morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2020-04-11
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Switchback Creek Campground
Miles today: 11.4

I arrived at the cabin around 2pm. Not an excessively cold day, but there is a big campfire here and it's pretty doggone cozy just sitting next to it. I'm the only hiker here which isn't at all surprising, since we are so close to Damascus. I have been tempted by the prospect of having McDonald's delivered straight to my door. It's not a pretty picture to see a hungry hiker inhale 8 McDonald's sandwiches in about 25 minutes. It is, however, a delight to my taste buds. We shall see if my innards are nearly as pleased later on today. Oh, and just in case anyone was wondering... the cost to have 8 McDonald's sandwiches (and a smoothie, because: healthy, right?) to a cabin at a campground in the Middle of Nowhere, TN is kiiiiiinda expensive. The whole order with tax and tip for the delivery was about $10 more than the cabin rental. Still sooo worth it.
Date: 2020-04-13
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: moderate rain

First thing first... Completed Tennessee today!! 3 states down, 11 to go, and this number 4 is a doozy! So I won't be able to brag about completing another state for quite a while. In other news, Damascus, VA. Dubbed "Trail Town, USA." Well, not this year. Due to closures and coronavirus precautions, this is just another sleepy little town with nothing much going on. I did make a stop into Subway for lunch (and a sandwich to carry out for dinner). I've rarely gotten tomatoes on sandwiches before, because I'm not a huge fan. But dammit if it isn't nice to just have some fresh food right now, so I got the fuckin' tomatoes. Thirdly, the waters in this area are absolutely insane right now. The river in Damascus has risen 3 feet in just a few days. The water is RUSHING and GUSHING all over the place. What I presume is normally a 6" deep trickle crossing the trail was a river that went up to my knees. The current was pulling pretty strongly, and it took a good amount of effort not to get dragged downstream. This stream crossing is where I finally caught up to this guy named Lefty. He is an awesome guy, and a real inspiration, but this one's getting long so more about him tomorrow.
Date: 2020-04-14
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: few clouds

Today's hike was mostly standard: rocks, roots, kinda cold, kinda wet. I've entered into the Grayson Highlands where there is a contingent of wild ponies that roam the hills. The ponies are kinda cool, they don't mind people at all. You can tell that people feed them often enough, because they come looking for handouts as soon as you start preparing food. As promised, I would like to talk about Lefty for just a minute... Lefty was injured in an industrial accident 21 years ago. He was marred by an arc flash blast as an apprentice electrician (which just kinda hits home a little for me). Lefty lost his right arm (hence the name) and 2 fingers on his left hand. His right leg was also irreparably damaged. This is a pretty humbling tale in and of itself, but this guy is out here thru-hiking and KILLING IT! It's seriously not easy trying to navigate this trail with 4 limbs, so just to start with hiking on a bum leg with only one arm is heroic enough in my book. But then you have to realize all the other shit this guy does with only 2 fingers and a thumb. Cooking, starting fires, setting up a tent, etc. I don't think he would be super pleased with this little expose on his hiking life, but we just won't tell him about it. Anyway, this guy is my hero right now. He hikes as fast as I do (and not many people out here do), and also he just finished his bachelor's degree in March at the age of 48.
Date: 2020-05-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

After hiking over 600 miles of the AT over the past 3+ yearsI was really looking forward to resuming my journey early Spring. Then theCOVID-19 plague came and postpone my plans to mid-Spring.After getting approval for a two-week vacation from work Istarted detailed planning around May 1. I used a gear checklist from priorSpring hikes, so I was pretty sure I had everything. I selected southern PAbecause of its easy terrain, often speculated as the easiest stretch along theAT. It would be a good hike for me because I was a bit out of shape and about5-10 lbs. heavier than normal due to the plague.Since I am getting further away from CT, I need to spendmore than a week on the trail, or I will go broke with all the transportationcosts. Hence, I packed enough hiking food for 12 days and extra clothing in mycar to avoid having to do laundry mid-way.I downloaded the PA section of the AT from the GuthooksGuides application so I would have detailed hike information along the way.This wonderful app works with GPS and is very reliable. It tells you where theshelters, camp sites, hostels, hotels, and water sources are. Hikers oftenleave comments at these locations to tell you more about the location than isposted in the app.I found an AT Shuttle Driver that was willing to shuttle mefrom Duncannon to the MD/PA state line, also known as the Mason-Dixon line. Thecost quoted was $100, which seemed fair for his 3+ hour round trip drive. I usuallystart my section hikes on Saturdays but held back a day due to snow squalls andsub-zero wind-chill temps on Saturday.I was planning on making it to Duncannon in 5 days andthought that would be a good half-way point. I could drive home if I was notfeeling well or the weather turned for the worst.I cut out some of my luxury items to make my pack as lightas possible. I got the base weight down to 24 lbs. Adding 2.5 lbs for water and7.5 lbs for food, it tipped the scales at 34 lbs.Day 0 ¢ Drive to HarrisburgI drove from my home in central CT to a hotel in Harrisburg Saturday afternoon andstayed for the night. I was close to the meeting spot in Duncannon and wasnice. There was only a hand full of guests staying there. I wore my facemaskanyway to avoid getting sick.
Date: 2020-05-10
From: Pen Mar Town Park

