morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-01
From: Deer Run Campground

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 8.5

During the night, we could hear the hard rain on the room of our little cabin. The forecast was for rain the entire day. We took a vote. Trifold voted to hike, Grits voted to take our zero at the campground instead of in Boiling Springs tomorrow. They do this to me all the time....choosing opposite sides so that I am the one making the decision for the group! So I chose to hike, and started packing up. Within a half hour we were back on the gravel road, hiking the .4 back to the trail.The rain had stopped, but it was cool and wet. The day was nothing like the forecast and so when the sun shined down on us as we traversed the corn fields right before town, we weren't at all surprised. It turned out to be our toughest day yet with elevation and rocks, rocks, rocks. Thank goodness it was our shortest day!We got into town in the early afternoon and picked up our waiting cars. Off we drove the .7 miles to Allenberry Resort where we had no problem getting two rooms for two nights, for the hiker rate of only $40.00 each. The rooms are in dire need of updating, but you can't beat the rate! After showers, we hit the Boiling Springs Tavern for a fantastic meal and while there, raised our glasses to Beerdra who had celebrated 5 months on the trail the day before. After our meals, we walked around town admiring the beautiful architecture of the houses and the peaceful setting of the centrally located town lake. Miles done with no weight on your back are sooooo different from miles done with a pack. Even my summer weight of only 20 lbs.Dessert was Key Lime pie for me and Trifold, and ice cream for Grits back at the restaurant in Allenberry. By 9 PM Trifold and I were watching TV in bed and talking about our hike. Our hike was over, but we still needed our zero day tomorrow!
Date: 2013-08-02
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Kylie and I awakened early, as if we were still on the trail. We turned on the news and watched from our beds while we talked about plans for the day. Around 8:30 our appetites were kicking in, so texted Grits to see if he was ready to roll. Breakfast was the Backpacker's Special at the local caf©. I finished almost all of it We ate and talked...and ate....and talked. Kylie was headed home after breakfast, Grits and I were taking a zero and staying put...well, almost. Back at the hotel, we got Kylie packed up and saw her off. It was a great 7 days, and I'll miss Kylie.I took Grits for a ride to show him the Pennsylvania countryside, when the idea hit me that this Mississippi boy should not leave PA without seeing Gettysburg. Several hours were spent touring the battlefield by car, seeing the downtown, and enjoying the new Visitor's Center. Our zero day turned into lots and lots of walking. We headed back to Boiling Springs, had another great dinner at the tavern, then when Grits went off to do laundry...I went to bed. I was beat. Another good day. Home tomorrow....I miss Jack and the "kids".
Date: 2013-08-12
To: Mt. Washingtin.....Here I Come
Miles today: 0.0

I decided to break up the 11.5 hour drive to New Hampshire by leaving tonight and driving 2-3 hours across PA, helping to make my drive tomorrow more managable. When I started to yawn, I knew it was time to start looking for a hotel. Jack was standing in the driveway when I left. With him was Brooke,Emma, Duke, and Big Mike; not planned, but a natural gathering of of those I love.I told Jack that the best part of being a section hiker is that I get to come home every few weeks! That's about the only thing I like about it.This trip will involve me walking from Mt Washington in New Hampshire (home of the worst weather on earth) to Stratton, ME. My winter gear is back in my pack; hat, gloves and a coat have taken the place of my shorts and sleeveless shirts. I'll miss that 20 lb summer pack.For my hike from Caledonia to Boiling Springs several weeks ago, I had gone stoveless and really liked it, so have decided to do that again. In place of dehydrated dinners I'll be eating tuna or chicken on tortillas. This will be the first time I will not have a stove in cold weather, but I think I'll be fine......and if not, lesson learned.I'll be back on the pavement early tomorrow morning. Looking forward to being back in The Whites.
Date: 2013-08-13
To: I'm Thinking, I'm Thinking.....
Miles today: 0.0

