morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-25
From: Duncannon

To: PA 325
Miles today: 17.1

Richard dropped off Spirit and I on the ridge at 6:15 am to begin our 8.5 mile southbound hike into Duncannon. It started sprinkling shortly after we started, but never amounted to anything. The view of the Susquehanna River was hazy, but we still enjoyed looking at the bridge we would soon be walking across. It is the biggest river the AT crosses. We signed in at the Clarks Ferry Shelter where I met Nitro and Ziplock, friends of Spirit's. Raincheck had also camped out with them. I offered Richard's services to slack for them if they would wait at the ridge parking area 4 miles north. They were happy for the opportunity. Spirit and I continued south and met Bonafide with Bone, and she also was interested in slacking! Richard hiked in to meet us and showed us the way through the town streets to the Doyle Hotel, 2 miles from the woods. We walked with Rodney Dangertrail who was going to the Post Office with his bounce box. We took some Shoe Goo from the Hiker Box at the Doyle to repair Spirit's boot which was separating from the sole. Next, we got back in Richard's car and returned to the same ridge parking area to hike north with the group whom we had met earlier. They put their packs in Richard's car and off we went for the next 8.6 miles. There were lots of hand written notes on the boulders to keep an eye out for rattesnacks. We only saw one large rat snake, but Bonafide, who was last, saw the nest of rattlers. The hike went by quickly with new friends to get acquainted with and we stuck together like bikers drafting. Richard was waiting for us and delivered 2 hikers to a free hiker hostel, one picked up his pack to continue hiking, and the 4 of us are staying at this KOA campground.We are sharing a cabin with spirit. My childhood friend, Carol Scamman, from TX, had dinner with us tonight. She is visiting her Mother in PA. Carol moved away from our hometown in Grade 4 and we have only seen each other 3 times since then, so this visit was very special.
Date: 2007-06-26
From: PA 325

To: Swatare Gap
Miles today: 17.8

Richard dropped off Spirit, Bonafide with Bone and me at the trailhead at 6:30. Nitro and Ziplock were dropped off by their hostel hosts at the same time. We all started and ended the 17.8 miles together in the humid 85' heat with no views. The elevation included just two small gains, so we hiked at a fast pace considering the heat. We were off the trail before 2 pm. Other than a salamander and several Army helicopters overhead, there was nothing particularly exciting. We saw no other hikers. It was nice to soak my feet in a stream at lunchtime and soak my shirt and headband just to help stay cool. After Gatorades on our cabin deck at the campground, some of us went to the swimming pool. Everyone came over at 5 pm for hamburgers and salad, prepared by Chef Richard at the cabin. Ziploack play his pack guitar for us and we all sang along. We discussed the hike schedule for the next two days, and are interested in staying together to have Richard slack us in to Port Clinton. It continues to be hot and muggy at 7 pm, so we are returning to the pool for one more swim.
Date: 2007-06-27
From: Swatare Gap

To: PA 183
Miles today: 20.7

Last night it was so hot at the campground cabin, even with a ceiling fan and 2 open windows, that Spirit slept on her mattress on the porch. I stayed up doing maildrop planning through NH, until 10:30, when I felt it had cooled off enough to try to get to sleep. At 6 am today,Richard dropped off Ziplock, Nitro, Bonafide and Bone, Spirit and me at the (erector set looking) bridge. The first hour of our hike was miserably hot @ 85, a rocky ascent and prespiration was just dripping everywhere. The poison ivy was knee high and lush on both sides of the trail. There was no way not to touch it. We stopped to sit on a log for a snack and I took a tick off my leg. Our attitude of the day was to "get it over with". We discussed a split shift hike of leaving after 11 miles at 10 am, when Richard was meeting us with Gatorade and returning at 4 pm for the remaining 9 miles. We decided there would be a chance we might not want to leave the pool and would not complete the day's goal. We hiked by a windsock at a hang gliding site. I was sorry Skiman, an experienced hang glider, was not with us to evaluate this spot for a future launch. Parallel to the rocky AT was a smoother path. We traversed back and forth between the two. During one of these intersections I spotted a huge rattlesnake slithering across the AT. It had a diamond shaped head, a gold pattern on its body, a black tail with rattles, a diameter of my wrist at the widest spot, tongue wiggling around and it was 4 ft long. My photo was not great because I had the setting on "landscape". We met Richard at the car and he told us he had swithed our cabin which sleeps 4, to one with air conditioning...and he invited the other 3 to join us! So, tonight our cozy cabin of four will accomodate 6 so no one will need to pack up tents in the morning as we leave the KOA Campground. It's hotdog cookout time! Chef Catchup is cooking tonight!
Date: 2007-06-28
From: PA 183

