morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-06-13
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: broken clouds

DAY 94Today was another hot day. We are really into summer. We crossed into West Virginia today from Virginia. Finally we are out of Virginia. Well, not really, as the Trail runs along the ridge separating the two states. My left foot was in West Virginia, while my right foot was still in Virginia. It has taken us 47 days to traverse the 536 miles of Virginia. My right knee was painful again today. I am anxious to get into Harpers Ferry, hopefully tomorrow. It¢s about 20 miles ahead and I hope to get some medical attention. This morning Rocky suggested getting off the Trail and getting a ride into Harpers Ferry. However, I am adamant that I will walk in. I have dealt with injury on this Trail before. Harpers Ferry is another of those Trail milestones that is a big deal to me. It is kind of the psychological mid point of the Trail, even if it is not the geographical mid point. I am determined to walk in under my own power and get my photo taken at ATC Headquarters.Rocky and I also talked about flip-flopping on the Trail as we will likely have difficulty making it to Mount Katahdin before it closes down for the winter. In a flip-flop, we would go to Maine and hike south to where ever we leave off. Besides my knee problem which is slowing us down, Rocky has to get off the Trail in July for almost two weeks. She must work in New Hampshire at her nursing job to hold her position at the hospital. So we will lose even more time. However, I do not want to consider flip-flopping as I have always wanted to do this thru hike in the traditional Georgia to Maine fashion. For the time being, Rocky and I have agreed to disagree. Captain Patagonia and Quinn caught up to us in late morning. While we were having lunch, an Englishman by the name of, naturally enough, ¢English¢, came by. He took a photo of the four of us; two couples who met on the Trail are both in the midst of Trail romances.We continued on our hike and arrived at the Blackburn Appalachian Trail Center at about 4 pm. Half and hour after we arrived, there was a thunderstorm. This is the first rain fall in many days. We were under cover of the enclosed porch, so it was kind of fun to watch the storm. Supposedly one can see Washington DC from the center, but I am not sure we can tonight, given the clouds. A young couple lives and works here as caretakers, along with their young daughter. They fed us another spaghetti dinner. Perhaps there is a competition with Bears Den; we also had spaghetti last night. It has been a pleasant night and I am forgetting about my right knee for awhile at least. As the porch is screened I thought it would be nice to sleep out side on the porch. There are lounge chairs which would have made good beds. Rocky, however, wants to sleep on the porch floor, so I have set up for the night on the floor near her. She is acting a little odd, as though she doesn¢t want to be too near me. Perhaps she wants to show the Trail community around us that we are Trail partners and not romantically involved. I just don¢t know what to think.
Date: 2005-06-14
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Harpers Ferry, WV (Hilltop House Hotel)
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: haze

DAY 95This was another hot, humid day on the Trail. The temperature must have been in the 90¢s. However, this day has been special as we entered Harpers Ferry, the psychological half way point on the Trail. It is a big milestone in our hike. We have walked over 1000 miles since we left Springer Mountain 95 days ago. We were looking forward to checking into the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) office in Harpers Ferry and having our photos taken for the ATC record book. Despite my painful knee, it was a thrill to be finally looking down on Harpers Ferry from Louden Heights, just as Union and Confederate soldiers did during the Civil War. We crossed the bridge over the Shenandoah River and entered the town in early afternoon. We passed the National Park Service Training Center enroute to the ATC office. I was giggling and laughing as we walked through the town. We have made it to Harpers Ferry!At the ATC office we had our photo taken on the porch of the building. The photo, with our Trail names, will be entered in ATC¢s record book of thru hikers of the Class of 2005. When I looked at the photo that was taken of us, I was a little shocked. I look scarecrow thin. We chatted with the Staff, both full time and volunteers. We checked the Class of 2005 record book to see when other hikers we knew had arrived. I bought a polyester AT t-shirt there. We got a list of doctors in the area, as I am anxious to have my swollen knee looked at. We called one of the doctor¢s offices and left a message for a call back at the Hilltop House Hotel, where we will be staying for at least the next two nights. We had booked a room at the Hilltop from the ATC office.The Hilltop House Hotel is a beautiful and historic building overlooking the Potomac River. It is but a short walk to the ATC office. Unfortunately for my knee, our room is on an upper floor. We cleaned up and went to the Hotel¢s dinner buffet. I stuffed myself, while Rocky merely had a snack. She doesn¢t need the calories, but apparently I do. Tomorrow, hopefully I will have more information on my knee on which to base a decision on. I might have to rest the knee for a few days at best, or at worst, get off the Trail.
Date: 2005-06-16
From: Harpers Ferry, WV (Hilltop House Hotel)

To: Harpers Ferry, WV (Hilltop House Hotel)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

