morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-27
From: Mark Noepel Shelter 

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: clear sky

Change of plan. What a pleasant surprise it was this morning as I was making coffee that Robby appeared from the shelter. You may recall during the last camp of my New York hike I met Robby, another classical musician. He¢s taken the trail name of Fancypants. He, Topsy, a delightful and bright young woman, and I had lively breakfast conversation and hiked out together at around 7:15. I was in no hurry as I was planning a very short day (a nero) to the summit of Mt Greylock where I was to spend a relaxing day and stay the night there at Bascom Lodge. We arrived there pretty early so they were still serving breakfast. Topsy and I had bacon, egg and cheese on a chibatta roll, served with home fries while Fancypants had a stack of pancakes with real maple syrup. The two of them were hiking on to Williamstown. For four reasons I decided to hike on with them. For one we all hiked together quickly but comfortably and enjoyed non-stop conversation. I don¢t often get this opportunity. Secondly, the forecast was for heavy rain starting this afternoon and tomorrow. If I could get to Bennington, Vermont tomorrow rather than Friday I¢d only have one wet and miserable camp experience rather than two. Thirdly, I¢d be home a day earlier and could enjoy a full weekend with Joan. Fourthly, check-in wasn't till 3:00 and I wasn't thrilled about hanging around in my sweaty clothes for hours.I think it¢s pretty cool the way the trail brings people together. Here we were, three people separated by two decades each, 20s, 40s and 60s, sharing thoughts and ideas. A nickname for Vermont is Vermud. It certainly lived up to its reputation today. Three or four miles after saying goodbye to Topsy and Fancypants in Williamstown I crossed the MA-VT border. Wouldn¢t you know that¢s when the rain started. And it rained hard all night. Just before the border I came to a long steep rocky ascent and I kicked myself for not talking the blue blazed ¢foul weather route¢ around it. I must have spent a half hour picking my way through those blasted rocks, stopping often to spy the next white blaze in an otherwise undifferentiated field of tumbled rocks. Fortunately it hadn¢t yet started to rain. Not arriving at my target shelter till 7:15, I had the miserable experience of setting up camp in the pouring rain. It was a warm rain and I¢d already given up trying to keep myself dry. First the ridge line, then the tarp. Set the guy lines for the tarp. Then secure the hammock straps to the two trees and hang the hammock, trying not to let it drag in the wet leaf litter. Foregoing the civilities of oral hygiene, I brought my food bag into the hammock with me and ate a few snacks and cookies. True confessions: I didn¢t bother with the bear box which was a bit of a hike away and dropped my food bag beneath the hammock. What bear would be out in this weather? Don¢t answer that. Too tired to write my journal or read my book, I dropped off to sleep. This entry was written on Thursday. Stay tuned for Thursday¢s entry. It¢ll be a whopper.
Date: 2018-06-28
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: County Road at mile 1600.5
Miles today: 0.3

