morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-02
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Windsor Furnace Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: few clouds

Have not included journal entries for the past few days because my pocket mail (tiny computer used to type journal entries on the trail) ran out of batteries. I will first fill in what happened on the 31st. Drencing rain and fog all day. No views until the very end of the day. Even then you could barely call them views due to PA's lack of high peaks. This is not a bad thing because it makes for very easy hiking, just no views. To entertain myself through the rough conditions I listened to the radio. Stumbled upon a "one hit wonders" countdown on a radio station. At lunch time I hooked up my speaker. Condor, Smokey, and Briar Rabbit were jamming and waited around to hear the last song on the countdown. We were all very disappointed to find out the number one song was the Macarena. Started hiking again and was happy to find out that the station was replaying the top 106 songs again! This would give me the chance to hear all the songs. Once at the shelter for the night I hooked up the speaker again and we were once again jamming. It was a party! On the first of June, I honestly can¢t remember anything exciting other than getting some excellent trail magic from Rock Hound and his sister. He is hiking north and took some time off for a wedding. He was in the area of our shelter and stopped by with an offering of Krispy Kream doughnuts, brownies, and ice cold pop. Today hiked into Port Clinton expecting to visit the outfitters and store, then, head back to the trail for the night. Well it turns out that the outfitter is closed on Wednesday. Of all the days in the week Wednesday? Sat on the steps looking at my guide book for other options when this white Suburban pulls up and a lady asks if I need a ride. With a stunned and amazed look I kindly accepted her offer for a ride and went to the store. Before shopping for food I went to the nearby Subway and enjoyed a 12 inch turkey sub with all the fixings, chips, and coke. Ate lunch and watched the clouds billow into high stacks preparing for a storm. Then watched it rain from the protective roof. As soon as I was finished with shopping I was just about to enjoy my pint of ice cream when a kind fella by the name of Bob offered me a ride. I took the ride and we drove to the outdoor superstore also known to campers with the same amount of glamour as Wal-Mart. After spending too much time shopping for items that did not exist on their shelves, I started walking back towards the trail head. A car pulled over and took me straight to the trailhead. Started back on the trail. It was very tempting to stay in town, but I knew it was not yet time to stop for the day. Left the trailhead at 7 and got here at the shelter at 9. Had some pretty amazing foot pain and found my fist blisters after removing my shoes. No blisters till today. It was plenty dark and I¢m yet again dog tired and keep dozing off while journaling so now your all updated. Goodnight all!-Captain Hook, Luck Duck and Big Blue Boo
Date: 2004-06-04
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 

To: Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 17.8

I¢m in a bit of a strange situation... I¢m in jail... Let me explain my story...The shelter was full where I was looking to spend the night tonight. So I decided to hike another mile to the road and hitch into town. Along comes this police car with lights a flashing. To make a long story short I was arrested for hitchhiking. I was handcuffed, patted down, and read my rights. Felt like I was on the show cops. So I¢m sleeping in the jail tonight, never thought it would come down to this. Not sure how long they will keep me here. This very well could be the end of my through hike.Just kidding guys. I got a hitch into town with Brier Rabbit. The city allows us to stay in the old court building and its called the "jailhouse". About ready to go take advantage of the hot showers offered here. Have not had a shower since Boiling Springs, and trust me... I need one (you can ask anyone around me and they would agree)! Just got finished with a pint of mint choc chip ice cream, and half a quart of fried rice with chicken. Am also working on a half gallon jug of OJ that will be finished here before bed time. The hiking today was nothing special. A few cool views and some large bolder climbing, but that¢s about it. Caught MoonPie today so we updated each other on what¢s been happening. Sharing the bunks here with Brier Rabbit, MoonPie, Squid (short term hiker), and a section hiker. Time to enjoy the shower!-Captain Hook, Luck Duck and Big Blue Boo
Date: 2004-06-05
From: Palmerton, PA