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: broken clouds

Today is our 15th wedding anniversary. I am glad Richard and I can be together in PA. I am also glad that if my wedding dress were here, I could fit in to it! We checked out of the campground at 7 am with the car trunk so overflowing that we couldn't close it.(5 backpacks, 5 pair of hiking poles, a cooler, Richard's tent, camp stove, dufflebag, etc) We were on the trail at 8 am and enjoyed the 75' breezy weather. We saw no other hikers, animals or rattlesnakes! There was one viewpoint and we enjoyed eating more blueberries. The 1100 ft descent into Port Clinton was the hardest part of the short day, particularly the last 800 ft in .8 mi. Richard met us at 2 pm with Gatorade and transported us to the Pavilion, where Thru Hikers can stay overnight for free. I met Silver, another middle age woman, from Oregon. She was organizing her maildrops through New England on a picnic table. Bonafide and Bone, Spirit, Nitro and Ziplock are staying there overnight, which was a good decision, since we had a thundertorm from 6-8 pm. Richard and I are staying at a motel and we went to the American House Hotel for a gourmet dinner to celebrate. Richard surprised me with a new outfit and dress to wear today. It is nice to have something new that fits rather than have to wear smelly hiking clothes in public! Spirit joked that we were dropping of all our children at the Pavilion, like day care, so we could get away to be alone. Staying at the same motel is Raincheck (recovering from his sprained ankle), Ishmael and Thunder. They are also leaving Port Clinton tomorrow, so we should have quite a group on the Trail. I called 501 in MA to see how he is doing, after leaving the AT with a medical concern earlier this week. He is fine and has decided not to return to the Trail this year so he can spend time with his wife in their new home. I am very sad that 501 won't be returning. We started the same day and had hiked over 1000 miles on similar schedules. Also, Blue Sky ! and her husband are leaving the trail today because he has been sick with a fever twice, and they are concerned about the possibility of Lyme Disease, as a result of some hospital tests. Now that we have passed the half way point on the Trail, hikers are focusing on getting through the rocky section of PA and NJ, which has quite a reputation for difficulty. In addition, we have passed the "1000 miles remaining to Katahdin" mark. In fact, as of today, I have 971.1 miles left, which is about 64 fifteen mile days. This figure brings us to September 1st, with no zero days!(Very unlikely!) Richard thought it would be interesting if I could summit the same day my son Kevin did, August 29th. Now, that's really pushing it! Let's take one day at a time and stay injury free and healthy.
Date: 2007-06-29
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today we picked up the gang at the Port Clinton Pavilion at 7 am and just drove a mile to the AT. Spirit and Bonafide had stayed at a free Hostel, so their host drove them there to meet us. I challenged myself to keep up with Raincheck for the first two hours, which was an ascent from 410' to 1582'. He is 6'5" and wears size 15 shoes! However, this was his first day back on the trail after 3 days in a motel recovering from a sprained ankle, so I'm sure his pace was modified. All 8 of us stopped at Pulpit Rock to have a snack and take pictures. Bone stole my bagel from my unzipped pack! We arrived at the Eckville Shelter in 6 hrs, which was a pretty good pace for the 15.2 miles. Richard was waiting for us, and shortly after, Skiman arrived from Fairfax Station, VA with his wife, Debra. The shelter is actually in the shed behind a home, with a shower and flush toilet. Across the street we have 5 tents set up. We enjoyed eating our dehydrated meals at the picnic table together,and compared recipes. Ziplock added peanut butter to his Ramen Noodles and dried vegetables! We studied the snake poster in the shelter and agreed we had seen a Timber Rattlesnake a couple of days ago, which is poisonous, in its yellow phase. It also has a black phase. Skiman plans to keep Richard company in the car, as he continues to provide water, Trail Magic and slack for us until Monday. I look forward to sleeping in a tent tonight on the beautiful grassy lawn.There is a hawk sanctuary nearby, so we will be on the look out tomorrow!
Date: 2007-07-02
From: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Our group said good by and thank you to Richard and Skiman at 6:45. Today was our last slackpacking day. We will all miss their support immensely! They dropped off our gear in Delaware Water Gap at the Presbyterian Hiker's Center on their way home to NH. Spirit had gotten an hour head start from the rest of us. I started hiking with Raincheck uphill,the .9 Blue Blaze trail,to get back on the AT, which took us to 7:15. I hoped I could stay at his pace and make the day a little shorter by hiking faster. We caught up to Spirit around 11:30 and took a snack break with her. She was very tired from yesterday's 21 miler and rocky ascent. Raincheck and I stopped at the Kirkridge Shelter for a half hour break and I was happy to see Lowbranch there. We hadn't seen each other since Waynesboro, so I teased him that had waited a long time for me to "catch up". We are 2 of the 3 hikers, from our original group of 15, who are still on the Trail (that we know of). Raincheck and I continued towards Delaware Water Gap, where he had a maildrop to pick up at the Post Office before 4:45. We arrived at the Hiker's Center at 3:45. I took a shower and rinsed out my clothes in the stall, as usual. There is no laudromat in town or facilties at the hostel. Raincheck returned from the PO with a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia for me! 45 min later, Spirit arrived. 2 hrs later, Silver, Nitro and Ziplock arrived. They are all taking a zero tomorrow and they will also be able to get their maildrop when the PO opens. Silver had a great (true) story. She said she followed a bear on the AT for 2 miles. She couldn't pass him. He looked back to make sure she was following him! When Silver told this story to the Pastor, she said this bear was a "regular" with the Thru hikers! I'm sorry to have missed the opportunity to have had a legitimate excuse to slow down!
Date: 2007-07-03
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Blue Mtn. Lakes Road NJ
Miles today: 17.8

