morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Past Pogo Memorial Campsite, MD

To: Deer Lick Shelter, PA
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

Glorious rain! I got soaked in a storm today (free shower and laundry!) and it has cooled right down tonight.I finished up the last of Maryland today and crossed the Mason-Dixon line, so I'm officially in the North! I must say, the South was good to me, but I'm a northern girl for sure. I still crack up every time Mouse says he is "fixin" to do something and I doubt I¢ll ever develop a taste for grits. Just being in a new state is exciting, but I¢m dreading the rocks that are sure to come. We had a rocky stretch today and it wiped me out.I saw two new wildflowers that I can¢t identify just yet. But more exciting is that I saw my favorite fungus!! Well, I think it¢s technically a plant with no chlorophyll that gets help digesting nutrients from a fungus. At any rate, there were two Indian Pipes growing under some rocks today. You should check out a picture of them...very cool.I did NOT get an early start this morning. My newest plan is to go to bed hungry so ill want to get up early and eat. We¢ll see how that goes...Cheers,Chardonnay************A Note from Norma Jeanne (Chardonnay¢s Mom)************What a question to ask your Mom! How do I feel about my daughter hiking the A.T.? Happy, proud, worried, hurried to get a mail drop out that should have gone out yesterday. Anxious to get the phone call that says you have the mail drop and are okay. Wanting to shout from mountaintops to anyone and everyone that will listen about your journey. Jealous of such enduring memories and opportunities. Admiration for your determination. Energized from your big mile days and zero days. Missing your company and laughing at your adventures with new friends. Trusting that others will look out for you and you for yourself. Appreciative of your love of these new paths. Addicted to Trail Journals, and elated that you have involved your Dad and I in your journey.
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Deer Lick Shelter, PA

To: Mean's Hollow, PA
Miles today: 20.4

No one told me that I had to hike until dark tonight. I passed a perfectly good shelter after a respectable 15.8 miles, but left into the dusk for 4 more miles just so I could get in a 20-mile day. In my head my deadline is Boiling Springs for Thursday night, so I have some miles to do. But again, who put that deadline on me? I put too much pressure on myself.I was so excited to go swimming today at Caledonia State Park. I read that there was a pool and concession stand. When I got there it lived up to my expectations...a huge pool with people doing cannonballs and moms sunscreening up their kids. But there was no way I could go in! It wasn¢t even a consideration in my mind to jump into that pool in my hiker clothes while all the teenage girls were strutting around in their bikinis. I had an ice cream and watched people swim. Maybe tomorrow I¢ll swim in the lake.Cheers,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-06-21
From: Mean's Hollow, PA

To: James Frye Shelter, PA
Miles today: 19.9

"Ooooooh we're halfway there, whoooOOAAA livin' on a prayer..."Today was exciting on a number of counts. Probably most notable is that we're finally actually halfway! There¢s nothing psychological about it. According to the 2005 Wingfoot edition, halfway is at mile 1087.5. This could be off just a bit for 2006. So along with being halfway comes other exciting things. I rocked out to Bon Jovi most of the day, and I got to watch other people do the half-gallon challenge in which you eat a half gallon of ice cream as fast as you can. I'm too sensible and cheap for that and just got a cone of moose tracks.Interestingly enough, the midpoint of my trip mile-wise happened to fall on the solstice! Happy Summer Solstice to everyone. I feel like its a real turning point, like summer is ending and I¢ll be creeping towards fall with the sun falling over my left shoulder earlier and earlier each evening. All right, so the heat is a constant reminder that there¢s plenty of summer to go, but I did walk through a spruce forest today and pretended I was up North. The solstice means it was also hike naked day! If I¢m too sensible for a gallon of ice cream, there¢s no way I¢d ever hike naked, though I met a few who did.Getting back to today's excitement...I went swimming! It was a very refreshing little lake, and we went in off to the side of all the kids playing so their parents could rest easy. There¢s another opportunity for pool swimming tomorrow, so we'll see if I have the strength to brave the stares of all the clean people. If nothing else, I¢ll pay for a shower. It¢s definitely time for one.Other less exciting bits for the day are that I ate two hamburgers in less than 5 minutes, and I hiked 7 miles keeping up with a personal trainer! Okay, so he's been having shin splint issues and was crawling along, but I felt like a hiking machine just for a bit.Halfway. Hmmmm. It sort of makes you think you can make it the whole way, finally having less to go than what you¢ve already done. But geeeeeez that¢s a lot! I still have a lot of sore joints, rainy days, monotonous miles, and homesick days to go. I¢m sure there are plenty of ailments I can¢t even conjure up that could make me miserable.One day at a time!Cheers,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-06-22
From: James Frye Shelter, PA