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 8.2

Ascent: 1,444¢, Descent: 1,585¢Weather: Cloudy, windy, temps in the 50¢sI got up early, had a light breakfast and drove 20 minutesto the meeting spot in Duncannon. Mike, the Driver, was on-time and had a largeSUV. He drove me to Pen Mar park, just south of the MD/PA state. With 5 days offood in my pack and a late start I opted for a shorter than normal mile day. Highlights included passing by Deer Lick Shelters, AntietamShelter and Old Forge picnic grounds.The weather was still cold and windy. I felt some sleetalong the way. There were a few hills in the first few miles, but the rest wasrelatively flat. I stayed warm as long as I kept hiking. I arrive at the two TumblingRun shelters around 3:00 PM. It was near a town park and there were a lot ofday hikers passing by. The sign on the shelter said it was closed, so I setup mysleeping pad under the pavilion between the shelters. Late afternoon two thruhikers stopped at one of the shelters to stay the night. They were justresuming their thru hike after taking 6 weeks off due to the plague. They wereheading south-bound (SB) and were nice to talk to.The nighttime temps got down to 40 degrees and the highwinds had subsided. I mistakenly brought my summer sleeping bag, which was onlygood to 50 degrees. I slept with my down puffy and wool socks and kept warm allnight.
Date: 2020-05-11
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelters
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

Ascent: 2,329¢, Descent: 1,919¢Weather: Partly sunny, light wind, temps in the low 60¢sI woke up early, had breakfast, packed my pack, and got onthe trail around 8:00 AM. Highlights included passing by Chimney Rocks, Rt. 233, RockyMountain Shelters and Rt. 30.My warm-up hikes were 8 miles at most with light packs.Hence, this seemed like 15 miles. I recall getting to the shelter lateafternoon, completely exhausted. Fortunately, the winds died down making it adelightful evening to have dinner and say hi to a few day hikers passing by. The Quarry Gap Shelters were spaced about 20¢ apart, with acovered picnic table between them. The spring was just 20 yards away and thebathroom was no further than 50 yards. The bear box was just 30 yards away. Thecamp was kept in immaculate condition by Jim Stauch, the ¢Innkeeper.¢ Jim didnot stop by to visit, so I will have to send him a think you card for keepingtwo shelters and surrounding area nice and clean.Around 6:00 PM, two hikers came to the shelters. One was ona 2-day hike and stayed overnight on a tent platform. The other was athru-hiker who started hiking the AT at the southern terminus in Georgia inFebruary. Unlike most thru hikers, he never got off the trail and was happy tobe close the halfway point. The thru hiker looked in excellent shape and musthave had a body-mass index around 20.I had the second shelter to myself and opted to sleep therefor the night. It was very cold, and temps dipped into the 30¢s. A good think Ihad my down puffy on to keep me warm!
Date: 2020-05-12
From: Quarry Gap Shelters

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 18.8

Ascent: 2,425¢, Descent: 2,887¢Weather: Mostly cloudy, light wind, temps in the upper 50¢sI woke up early, had breakfast, packed my pack, and got onthe trail around 8:00 AM. Highlights included passing by the Birch Run shelter, JamesFry Shelters and Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I was planning on hiking just12.2 miles (to the second shelter). However, the Guthooks app reported that thehostel at the entrance of the park was open, so I opted to hike closer to 17miles. If I could hike 18 miles the next day it would put me into BoilingSprings a day early. Unfortunately, the hostel was closed with a sign on the doorand no phone numbers to call. This was somewhat depressing as I called the main number the night before. The answering machine indicated they were open with check-in time at 5:00 PM. I waited there until 5:00 PM and nobody answered the door. Lesson learned, don't trust an answering machine!I then opted to hike 1.8 miles further to aSpring just outside of the park. It was a small campsite and I stayed therealone. The spring was flowing well, and I filtered the water anyway, like Ialways do.I recall getting into the campsite around 6:00 PM, havingdinner and retiring before dark. This was the second longest day I had hiked inmy 3+ years of section hiking. I was starting to show my age (58).
Date: 2020-05-13
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Lisa's Hostel in Boiling Springs
Miles today: 17.4