Welcome to NJ! Spirit and I left the church hostel before 6 am with a mild groan from donning our 30 lb packs. We crossed the Delaware River, Interstate 80 bridge, to leave Pennsylvania and enter NJ. The bridge was long and full of tractor trailor trucks blowing us off balance. We enjoyed watching a beaver glide through the clear water to his lodge. I had never seen this from an airplane-type point of view, so it captured my attention until the beaver was out of sight. On the bridge, Raincheck caught up to us. We hiked together as we started our ascent at 360'to 1500'. The space between us got further and further apart. I caught up to Raincheck at 8 am, once my Triple Threat Powerbars kicked in. Spirit never caught up to us the rest of the day. We came to Sunfish Pond and admired all the rock sculptures people had created. I remember this scene from the Appalachian Impressions DVD. We continued uphill to a beautiful vista for a snack break. We could see the winding Delaware River, powerlines, farms and (perhaps) a fish hatchery. At the 10 mile mark, we came to a road which had a store, deli and hostel. Raincheck offered to hike the half mile and take my lunch order if I would stay with the packs. I remained at the bridge over the brook, hoping Spirit would arrive soon and started my trail journal. We departed after eating our sandwiches, and left her a note. Four hikers passed by to say they had seen Spirit and had all observed a bear eating berries. Raincheck and I hiked up to a ridge where I climbed Catfish Fire Tower. We waited for Spirit for another hour until Thru Hiking friends told us she was at the deli inquiring about staying overnight at their hostel. It was 80'. We were in and out of the sun. No bugs. Raincheck got a phone call from a military buddy he hadn't seen in ten years who invited him to his home. Raincheck told him about slackpacking and how that would help us out. So, I am fortunate to be included in this Trail Magic to be at the home of Liz and Dave Manning in Port Jervis, NY for the next few nights. It was wonderful to have a homecooked meal and meet Raincheck's friends.
Date: 2007-07-04
From: Blue Mtn. Lakes Road NJ