The rain started yesterday afternoon and continued throughout most of the day today. Though my tarp did a pretty good job keeping the heavy rain off me from above, the splashing of the heavy drops running off the tarp made my underquilt damp and muddy. But the real fun started at around midnight when I felt the first of the abdominal cramping. I¢ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say I had almost uncontrollable diarrhea throughout the night and all day Thursday. It was a disgusting mess. I was unable to sleep. Early morning I broke camp in the rain and hiked out through the mud.Now here¢s when the day started to turn around. Once I concluded that I couldn¢t hike my planned 11.5 to Bennington, VT, I looked at my AWOL Guide and saw there was a County Road just 0.3 miles north of the shelter. There was no cell service, so I devised a plan whereby I¢d wait there till someone drove by, stop them, and ask them to call my shuttle driver when they got service and ask him to pick me up at that road crossing rather than in Bennington. But when I saw the road my heart sank. It was a small dirt road and I couldn¢t imagine anyone choosing to drive on it in this weather. Just then a dump truck with two road maintenance guys from Stamford, VT came rolling by. I stopped them and explained my situation and was delighted when they offered to drive me down the mountain into Stamford where I could make the call myself.  Sitting in the bed of their truck, it was a surprisingly long drive into the little town and downhill the whole way. They dropped me off at a gas station/market from where I called Vic, my shuttle driver. Turns out Vic lives only four miles from Stamford. He arrived and asked if I¢d like to take a shower at his house. When I told him I had no clean clothes to change into he offered to fix me up with some old clothes of his. What a guy! So off we went to his house for a shower and clean, dry clothes. His wife gave me a plastic bag for my own horribly befouled clothing. The drive to Salisbury, CT where my car was parked was rather nice, passing through quaint old New England towns.So my Massachusetts hike was foreshortened by 11.2 miles, but I had made it to Vermont. I don¢t ever want a repeat of this muddy, wet and sick day.
Date: 2018-07-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I'm up visiting family in Maine and yesterday a carload of us took a day trip up to Baxter State Park, home of Mt Katahdin, the terminus of the Appalachian Trail.  I had never been to Baxter and it was pretty awesome to see that iconic mountain first hand.  We stopped for lunch at Abol Stream Campsite where I chatted up a NOBO thru hiker.  He must have been a very fast hiker and must have hiked long miles most days as he had started at Springer on February 26 and was planning to summit the next day.  I wish I had asked for his trail name.  Something I've often heard from AT hikers when they learn I've decided to be a section hiker are words of support and encouragement.  They point out the benefits of taking more time to hike the trail and leave me feeling good about my choice.Today, being Friday, I got my email from The Trek with their weekly posting of blogs.  One article caught my eye.  "Section Hikers are Backpacking's Unsung Heroes".  Here's a link:https://thetrek.co/section-hik...Now don't get me wrong.  I'm still in awe of anyone who can pull off a successful thru hike.  It isn't easy by any stretch.  I'm writing to say that anyone who can complete the AT in sections over multiple years is also worthy of accolades and awe.And while we're on the subject, here's a term for section hikers I recently heard on the trail.  "BASHers"  A Basher is a Bad-Ass Section Hiker.  When I heard this I had to call my grandson Bash and tell him about it.  I'm already Farfar because that's what Bash calls me and now, in a way, we're both Bash.  He thought that was pretty cool.I'll be continuing my section hike on July 17 at Boiling Springs, PA, northbound, to knock off as much as I can in nine days.  There's a hard end to this hike due to a family event I want to attend in New Hampshire on the 27th.
Date: 2018-07-17
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Carlisle, PA
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It feels good to be hiking again after 18 days off. Because I haven¢t had much exercise lately I¢ve planned some low mileage days. I drove to Carlisle, PA in south central Pennsylvania yesterday and had a shuttle driver take me to Boiling Springs further south this morning. That¢s where I ended my 15 day shakedown hike last year. I had just 8 miles to get back to Carlisle which I did in less than 3 hours. That¢s 2.75 mph, my fastest pace to date. Honestly though, it was probably the easiest 8 miles of my AT experience: flat, no rocks, no roots, good weather, and knowing I¢d be back to my hotel room today, I carried a day pack. Much of the trail was in a wooded corridor alongside corn fields. The thunderstorm forecast for today didn¢t arrive until around noon, an hour after I was safely back at the hotel. It arrived in full force while at lunch. My drive back from lunch took me through flooded streets. There were a couple of moments when my battery light came on and the a/c stopped. It was a nail biter. I tried unsuccessfully to find a way around the flooded area. Good to know my car is amphibious.The Super 8 here is cheap at $45 per night. The building is shabby, the hall carpeting is dank and issues forth an unpleasant smell, the free breakfast is only slightly underpriced, but the room itself is well air conditioned and the TV has HBO. I watched a new documentary on Robin Williams. I got a really nice message from Four Leaf last night. She¢s one of the two young women who knighted me Farfar atop Big Bald way back in March. She¢s invited MizMan, Hawk and me to her wedding in North Carolina. I am truly touched and honored.Mike, my shuttle driver, has been driving hikers since 1989. Apparently until 1993 the AT was a 16 mile road walk through this area. During the 80s and 90s the ATC acquired much of the land needed to reroute the trail off the roads. While road walks still exist, they are fewer and shorter. Mike will be picking me up in Port Clinton on July 25. That¢s what my plan calls for. That shouldn¢t be hard to achieve unless the famous rocks of Pennsylvania stop me in my tracks.
Date: 2018-07-18
From: Carlisle, PA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Thinking I should take it slow until I get my hiking groove back, I had planned a short 6.3 to the first shelter. When I got there at 10:00 it was obviously too early to stop. And the trail to that point had been easy peezy. After stopping there a while to snack and pay a visit to the Taj Mahal, a spacious privy of note, I consulted the AWOL Guide and saw that the next shelter was just another 7.3 away. I also noted the guide says after reaching a pipeline at mile 1141.7, ¢trail very rocky from here north to PA 274¢, a distance of 6.2 miles. After years of hearing about the dastardly Pennsylvania rocks, I was a bit nervous. But actually the rocks were not nearly as bad as many I¢d come across elsewhere. They slowed me down a bit, but not much. My new Keens protected my feet better than my old trail runners. I arrived at Cove Mountain Shelter at around 2:30, hung my hammock and tarp, fetched and purified 4 liters of water all with plenty of time to relax and fix dinner, mushroom and pesto risotto. So far, at 5:40, I¢m the only one here. Tomorrow I pass through the town of Duncannon, most known for The Doyle, an old run down hotel with good food and beer. It¢s a must-experience hiker destination, though only the brave take a room there. A shared bathroom, old cots in tiny rooms, no a/c, and reports of roaches drive timid hikers like me to stay elsewhere. Though the overnight options are very limited in Duncannon. There¢s a church that lets you camp on their lawn and a campsite right next to an active rail line. No thanks. I¢m only 4 miles away so The Doyle will be closed. There are shelters 8.3 and 15 miles north of me. I¢ll see how it goes. I spoke with my brother Dan today to wish him a happy birthday. I enjoyed talking with him until I hiked out of cell coverage. Dan is an avid hiker and I look forward to hiking with him after I finish the AT. He¢s of the belief that my need to hike the entire AT must be a form of penance for past misdeeds. Could he be right?
Date: 2018-07-19
From: Cove Mountain Shelter 