Driving long distances is not unlike long distance hiking; there's way too much time to think. It rained hard for most of the 9.5 hour ride from home to Maine, where I would leave my car for the duration of my hike. I deeply despise driving on the interstate in heavy rain, but made it to Maine unscathed .....physically.While I drove, many things ran through my mind. I thought of Sally and Jeff when passing Bucknell, I wondered where Grits was hiking in PA, and smiled at the thought of a good friend's newborn grandson. I thought of the Hidson River Artists and the wonderful collection of their work that our local Merrick Art Gallery has. When I passed the sign to Leominster, Arnie came to mind; I hope he's following along. Signs to Walden Pond brought memories of our 2 week honeymoon 39 years ago. We traveled across New England, staying in historic inns along the way. How could I pass Boaton and not think of trail angel extraordinaire, Karen. I sure hope I get to see her this trip!My pack is packed, my fanny in bed and its about time I closed my eyes. Tomorrow morning another trail angel extraordinaire, John, who i met during my 2003 hike, will drive me up to Mt Washington where I'll once again head north on the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2013-08-16
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0

Today I was a Yellow Blazer.I awakened around 5 AM and could barely move. I was sure that I had been beaten with baseball bats in the night. That or I was hit by a bus. Either one, I¢m sure of it.Every muscle in my body is in crisis and screaming in agony. My miles of compensation for my bad knee coupled with difficult terrain and trying to stay upright in the high winds has left me in worse than ideal shape. My poor arms, my abs, my quads¢¦.oh, my quads. I got up, dressed and hobbled to breakfast where I met a hiker that was driving to Gorham. Mary offered to take me with her, thereby skirting the much-like-the-Whites Wildcat Mountains. If my knee behaved, I¢d go north from Gorham. I secured a room in the White Mountain Lodge and Hiker Hostel where Mary¢s husband Kim was already staying. My plan was to rest, ice my knee for a few days and see what happens.Mary and I drove the 20 minutes to Gorham and settled in my room with an ice pack on my knee thanks to Marnie, the new owner of the hostel. Marnie and her Mom Molly were wonderful hostel hosts who had only been the owners there for several weeks, but making a great go of it. I met a number of section hikers and several thru-hikers, both northbound and southbound, including Why Not whom I had met back before Sam¢s Gap in April. She¢s still going strong and when this hike is completed, she¢ll be a Triple Crowner. Painted Lady, a section hiker and I made plans to keep in touch and possibly hike together down the line.The steps to my room upstairs were a challenge, and coming down was even tougher, but I got it done¢¦.slowly. I emailed several friends to let them know where I stood with my hike and my friend Karen replied that they were on their way to their cabin in Maine for the weekend, and why didn¢t I come along. Of course I couldn¢t resist, and plans were made for Karen to pick me up at the hostel in the morning. For now, I¢m done worrying about my knee and hike until later. For now, I¢m just going to sleep.
Date: 2013-08-17
From: Gorham, NH

To: Bethel, Maine
Miles today: 0.0

I've done a lot of miles since last Wednesday when this hike began, just not with my feet.Karen and her delightful son Christopher collected me at the hostel around 8 AM Saturday. We drove the half hour to their wonderful "Magic Cabin" in the Maine woods. It's nestled on a hill in the forest surrounded by birch and assorted evergreens and hardwoods. It is homey and comfortable....just what this weary, sore hiker needs. Karen and her husband, along with Christopher were the perfect hosts and the cabin must be magic, because after 2 days of rest, several short hikes to test my knee, and wonderful, healthy meals, my knee is doing great. Thank you Reilly family for everything....especially for teaching me how to eat whole, Maine "lobstas".
Date: 2013-08-18
From: Bethel, Maine

To: Pinkham Notch, NH
Miles today: 0.0

This afternoon my friends drove me back to Pinkham Notch on their way home. I again secured a room at the Joe Dodge Lodge for a couple of days and will head out tomorrow to finish what I yellow blazed on Thursday, the day I came off the mountain hurt. I¢ll get a shuttle the 4 miles back up to where I got off at the parking area on Rt. 16, hike the 2.5 miles back to the AT, then hike the 4 miles back to Pinkham Notch. The rest of the miles will have to wait until next year as this year¢s hike is officially over. Then, I¢ll work my way back to my car in Berwick, Maine and go find Beerdra, then Grits and do some trail magic of my own¢¦.which is fun, and so much easier than hiking ?
Date: 2013-08-19
From: Pinkham Notch, NH