Ascent: 2,986¢, Descent: 3,513¢Weather: Mostly cloudy, light wind, temps in the low 60¢sI woke up early, had breakfast, packed my pack, and got onthe trail around 8:00 AM. Highlights included passing by Tagg Run Shelter, Rt. 34, Rt.94, and the Alec Kennedy Shelter.This was my second day hiking long distance. I was worriedthat my knees might get sore and possibly give out on me. Frequent rest stopskept me going. I knew I would be in Boiling Springs by day¢s end, where I couldget indoor shelter, good rest, and a shower at Lisa¢s Hostel. By the time I got to the hostel I could barely walk. Theblisters on the soles of my feet felt like hot poking irons burning deeper witheach step. Perhaps next time I will find some insoles that will prevent thatfrom happening. I texted Lisa when I got near the town park. She met me 10minutes later and drove me to her home and hostel just 2 miles from there. The housewas a large house that was well kept. She had 2 horses out back, some chickens,roosters, ducks, dogs and cats. The hostel was a shed that she converted to ahostel a few years earlier. It had 5 bunks, microwave and drinking water. Thiswas minimal accommodations, but what do you expect for $20 a night? There wasno AC, heat, nor a floor fan. Fortunately, it did not drop below 55 degreesovernight.Being just 24 miles away from Duncannon, I thought aboutslack-packing the entire distance in one day. I would be able to complete thesection with a small and light 8 lb. daypack and save 1 day on the trip. Only agood night¢s rest and some confidence would determine if I would go thru withit.
Date: 2020-05-14
From: Lisa's Hostel in Boiling Springs

To: Kind of Outdoorsy Hostel in Duncannon
Miles today: 24.6

Ascent: 3,596¢, Descent: 3,704¢Weather: Mostly cloudy, light wind, temps in the upper 60¢sI woke up early, had breakfast, packed my day pack, and goton the trail around 8:00 AM. Slack-Packing is when you get a ride to or from your destination on a given day so you can hike that section with a light day bag vs a full backpack. It allows for more miles with less ware on the body. My car was already at my destination so I was all set. Highlights included passing thru several farms in the CumberlandValley, Amish people on the trail, Rt. 174, ATC¢s Scott Farm Trail Work Center,Rt. 944, Darlington Shelter, Rt. 850, Cover Mountain Shelter, and Hawk Rock. Thefirst 12 miles were relatively flat. The next 7 miles were up and down ridges.The next 4 miles were along a rocky trail ridge that threatened to sprain my ankleswith every step. The last mile was as steep decent from Hawk Rock, droppingnearly 1,000¢ into Duncannon. Ouch! The view from Hawk Rock was amazing. There were about 2dozen day hikers that had hiked up from the valley just to see the view earlyevening. I recall getting to my car in the parking lot around 7:45PM. I droveinto town, found a parking spot outside the ¢Kind of Outdoorsy¢ hostel, andstayed the night. The hostel consisted of a bunk room with 3 double bunks, twolounge chairs and a small table to prepare meals on. There were no windows andI envisioned that this must be what life in prison is like. The second room wasmainly used for storage and passage to a small bathroom, which had a niceshower, since and toilet. I was pleasantly surprised that the Town had notclosed the shelter years earlier. For $25 a night, including a shower, what doyou expect?Two thru hikers arrived late afternoonand ordered pizza for dinner from the pizzeria across the street. Fortunately,they left me several slices of pizza. I ate the pizza, took a shower, took somepain meds, and went right to sleep. This was my longest slack-pack day ever onthe AT, eclipsed only by the time I hiked 25 miles with a full pack.
Date: 2020-05-15
From: Kind of Outdoorsy Hostel in Duncannon