To: High Point State park
Miles today: 24.9

This morning Liz and Dave Manning drove Raincheck and I to the AT on their road where we would end our 25 miler today. Then, we would walk a half mile to their home. Liz tied some surveyer's tape to a tree so we would be sure not to miss that intersection. Next, they drove us south to the Blue Mtn Rd, where we left off yesterday. The hike was pleasant with a breeze and overcast skies. We moved at a good pace. Raincheck accused me of tailgating, but I was determined to stay with him! We saw a deer, a large black snake across the trail, and many salamanders. There is a little joke about eating lunch at delis in NJ and we are now 2 for 2. Right next to the trail was a good place for a burger, so we took advantage of the stop. There, I met a man who vacations in Gilford on Lake Winnipesaukee in NH! As the day continued, we came to Culver Fire Tower and Sunrise Mtn Pavilion. I called my family who were gathered in Wolfeboro to wish them a Happy 4th of July. The rain started at 4pm and we waitied briefly at the second of 3 shelters. However, it just rained harder and harder, so we continued on for the last 5 miles. We passed a few hikers going north and south, but I don't think that they were Thru Hikers. We are anticipating meeting Thru Hiking southbounders any day. When we arrived at the High Point State Park, mile 24.9, we realized this was not a half mile from the Manning's home. It was 3.8 miles away! Oops! It was very foggy so we called Dave to pick us up. It was now 6:45 pm, way past my bedtime! Liz had a wonderful spaghetti dinner waiting for us after we showered and did a load of laundry. She is going to pick up my maildrop in Unionville tomorrow, which will save me from going off the trail just a mile. We are very fortunate to have the Mannings as Trail Angels these few days!
Date: 2007-07-05
From: High Point State park

To: NJ974
Miles today: 20.6

We started hiking at 6:45 with my pack cover on to protect it from the dripping tree branches. We walked across many puncheons, where the swamps were fairly dry. We commented about the hard work volunteers had to do to construct the puncheons. The boards were slippery, as were the rocks. I took a fall which Raincheck said I went body surfing. I prefer to think of it as a "safe" play in baseball. I have a thigh bruise but it doesn't hurt at all. Raincheck's knee had swelled up and was bothering him today. It was very humid and hot. The perspiration was dripping down my face. 45 minutes later the downpour started. The salt water running in to my mouth did not resemble the deli sandwich I had in mind today for lunch. We stopped at the Pochuck Mtn Shelter shortly after noon, having hiked 14 miles. So in fact, today was not a deli day! Raincheck ate leftover spaghetti and I had my usual bars. We saw turtles laying eggs at the Walkill Nat'l Wildlife Preserve. At the Pochuck Creek we saw lots of red wing blackbirds and cat-o-nine tails. We were happy to have the last two sodas in the styrofoam cooler of Trail Magic, left at a road crossing. I discovered two new wildflowers on the trail. One I have identified as Spotted Wintergreen with a wonderful varigated leaf. The star shaped white flower with purple buds I have not identified. If you know it, please let me know! Raincheck treated us to dinner at a restaurant tonight, as our last evening with the Mannings. Tomorrow I will be hiking on my own with a full pack. In tomorrow's journal I will tell you why Raincheck and I will not be together. I hope to connect with Raincheck by next Wednesday. In the meantime, I hope to see M & M, Grasshopper, Lowbranch and CNN on the Appalachian Trail, as we enter New York after 11 miles!
Date: 2007-07-07
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: broken clouds