To: South Berwick, Maine
Miles today: 0.0

I awakened early and went to the restaurant for breakfast. While eating, I caught up on my journals and watched others as they planned for their day.By 7 AM I was ready to go, but the shuttle to take me the 4 miles back to the Rt. 16 parking area was not due until 8 AM, so I decided to just do a 4 mile out and back as the AT came out right behind the Visitors Center. By 7:30, I had shouldered my pack and was walking south on the AT. It was a beautiful, cool morning. The sun was shining and the birds singing which added to my light and happy mood. The trail south from the notch was relatively flat at first, rocky in spots, but nothing that bothered my knee in any way. I met and talked to several south bounders along the way. I shared a bag of beef jerky with Snickers after asking him if he were hungry. Right. We both laughed. Of course he was hungry! The entire bag was gone in moments and he was on his way, and I on mine.I marveled at the beautiful rock steps and always go out of my way to thank the trail maintenance crews when I see them. They are always pleasant and joking, happy to chat and enjoying their time in the woods as much as we hikers do.About 2 miles into my hike, I started to feel a tweak in my knee. With every step down, it got increasingly worse and even began to bother me on the ups. I crossed the Mt Washington Auto Road, said "Hi" to the fellow that was weed whacking and moved into the woods on the other side. A short way in, I did a steep climb that took me to an area that looked out over the Wildcat Mountain ski slopes, found a place to sit down, and took a break. It had become painfully clear that I was not able to hike. I took a few pictures, turned and headed north, back to Pinkham Notch.
Date: 2013-08-20
To: The Long Road Home
Miles today: 0.0

The hike back to the Notch was pleasant, the sun shining, the birds vocal and a number of hikers available off and on with which to chat. It didn¢t take long before I was finished with the down and on the straight away that led me to the Visitor¢s Center. I went back to my room and unloaded my pack, sat on the bed and thought about what to do next. I was on day 6 of my 3-week hike. My knee was fine as long as I didn¢t step down. I went to the Verizon ¢hot spot¢ in the dirt parking lot to the left of Joe Dodge Lodge and sat ¢in the middle of the downed log¢ as instructed by of the young staff members my first day here. As long as I didn¢t stand up, I could get a call or text through. If I stood up, I lost it. Too funny. I sent a text to John, trail name Hydro, my shuttler extraordinaire, telling him that I was finished hiking for this year and if he had the chance to get me and take me back to my car in Maine sometime in the next few days, I would be forever grateful. Hydro was there in less than 3 hours! This trip has been made so much easier by the generosity of this wonderful trail friend. Thanks again Hydro for your kindness!I had 3 hours to kill and after packing up my meager belongings, went to the Visitor¢s Center to have lunch. While eating, I worked on my journals and reflected on my short adventure. While my 3-week hike had turned into a 2-day hike, I still had had the chance to feel completely happy, awed by the beautiful terrain, and ever so thankful for the kindness of friends and complete strangers¢¦.much like every hike I¢ve ever taken, yet compacted down into a couple of days.Had it not been for Jack, at home working full time and taking care of our menagerie (3 dogs, a cat, two cockatiels and 2 ducks), I would not have been able to take off for the woods for 3 weeks. Had it not been for my sweet neighbor Joan, letting the dogs out daily, or my vet tech Megan, feeding them nightly, I would not be on this trip. Had it not been for Hydro driving me to AND from the mountains and giving me a place to safely leave my car, I would not have eased into this adventure as I did. Had it not been for my dear Mom¢s voice helping me get through that first day, I¢m not sure what I would have done and having the company of Magic Scout, Giggles and Silent for that last mile to Madison Spring Hut gave me the assurance and confidence to keep going. At the end of that second nightmarish day, had it not been for the fellow in the parking lot that, after hearing I was injured, offered to take me to the hospital or the Visitors Center, who knows¢¦I might still be begging for a ride in that parking lot on Rt. 16 My point is that hiking feeds my soul. It reminds me that it IS a beautiful world, that people ARE good, that I¢m capable of MORE than I think, and that life DOES go on no matter what happens in the meantime.
Date: 2013-08-21
To: Academy Street Inn, South Berwick, Maine 
Miles today: 0.0