To: Lisa's Hostel in Boiling Springs
Miles today: 0.0

Weather: Mostly sunny, light wind, temps in the lower 80¢s.I woke up late in Duncannon, went across the street to anoutdoor diner, where I ordered eggs, toast, bacon, and hash browns. I thenpacked up my gear and drove 35 miles south back to Lisa¢s hostel in BoilingSprings. She was expecting me, and I was the only person staying thatday/night. Yay!Highlights included returning to Lisa¢s hostel, relaxation,recharging electronics and watching the chickens, roosters and ducks fight witheach other and enjoying 3 light beers for just $2.00 each. I called Mike theShuttle driver and scheduled a ride from Port Clinton (approx. 80 miles north),back to Duncannon the following morning. He quoted me the same as before, $110,which seemed fair.I went to bed early because I knew the overnight trail wouldcome roaring thru around 2:00 AM and a rooster would start roosting at 4:00 AM.The train was so loud it sounded like the Polar Express coming thru the backyard! The ground and bunks shook for the 5+ minutes it took for the train to passby. Now I know what its like to sleep in an earthquake zone.
Date: 2020-05-16
From: Lisa's Hostel in Boiling Springs

To: PeterÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: moderate rain

Ascent: 2,395¢, Descent: 1,627¢Weather: Mostly sunny, light wind, temps in the upper 60¢sI woke up early, had breakfast, packed my pack, drove about80 miles north to Port Clinton, dropped my car, got shuttled back to Duncannon,and got on the trail around 10:15 AM. I had a full pack with a 5-day supply offood and 2 liters to last the day. It was Saturday and I passed many day hikersalong the way.Highlights included crossing the Susquehanna river on theClarks Ferry bridge, watching a diesel trail pass by with 130 box carsattached, passing Clarks Ferry Shelter, Rt. 225 and catching a view at tablerock. Even though it was a sub-10-mile day, it seemed closer to 20 milescarrying a full pack mostly up.I arrive at Peter¢s Mountain Shelter around 5:00 PM and feltexhausted. It was a large 2 story shelter that slept 20 people max. In fear ofcatching the COVID-19 virus, I stayed a safe distance away. There were about adozen hikers staying there. Half were on a 2-day hike. The rest were thruhiking north bound all the way to Mt. Katahdin, the norther terminus of the ATin central Main!The worst think about this site was the hike to the nearestspring. It was nearly 400 steps down a steep hill with lots of stairs cut intothe rock. I had to take several breaks on the return trip. At least the springwas flowing well. The water was clean and refreshing. I filtered it beforedrinking, like I always do.There was no rain in the forecast, so I used my tarp as aground cloth and cowboy camped under the stars. It was beautiful watching thestarts at night. I wished that my 6 year young Grandson, Bryson, could bethere with me.
Date: 2020-05-17
From: PeterÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Ascent: 3,048¢, Descent: 2,815¢Weather: Mostly cloudy, light wind, temps in the upper 60¢sI woke up early, had breakfast, packed my pack, and got onthe trail around 8:00 AM. Highlights included passing Kinter View, tent sites,springs, country roads, and Yellow Springs Campsite.The trail was nearly flat with a few ups and down along the way.Thank God for that!The hike was long and challenging. I figured I would be ingood shape to complete the hike around noon of day 11 if I could hike 15-18miles per day for a tough 3 day stretch. I took lots of breaks along the way,some with the thru hikers. I got to know a few of their stories and how theymanaged to continue hiking the trail thru the pandemic. The trail neverofficially closed, and they reported having no problem re-supplying 1-2 times aweek whenever hiking thru a trail town.I arrive at Rausch Gap Shelter around 5:00 PM, shortly afterthe thru hikers arrived. It was an older shelter with space for 6 people, alongwith several tenting spaces nearby. The bathroom was nearby, and a piped springdirected the water within 10 yards of the shelter, which was very convenient!None of the hikers showed any signs of being sick so I optedto sleep in the shelter. We told trail stories and listened to music. I wasgetting the thru-hiker experience that I always wished for. Thankfully, I didnot get sick as a result. Thanks to Mom¢s prayers, God was looking out for me.
Date: 2020-05-18
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Rt. 501 Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

