morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-06-10
From: Stealth camping in the woods

To: Tom Floyd Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I saw and thanked an AT maintainer today. He was cutting down bushes and branches and anything else that was blocking the trail. There are thousands of AT maintainers that keep the trail free of tree blowdowns and safe for hikers. Beate also informed me that I have a couple of doctor's appointments on 20 June in Milwaukee, so I'll have to get off the trail for a few days and make those appointments. I'm looking forward to spending a week with my wife in the comfort of our home...especially looking forward to her cooking! It'll be great to see my wife and my family, but I'm sure it will make it that much harder to say goodbye again.Speaking of the AT maintainer, Beate sent me a link to a great website she found--The Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The AT is celebrating its 75th anniversary, which wouldn't be possible if it weren't for all the people who work to preserve and protect the trail. You can visit the website here: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/promo/75th-anniversary. Here are some highlights:Two thousand twelve marks a major milestone for the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). Seventy-five years ago, on August 14, 1937, the A.T. was first completed. This task of building the original trail took more than 15 years and involved a few hundred volunteers, state and federal agency partners, local Trail-maintaining clubs, workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.Since the A.T was first completed in 1937, it has undergone a remarkable transformation. Most¢probably 99%¢has been relocated or rebuilt. Hundreds of miles of the original route were along roads and passed through private lands. Thanks to the determination of Myron H. Avery and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) he chaired for more than two decades, passage of the National Trails System Act, and the work of many partners and volunteers, more than 99.7% of the A.T. is now in public ownership. Not only is the footpath itself protected, but a corridor of land, averaging one thousand feet in width, is also protected.Today, 2-3 million people visit the Trail every year and about 2,000 (we're 2 of 2,000!) people attempt to ¢thru-hike¢ the Trail. People from across the globe are drawn to the A.T. for a variety of reasons: to reconnect with nature, to escape the stress of home and work life, to meet new people or deepen old friendships, or to experience a simpler life.
Date: 2012-06-11
From: Tom Floyd Shelter

To: In the woods
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Several 1200 foot climbs kicked my butt but we kept on moving on. Jim and Molly Denton Shelter was pretty cool with a solar powered outdoor shower - first one I have seen. Rained at dinner time and the temperature really dropped in the evening. Forecast for more rain.
Date: 2012-06-12
From: In the woods 

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

It reained (poured) for about 4 hours today. Not much you can do put put on your wet weather gear and keep walking. The worst part is having your feet shrivel from constant wetness. Entered a section of the AT called the "roller coaster". It is named that because of the number of steep ascents and declines - like a roller coaster. Only a couple of days until we reach Harper's Ferry, warm food, and a place to dry out.Received a phone call from Beate today. I will need to get off the trail for a few days so I can go back to Wisconsin for some medical appointments I have been waiting to have scheduled. This is good timing because it has been a while since I saw my wife Beate. Also, it is Father's Day weekend so that is a double bonus. Really looking forward to seeing Beate.
Date: 2012-06-14
From: 1000 Miles--VA/WV border

To: David Lessor Memorial Shelter 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Finished the "roller coaster" we started yesterday. The olds guys thought it was pretty challenging while some of the younger hikers called it a kiddie ride. Sometimes i wish i would have started the AT 30 years ago.Body is starting to get tired and we have lost our "fat reserve". I have lost almost 20 pounds. Besides seeing my wife and family in Wisconsin, I am looking forward to eating some real food and not all the dehydrated food we eat on the trail. Met a wife and husband team that maintains the shelter we stayed at tonight. They looked familiar and I started asking them some questions. It turned out we had met them in the Smokey Mountains back in Tenn in March. Besides giving us candy and a Coke today, they offered to take Reinhard to the doctor on Friday. Amazing piece of trail magic again. Thanks George and Kate for maintaining this AT shelter and for the trail magic.
Date: 2012-06-15
From: David Lessor Memorial Shelter 