DAY 97We met Audrey at 7 am this morning and we were on our way to Washington DC. As we drove into Georgetown, Audrey gave us a running narrative of the sights we were seeing along the way. She dropped us off near the Vietnam Memorial.I have been to the Vietnam Memorial three times before. It is always an emotional experience that I cannot share with the people who may have been with me at the time. I wanted to take my time on this occasion and look for the names of four men who I knew who died in the Vietnam War. Rocky asked if I wanted to go by myself, but she is someone I can share my feelings and emotions with, so I asked her to accompany me to the Wall.I looked for the names on the wall of Chuck Kane, Raymond Floyd, Melvin Johnson, and Tom Torrington. Tommy is the one who affected me the most. He was 19 years old when he died. He was a tall, blond, handsome young man from Cumberland, Maryland. He was almost the classic recruiting poster Marine. I ache for him and the others for the lives they have missed, but that I have been able to enjoy. I always have feelings of guilt when I think about them: I came home but they didn¢t. I¢m in tears now as I write this tonight. The Vietnam Memorial is an amazing monument that can not help but bring out deep emotions in everyone. I am glad that Rocky was with me to share this emotional experience.In the same area of the Washington Mall, we also visited the Korean War Memorial and the World War II Memorial. Then we walked to the American History Museum and the Smithsonian Art Museum. We had lunch in a cafeteria in the sub-level between the two museums. Before long it was time to walk to Union Station to catch the afternoon MARC train back to Harpers Ferry. On the train we ran into Freeze Dried and ¢Greybeard¢. Rocky had hiked with Greybeard way before we teamed up in Damascus. Greybeard was returning to the Trail after a visit back home in Alabama. Back in Harpers Ferry we had dinner at a small bar type restaurant in the old section of Harpers Ferry. We chatted with other hikers, tourists, and Trail Angels. Rocky always seems to draw people to us. Then back to our room to talk about what to do next. I am inclined to keep going as long as my knee allows me to.
Date: 2005-06-18
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

DAY 99Today has been a walk through Civil War history. Three and a half miles into our hike we came to Gathland State Park, with its Civil War plaques and the War Correspondents memorial. We paused at a park pavilion to get water.A wonderful lady approached us and asked if we wanted any food. For thru hikers there is an obvious answer. She had orange juice, granola bars, gorp, apples and bananas. Another hiker, ¢Red Feather¢, came by, and he also enjoyed some Trail Magic. I wish we had gotten her name and address. We should thank her for her generosity. Rocky did give the lady the website for Rocky¢s Trail Journal. We told her that she was now a Trail Angel, and we explained the concept of Trail Angel and Trail Magic. Reluctantly we left our Trail Angel and continued northward. We passed other Civil War sites. This area figured in the preliminary skirmishes prior to the bloody Battle of Antietam in 1962. In mid afternoon we reached Dahlgren Back Pack Campground. This campground is right on the Trail. It has a large tenting site, a bathroom, with showers. There are quite a few other hikers camped here as well. We set up our tents and then went to the bath house and took showers. I actually shaved here also. We also went out to dinner tonight. Just 0.2 miles up the Trail is the elegant Old South Mountain Inn. We might have been a bit out of place in our hiker clothes and fleeces. However, no one had any comments. It was like being out on a date. We had a very good dinner, before we headed back to our tents for the night.This right knee hurts. I¢m on borrowed time. I¢m not looking too far ahead tonight.
Date: 2005-06-19
From: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground

To: Ensign Cowell Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: overcast clouds