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 12.2

Rumor has it that this bed and breakfast in town lets hikers tent on the back lawn for $1.00. The owners were out for the evening and it was starting to storm, so we pitched tents on their beautiful lawn. Here¢s hoping we have the right place!Boiling Springs is adorable. Lots of old houses and cafes around a small central lake. It also has the nicest town pool I have ever seen! There are slides and multiple swimming areas. I couldn¢t resist and bought admission for the afternoon. What¢s awful is that my arms don¢t get much of a workout (my poles are sooo light!) and I can¢t tread water very long. Do I have to add an arms workout at the end of my day? I refuse!I've met some great new people but miss my group and think they should all put in a big push to catch me.Cheers,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-06-23
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Darlington Shelter, PA
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I really enjoyed my time in Boiling Springs and had a tough time leaving town. Oh, to spend another day at that pool! I went to a coffee shop this morning and read the paper over a bagel and orange juice. I'm in the North! There were no diners like this in the south that I saw.I walked through the Cumberland Valley today, a flat section of the trail. Wheat fields look like one big clump, then as you pass by you see the rows. Parts of the hike went through forest, and there¢s an obnoxious bird that screams my name. "Eeeeeeeriiiiiin" as if it took a gulp from a helium balloon. How awful.Not much else for today. I enjoyed the company at the shelter tonight, but am still waiting for my group to catch up to me.Cheers,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-06-24
From: Darlington Shelter, PA

To: Clark's Ferry Shelter, PA
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I could have done without Duncannon, PA. I was honestly a bit frightened walking down the run-down main street and was glad I wasn¢t spending the night. I saw at least two Confederate flags. The residential area was a bit better, and one man even offered me a beer! I think this is it for towns, pools, state parks, and other places to spend money until my next mail drop. It's good to feel like I¢m in the woods again.I had heard about this man taking measurements of every privy on the trail and thought he was some weirdo with a bizarre personal mission. People are always trying to find some way to be unique on the trail. Well, I¢ve been camping with him for the past couple of nights and finally got the scoop. It¢s actually funded research by the ATC to see which places aren¢t handicapped accessible for future renovations (in a nutshell...sorry if I botched it, Tipper!). What immediately came to mind was the ramp going into Galehead Hut in the Whites, and how ridiculous it seemed to me. Apparently a wheelchair-bound person with assistance reached the hut to make a point. Wow. You should have seen me trudge up the Gale River Trail. The point is that "well, no handicapped person will ever reach this shelter" is not reason enough to avoid making the sites more accessible to everyone. I wish I¢d come up with some way to get paid to do the trail!I forgot to mention my latest mail drop, signed and decorated by students and teachers at the Mt. Caesar School. Thanks, guys! More sparklers from Mom, plenty of goodies, and a pair of shorts I had sent home to get a new zipper sewn in. I tell you, it was every girls¢ dream: to put on shorts that didn¢t even fit you in March, that were only slightly embarrassingly tight in April, looser in May, and to have them oversized and baggy in June. Scales tell me I¢ve lost anywhere from 15 to 30 lbs, and I don¢t trust their accuracy...but these shorts don¢t lie! Hoorah. The best part is that I eat absolutely whatever I want! I should advertise this thru-hiking diet. I could be on a magazine holding out the waistband of my oversized shorts: "Eat 5,000 calories a day and still shed pounds, all the while enjoying the great outdoors!" I¢m sure there would be a spike in women hikers!My tolerance for foulness has improved drastically over the course of the trip. However, I must complain about this one. After a soggy day on the trail, the shelter reeks of feet. Ugh, why didn¢t I set up my tent? On a less smelly note, Leon is coming to visit in one week!Cheers,ChardonnayPS: Oooh, speaking of magazines...someone left a Marie Claire in the shelter. I¢m all caught up on the latest summer fashions, how to get flawless skin, and which swimsuit is best for my figure! Thank goodness!
Date: 2006-06-25
From: Clark's Ferry Shelter, PA