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Steyed at Town's Inn Hostel last night in Harper's Ferry. When we lived in VA, Harper's Ferry was a favorite town for Beate and I to visit. It has lots of history and neat houses.   Reinhard had his cast and splints removed today. The bone was not completely healed so the doctor put on a small cast to protect it while hiking. In about 5 weeks he needs to have it removed. Not sure where we will be but, as always on the trail, this will work out.   My son who lives in VA picked me up in the afternoon and took me back to the Washington D.C. area to prepare for my flight back to Wisconsin. Many thanks to him and his girlfrind's parents who let me spend the night in their home. Beate, only one more day until I see you --- looking forward to it. LY
Date: 2012-06-16
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Wisconsin
Miles today: 0.0

Great to see my wife and family. Need to thank my wife who is really taking care of everything while I am out hiking. She also coordinated all the logistics for my return to WI and return to the trail. Love you sweetie. Tomorrow is Father's day so this is good timing. My body is also tired so I'm looking forward to good food, good company and my bed.
Date: 2012-06-17
From: Wisconsin

To: Wisconsin
Miles today: 0.0

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Reinhard called from Harper's Ferry. He will start walking from Harper's Ferry on Tuesday. I will return to the trail on Thursday and start hiking on Friday. Our goal is to meet in Duncannon, PA. He will walk a bit slower and I will hike longer each day so we can arrive around the same time. Happy Father's Day, Papa! Your gift is our diligent work on the blog
Date: 2012-06-18
From: Wisconsin

To: Wisconsin
Miles today: 0.0

Enjoying the time off. Today my wife and I went to a nice restaurant in Sheboygan, WI called Il Ritrovo (google it) with some friends - Randy and Kathy. It was special to spend time with friends and enjoy great food and wine.    We also took some packages to the post office today, one for Reinhard and I and one for a special hiker buddy that we had walked with for almost 400 miles (trail name Wallstreet). I was looking forward to seeing JoAnn, a postal worker who has been a great help to my wife with mailing and tracking all the mail drops Beate sent to us. However, she had the early shift and had already departed. Hello, JoAnn, sorry I missed you.       The picture is of the hostel Reinhard and I stayed at last week in Harper's Ferry. Pretty nice as hostel's go and being in the historical district was a plus.
Date: 2012-06-20
From: Wisconsin

To: Wisconsin
Miles today: 0.0

Went to my dotor's appointment today in Milwaukee. After the appointment my wife and I went to probabaly our favorite fast food restaurant - Chipotle. It has been great spending time together and doing stuff besides hiking. Tomorrow she will take me back to the airport so I fly back to Virginia. My son who lives in Virginia will drive me back to Harper's Ferry so I can resume the trek.    Reinhard called today. He left Harper's Ferry yesterday and is already over 20 miles up the trail. It is almost 100 degrees there (and here in WI) so I am sure he is thinking of where the next supply of water is located.   This picture was taken last week when Reinhard and I made it to Harper's Ferry AT Conservancy HQ - the unofficial half-way point.
Date: 2012-06-21
From: Wisconsin

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Back to the trail today. My son and his girlfriend will pick me up in Washington D.C. and take me out to vicinity of Harper's Ferry. We will spend the night at the Black Burn AT Hostel and I will begin my hike in the AM. They will continue on to Shendoah National park in the AM for a day hike.    Reinhard called this AM. he bought a pay month-by-month phone to facilitate of our link-up, etc. He is already 50 miles up the trail and did almost 5 miles by 9AM this morning.   Beate, thanks for a great week. It went by so quick and even though we didn't get to do all we wanted, we had a special time doing what we did. Looking forward to seeing you (somewhere) this summer (Vermont, NH or Maine).
Date: 2012-06-22
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