Hydro arrived as promised at 3 PM and we were off to Maine. It was a nice ride back¢¦.windows open, beautiful scenery, great conversation. In a couple of short hours we pulled into Hydro¢s driveway to my waiting Mini. Another ¢Thank you¢, a hug, and I was on my way. I had decided to go back to the Academy Street Inn in South Berwick, spend the night, regroup, and find out where Beerdra would be the next day.I pulled into the Inn¢s driveway and Paul, the owner, was in the yard. I got out and hollered, ¢Hey, can I have my room back?¢ And as luck would have it, I could. I settled in, walked into town for dinner, which was eaten on the large, wrap around front porch of this amazing home, and was in bed by 9PM. It was another crazy, unplanned day on this latest Appalachian Trail adventure.
Date: 2013-08-22
To: Next Stop.....Beerdra!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I awakened early and readied myself to leave the Inn. Breakfast was a delicious stuffed French toast and bacon with local fruit. Fabulous. I ate every bite, said my goodbyes and drove west toward Vermont. Three and a half hours later I found the AT crossing at Route 140 near Wallingford, VT. I drove into town and bought a cheap cooler, ice, drinks and snacks to take back to the trailhead with me where I parked and set up my trail magic on the far side of the pedestrian bridge away from the road. No one was in sight, so I went back to the car and read for awhile. It wasn't long before hikers started to show up, and everyone said the same thing, "Oh yes, Beerdra is coming...won't be long". They enjoyed the cold sodas and oatmeal cream cookies while we waited. I met Indigo, K2 Summit, and a few more. Both girls had been hiking with/around Beerdra. Before long that familiar blue shirt came over the hill and started down. I ran up halfway to meet her and we shared a big, sweaty (her, not me) hug. We all sat around talking for some time and then Beerdra and I headed into town, along with K2 to find a good meal and rooms for the night.We had a great meal at the Italian restaurant in town and worked our way down Route 8 looking for a place to rest our heads for the night, which did not take long at all. We did laundry, hunted for new tips for K2's poles, unsuccessfully, and turned in early. Trail magic is almost as much fun as hiking! Another good day "on" the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2013-08-23
To: Finding Grits
Miles today: 0.0

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we piled back into the Mini and headed to the trailhead. Goodbyes said, hugs given, and Beerdra and K2 headed north, up the hill toward Katahdin. It was a good visit and I caught myself smiling as I drove.Now I was headed south to New York to find Grits. It was a beautiful, sunny day and I enjoyed the countryside as I worked my way south. I recognized many of the names on the signs from my hike 10 years before, and the memories flooded back, as they always do when a smell, a thought or a picture triggers them.It took me about 3 hours to reach the Bear Mountain New York area and after a phone call or two to Grits, I found him and a friend standing in the middle of the round about at Bear Mountain Park....so they wouldn't miss me from any angle. I resupplied Grits hiking friend from the box of food I was carrying in my car and drove him to a convenience store so he could resupply his cigarettes. It still amazes me the number of hikers that smoke on the trail. In 03 many did, but they usually weren't the ones that finished, and they were very conscience of carrying out their butts and smoking away from shelters. This year I picked up many butts while hiking and even had a hiker light up IN a shelter!Grits had a box of winter gear waiting for him at a cute Mom and Pop place a few miles from the trail. We ended up getting rooms there too and it wasn't long before we were in town and looking for food. I got to see West Point for the first time and didn't realize how big the property really is. After filling our stomachs, we went back to the motel and went through gear, talked about food resupply and the problems associated with being at the "back of the pack". Grits decided to take a zero tomorrow and we would find a grocery store in the morning for his resupply.I could get used to being a trail angel....with a hike thrown in here and there for good measure~J.
Date: 2013-09-26
From: Western PA

