiking went real well. There were some climbs and some rocks, but they were not a problem for me. In fact, I called Sue on the cell phone and had a conversation while climbing one of the hills.I reached the shelter about 5:30pm, which was just about what I expected. I figure I walk 2 mph, and estimate when I'll arrive at a shelter using that figure. If the hills are many, I usually take longer, or if the terrain is flat I take less. I'm getting into the rocky Pennsylvania tomorrow - that should affect my speed too. My ETAs will probably be off some until I reach smooth ground again. I'll try to describe it as I go to keep an accurate record.Goodnight. Old GoatSue's Note: Old Goat uses "ETAs" above - that's "estimated time of arrival," for those who may not have figured that out.
Date: 2006-06-17
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Palmerton Bridge (mile 1243.3)
Miles today: 17.5

Cell good.Today started with a 4 mile hike to Route PA309 to meet my friend Jim. We met at 8:30am, and drove to a diner for breakfast. Jim and I are old college buddies from my Morrisville days. It's funny that we can go many years without seeing each other, and our conversations start like we were together yesterday. It was really great to see him, and to be able to spend a few hours talking. Thanks Jim for coming out and meeting me and for buying breakfast. I enjoyed talking about old and new times.When I left Jim, I resumed my hike and was heading for a rendevous with my sister, Lillian, and her husband, Robert. I knew the timing was off for our pre-arranged time, so I called her house to let her know. In my concentrating on the call, I missed a turn and went down the wrong trail for a short distance. I realized my mistake, and turned around to correct my error.The hiking went well from there until I reached Bake Oven Knob. Right after I passed it the trail blazes became scarce. To make things more complicated, some of the trees have white spots painted on them. I think the club responsible for this section should fix the blaze markings. I continued on until I reached Bake Oven Knob Shelter. I knew I was going into dry trail conditions, and I needed to fill my water supply. The spring was about 1/2 mile downhill from the trail. I dropped my pack at the shelter and headed for the spring. Fortunately, it was a fast running spring and the water was ice cold. I filled up my bottles ahd started my climb back up to the shelter.I ate lunch - Spam, Crackers, Peanuts, and a quart of Gatorade. I then packed up and headed out. This part of the trail also needs some trail blaze maintenance.The hike went well from there on. I did have to scramble over a boulder field a few times. I've stowed my hiking poles on my pack and hiked with my hands free. I'm finding I can negotiate the boulder fields better this way.At one point in this afternoon hike, I walked over the PA Turnpike Northeast Extension Lehigh Tunnel. My book says it's 800 feet below the trail. The trail above the tunnel is mostly wooded, but there are a few grassy areas. The wooded part was fortunate as the temperature was 89 degrees and the shade was a relief.I passed the GW Outerbridge shelter and hiked to PA 873 Lehigh Gap to meet Lillian. She was already there when I arrived, and we headed toward their hose in New Jersey. We passed the Nazereth Race Track on our way in. They told me it will be dismantled and a housing development will go on the land. We had an excellent barbeque and I was fed plenty of food. If I keep this up I'll gain weight!That is it for now, Goodnight.Old Goat
Date: 2006-06-18
From: Palmerton Bridge (mile 1243.3)

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: 0

Cell good.Today started off terrific! I was at the home of my sister, Lillian, and her husband, Robert. I slept well in a bed with a ceiling fan over me and another fan in the window.Lilly made an excellent breakfast of French Toast, sausage, and pancakes. She had juice and coffee to drink, too.I had a difficult time packing up and leaving this morning. I was enjoying the conversations and just being with them. I finally got myself in gear and we left to drive back to the trail.I left them at noon and immediatly started a rock climb. Todays hiking was very tough, first there was the rock climb out of the Lehigh Gap. It really was a rock climb at times. I've been hiking with my Hiking Poles stowed on my pack the last few days. I kept getting them stuck in rocks, which made it harded to walk with them than without them.When I reached the plateau I discoverd a treeless road walk for a few miles. The sun was beating down and very hot, too. Once I reached the trees, I was completely soaked from sweat. I was drinking water, and found that I ran out with a while to go to the next source. This section is a notorious ridge walk that goes for miles without water. We are fortunate that a new spring was found and the source plentiful. We are unfortunate that it is 1/2 mile off the trail and all down hill. When I arrived at the trail junction for the spring, I left my pack and took all my water bottles. The hike down was tough, but the water was cold and good. I sat down and made a quart of Gatorade from powder and drank it on the spot. I then filled all the water bottles and hiked back up to my pack. When I reached my pack, I ate dinner and drank another quart of water. I then had water for the rest of my hike.The shelter and surrounding campsites are busy tonight. This is the last shelter before the Delaware Water Gap. Everyone, including me, are setting up for a push into the DWG tomorrow.That's about it for tonight. Goodnight. Old Goat - Click picture to see full size - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2006-06-26
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter, NY
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: 0