To: Peters Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

Another milestone today: 900 miles this year. Today¢s hike felt long. Fifteen is a lot of miles for me, especially with all the rocks I encountered today, including 2 miles of bolder scramble on a ridge which always slows me way down. As I¢ve mentioned before, it¢s not so much the miles or the elevation profile as what¢s underfoot. I don¢t think I¢ve hit the infamous rocks of Pennsylvania, but the rocks today did a number on my feet. At around 8:00 this morning I entered the town of Duncannon, PA. The famous Doyle hotel was closed so I couldn¢t take a peek inside. But I did stop for breakfast at a diner across the street. I resumed hiking at 9:00 and had one of the longest road walks so far. Between walking the length of the town and then crossing the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers, it was an hour of road walking.The Doyle hotel has a rich history. Originally built in the 1770s, it burned to the ground in 1803 and rebuilt as a brick structure. In 1880 it was purchased by Adolphus Busch of Anheuser-Busch fame. Prohibition killed the hotel in 1920. Today it¢s mostly a hiker destination. Nobody else would dare stay there. I ran into a hiker on the street just before The Doyle doing his laundry at a laundromat. We recognized each other. I had shared a table with him at the restaurant at the Nantahala Outdoor Center back in May. It was hiking out of the NOC the next morning that I discovered I¢d developed shin splints which ended up taking me off the trail. I stopped at the first shelter for a snack and to get water. I downed two liters right there and hiked out with two more, my stomach sloshing uncontrollably. Why so much water? Because there were no other water sources until tonight¢s shelter. And tonight¢s shelter has an unreliable spring down 300 steps. Knowing this I arrived at the shelter with two full liters. One I had this evening for cooking and drinking. The second I¢ll use tomorrow morning for coffee and drinking till I get to the next water source 6 miles away. Call me lazy and reckless, but 300 stone steps does not appeal after a long day of hiking. Logistics for the remainder of this section are anything but straightforward. Shelters are either too close or too far. Towns are miles away from the trail and hostels are just about nonexistent. I¢m going to have to take each day as it comes. And I¢m still waiting for the heinous rocks to begin.
Date: 2018-07-20
From: Peters Mountain Shelter 