Got up did breakfast with my son and his girlfriend and started hiking. I stayed at Rocky Run Shelter after hiking 16.7 miles. My pack is definitely too heavy--there's way too much food and liquid, but I'm still pleased I did all those miles in 7.5 hours. I walked along the C&O Canal Towpath from the 1800s. I have six days worth of food because I'm going to try to make it to Duncannon without stopping. I'm not sure how much Rhino is walking each day, however we're going to meet up at Duncannon, PA in a few days. I met up with some really nice folks that I hadn't seen in about 400 miles since before Harrisburg, so I'm surprised they're still here. It's tough having to readjust to the trail. It was great to go home and see Beate, but the time was too short.
Date: 2012-06-23
From: Rocky Run Shelter 

To: Raven Rock Shelter Camping
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: few clouds

Today was my first 20 mile day in months. I camped by Raven Rock Shelter after hiking 20.6 miles. There were a lot of rocks today, so I'm actually surprised I made so many miles. There were a lot of Boy Scouts and weekend hikers, but that's ok...it helps to break up the day. I also had 3 different rail magics today--that's the most I've ever had in one day! Today is also my only full day in Maryland; tomorrow I'm on to Pennsylvania. I hope to link up with Reinhard on Wednesday. If so, I'll have done 120 miles in 6 days so I'm pretty happy about that.
Date: 2012-06-24
From: Raven Rock Shelter Camping

To: Rocky Mountain Shelters
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: few clouds

I slept at Rocky Mountain Shelters after hiking 19.8 miles--another big day. I bought new boots last week, and am still working out the combination of socks and how tight to tighten the boots. I actually put duct tape on my feet wherever I have a hot spot. I've been doing that for the whole trip and it works really well. I'm still trying to figure out the best place to put duct tape for the most comfortable fit with these boots. My last pair of boots were Solomon and a bit heavy in weight. They lasted about 908 miles. I bought them in Franklin, NC and they lasted until Harper's Ferry. These are lighter weight boots, so it'll be interesting to see how they hold up with the rocks. I was dead tired last night; I didn't even call my wife. I just got in, cooked supper (barely made it through that), put up my stuff and crawled in to bed. It¢s a combination of doing the miles and hiking longer until almost 7:00. There aren't as many water sources here as there were earlier, meaning I have to carry more water which means more weight. The 85-90 degree heat is really starting to take a toll too. Also, I only saw 3 through hikers today, so it was kind of a quiet day. At this point I have 1111.1 miles to go. Thought that was kind of interesting.
Date: 2012-06-25
From: Rocky Mountain Shelters

To: Half-Way Point: AT Museum
Miles today: 22.5

I hiked 22.5 miles today at finished up by the AT Museum. Today was actually my first + 22 mile day on the AT. It was a beautiful day, and I saw Quarry Gap Shelter. That was really cool--it had nice flower pots, two shelters, picnic tables in between with wind screens and tarps. Today was probably the flattest terrain yet, and the weather was just really nice. At 4:15pm today I reached the half-way point of the AT and saw a pretty cool sign marking the occasion. I'm now over 1095 miles out of 2184 after today. Pretty exciting!I stayed at the Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel. If you're reading, you should Google the Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel. It has a cool website (http://www.ironmastersmansion.com/) that tells a little about it. The place is from the 1790's and is really cool; it even has a 15 ft fireplace inside.
Date: 2012-06-26
From: Half-Way Point

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I ended up staying at Alec Kennedy Shelter. It was a nice day, but I started late because I had a nice breakfast at Iron Master Mansion Hostel. I did 15.7 miles and met my first Polish and Danish through hikers today. Also, I saw Starcraft--a woman who drives a Starcraft van around and follows her husband, who is a through hiker. I put her in contact with Beate, so when Beate comes out here in August she may hook up with her.
Date: 2012-06-27
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: few clouds