Cell good.No pain, no rain, no Maine. Today I had a pain in my right knee and ankle from my fall yesterday. We awoke to foggy conditions, but it soon turned to rain after I started hiking.Well hiking in New York is a real challenge. When you come upon a mountain, you see the blazes going straight up. Many times I felt like I was doing technical climbs, and not hiking - they were difficult with a pack on! Then when you came off the mountains, it was straight down. Hiking this way on a dry day would be difficult, in the rain it was dangerous. I was real careful, and I would take the easy route every time I saw one.I am now in Harriman State Park; a New York State Park. One thing of interest is a rock formation called the "Lemon Squeezer." It is a narrow passage that seems to get narrower as you move forward. Many backpacks are too wide to make it, and must be carried over your head or handed up to a partner. I was alone, but fortunately my pack fit through. I have pictures of it, but unfortunately I don't have anyone going through it because I was alone.I hiked hard to reach this shelter in order to be in position to meet my son and father tomorrow morning at Perkins Tower in Bear Mountain State Park at 10:30 am. I was pushing so hard, I reached here earlier than I thought I would. I was surprised when I came upon it.When I reached here my clothes were soaked. My new boots were also soaked all day - that should really work the leather in. The boots are comfortable. I now know I waited too long to replace the old ones. I didn't think the old ones had broken down, but after wearing the new ones I know better. My feet feel better with the support, and the sides are stiffer for ankle support. I waited to finish Pennsylvania for the new boots, but I shouldn't have.Old Goat - Click picture to see full size Sue's Note: Old Goat told me of some unique trail magic a trail angel left somewhere on the trail today....Ibuprophen, gallons of water, and mosquito repellant! That trail angel knows the area and knows what this time of year is like! (Pain from the rock climbs, hot, and buggy!!)This evening was sad for me. A friend of ours died unexpectedly last Thursday night. The wake was this evening. This friend, Bill, and his wife, Anita, are so well-liked, and Bill's sudden death is so tragic (his daughter graduated from High School Saturday), that it took two hours to progress through the line to Anita. It was touching to see so many people I haven't seen in many many years. Bill was and Anita is a member of the same military unit Old Goat and I were, so we know many many many of the same people.One thing Old Goat and I have worked out is that I try to tell him the day before if I won't be available to talk the next evening. Yesterday we talked about my going to the wake this evening. Old Goat was so thoughtful - he called me before I went to let me know he'll be there with me in spirit and to tell me he loves me. That was so nice - thank you, my friend! I love you!
Date: 2006-06-29
From: Greymoor Friary

To: RPH Shelter, NY
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: 0

Cell good.Today started with rain showers that delayed my departure. I was up and ready at 6:00am, and just as I put my pack on the rain started. The local radio station said it would pass soon and we would have a partly sunny day. The clouds moved on around 7:00am, so I put my pack on and headed out. The weather report said there was a chance of afternoon showers, and a better chance of an overnight thunderstorm. The sun stayed out all day, and when I was about two miles from the shelter I heard thunder and saw black clouds. Fortunately it didn't rain then and hasn't yet. If it does, I'm securly in a shelter, and I can wait it out here.Well New York still has some straight ups and downs on this side of the Hudson. The hiking went well, and I made good time getting here.This is another shelter where you can order pizza. I passed tonight and ate dehydrated Chicken Stew. I already have last night's meal to carry, and I didn't want to have to carry two uneaten meals.I'm here with Tricycle, Bonesaw, PopPop, Tofurky, and Steven. I also hiked with Tackle today; he's in town tonight with his brother.PopPop is a section hiker from Washington DC. He is a recently retired physicist with the Bureau of Weights and Measures. I mentioned that many years ago I knew someone who worked there. When I said her name, he said he knew her - what a small world!Tonight I have a luxury suite! This shelter has bunks to sleep in, instead of the floor. I've rigged up my tent's inner shell, the screenhouse portion, to keep the mosquitos off me. Normally it isn't proper to set up a tent in a shelter, but it is okay the have bug netting in a bunk. My screening looks like bug netting, so I think I'm okay.Diehard and I finally got past our phone tag stage and spoke to each other. He's doing fine and feeling stronger now. He's talking of hiking some with me when I get up near where he lives. We also discussed where I thought other hikers we know are, and when they'll be passing him. He said he's also been going to a shelter near his home and checking the logbook. He's watching for familiar names. I think he'll enjoy seeing old friends, and it will be good seeing him again, too. Old Goat Sue's Note: After DieHard talked with Old Goat, he (DieHard) called me. It was nice to chat with him - I'm so happy to hear you're feeling well. DieHard told me of a Trail Journal entry written by ¢Flat Rock¢ after he (Flat Rock) decided to get off the trail. It¢s a well written recap of his experience of hiking the AT and why he stopped, etc. Some of what Flat Rock writes I¢m sure reflects what every thru-hiker thinks about and experiences at some point during their hike (especially the ¢What did you like about your hike?¢ reflection).If you want to check it out, go to the top of this screen and click on "Journals." Scroll down until you come to "Flat Rock's" name, then click on his web site. Click on "last" to read his reflections entry. It's a very nice, and well written, reflection.