To: A very wet Hell, PA
Miles today: 15.3

I promise there is no thru-hiker 50 miles north or south of me sitting in their tent in this rain. I¢m very indecisive and cheap, and it is making for a crummy evening. It rained pretty hard all day, and I waited at the last shelter back for 4 hours trying to decide what to do. I could have pushed on earlier and made the 17.5 miles to the next shelter, stayed put where I was and called it a short (but dry!) day, or hiked another 6.5 to a road and had a hotel in Duncannon bring me into town. The rooms were only $20! Nope, I¢m stuck in between the two shelters with a wet sleeping bag. I kid you not; the trail was an ankle-deep stream for several miles. The ground is absolutely saturated and I¢m sure the floor of my tent can't keep it out. Forget about a warm dinner, I can¢t cook in this! Why the heck didn¢t I stay at the last shelter? I guess I assumed the rain would let up, and I get these made-up schedules stuck in my head. I wanted to make it to a certain point to meet Leon! But if I got delayed he could easily drive 10 miles south and pick me up! Argh, I have no one to blame but myself. If it stays like this tomorrow, I¢m definitely stopping at a shelter.Soggy,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-06-26
From: A very wet Hell, PA

To: William Penn Shelter, PA
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: moderate rain

I refuse to let this weather get the best of me. If I¢m miserable and wet, it¢s my own fault. I just have to plan better and make better decisions to stay drier and still make some miles. I was able to dry things out a bit at lunch, and I changed the way I pack so my pack cover fits better and my tent is more accessible should I have to set up a shelter in the rain. I also left for the next shelter in time to make it before dark so I wouldn¢t be stuck tenting in between.So I spent most of the day fording the trail! Really, the trail was a river, complete with rapids. For 7 miles it was at least ankle-deep. I met a '98 thru-hiker during lunch, and he said the area got record rain. Apparently there was a swampy area up ahead that was 6 feet higher than normal and he advised a road walk to avoid it. So call me a wimp, but I didn¢t want to be the hiker that drowns this year and I took the alternative route (which was actually a half mile longer and used to be old at before it was rerouted). My face must have told him that I wasn¢t having fun in the rain, because he immediately jumped into a pep talk about being past halfway, how great it is to finish the whole hike, etc. No, the rain isn¢t particularly fun, but there are worse things. My feet may never de-prune, I'll have to put on wet clothes and shoes in the morning, and everything I own has a funky stank to it...but I have dry clothes for the end of the day and a hot meal. I'll be okay.Plus, Leon comes in 5 days, so my misery can¢t last any longer than that!What¢s very cool about this shelter is that its 999 miles from Katahdin! That feels good...I can wrap my brain around 3 digits better than 4.Cheers,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-06-28
From: PA 183/501 Shelter, PA

To: Port Clinton Town Pavilion, PA
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: few clouds

Exactly three months on the trail. I remember the first night with Lindsay at Hawk Mountain thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?¢¢¦three months was inconceivable. It still is. That¢s a lot of cold nights in a tent, a lot of stifling hot days on the trail. An awful lot of Annie's mac ¢n cheese with tuna, and far too few showers. Really, its ups and downs, and I count myself ahead if I¢m up more than down. I don¢t think I¢ve ever gone to bed upset, even on my worst days.Today I was at my grumpiest for a good 10 miles. I was cursing the bugs that kept flying into my eyes, the rocks making my feet sore, my wet boots giving me new blisters. Even with only 3 miles to go, I didn¢t want to hike and was considering pitching my tent and taking a nap. But somehow every day I get through that rough spot and wind up feeling great, ready to do it again the next day. Sometimes it¢s a climb that invigorates me, other times the company at camp, or even a quiet night alone with a book. If it takes me three more months to do this, I think I can make it. A day more than 3 months and I¢ll miss that Red Sox game!I get the feeling that there isn¢t usually much going on in Port Clinton. However, with the flooding, the town is alive. Everyone is cleaning out garages and pumping water from basements. The hikers who stayed at the town pavilion last night got driven to a shelter at 1 am. They got showers!!!! Ooooh I'm jealous. No one was hurt in the flooding, it doesn¢t seem that any serious damage was done, and the water is receding quickly. But I think there¢s rain in the forecast...we'll see what it brings.Cheers,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-06-29
From: Port Clinton Town Pavilion, PA