DAY 100It has been a little less sunny today, which is welcome from the heat of the past few days. Despite my limping along on the bad knee, we seemed to be making good time this morning. The Trail was not difficult this morning. We stopped at the Washington Monument, two miles into today¢s hike. This monument, which is a low tower, is allegedly the first monument in the United States honoring George Washington.By late morning we had covered the five miles to the Trail crossing of Interstate 70. We crossed over the highway on a footbridge. Then we took a side trail to US Route 40. A half mile walk west, mostly downhill, took us to the Dogpatch Saloon. It was not quite noon yet, and the place was just opening up. The Dogpatch Saloon is quite a contrast to last night¢s elegant dinner at the Old South Mountain Inn. The Dogpatch is a biker bar and the waitress is dressed in leather biker attire. Only one other man came in while we were there. He was dressed in biker attire also. We had burgers for lunch, continuing the pattern of at least one restaurant meal a day. Yet with all this restaurant food I am still having a hard time of maintaining my weight. After lunch we were faced with an uphill walk back to the Trail. I¢m not sure the biker bar stop was worth the extra effort for my bad knee. For the most part the Trail in Maryland has been very well graded. It is wide and well maintained. However, as the afternoon wore on the Trail became rockier and rougher. I was having a hard time keeping up with Rocky. I was getting discouraged. I began to think that it was not fair to Rocky to slow her down, when she could be making good time. Maryland is an easy state to hike. Most hikers can do it in two days, or two and a half days, maximum. It is going to take us four days to do the 41 miles in Maryland.Finally, I thought, it is time to end this charade of a hike on my part. I said to Rocky, ¢You should go on ahead and leave me. You can easily find another hiking partner¢. She totally misunderstood my intent. She thought I was trying to get rid of her, when instead I wanted to let her hike her own hike instead of being burdened by me. She became quite angry and speeded up to get away from me. As she pulled away, I asked her for her email address so that we could stay in touch. She refused and said she wanted nothing more to do with me.This was heart breaking to me after more than seven weeks together. I thought, ¢Is this the way it¢s going to end? On a note of anger?¢ I pleaded with her as she disappeared around a bend in the Trail. Not long afterward she stopped and allowed me to catch up. We talked a bit as she calmed down. To my relief, we just continued on the Trail as if nothing had happened.Eventually, late this afternoon we came to the Ensign Cowell Shelter and moved in. There is a mother and daughter team tenting near our shelter, but we have the shelter to ourselves tonight.Our usual evening Trail activities are done and we are in our sleeping bags after another day on the Trail.
Date: 2005-06-22
From: Harrisburg, PA

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

June 22, 2005Destination New JerseyNow I¢m home. Last night (or actually this morning) the wait for the bus seemed endless. I tried to sleep on the seats in the Harrisburg bus station but that didn¢t work. Then I tried to sleep on benches outside of the station and that didn¢t work, either. Actually I didn¢t feel any particular urgency to getting home to New Jersey. However, I just wanted to get on that bus so I might have a chance to sleep. Rocky has been constantly on my mind. Around 3 or 4 am the bus finally showed up and I was on my way to Philadelphia. I don¢t know if I slept at all on the bus. The bus arrived in center city Philadelphia at about 7 am this morning. Then I had to figure out where to catch the PATCO Hi-Speed Line into New Jersey. I have not ridden the PATCO Line for nine years and I had forgotten where the stations were in Philadelphia. Once I found the nearest PATCO station, by accident, it took me awhile to figure out how you bought your ticket by means of their automated system. I have also forgotten the name of the station closest to my New Jersey home. I ended up riding to the end of the line at the Lindenwold station. It turned out I should have gotten off at the Ashland station, one station back. So I had to buy another ticket and ride back one station to the Ashland station. From the Ashland station I still had to get home. There is no bus service in suburban New Jersey and I was not about to call anyone to pick me up, given the sour mood I was in. So I started to walk the six miles home. After 1053 miles, what is another six miles, even on a bad knee? It was after 10 am by the time I walked up to my front door that I had walked out of 104 days ago, with such eager anticipation. It seems like a lifetime ago. Right now all I want to do is take a shower and sleep. I'll deal with other issues later. Rocky I hope you are okay.
Date: 2005-06-25
From: New Jersey

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

Since I left the Trail five days ago, I have been dying for news about Rocky. I have also been quite worried about her.   I even went so far as to call her husband to see if he had any news, but he has heard nothing since Rocky and I parted on June 21st. So today I got some reassurance. I received an email she sent this morning from the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately she left the Hotel before I could email her back. However, I am astounded that she has covered over 80 miles in four days. I truly must have been a drag to her during my last few days on the Trail. Two days ago, on June 23rd, I called the Ironmasters Hostel to see if she was there. The caretaker had no knowledge of her being there. So I called the next day on June 24th. This time the caretaker had checked her records and informed me she had been there on June 22nd! Thirty eight miles in two days! She must be running. Hopefully I will hear from her again. I miss her.Since I left the Trail I have seen my primary care doctor, had an x-ray, an MRI, and been referred to an orthopedic doctor. I have also cleaned up my gear. I have bought food for eight days as I hope to do the Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine with Rocky after my knee problem heals. Hopefully!
Date: 2005-07-01
From: New Jersey

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

Today I heard from Rocky! Fortunately I was home when she called. I was so happy that she called. She had just gotten back to her New Hampshire home from the Trail. She had gotten off the Trail at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, eight days after we parted. She covered 153 miles over the last eight days. She sounded pretty discouraged when I talked with her. When she got home her house was in a shambles due to neglect in her absence. Still it was just wonderful to talk with her and hear about her adventures on the Trail since we parted. She walked with Greybeard, another older hiker, for the last part of her hike. I am glad someone was with her. As for me, I¢ve been feeling down in the dumps. I miss Rocky and I have a feeling of defeat as I had not even finished half of the Trail. I will be starting a part time engineering job next week. It will keep me occupied while I try to get back on the Trail. My gear is ready to go. However, it is painful for me to walk. I have an appointment with orthopedic doctor next week.
Date: 2005-07-15
From: New Jersey