To: "Jailhouse", Palmerton, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Took a zero day today. Enjoyed the town food and hospitality. This morning I was planning on moving on to the next shelter which is sixteen miles. Well that did not happen, it was 12 noon when I got moving and decided it was a good day for a zero day. Another good reason for the zero day was because my shoes waiting for me in a post office two days away would be closed because it would be a Sunday. If I zeroed here today then I would be able to pick up my shoes on a Monday. Also it was raining and is just not fun to hike in the rain. Will be ready to get on the trail in the morning. It¢s amazing what a day of rest will do for the body. Have taken a good many days off in DC and Boiling Springs but it was time for a zero day. MoonPie moved on to the next shelter because she¢s planning to meet people at a campsite in a few days. Brier Rabbit, Tim, and Smokey are spending the night in jail tonight and moving on in the morning. Smokey and I were getting cabin fever down in the basement of the jailhouse so we decided to try to get a ride to a theater 8 miles away. We tried sympathy attempts on a few people but it did not work. They basically said we were stuck in town for the night. So we decided to make the best of it. Went out to the diner and had dinner and then went to bowled three games at the local bowling alley. The night was young so we shot a few games of pool and talked about future fun jobs. Smokey has worked a lot of seasonal jobs, and it looks like a good option for jobs after the trail. Why not enjoy what you are doing while getting paid for it. You hear that phrase so many times but do you honestly act on it? Many get corporate jobs and rough it out just for the money, but honestly there is more to life than just money. What would be better than wanting to go to work and get paid for it? How bout a job in the Caribbean teaching scuba diving? Jobs are out there! Enjoy life!-captain Hook, Luck Duck and Big blue Boo
Date: 2004-06-06
To: Leroy A. Smith Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke today and had a subway for brunch and left for the trail around 1. Scrambled across the most challenging rocks on the AT so far. There would have been no possible way to climb those rocks if they had been wet and slippery. The path basically went .9 miles straight up the rocky mountain. That stretch took a full hour to complete. Then for the next few miles we walked through areas of nothing but rocks and dead trees. This area was damaged by the fumes of nearby smelting factories used to extract zinc. I¢m not sure of the smelting process, but I do know zinc is used commonly in everyday products. I also now know how much harm it can do to surrounding forests. Before I knew it the time was three o clock. Time flies when you¢re having fun right? Decided to go ahead and listen to the radio an hour earlier than I normally listen to it. Very glad that decision was made because they had non stop techno music jamming. It was great hiking music! Just what was needed to get me to the shelter before dark due to the late start. Just as that station was out of range another techno station was found to replace it. This techno was even better than the first! It was very good Indian techno. Just as soon as that station faded into the static I saw a sign pointing to the shelter. Its amazing how that stuff works out the way it does. Plan to get my new shoes from the post office tomorrow and then the next day cross into New York / New Jersey and leave Pennsylvania behind me (including all these famous PA rocks).Sad news... Big blue Boo will be leaving us and will leave for Dayton tomorrow morning. He has had a blast, but at the same time he has had enough camping for now. I don¢t think he is the camping type. It has been fun hiking with him and it will be sad to see him go. We hope he has a safe trip home.-Captain Hook, Luck Duck and Big Blue Boo
Date: 2004-06-07
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

It was a very easy hitch into town. Walked a mere 10 yards! Thanks Meredith!   Big Blue Boo is on his way to Dayton, he will be missed. Have already had two thru hikers ask about him. I was tempted to hop in his box but knew the trail was waiting for me. At the post office I received the new shoes, two bags of homemade cookies and a letter from a very good friend :-) (you know who you are, thanks for the cartoon!) It¢s amazing how different the new shoes look from the old ones. The exact same shoes, just lacking the 1272 trail miles. After the post office, I headed to the nearby gas station for some cold drinks and a chance to check email. Just as I was about to head back up the trail my tummy started to protest. Tummy: I¢m hungryHook: wait till we get back on the trail then we can have two bagels and some delicious peanut butter. Tummy: But we¢re in town, look at all the great foodHook: your right! You win, let¢s eat!So we ended up going to this place that served up a wonderful half-pounder. That thing blew bagels and peanut butter out of the water. Sat around for an extra hour and watched an episode of Conan O¢Brian. Forgot how much I missed that show! One thing that struck me was the commercials. On just one commercial break I saw three products advertising no or low carb products. Then also in that commercial break was a pill claiming you can loose 15-50 pounds without exercise. Are we really that lazy? Its simple people, get out and do something. Wake up an hour and a half earlier or do some sort of regular exercise when you get home from work in the evening. I know it¢s easier said than done, but I do know once you exercise you will feel better! The hard part is getting started. So take that first step. No pill can replace exercise! Besides, diets don¢t work without regular exercise.Saw this tiny deer next to the trail. It took off before it would let me take a picture of it. At fist it looked like a dog or small fox. It was very clear that it was a deer. Not sure if there is such a thing as a miniature deer breed, but it was cute that¢s for sure.Well the rocks are here, and soon to be over. All day was slow going. Had to watch every step or your ankle would twist in a very unpleasant direction. Stubbed my right toe so many times I thought for sure it was going to explode. Need to be in town at 10am so its bed time for me!
Date: 2004-06-10
From: Garvey Spring Shelter

To: Hammocking near Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: light rain