CNN and I started hiking the challenging rocky ascents and descents today at 6 am. We started at 1180' elevation and went down to 630, then up to 1280, down to 990, up to 1140, down to 750, up to 1150, down to 550, up to 1300, down to 830, then up to 1180, and we're staying at the shelter at 1070. It was 85' and water was scarce. We planned to fill up at Fitzgerald Falls first thing in the morning, but there was no falls. Charles filtered water from the puddle for all of us to get us to the next source. Shortly after this, there were 5 gallons of water in a cooler for Trail Magic, so we topped off our bottles. At the NY State Thruway overpass, we went to a home to ask to use their spigot for water. When no one answered the door, we just helped ourselves. I think we each drank 2 gallons of water today. A highlight today was the Lemon Squeezer. I had to remove the ridgerest from the side of my pack to fit through the narrow opening which was also so high that I could not see over the top. After the three of us squeezed through, a southbound day hiker told us most hikers take their packs off and just toss them over the top rock shelf. (Now he tells us!) With four miles remaining to the shelter, Nancy and I took a .3 detour to Lake Tiorati to fill our water bottles since the shelter we were going to had no water source. We also had instructions to bring Charles 2 hamburgers or hotdogs and a coke. My goal was to take a quick swim in my clothes! We were disappointed that there were only vending machines and no concession stands. So, Nancy taught me the technique of Yogi-ing. We went to the picnic area, where it was packed with people not speaking English. Nancy asked families if they had any extra burgers and told them we would be happy to pay for them. On the third try, she got 4 hamburgers for $5! Granted, they were cold by the time we got back to Charles, who was watching our packs at the Trailhead. Nevertheless, we enjoyed burgers and sodas before arriving at the shelter at 5:30. It was great to see Barry Manilow again, and meet his friends, Jewdog and Diamo. I am the only Thru Hiker in the stone shelter tonight, but a frog and chipmunk are keeping me company. Hopefully they will use the 3 empty bunks! This week's mileage is the highest I have hiked, with 141.4 miles. This includes 4 slack days and 3 days with a full pack. Another milestone today is that I now have under 800 miles to Katahdin!
Date: 2007-07-08
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Graymoor Friary pavilion
Miles today: 15.2

Today was my 100th day on the Appalachian Trail! This includes seven "zero" days. This morning we met my oldest brother, Pete, on the Palisades Parkway at 7 am, after starting our hike at 6. Yesterday he drove his father-in-law back to NJ, after spending the 4th in NH. So, Pete was in our AT neighborhood! He had blueberry muffins, Gatorade, water, sub sandwiches and apples at his car for us. It was great to see him, have him meet my hiking friends, provide Trail Magic and help me resupply. Pete also slacked me 3 miles, which was a big help with the next ascent. He had hoped to slack me all the way to Bear Mt, but the road was closed, so we had to adjust the length of the slack (Yeah, cell phones!). Every bit helps! So, we accomplished a lot in our half hour highway visit, then he returned to NH. Later, when Charles located my garbage bag Pete had stashed in the woods with my pack contents, I realized it had 3 quarts of Gatorade, which is 6 lbs I'm not used to carrying. With all the extra food and a full platypus, I think my pack weighed 40 lbs, and I felt it on my ankles right away! As CNN and I continued hiking, I took a picture of Bear Mt at a distance, and then at the summit when we arrived. I spoke with several Boy Scouts from Troop 446 in Brooklyn, NY who were hiking with their leaders on the AT. When we got to Hessian Lake, I was very disappointed that swimming was not allowed. What a bummer! Buttercup joined us as we ate our sandwiches and apples on a bench. I drank 2 qts of Gatorade to lighten my pack! We watched the geese, fishermen and paddleboats. It was over 85' today. We hiked through the Wildlife Center featured in the Appalachian Impressions DVD, then across the Hudson River on the l-o-n-g Bear Mt Bridge. At the end of the day, the trail continued on a gravel road for quite a distance, giving us a break from the rocky ups and downs of the morning. Arriving at 3:45, we decided to stay at the Graymoor Friary where there is a pavilion next to a soccer field. Thru Hikers can stay for free. There is a spigot, 2 port-a-pottys, a clothesline, a shower with only cold water, and an outlet to recharge our cell phones. It felt so wonderful to shower, as usual, with my clothes on! 4 tents are pitched on the soccer field. I wonder who else is planning to sleep on the concrete floor of the pavilion. When you are as tired as I am, it really doesn't make a difference! We thanked Brother Leo, who stopped by to welcome us. Diamo, Jewdog, Buttercup, Barry Manilow, Quattro, and Golden Boy have joined the 3 of us for the night. I'm hoping for a starry night over the soccer field. Well, now I know why hikers were in tents, not the pavilion. I had the opportunity to use my bug repellent and head net for the first time. I've carried them for 100 days,just waiting for tonight!(No stars)