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0

The art of being a section hiker involves getting from home to the trail and back to your car (sometimes several times during that hike) and can involve much time, money for shuttles, and concern for the car left behind.I left western PA around 8 AM and arrived in Boiling Springs just after noon, to a waiting ¢Stays¢. Knee Hi and I had met Stays several years before during Trail Days, but had never hiked with him. He¢s a strong, experienced 75 year old hiker that can outdistance most 30 year olds on any hill. We were happy to have him along on this section of the trail. It had taken me longer than expected due to construction on the turnpike and an accident near my destination, so Stays had been waiting for quite some time when I arrived. We quickly packed Stays and his belongings into my Mini, left his car parked in Boiling Springs (our destination in 10 days) and headed to our next stop, Caledonia State Park, where we arrived less than an hour later.The Mini was left in the long-term parking at Caledonia State Park. The park office assured me that it would be safe on our return as it¢s not only watched by the Ranger, but by the State Police too. Several weeks before I had made arrangements with Laurel from Teahorse Hostel in Harpers Ferry to shuttle us from Caledonia State Park, the hour and a half back to her hostel for the night. It was there that we would meet up with Knee Hi who was driving 11 hours from northern Georgia. Like I said, section hiking can be tedious¢¦.and that¢s even before you start to hike!Laurel was good company and the trip went quickly. She even offered to stop at the store for us on the way if we were in need of any supplies. We arrived at the hostel, picked out 3 bunks and settled in to wait for Knee Hi, who arrived just in time for dinner at the Anvil¢¦.steps down the street from the hostel. We went back to the hostel and did what most hikers do right before a hike¢¦.went through our gear and food and pared down for the sake of weight. I had been concerned about cold temperatures, but it was not going to be an issue, so I was able to take a few pounds of cold weather gear out of my bag. I also refigured my daily food and was able to drop another pound from that. Final weight with water and 5 days food was 26 lbs.When we finally settled in for the night, sleep came quickly. I could not wait to get back on the trail!
Date: 2013-09-29
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We left Rocky Run Shelter in the cool morning air. I ate a Clif Bar as I walked. Along the way, we met SOBO Shuffles and chatted a bit. A few miles into today¢s hike we arrived at the Dahlgren Campsite. It¢s a great place with real bathrooms, showers and tent pads with picnic tables. It was way too early in the day to stop, so after tanking up and filling water bottles, we moved on. In 2003 I had stayed here with Scubaman and Granite, taking advantage of the hot shower and comfortable tent sites.We enjoyed the terrain and beautifully colored leaves as we hiked. We talked about the couple that entertained us last night around their fire and that they needed trail names. I had been thinking about trail names for them for a couple of days, but last night made it easy. With her ¢Would you like wine, hot tea?¢ last night as we walked into their camp, she earned her name of The Hostess. Her boyfriend (and this was a no-brainer) we dubbed Hatchet. We decided to tell them at lunch.Around lunch time, we came to the cut off to the Dogpatch Tavern. We had heard that the burgers were worth the quarter mile road walk, so it didn't take much chatting for us to head out to the road instead of staying north on the trail. The traffic was bad, but the roadside wide, so in a few minutes we were sitting in this cool biker bar drinking beer and ordering burgers. It felt so good to sit and relax.Before leaving this morning, we told the new-to-hiking couple about Dogpatch and that we¢d meet them there for lunch, but didn't expect to see them as they usually leave later than us when starting out in the morning. After a round of burgers and several of beer, we had managed to kill 2 hours at the bar. They even let us plug in all of our phones to the outlets under the bar. We had just said, ¢I guess The Hostess and Hatchet aren¢t going to show¢, when they appeared on the highway, coming down the hill to the Tavern. Of course we cheered, like last night, for their accomplishment and all the bikers looked and smiled at them.They settled in with drinks and ordered their own burgers, so in hiker style we ordered another drink and some wings to share. We spent another couple of hours sharing stories and hiker wisdom. When we told them of their new trail names, they were thrilled with what we¢d chosen for them after much thought. Stays surprised us all by picking up the check. What a guy!By now it was late in the day, but the next shelter was only about a mile away, so off we went, happy that we didn't have far to go before being able to settle in for the night. Soon after leaving the Tavern, we arrived at the shelter and set up tents, collected water, and I ate something small before hitting my tent. It was another great day on the trail with beautiful weather and friends new and old.