To: Rausch Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 18.0

My plan was for 13.4 to Yellow Springs Campsite but I got there at 2:00, tired, and with only a half liter of water. Seeing no water source there I decided to hoof on another 4.6 to the shelter, making an 18 mile day. Once I committed to it, I got a second wind. I got here by 4:15. I find it interesting that my feet are holding up better than ever. No swelling and really just some soreness which one expects backpacking day after day. The footbed was rocky most of the time, but I still think I¢ve yet to encounter the kind of rocks ¢Rocksylvania¢ is known for. I¢ve been consistently outpacing my plan and will continue to take each day as it comes. I met Craig at a road crossing today. He runs the Rock ¢n Sole Hostel in Summit Station, PA. I¢m probably going to call them from the 501 Shelter 17.5 miles up the trail tomorrow. I desperately need to clean up and do laundry. I was asked by a reader about gear changes I may have made during the heat of the summer. Specially about my sleep system and how much water I carry. I have swapped out my 20 degree down quilt for a ¢Rumpl¢, a light weight down blanket. I¢m still using the same down underquilt. As for water, no change. I continue to carry two liters when leaving a water source.And on the topic of gear, here¢s a treatise: ¢Farfar¢s evolving relationship with his trekking poles¢. I¢ve been using the same set of Leki poles for years. They¢re lightweight and sturdy. I¢ve always used them with the wrist straps around my wrist. I guess I figured that¢s what they¢re for. Then, after my fall going down Dragon¢s Tooth earlier this year, I learned that my fall was in part due to my inability to toss away my poles as they were strapped to my wrist. I literately tripped over my poles. From that point on I was careful to remove the wrist straps when going down anything at all rocky and steep. Gradually I began using the straps less and less and discovered that my hands weren¢t getting numb like they had been. Soon enough I stopped using the wrist straps altogether. And now on this trip through Pennsylvania another change has happened. My first day, Tuesday, was a very flat and smooth walk so I simply held my poles in each hand, balanced at the fulcrum point. I found that I enjoyed walking more when my arms were free to swing back and forth like normal people do when they walk. Since then I¢ve been carrying my poles like that at least half the time, probably more. I think maybe I hike faster that way and I¢d like to think it will improve my balance over time. So when do I actually use them? On uphills and particularly rocky areas. The End.
Date: 2018-08-05
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: PA 183, mile 1204.1
Miles today: 14.8

Today was the first day of no rain for many days. That left the trail wet and really muddy. After a while I just stomped thru it and got my shoes super muddy and wet. There was often no way around it.I think I¢ve finally begun to experience the famed rocks of Pennsylvania. It¢s not that they¢re so horrible, it¢s that they go on and on and on till the bottoms of my feet scream in pain. The rocks made it feel like a long day though I hiked from 8:00 to 4:00. I¢m out for just three days. Sunday through Tuesday. And I¢m spending the two overnights at the Rock ¢n Sole Hostel. I drove down this morning and will drive home Tuesday night. So that means no camping which means no shelter or sleeping gear to carry. That also means I get to carry my day pack instead of my back pack. And because my $40 per night includes dinner and breakfast, I only need to carry lunch. Easy Street on the AT.Allow me to illustrate what a creature of habit I am. Here is my plan for these three days. Laid out from south to north:A - PA 645B - Rock ¢n Sole Hostel C - Port Clinton parking lotD - Road crossing near Eckville ShelterSunday-drive to Port Clinton, park car and hike southbound to hostel, C to B.Monday-shuttle to PA 645, hike northbound to hostel, A to B.Tuesday-shuttle to Eckville Shelter, hike southbound to Port Clinton, drive home, D to C.Really pretty simple, and I¢d gone over this numerous times in my head. So what did I do after I parked my car this morning? I hiked northbound instead of southbound. I guess after four months of always making sure I was going north, I just did what I do. Fortunately I came to my senses after ten minutes, and after calling myself unsavory names, I turned around and headed back to the parking lot and started over.The Rock ¢n Sole Hostel is top shelf. Craig and Jody built a bunk room for six with heat and a/c and a wide garage door opened to a covered picnic table. They serve dinner and breakfast, included in the $40 fee with a nice outdoor shower and laundry service for $3.00. I¢m glad I¢ll be back tomorrow. Why just three days of hiking? Now that I¢m a BASH (bad-ass section hiker), I can take time off when the spirit moves me. Such as spending Wednesday thru Saturday up at the lake house with dear friends. Thru hikers, this is your queue to weep with envy.
Date: 2018-08-06
From: PA 645, mile 1192.8

