morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-09-08
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

Each shelter (3 sided sleeping structure) has a register book which hikers write all kinds of things in including the date they stayed or stopped by, recommendations or relevant info, thoughts on life, artwork, etc. and they can be both useful and entertaining. The metal mailbox for the register at the Kirkridge Shelter was up above my head about 6' and a few times last night some animal (hoping a mouse but thinking a rat) was knawing on both the metal mailbox and the wood around it. It must not have been that big because I couldn't see it when I shined my headlamp up there and hit around with my trekking pole. I forgot to mention yesterday that we entered Pennsylvania which is also know as Rocksylvania by many hikers. It did start out pretty rocky but the elevation changes weren't bad. We stopped in Wind Gap for lunch and since both restaurants we stopped at were closed I had a delicious small pepperoni pizza, carrots, banana and of course ice cream sitting on the front sidewalk of the Turkey Hill Gas Station. Then up the next incline to the shelter. The shelter has 3 nearby springs but only 1 had water (nice and cold!) but that added another mile round trip to get the water. Weather has cooled off nicely in the last two days.
Date: 2014-09-09
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: George Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: broken clouds

Today was day 16 of my 32 day hike! Thanks to everyone (especially my wife and family) who have been encouraging me along on this trip. Although I'm doing about 1/5 of the distance a thru hiker does its been a very rewarding experience for me. I appreciate the guest book entries, emails and texts. If fact I got a really inspiring text from my sister in law Maggie before a challenging afternoon which helped with some extra motivation. This morning we met a northbound section hiker "cowbell" who gave us some good info on terrain and water ahead and at that point a hiker that we met last night "wrong way Charlie" caught up with us and hiked for the rest of the day. She is doing the AT in 100 mile increments. We passed the Palmerton EPA Superfund 1980's cleanup site which entailed a zinc mine that ravaged the trees and vegetation but nature is healing the damage (see photos section). One final big hill and we were at the shelter complete w "ramen noodle trail magic" hanging from the ceiling. Two locals on hikes stopped by and visited as we'll.
Date: 2014-09-10
From: George Outerbridge Shelter

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Beautiful morning with views of other mountains straight out from our shelter. Had breakfast of champions (4 pop tarts and flavored vitamin water) and headed out. Met Zest and Mosey along the way who Lone Ranger and I had met at different times who are also southbound. Zest hiked the AT before in 1999. They stayed at the Jail Hostel (former jail) in Palmerton and were pleasantly surprised when a local who they met had already paid their check when they went to pay their bill. Today had a good deal of true rock climbing especially this especially steep pile of rocks called "Knife's Edge" which is very appropriate because you climb on the top of a very narrow edge. It got even more exciting when I looked down between the rocks I was crossing and a Copperhead snake went under me although he mainly seemed interested in getting out of the way. We also saw some porcupine quills, but just the quills. Allentown Hiking Club Shelter is our location for the night - very nice and also well maintained. A bonus- someone left a nearly full jar of peanut butter- the trail magic continues.
Date: 2014-09-11
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: moderate rain

For the first time in 10 days I was actually ready to leave in the morning before Lone Ranger, so I am getting faster at packing up. If he had known I was racing I'm sure he would have won. Bouldering (vs hiking) continued today but we were rewarded by some spectacular views at Dan's Pulpit and Pulpit Rock. There was a trail register at Dan's Pulpit and I added a note remembering those who died on 9/11 and those who serve our country. We also saw that we weren't too far behind some of our other hiker friends as they had all signed the register within the past day. Another highlight of the day was a quick and refreshing shower at Eckville Shelter where we stopped for water. The shower was basically an indoor shower hooked up to two big suspended black barrels so the sun heats up the water in the barrels. I also washed the shirt I was wearing and just put it back on wet as it was a pretty warm day. Dinner was chicken ramen and I mixed in some packaged tuna.
Date: 2014-09-12
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Stealth campsite near PA 183
Miles today: 17.3

Windsor Furnace Shelter wasn't nearly as nice as the Allentown Hiking Club Shelter. Windsor Furnace had 3 mice nests and the shelter register book was full since over a month ago. Had some oatmeal but we stopped at the 3C's Cafe in Pt Clinton for a real big (see my photos section) mid morning snack! We knew we couldn't miss the Peanut Shop and loaded up on candy and snacks. We passed over a scenic trout stream on the way out of town and also passed a old Reading Railroad facility before starting another steep ascent. We "stealth camped" near PA 183 so we could be near the pick up point for Lone Ranger's wife to meet us in the morning. Note our camp site was within Pennsylvania AT rules, stealth camping refers to camping outside of a shelter area or campsite.
Date: 2014-09-14
From: Comfort Inn