Ascent: 3,232¢, Descent: 2,890¢Weather: Mostly cloudy, light wind, temps in the low 60¢sI woke up early, had breakfast, packed my pack, and got onthe trail around 8:00 AM. Highlights included passing by several creeks, tent sites, Rt.433, Swatara Gap, Interstate 81, country roads, vistas, the William PennShelter, Rt. 645 and Rt. 501.Yet another long day on the trail. Fortunately, my pack wasrelatively light, and the weather was nice.The trail was nearly flat with a few ups and down along theway. Again, thank God for that!Like the day before, I recall passing thru miles of un-inhabitedforests, listening to the wind, birds, and waterfalls along the way. This iswhat I was hoping for along this stretch. It was very therapeutic indeed!I arrived at the 501 Shelter around 5:00 PM shortly afterthe thru hikers arrived. I quickly discovered the nearest water source was ahalf mile away. I opted to join them in a shuttle into the nearest town to getwater for me and dinner for them. When we returned, I cooked and ate dinner atthe picnic table just outside the shelter.The elderly ¢Innkeeper¢ lived in a house adjacent to theshelter. He came out to meet and interview us after dinner. He wanted to makesure we were not ¢day¢ hikers or people looking for a place to party at. We then learned the shelter was originally built as a pottery barn. Hence, the large sunroof in the center. Afterhe left, we quietly entered the unlocked shelter and went to sleep.
Date: 2020-05-19
From: Rt. 501 Shelter

To: EagleÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Ascent: 1,959¢, Descent: 1,854¢Weather: Partly cloudy, windy, temps in the upper 50¢s.I woke up early, had breakfast, packed my pack, and got onthe trail around 8:00 AM. Highlights included passing by several campsites, vistas, HertlineCampsite & Creek, springs and Rt. 183.The day was shorter than the prior 2 days, but still longand hard. It was cool and windy, and the stops were infrequent. I tried my bestto enjoy my last full day on the trail, setting me up for a 10 mile hike outthe following morning. My blisters were still hurting but were manageable andnever popped.I arrived at the Eagle¢s Nest Shelter around 4:00 PM. Theonly person there was a thru hiker named Roman that was hiking the entiretrail. She started mid-February, got off the trail for 6 weeks when the plaguegot worse, then returned to the trail early May. She told me her hometown wasBerlin CT, which turns out to be adjacent to my hometown of Southington. Likeme, she often hikes on Ragged mountain for conditioning.After dinner, two overnight hikers arrived. They setup atent about 100 yards away and lived locally. The lady had completed hiking theentire AT over the course of 5 years. Her father was with her. He had hikedmost of it and was turning 80 later this year. God bless him!One of the other thru hikers came into camp early eveningand slept in the shelter. There were 3 of us in the open-faced shelter, spacedabout 6 feet apart from each other. Nobody snored and we slept well.
Date: 2020-05-20
From: EagleÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: clear sky

Ascent: 846¢, Descent: 1,991¢Weather: Mostly sunny, windy, temps in the upper 50¢sI woke up early, had breakfast, packed my pack, and got onthe trail around 8:00 AM. Highlights included passing by tent sites, springs, countryroads, vistas, and a railroad station.The first 8.5 miles were on mostly flat terrain with a fewups and downs. The last half mile was a steep 500¢ decent into the gap in PortClinton. Along the way I tried to schedule another day of slack-pack hiking 15miles northbound. Driver Mike was not available, and I could not find anyoneelse to drive me. Hence, I knew this would be my last day on the trail thisspring.I arrived at the Reading Railroad station at 12:20 PM andwalked a short distance to my car. I then began the long drive home, travelingabout 220 miles in 4.5 hours. I was glad to be coming back home to my family, ahot shower, and home cooked meals.
Date: 2020-05-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I was very fortunate to have no rain during my 10 days onthe trail. I exceeded my prior section hike distance by over 70 miles and numberof days on the tail by 4 days. I now feel ready to complete a 2-week sectionhike in the fall and future years God willing.Lessons LearnedBring a winter sleeping bag for late Spring hikes as it candip below freezing at higher elevations. Bring a hat to sleep with. A bandana works, but not as well. Try to schedule slack packing days at the start, middle andend.Wear heat reducing insoles to help prevent blisters on thebottom of my feet. Write down important names, hostels, and phone numbers incase my phone dies.Just because I can slack-pack 25 miles does not mean Ishould!Order a lightweight single person tent ¢ done.Order new trekking poles to replace my old ones ¢ done.
Date: 2020-07-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This will be the 4th year of my AT hike. I¢m not a thru hiker or a section hiker, I am a Lasher, a long ass section hiker. I have hiked 500-600 each of the last three year and will be completing the AT this year. Last year, I finished 53 miles short of Vermont, so that will be this years starting point.  SAS my hiking buddy will be joining me the same as the last three years. We are on our way to Katahdin.