To: Eckville Shelter, PA
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: few clouds

Today wasn¢t that remarkable. I had an amazing breakfast in town then got my things from the post office. I'm really happy with my Merrell shoes. They fit well and feel great, like there¢s nothing on my foot, so I ordered an identical pair. They came in the mail today and I learned that my feet aren¢t identical! My feet have grown (I expected this...your arch sinks and your foot gets longer when you do this every day) and there¢s no way I¢m going to break in these shoes. So mine will have to last until I can get a bigger pair. I talk to them while I walk, encouraging them to stick with me. In other news, it poured rain just as I got to the shelter tonight. Plus, it¢s a shelter with a solar shower, a flush toilet, and a very grumpy caretaker. What¢s with grumpy caretakers, anyhow? I could have been caretaker of the year when I was working for AMC.Finally, I have a new book to read that Leon sent. That¢s probably why this entry is rushed.Cheers,ChardonnayPS: I saw a double rainbow today!
Date: 2006-06-30
From: Eckville Shelter, PA

To: Bake Oven Knob Shelter, PA
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: few clouds

All I could think about most of the day was Leon coming to visit! I'll have a full two days to relax and get myself back in order after this rain. It can be tricky to get simple things done on the trail, so I'm excited to have time and resources to wash my sleeping bag, kill the mold growing on my tent, sew a new button on my shorts, figure out my boot situation... I got stuck on a rocky exposed ridge during a lightning storm as it was getting dark tonight. That definitely solidified my intentions to not be outside for the next few days. Some people get really athletic and superhuman when faced with a dangerous situation. Me, I got clumsy. I was falling all over the rocks, couldn¢t find the blazes and kept getting lost.7.4 miles until I can relax and be comfortable for a couple days. I truly could not be more excited.Cheers,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-07-01
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter, PA

To: Lehigh Gap, PA
Miles today: 7.4

Oooooooh have I been waiting for this! I had my earliest day on the trail today at 7:25 am, trying to beat Leon to Lehigh Gap so I could freshen up (is that possible?) before I saw him. I called him a mile from the gap and he was already there! Rats. I think I was still sweating from the hike when I got his hug. He got to experience some great trail magic from Unknown and Spartacus, 2005 thru-hikers. They had fresh watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, oranges, bananas, apples¢¦and just kept handing us food. Even though I¢d told him about people being so generous, I think he was still shocked. I guess he doesn¢t see that every day in Boston! Thank goodness it was a nice day so we could take the top off his convertible. I really think he might have suffocated had I crammed myself into the car with no ventilation. We cruised into Palmerton for lunch and saw Cash and Kilgore at the diner. Again, an odd experience for him to hear me referred to as ¢Chardonnay¢ and to see hikers walking around town in our crazy get-ups of various colored crocs and whatever cotton town clothes we can get our hands on.Now we¢re in Jim Thorpe, about 20 minutes from the trail. I couldn¢t be more comfortable, clean after an hour in the shower and wearing clothes from home. Leon says I seem remarkably better than last time he came to visit. My limp isn¢t so pronounced, my nose and ears aren¢t peeling off, my knees aren¢t swollen, and even the waitress commented that I seemed ¢chipper.¢   Tonight we¢re planning on a buffet and fireworks at a restaurant on a hill 1,000 ft above the town. I think we¢ll drive up it!Cheers,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-07-02
From: Lehigh Gap, PA