Today was a pretty typical day. Listened to music the entire day trying out the new radio. Sent my MP3 player back yesterday because the built in radio was very poor. This radio has excellent reception, sounds better and is super efficient using a single "AA" battery. Found some very interesting French jazz which took me cruising right up a strenuous hill. Forgot to mention that yesterday I crossed into New Jersey and will soon be in New York. Only 870.3 miles remaining. Am looking forward to school when I return. These past few days I¢ve been thinking about home a lot. Not wanting to quit the trip, but once I finish it will be time to go home. Ate lunch and watched the dark scary clouds as they moved in overhead. Deep rumbles of thunder could be heard. It was time to pack up and head out! Still had 11 miles till the shelter and I was on a ridgeline. That thunder picked up and so did the winds. Why oh why does this always happen when I¢m on a ridge? After about an hour and a half of some very scary thunder somehow the storm went by without any precipitation other than a few sprinkles. No lightning either, which was a huge surprise and a large relief. Now the rain is starting. Don¢t think it will get stormy tonight since the cold front has just come in, and its cooling off very nicely! High for tomorrow is 73. Now that¢s what I¢m talking about. Granted it would be better if it was in the sixties, but you have to enjoy what your given and make it work. For example when it¢s hot a swim in the cool stream or pond is quite refreshing. Met a group of middle schoolers up for a day trip. They saw me coming down the trail and made a tunnel with their arms that I ran through. They were amazed I had started in Georgia. Talked with a few of the teachers and was then on my way. That¢s all for today. Have nothing else to say. Other than my glorious fall on a wet rock it was a Good day!
Date: 2004-06-11
From: Hammocking near Brink Road Shelter

To: Hammocking near Rutherford Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

The day was... you guessed it¢¦ a late start. Actually started on the trail at 10:30. If at home I would still be sleeping if not at school. Most mornings I like to be on the trail between 7 and 8. That has not been happening. My body knows that it can sleep in and still get 15 miles in easily. Listened to National Public Radio (NPR) which did a live broadcast of Ronald Regan¢s funeral. I learned a good deal about him over the past few days as there have been many special programs talking about Regan due to his death. Ate lunch near a fire tower with a bunch of ham radio people gearing up for a contest tomorrow. I don¢t know a lot about the contest but I do know they are serious about what they are doing. They are capable of putting out a kilowatt (1000 watts) of power on a few different bands. They have at least three gigantic towers they had constructed. Not only are the towers high but they are on a very high peak and should be able to get their signal out easily. Being a ham radio operator myself we all talked about ham stuff while I ate lunch under their canopy. As soon as I turned the corner and saw all the antennas and wires strewn about the ground I knew they were ham radio people. Enjoyed a soda with them and then I was on my way after toping off my water bottles. See, being a ham radio operator has its added perks. :-)Heard some disturbing news on NPR. Apparently add companies are trying to bring in a cartoon and merchandise to replace Sponge Bob Square Pants. Apparently Sponge Bob has brought in so much money another company wants to join in o the profits. Doggy Poo is a hit cartoon in the east and may very well replace Sponge Bob. Have never seen an episode of Sponge Bob, but it frightens me that a cartoon character Doggy Poo will gain the same status with kids in the US. It¢s a piece of poop for goodness sakes!Chillin¢ here at the shelter. Everyone is tenting because the mosquitoes and ticks are plentiful here. One could not sleep with the continuous nuisance of the always biting mosquito. Hoplite, The Mad German, Wing, and Feather (along with father and sister who are along till tomorrow) are chillin¢ here tonight. This shelter is insane. The AT is going up, up and up. Then once I get to the top what do I see but a sign for the shelter leading directly downhill. It would be so much easier and make so much more sense if the AT simply turned off towards the shelter before the giant climb. Oh well, I¢m here now and ready for bed. Tomorrow holds a spot where you can supposedly see NYC on a clear day.
Date: 2004-06-15
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: Hemlock Springs Campground
Miles today: 16.4