To: William Penn Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Refreshed, cleaned and refueled from my zero day at the Comfort Inn (very helpful staff) started my hike on a cool, sunny morning. Ran into Gibby (a northbound section hiker) who is going to hike north "as long as I'm enjoying myself". Lots of day hikers enjoying the day including a couple who is involved with some east/west trails in the Midwest thru Pennsylvania. Stopped at the "fully enclosed" 501 Shelter to eat my lunch and relaxed on one of the scenic lookouts and enjoyed the view. The William Penn Shelter has a second floor loft with windows which will be nice as it is supposed to be cooler tonightInfo on my pack weight: my pack (with food and water) is probably weighing 30-34 lbs which is higher than I planned mainly due to carrying extra water since the water sources are so unreliable. In the Guest Book one of our relatives was concerned I had an 80 lb pack which I would struggle with!
Date: 2014-09-15
From: William Penn Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

Last night after I fixed dinner it I could tell I was the first one on the trail this morning since I kept on getting spider webs across my face. Two hikers, Oatmeal and Mr Mean, caught up with me and guessed who I was as they had just been with K2 and Wolfburger recently. Oatmeal has only 100 miles left to complete the trail and Mr Mean has less than 700 remaining. The three of us stayed at the Rausch Gap Shelter which had a tree stump with a circular metal bar around it; unfortunately there was no beer tap!
Date: 2014-09-16
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Peters Mountain
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We said our goodbyes to Oatmeal who was heading home. Walked thru some "rhododendron tunnels", over stone bridges thru ferns and grasses. The terrain was pretty manageable for the first 12 miles but the last 6 got pretty challenging with steep inclines and boulders. It's pretty amazing walking up and down mountain ridges all day and the sunrises and sunsets from right out our shelter steps are perfect ways to begin and end the day. Queue up to some of my favorite John Muir quotes:Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.¢Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.¢Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.¢ I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.¢ John MuirEnded up the day at Peters Mtn Shelter. One more southbound thru hiker arrived at the shelter (Shark Bait) - he did over 30 miles today; but he is young!
Date: 2014-09-17
From: Peters Mountain

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

I think the hiker, Shark Bait, should change his name to mouse bait because he said he woke up at night w mice crawling over him. I was on the second floor so I didn't have any mice problem inside but when I went outside late last night for a bathroom break there was a set of little orange eyes on the side of a tree reflecting from my headlamp (which was on the red nighttime setting) I looked again and the eyes were on the other side of the tree. The eyes were too wide for a mouse so I'm not sure what it was but I wasted no time going back into the shelter. Mr. Mean and I walked on the mountain ridge above the clouds below and the weather was sunny and just warm enough. We had hoped for a gradual descent on a soft path but got our typical mix of rocks, boulders and more ups and downs than we had hoped. Our reward was a delicious beer, burger and apple pie at the AT hiker famous Doyle Hotel. Shark Bait and Sweet Puddin were also there and we got to know the owners Pat and Vicki who were a lot of fun. Said good bye to Mr. Mean who will be spending an overnight with local friends (note: Mr Mean puts up 75,000 lights up at Christmas so I question his trail name). With a full stomach I continued on up to Cove Mountain Shelter and the hike provided a perfect view of Duncannon on the river. On the way in and out of town we must have had a half dozen people wish us good luck on our hike.
Date: 2014-09-18
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Days Inn- Carlisle,PA
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Cove Mountain Shelter had an interesting informational sign regarding porcupines (see photo on this page) plus real evidence of their "teething" capabilities (see photo in my photos section on left). I was careful to keep all my equipment and food inside the shelter and I was lucky I did because when I came back after a quick trip to the privy (translation "outhouse" for my fellow Midwesterners) there was a big porcupine nosing around right in front of the shelter. I didn't get his picture but got one who was sharing the trail with me as I started my hike. I stopped at the Darlington Shelter for a break and a bite to eat and met Mike and his dog Kona. Someone suggested his trail name should be "Garage Sale" because his pack is so big; I don't see how he carries it as it has to weigh over 50 lbs. We hiked down into Carlisle on the easiest section of trail on the trip so far and I watched his dog while he ran to a couple of stores. Since my wife and hiking buddy from home are arriving on Saturday morning I've adjusted my stops so the timing works out which puts me in a Days Inn for the night (and they have a washer and dryer!). Next door is the Middlesex Diner where I had a large dinner of Chicken Parmesan plus chocolate cake.
Date: 2014-09-19
From: Days Inn- Carlisle,PA