I stayed at Darlington Shelter. It was a unique day today, probably the day with the least amount of elevation changes and rocks. Basically the trail went through farmlands today, owed by the Forest Service. There were beautiful fields of grain (I did think of the song, America the Beautiful), corn, alfalfa fields, all different types of crops owned by the Forest Service bought specifically for the AT. It was also different being in the sun all day rather than walking in the "green tunnel," as we often refer to the AT because we're in the woods. I went through Boiling Springs field this morning. When we used to live in Carlisle, PA we went to Boiling Springs quite a bit. As a matter of fact, the restaurant that Beate and I at at was called the Boiling Springs Tavern, built in 1832. I actually went by today and took a picture. When I was stationed at Carlisle Barracks with the Army War College, it was only about 15 minutes away. When I came into Boiling Springs I'd been walking for a couple of hours. I saw a few hikers walking down the street who said they had really good breakfast at Caffe 101. I went there and had eggs florentine: English muffin with lettuce, tomato, poached eggs, and sauce. It was really good, and definitely not something you'd expect to have on the trail. Also while I was there I talked to a ridge runner. A ridge runner is volunteer who hikes the AT at a particular section day after day looking for violations, problems with the trail, etc and reports it. It was good talking to him, I know hikers definitely appreciate his work.
Date: 2012-06-28
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: few clouds

I stayed at the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon, PA after hiking 11.3 miles today. I was in by 12:30. Google the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon; it's a real AT icon. The hotel was actually built at the turn of the century. At one time it was probably a 5 star hotel; right now it doesn't even rate half a star. It has a really nice bar, the food was excellent, but the rooms were just horrible. Up on the 2nd floor there's a lot of really old wood like something you'd expect from the turn of the century. But the 2nd floor was actually a really big ballroom, probably where they held weddings, big receptions, and stuff like that. The hotel manager stays there now. The 3rd and 4th floors are where the rooms are. Each floor has about 20 rooms and they all share one common bathroom, so that was kind of a trip and a half in the morning. I don't think they've done any maintenance on the hotel. The rooms are only $25/night, and that's probably paying too much for what we get. But, it's a trail icon and something to witness when hiking.
Date: 2012-06-29
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

Reinhard and I linked up yesterday at the Doyle Hotel. Tonight we stayed at Peters Mountain Shelter after hiking 11.2 miles. We're not getting lazy, it's just HOT and humid. The hottest day yet, in fact. It's really, really miserable and about 98 degrees. I'm sweating right now in my tent--for some reason my tent doesn't have AC, which makes everything even more miserable. I drink about 7 quarts of water today and I'm still thirsty.
Date: 2012-06-30
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We hiked 18 miles today. I actually discovered a new lunch item recipe you might enjoy trying at home: Take tortillas and put some peanut butter on it (about 3 tablespoons). After you've been carrying sharp cheddar cheese in your backpack for about 3 days it melts, and then all you need to do is just squirt it out of the package and put it on the tortilla for melted cheese. Roll that up and you've got yourself a pretty good sandwich. Mix that with a quart of cold water from the spring that you just got it from, and finally pull up a rock in an 1850s mining community--kind of a ghost town, which we were at. It's certainly not 5 star dining, but it's priceless. Also, I had a record for my tent today. I was in bed by 6:30pm. There were no cars or TV, just a pure, clean stream about 5 yards from my tent and a very beautiful evening.
Date: 2012-07-01
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: few clouds