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

An orthopedic doctor at the nearby New Jersey office of Thomas Jefferson Hospital has diagnosed my knee problem as ¢Avascular Necrosis¢..Essentially a chunk has broken off of my thigh bone at the knee joint and part of the bone is dead and receiving no blood. This is not something that rest will resolve. My doctor has referred me for an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon in Philadelphia to determine what happens next. Any hopes I had for a return to the Trail in the near future are gone. The doctor advised me to walk with crutches. I can¢t even take walks to keep in condition for hiking. Meanwhile Rocky has renewed her hike. I will have to wait for her Trail journal entries to keep track of her. Working part time has kept my mind off the Trail somewhat. A positive by product of my departure from the Trail is that I have had a chance to spend some time with my grandson, Ryan, age 3. I get to do something with him at least one day a week. A typical day¢s outing might be a trip through the car wash. He loves being in the car when we go through the car wash. I just love it when jumps up and down on the car seat and laughs. I also have a clean car, which is unusual for me. Then we go to his favorite fast food restaurant. Happy Hiking, Rocky
Date: 2005-07-25
From: New Jersey

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

I have just come back from my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon in Philadelphia. What a waste! The New Jersey office of the Hospital never sent the MRI result to Philadelphia office. However, the Philadelphia surgeon said he didn¢t need the MRI¢s to determine the problem. He arrogantly claims he knows what the problem is without the MRI. He is prescribing physical therapy, while ignoring a vital piece of information. He seems like an arrogant bastard!You don¢t have to be medically trained to know what a mistake that would be. I have a piece of bone floating loose in my knee. I can¢t imagine what good therapy would be.When I got home, I have called my primary care physician for a second opinion. He has referred me to a doctor in the 3B¢s practice of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. We will see what this doctor recommends.Meanwhile Rocky is doing quite well on the Trail, heading south from Hanover, New Hampshire. She is meeting some of the NoBo¢s we knew in the south. I can¢t deny that I am quite envious and I miss her.
Date: 2005-08-10
From: New Jersey

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

I have been seen by the third orthopedic doctor in a month the other day.I have more confidence in this one, Dr. Jess Lonner, of the 3B¢s practice of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. He has told me I need a knee replacement. That sounded pretty drastic to me. Not exactly what I want to hear. However, he told me we could first try a therapy using a bone growth stimulator machine. I don¢t understand how it works, but I wanted to see how a less drastic solution would work. Unfortunately for me, my insurance won¢t pay the few hundred dollars a week for the growth stimulator machine. However, the insurance company will pay for a five figure knee replacement. This doesn¢t make either economic or medical sense to me. Wouldn¢t it be wise to try a less expensive and drastic technique? Which goes to prove what my suspicion has been about the American health care system: ultimately it is controlled by the insurance companies, not the doctor or patient. That is if you are lucky enough to have health insurance. Right now I am inclined to do nothing. I¢m not convinced that a knee replacement is necessary. I have no idea what the end result would be. I am now walking with no pain, although I don¢t know how the knee would react to the rigors of hiking on the Appalachian Trail. I¢d like to take a test hike this fall to see what would happen. I love to hike in the fall in the cooler weather in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Meanwhile, Rocky is doing quite well on her southbound hike through Vermont and Massachusetts. She has been hiking in sections with each of her four daughters at one time or another. She even did one section with her husband. I don¢t know what my chances are of ever hiking with Rocky again.
Date: 2005-09-30
From: New Jersey

To: New Jersey
Miles today: 0.0

I¢m going to be hiking with Rocky again in a couple of weeks. We are going to meet at a hostel near Great Barrington, Massachusetts, on October 12, 2005. We are going to hike south for three or four days. There have been a few other developments in the last month and a half. My knee feels pretty good. I have done some walking in the neighborhood. I¢ve also been walking on job sites and only occasionally feel a bit of soreness.I have enjoyed working part time for my engineer friend, and I have had a couple of independent consulting jobs. It¢s been fun keeping in touch with some of my professional acquaintances. All in all, I'd rather be on the Trail. After hiking as far south on the Trail as Tyringham, Massachusetts, Rocky has spent most of the month of September hiking the Trail across the state of New Hampshire with Double Healer. She has done 500 miles of the Trail since we parted on June 21st. I wanted Rocky to meet me in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, where she left off on June 30th. I am quite familiar with this section of the AT from past hikes. It is beautiful in the fall. However, it is too far for her to drive, and she would have to drive across the New York City area. So we will meet near Great Barrington. I¢ve been packed for months and raring to go.Can't wait to be back on the Trail again.