To: Mt Holly Inn
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Lots of day and section hikers out today - easy terrain to start and nice temperature. Met 3 sets of hikers who started in Maryland and headed to Boiling Springs or Duncannon. A fair amount of the trail went through corn and soybean fields before it went back up to Mount Holly. Boiling Springs was a nice town with a large trailside pond and trout stream. The "AT Companion" Guidebook published by the AT Conservancy (ATC) said that the ATC Regional Office in Boiling Springs could provide info on water and trail conditions. When I asked about water southbound the ATC person was very curt saying there was no way they could possibly track changing conditions. All 3 people in the ATC office seemed much more interested in their paperwork than in an AT hiker (who had showered that morning and also given a decent donation and matching gift to the ATC). Based on this experience (and maybe they are under pressures from the home office I don't know about) I would probably donate to the regional clubs who maintain the trail vs the ATC. Fortunately my overall experience on the trail has been shaped by very real and friendly people on the trail. Family and friends have been concerned about my safety on the trail and when I'm going over a boulder scramble I do realize a wrong step could cause an accident but I think the rewards are greater than the risks. Queue up another John Muir quote..."Even the sick should try these so-called dangerous passes, because for every unfortunate they kill, they cure a thousand.¢ -John MuirEnded the day at the Mt Holly Inn- very excited to see my wife (plus "Off the Grid", my hiking buddy for remainder of trip) tomorrow!
Date: 2014-09-20
From: Mt Holly Inn

To: Tom's Run
Miles today: 6.4

After some delicious muffins and coffee at the Mt Holly Inn, one of the 6 owners drove me back to the trail. She mentioned that there very customers were thru hikers and that they really enjoyed having hikers as their guests. Since my wife and Off the Grid (OTG) were running about an hour late and we were going to miss seeing the AT Museum and making it to the shelter by dark I made the tough decision of skipping a short segment of the trail (I know I will need to come back and complete) and we went to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. My wife's grandparents had a cabin right behind the General Store which brought back some nice memories for her. The AT Museum had equipment and clothing from some of the early hikers as well as 1 of the early and very primitive shelters. After a quick lunch I gave OTG some last minute advice on lightening his very heavy pack and off we went. It was a nice night so we both decided to tent vs sleep in the shelter. This site must have had 40+ campers spread out including one very large and loud teenage church group. We tented near an extended family that was with a park ranger as part of a camping class. The grandmother was quite impressive - she had driven her 10 year old grandson cross country on a motorcycle. Meanwhile the grandson was making acorn stew- putting acorns in a metal can until they popped- which kept him entertained.
Date: 2014-09-21
From: Tom's Run

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: few clouds

Off the Grid (OTG) quickly discovered he wasn't hiking in the flat lands of the Midwest any more and his legs were burning on the up hills and the Pennsylvania rocks were also a new (and not fun) experience but he kept on going strong for the 13.6 miles and we got to the shelter in advance of the rain. The Quarry Gap Shelter is definitely the nicest and most well maintained shelter I've seen. It has flower pots, a welcome gate, 2 covered eating areas. The highlight was meeting Jim (the Inn Keeper) who is responsible for the impeccable shelter plus is very involved in the local trail club and volunteers at the local state park. Jim also loves Penn State football, volleyball and wrestling and since my daughter played college volleyball we had a good conversation on that and other topics. The rain hit a couple of times so we were in the right place for the night.
Date: 2014-09-22
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 12.2