Was the first out of the shelter today, very excited about that. Left just after 7. Think it¢s about time for a shower. Can¢t remember the last time I took one, think it was Boiling Springs. My hair reeks of bug juice and sweat. There is an option for a cold shower about four miles down the trail. It¢s a cold shower, but a shower is a shower! My radio bit the dust today. Think there is a loose connection because the music cuts in and out. Will have to fix it when I get home. Looks like the woods will be receiving my full and undivided attention.The NYC trip was almost in jeopardy. Some how I managed to get myself lost for two and a half hours. Thought it would never happen to me, but today was my lucky day. Ended up going over some super rough terrain with very poor blazes. Not only were the blazes difficult to see, the trail was almost nonexistent. After the first hour I knew for sure the path I was on was not the AT, but at that point it was too late to turn around. Had some fun with it in the beginning, but the day drug on and things got frustrating. I wish I could describe how difficult these trails are in NY. Most tall mountains use a switch back trails that looks like a zigzag up the mountain. They are relatively easy to climb. In NY they don¢t believe in switch backs, in fact I¢ve only seen one switchback in the state so far. Instead of a switch back they simply run the trail straight up the mountain requiring you to rock scramble on all fours. This is fun for the first hour or so, and is very rewarding to see the view once one reaches the summit. This is not an hour activity. Today I was hiking from 7am to 8:30pm. The trail always will take you up to the highest rocky mounts, and right back down. Then right back up. So I finally get off the trail and try to find out where I am. I was afraid the trail was never going to end. So there I was hot, sweaty, confused, and lost, standing by an unfamiliar road. The first car I tried to flag down stopped for me. At first I was just going to see how far away the town was from this road. Then he asked if I wanted a ride. Turns out where I needed to be was only about a three minute car ride. Turns out I was on a different ridge very close to the AT. After the ride the man said" spread the word: ¢Not all New Yorkers are mean¢. Had the chance to go thru a zoo today but since I arrived after closing time I had to take the highway and bypass the closed park. The AT actually runs through the zoo. Each day is an adventure waiting to happen. Will keep ya posted.
Date: 2004-06-17
From: Hammocking near Canopus Lake

To: Morgan Stewart Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke today and just as I was tearing down camp Suge comes hiking along. We hiked together until we reached the deli for lunch. We mostly talked about the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). He had thru hiked that a few years ago. It¢s a trail running on the west coast. It¢s actually longer in length than the AT. He said the views are every day. No humidity and perfect weather. He said that the entire time he was hiking it only rained three times. The longest rain was like 40 min. This got me pumped about hiking it. When I hike again it will most likely be the PCT. It requires using a map and climbing over snow covered mountains on a regular basis. Also the area is like a giant desert so water is scarce. It¢s a different animal than the AT. At this point different is GOOD! This humidity is obnoxious, and a bit miserable! But hey that¢s why I¢m out here, its all part of the experience. The deli was wonderful. Spilt half a 16 inch pizza with Suge. On top of that we split a 2 liter bottle of root beer. It was nice to get some real food in me. It was not only real food, but great pizza! Hiked four more miles to camp, set up my hammock and read my book for about an hour before it started thundering. Then I took down the hammock and moved it inside the shelter. The mosquitoes picked up again. They were not too bad when I arrived but they were around. Right now they are definitely around. They are around in large fleets and squadrons in formation. That¢s all for now.
Date: 2004-06-23
From: New York, New York

To: Wiley Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: clear sky

Figured my time was up in NYC and it was time to return back to the real world. Could not dodge the trail any longer. Woke up today and went for NY style bagels with Cassy and Andy before they had to leave for work. Was thinking about going back to sleep, but decided to explore NY for one last time. Went looking for a tattoo parlor (will explain later) but never found it. Came back and surfed the web for a while. The internet is a big thing I take for granted on the trail. After that it was time to go. Cassy knew of a tattoo place near her work. So after packing everything up I hit the subway to meet Cassy. Just as I got off the subway I realized there was only 13 minutes till my train left for the trail. I caught the subway to Times Square, then as I ran to the shuttle that took me to Grand Central Station the time ran out. When I finally arrived at the ticket booth I was ten minutes late. Oh well. Caught the next train that was leaving an hour later. Train ride went without a hitch. As for hitches back to the trail that went well to. I did not want to walk the four miles back. I started walking away from the train station, and before I even stuck out my thumb someone pulled over offering a ride. He claimed that I had missed New York¢s best bakery located in the small town of Palmerton where the train station was located. I¢m not sure if that was the case. I was not disappointed about missing the bakery because I had just received 6 days of absolute pampering in New York City. Now that¢s a FACT!Got to the shelter after dark for two reasons. One I had missed the train, and two, the driver dropped me off at a section of the AT that was three miles from where I was planning to be dropped off. This was a section I had already hiked before getting off the trail. Sure I could have said something, and would have if I would have known it was three miles before he drove off, but, I was grateful for the ride, and it would have been out of his way to take me to where I left off.Have decided that this krill lamp is not the best option for night hiking. It might be better if used with another light that was brighter. I was afraid I was going to pass the shelter.Met Sauerkraut, and Maine Sale. I¢m glad to be sharing the shelter with people tonight. I have seen few hikers so I¢m very fortunate to have the company. The bugs are getting bad, and I¢m not in the protection of my hammock. Am going to coat myself in bug juice and call it a night.