We hit another milestone today--we only have 997 miles to go, which is the first time we're under 1000 miles! It was 95 degrees, and another humid, hot HOT day that really took a toll on all of us. I drank about 2 gallons of fluids today. I had an interesting discussion tonight with another hiker: even though we see a lot of nature, what really keeps us going is people. Because all day long when we're walking, we're really keeping our heads down trying to not trip over rocks and tree roots and stuff like that so you actually don't really get to see a lot of nature. But when you do get to see hikers or even day hikers, they kind of keep you motivated. The shelter we tented at was called 501 Shelter and it boasted a solar shower. Basically, it's two 55-gallon drums that are full of water that the sun has basically made lukewarm. The drums have hoses coming from them and we use those to wash some of the salt off our bodies with basically cold water, but it still felt good. An interesting solar shower experience!I had a pretty nasty fall today. In Pennsylvania, the second half of PA is almost all rocks, so very seldom are you really walking on ground--it's just through huge boulder fields. I'll have to send pictures later. I fell and twisted my ankle pretty bad, but that's life. Reinhard took a pretty hard fall head/body-first into the boulder field and bruised his knee pretty bad. He has a bruised knee and I have a swollen arm and ankle, but we're moving on. The last 100 miles of Pennsylvania is even worse with boulders and rocks too, so we'll have to be careful!
Date: 2012-07-03
From: Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Walked to Port Clinton, PA. It is always a steep decline into town and a steep incline out of town. No different today. We wanted to stay at the only motel in Port Clinton but is was closed for the week because of the 4th of July. I guess we looked pretty pathetic because the town's post master gave us a ride during his lunch break to a neighboring town. We went to Cabela's because I needed a new Camelback since the one I had developed a leak. Water consumption is important and a Camelback helps. Rhino's pants were falling apart so he bought another pair (we each have only one pair so they take quite a beating). The weather forcast is for near record highs the next 4 days so we'll have to go slow. We have come to realize that our bodies need maintenance just like your car needs care. Little sores can become big ones and untreated bug bites get ugly.
Date: 2012-07-04
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Interesting place to stay. An old 1910 farmhose that the Appalacian Conservency bought and converted it into a place for hiker's to stay. Another hot day so we were very pleased when we saw the solar powered shower (basically a 55 gallon drum filled with water and heated by the sun--no solar panels or anything that sophisticated). But, to us it was heaven. Everything is sticky and stinks because of the heat. When we left town this morning we were fortunate to catch a ride back to the trailhead by a man who had been hiking with his daughter, her boyfriend, and the boyfriend's parents. Another generous act.
Date: 2012-07-06
From: Oven Knob Shelter

To: Palmerton, Penn
Miles today: 10.0

Only hiked 10 miles today because we came into town early to get ready for our big hike tomorrow. As the picture shows it was hot and is expected to be hotter tomorrow. Tomorrow we will leave town at 5:30 with over a gallon of water each. Then, we have a 4 mile climb that is so steep our trekking poles will be useless. After that, we have over 13 more miles of mostly rocky, treeless, contaminated land that does not have any drinkable water. The area is part of the Palmerton Superfund Site (google it) because of zinc mining during much of this century. We were told today that it will be or toughest day of hiking yet - and on the hottest day of the year. Wonder if I will get credit for extra miles since it is a Saturday. Tonight we are staying the the basement of the City Hall. Pretty nice of Palmerton City to allow hikers that luxury.
Date: 2012-07-07
From: Palmerton, Penn

To: Leroy A. Smith Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept in the woods by Leroy A. Smith Shelter for a total of 15.6 miles today. Last night we slept at the Jail House Hostel in Palmerton. It was supposed to be 100 degrees today¢and it actually did reach 100 degrees¢so we got up at 4:30 this morning to try to beat the heat. There was 8 of us at the hostel. We ate, got ready, and left by 5:30am because we had about a mile and a half walk out of town to get back to the trail head. We got to the trail head at about 6:15am and started climbing (as you can see in the picture, we were literally climbing). We had a tough climb today. As a matter of fact, we saw a local hiker yesterday who said today was probably going to be one of the toughest climbs we¢ll have on the entire trail. Our poles were useless; you had to just go ahead and use your hands and feet to pull yourself up rocks. There were huge boulder fields that were really tough. When we got to the top, that¢s where the super fun sight is. Because of all the zinc mining, all of the vegetation and trees had died and it was just horrible up there. There was no water, we couldn¢t eat anything, we couldn¢t camp up there¢it was a really, really tough day as far as hiking out in the open with 100 degree temperature.It¢s definitely a huge accomplishment since it was supposedly one of, if not THE, toughest day on the trail. The 8 of us¢Rhino, me, Socks, Buzz, Sprout, Passion Flower, Bobby, and Voltron¢stuck together and we did it. One big plus today, though, was another hiker whose parents were doing trail magic. There were two different times today at gravel road crossings where they had water and lemonade for us. Without that, I¢m not so sure we would have made it because there wasn¢t any water to be found on the trail today.