To: PA 183, mile 1204.1
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

My dead reckoning skills are often dead on. I had estimated finishing today¢s hike at 2:00 and that¢s exactly when I pulled into the hiker parking lot at PA 183. Craig was there in 5 minutes to whisk me back to the hostel. Despite my early arrival there were already four other hikers here and one more on the way. A full house. Last night Jody served a big pulled pork sandwich with homemade bbq sauce, broccoli and French fries. Ice cream and fresh baked cookies for dessert. This morning was good coffee, orange juice, cut up fresh fruit, and a scrambled egg, bacon and cheese bagel sandwich. Needless to say I¢m happy to be back. Today¢s hike was rocky in parts and still quite muddy. I gather this area of Pennsylvania often has flooded trail. As a result there are many spots where hikers have tramped down alternative paths around the wet areas. My feet held up better today. Let¢s see how they do on tomorrow¢s 15 miler south into Port Clinton.It sure is nice putting on clean dry clothes in the morning. Especially in the heat and humidity when I arrive completely soaked with sweat. ¢Glamping along the Appalachian Trail¢ is a book worth writing.It turns out I¢ve yet to experienced the bad rocks. According to Craig, they start  at PA 309, 11 miles north of where I¢ll be leaving Pennsylvania tomorrow. Always nice to have something to look forward to.
Date: 2018-08-07
From: Hawk Mountain Rd

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 14.8

Today¢s hike was an easy-going mixed bag. A lot of easy hiking but with some boulders and rocks thrown in. The mud from previous rains had mostly dried out. I averaged exactly 2 miles per hour over the day, which is pretty good for me. At the end of the hike I was happy to see familiar ground as I traversed the 10 minutes of trail I had mistakenly hiked on Sunday when I took off in the wrong direction from Port Clinton. Also nice to see my car where I¢d left it and that I had my keys with me. (Hi, Nate)Something that I¢ve come to appreciate is how good my feet feel after a good night¢s sleep. No matter how banged up they might get by the end of the day, I always start out the next morning feeling great, like I have no issues at all with my feet. And they feel good for the better part of the day. I hope that continues to be the case when I hit PA 309 where the famous Pennsylvania rocks begin in earnest. I¢m looking forward to knocking PA off my to-do list.I¢ve got some planning to do now that I¢m back home. There are two family trips coming up and a visit to my Mom in Iowa later this month. I had thought that I¢d complete everything but VT, NH and ME this year and do those three states next year. But I was expressing my concern to Joan the other night about how it¢s best not to hike Vermont before August because of the rain and mud and mosquitoes. But I didn¢t want to wait that long to start hiking northern New England. She suggested that I tackle Vermont this year and cover any unfinished miles down south next year. I think that¢s a great idea and will work it into my plans.
Date: 2018-08-15
From: Hawk Mountain Rd

To: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Back on the trail after a week away. This time to finish the remaining miles in Pennsylvania. I drove to the hiker parking lot in Delaware Water Gap this morning and met my shuttle driver at 7:30. He took me to the Hawk Mountain Rd crossing to pick up where I¢d left off. I¢ve got 61 miles remaining in the state. Tomorrow I cross PA 309 where I¢m told the rocks get really bad. There were plenty of rocks today. I must say I¢ll be happy to put Pennsylvania behind me. For dinner tonight I had one of my homemade dehydrated meals for the first time in a while. Very tasty. I¢m sharing the shelter area with a group of five people who are friends from AA. I¢m enjoying their company. Ten miles tomorrow to the next shelter. I hope to start hiking at my customary 6:30 to give me plenty of contingency should the rocks slow me down to a crawl.