Had hot oatmeal and coffee to start the day; we typically hit the trail with just some breakfast bars so it was a nice change. We again ran into 2 large groups of kids and found out there are 8 groups from an Episcopal boarding school in Virginia doing a 5 day Outward Bound trip. The terrain started out easy but got rockier as the day went on. I was glad we had a couple "boulder scrambles" so Off the Grid would get to experience those. Some up hills later in the day brought us to Chimney Rocks which provided a perfect observation point- we were told it was Gettysburg we could see in the distance. The shelter, Tumbling Run, is much more than a shelter. It has 2 shelters (1 labeled for snorers, 1 for non-snorers), picnic table, piped spring, multiple tenting areas and a very clean privy with toilet paper and hand sanitized (a first!). We lucked out and met the caretakers (Kurt & Tanya) and shared stories about the AT. They have been caretakers for this shelter for 20 years- what dedication! A late arrival to the shelter was Vince, a 22 year old German who is doing a 3 month backpacking trip of the U.S. He stayed a very short time on NYC but said it was too loud, busy and dirty for him. When he arrived at a state park on the trail and asked a couple for directions, they not only took him to the store but home for dinner and to spend the night. He is very impressed by American hospitality so far.
Date: 2014-09-23
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Off the Grid and I got an early start as the terrain looked tougher today and it was. More climbs on very rocky hills but after a chilly start, weather was perfect again. We realized by the trail registers that we are hiking just behind a living AT legend- Warren Doyle. Warren is on his 17th AT thru hike and was hiked over 34,000 miles. So my milestone of crossing into Maryland today (400+ miles) sorta pales in comparison but it felt great to have entered my "destination" state! The border wasn't marked but right beyond it was Pen Mar park where we ran into an older couple who told us the park used to be a big amusement park and there were trains that brought people out from the cities. The amusement park burned down but they have regular concerts and an observation deck for the view. There have also been maps and markers showing where some of the Civil War battles were fought in this area. Although I've thoroughly enjoyed my hike I'm starting to get excited about My wife picking us up on Thursday morning (in plenty of time for the wedding on Saturday). Today we met T Rex a section hiker from Delaware who just started his hike and is headed for Harpers Ferry. Raven Rock Shelter is quite nice; a 2 story building with covered eating area and a fancy cabling system to hang your food. It also has a privy with a great view- it has no door!
Date: 2014-09-24
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

We left Raven Rock Shelter while it was still fairly chilly but after a few up hills we were back in our tshirts. We ran into "The Old Gray Mare" a woman in her 70's who only has 200 miles left to complete of the 2,100 mile trail Terrain was fairly mixed again (it's not true that the rocks end for southbound re in Maryland). We had some nice outlooks though- first Raven Rock Cliffs and then the spectacular Annapolis Rocks where we spent some extra time taking pictures and just enjoying the view. During my final hiking day I was starting to get sentimental about what a great trip I've had, the people I've met and the sites I've seen. But I also was very happy that I would soon be back with my wife, family and friends. The trail was mostly downhill to the Pine Knob Shelter and when we got there risky Risky Business and Undercover were there and had a nice campfire started. Risky Business is a northbound thru hiker and has been on the trail since April but has had some foot problems that has slowed him down. He still has a great attitude, checks on with a lot of other hikers thru texting and talked about "how the trail provides" just when you need help, the right person is there to offer what you need. Vince (from Germany) also arrived at the shelter and he had multiple bee stings in what sounded like the same hilly area I got stung by a bee. I had some Benadryl so I gave him one. Vince also shared his experiences with the Pennsylvania Amish. He was looking for a place to camp and asked an Amish farmer if he could tent on his land and offered to work for the farmer in return. The farmer said he could and that they would be bringing in the hay but first looked at his hands to see if he had "working hands". Vince ended up staying and working for them for 2 weeks. He said the men did all the work outside and the women did everything inside; when he got up to clear his plate the women said he didn't need to do that as that was there role. At the dinner table he talked to them about German history (as there is an Amish connection) and learning about the Amish. He said the only light in the house at night was a single kerosene lamp.
Date: 2014-09-25
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: I70 Foot Bridge Maryland
Miles today: 0.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Although the forecast said a 60% chance of rain, it rained continuously all night. About 4:30AM my back felt wet which I thought (hoped) might be perspiration but turned out to be water from a leaky roof at my end of the shelter. Luckily there was extra space between me and Undercover so I was able to move to a dry spot. Off the Grid's tent was wet but didn't leak so he dried it out by the shelter while we waited for the rain to subside. My wife texted us that she was near the I70 parking area so we headed down the hill to meet her and take some end of hike photos. We headed into Boonesboro for a big celebratory lunch at Dan's Tap House which is owned by author Nora Robert's son. We headed into Baltimore (location of the second wedding) and my wife had arranged my first ever pedicure and first ever straight razor shave at a specialty barber shop to transition me from the trail. Vi, who did the pedicure, didn't quite know what to do with the combination of blisters, bruises and calluses on my feet and Ebony had fun taking off my beard in stages with my family laughing at each phase (see photos section). We really enjoyed the Baltimore Harbor area with our friends and the wedding was very special and a lot of fun. The day after the wedding we spent the afternoon watching the Bears/Packers game with a "divided" crowd from the wedding and the headed to the airport. The hike and pre-hike Boston trip were incredible but I'm really looking forward to being home tonight. I'll do a post-hike journal entry with some final thoughts and gear feedback after I get home.