To: Jim Thorpe, PA (The Parsonage B&B)
Miles today: 0.0

How am I ever going to get back on the trail? We had an amazing breakfast this morning. The owner of the B&B knows I¢m a hiker and gave me 4 pancakes while everyone else got 2! Hah! We took a drive to the Cabela¢s in Hamburg, close to Port Clinton where I slept in the town pavilion a few nights ago. Again, a shock for Leon to see where I sleep, what sorts of towns I go through. Cabelas is overwhelming!   There were trout in a pool inside, an airplane hanging from the ceiling, and just so much gear everywhere. I was able to exchange my Merrells and am excited to enter the tough section out of Lehigh Gap with shoes that I know will treat me well. Tonight we went out for an amazing dinner and had the best seat in the house. I tried to clean up and wear a dress, but there¢s no hiding my beat up feet and toes! I was able to force myself to slow down and savor some good food.That¢s all for now!Chardonnay
Date: 2006-07-03
From: Jim Thorpe, PA (The Parsonage B&B)

To: Jim Thorpe, PA (The Parsonage B&B)
Miles today: 0.0

What a great zero. Breakfast was amazing as usual. We made it to the beach today and I fried. My back has quite the sunburn and I'm not looking forward to putting a pack on it. It¢s been fun to have some freedom and drive around. Leon killed me at miniature golf and I pouted a bit, so he let me drive his car back to Jim Thorpe! What a guy, letting a girl drive his sports car who hasn¢t driven in months. He says it was the first time he's been passed in the car before, and by a Buick at that! Apologies.Good night,Chardonnay
Date: 2006-07-04
From: Jim Thorpe, PA (The Parsonage B&B)

To: Palmerton, PA (Jailhouse)
Miles today: 0.0

I¢m in the slammer tonight! The town actually lets hikers stay in the old jailhouse!When Leon visited the last time, I told myself I would never take 3 zeros again. It was so tough getting back on the trail, both mentally and physically. Well, here I am at the same spot! It was so tough to get motivated to hike and to let Leon leave that we drew it out all day. We washed the mold off my tent, saw a movie, and tried to fix my cell phone (the second one I've broken since Blacksburg, VA! He was kind enough to give me his, so we've traded numbers for a few weeks). At 7 pm when it was time for him to leave I decided I didn¢t want to hike up the rocky ridge so late, so here I am at the jailhouse ready for a big day tomorrow.Can you believe this boy? He drives all the way out to Pennsylvania, buys me food and wine, runs all my errands with me, gives me his phone... I¢m so lucky! Thanks bunches and bunches to Leon. I was a mess when he left, that sort of hiccupping cry that you can¢t control. It¢s silly, because I¢ll have more visits soon, and I actually am pretty happy on the trail. But I just couldn¢t control it, and will probably be weepy when I mention the weekend for the next week. Ridiculous, get it together, Chardonnay! It was tempting to head home with him, rather than sleep on a plywood bunk at the jailhouse.I seem to be hiking visit-to-visit these days. In 10 days I'll get to see Buzz in New York! Whatever gets me back out on the trail, right? I'll be fine once I¢m out there, as long as it doesn¢t rain for 24-hour stretches again.Good night,ChardonnayP.S: Maureen and John were wonderful hosts at The Parsonage B&B! We couldn¢t have had better treatment.
Date: 2006-07-05
From: Palmerton, PA (Jailhouse)

To: South of Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

It was a relatively good day back on the trail. I had my earliest start ever at 7:05 am (not my choice! We had a scheduled ride from a trail angel in town and it was better than sleeping in and hitching!). Though my feet are sore from the new boots, I don¢t have blisters because my feet are so callused up from the last pair. The hike out of Palmerton is pretty interesting. The town is actually a superfund site due to zinc smelting operations in the 1800's. The first few miles out look like a wasteland, bare rocks totally devoid of vegetation. I'd have taken a picture, but it was raining pretty hard at the time.I'm having the same dilemma that I've had every time I take time off the trail. Which is more important: meeting up with family and friends from home, or sticking with your trail friends? If you do the math, it seems silly for me to spend 95% of my time hiking without my friends so I can keep a schedule and see people from home 5% of the time. But these people from home are pretty important to me and I really look forward to the visits. Knowing I could relax with Leon kept me going through the rain. And though I love feeling part of the group and enjoy everyone's company (I miss you, Donkey, Hot Springs, Mouse, Jangles, Baro, et al!) I don't like keeping someone else's schedule. I guess all I can do is see how things go. I know enough people now that there's always someone around that I know. If you can¢t tell, I¢m really trying to talk myself into getting in lots of home visits at the cost of not staying with my friends!Pretty lonely,Chardonnay