morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-30
From: Happy Hiker Hollow Hostel

To: Lick Creek
Miles today: 18.1

After I got to the truck stop yesterday, I got a shuttle from Rambunny back to the Happy Hiker Hollow Hostel. She and her boyfriend (partner?), Aqua, run the place. She's thru-hiked three times (or so I've been told) and they knew how to take care of us. For $40 I got everything I needed: a bed, a shower, laundry, shuttles to the trail and grocery stores, free long distance phone, denatured alcohol, and--best of all--family-style all-you-can-eat dinner and breakfast. They also had a huge DVD library and TV, but I had no real need for those. I had a great time and plenty of food.Rambunny and Aqua were awesome people, too; they certainly made me want to come back or at least send a Katahdin photo/postcard.They dropped us off again a little before 10:00 and I started hiking again. It's funny how the towns always tug on you as you leave: you leave later than you typically would from camp, you want more town food, your pack weighs more, and you move slower (for all of the above reasons). It doesn't help when you know you're welcome to stay another night. At least this time I had a deadline to push me onward.Like I kinda said, the hike was slower today--both speed and how it felt to me. Bunches more hills than the previous 50 miles, but they were generally short and hence manageable. I passed Old Hobo and Kelly and Gracie, who also left town today, got passed by them when I stopped for lunch, and caught up again at the Knot Maul Branch Shelter. I think Old Hobo stayed. Kelly, Gracie (the dog) and I are all camped here by Lick Creek. We had bigger miles and batter water in our plans--the shelter would not do. Unfortunately the other thing I really wanted--cell reception--is not to be found here. Sorry Hope! I almost pushed onward to find some reception, but thought it really wasn't smart. It was already 6:45 and I wasn't guaranteed a campsite any time soon. Furthermore, this place is beautiful, I injured my thumb when I fell earlier, and it was sprinkling a little bit. The rain stopped shortly and I soaked my feet whilst eating my dinner, so I'm pretty satisfied right now. I cleaned up my thumb as best as I could, but there's still dirt way under the finger nail. I'll survive.
Date: 2009-06-01
From: Laurel Creek Campsite

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

I got started late yesterday due to an unfortunate choice of tent site. I picked a nice flat spot that appeared to be the typical first choice; it seems to have been the water's first choice, too. I woke up at my typical 6 or 6:30 only to find that the entire floor of my tent was wet. I figured anything that was going to get already had, so I went back to sleep for a while and begrudgingly began packing up after I woke up again around nine.My socks, boots, and clothes were dry, so it didn't really affect my hiking. Hooray! The first six miles were all up hill and hence pretty rough, but I made it. Unfortunately one south-bound section hiker didn't make it--he broke his leg half-way down. Old Hobo had reached him before me and said he would stay until help arrived. I chatted for a little bit, but things seemed under control. I just heard that he got airlifted out.After I reached Chestnut Knob Shelter the trail followed the ridge for ten miles or so to Jenkins Shelter. I met E.O. (the Extreme Optimist) and Phoenix Rising there and talked to them for a bit while I ate lunch/early dinner.I pushed on to the campsite five miles farther and made it with a surprising amount of daylight left.Kel and Gracie were there, too, but they'd been there for an hour or so more. Wrath and Bam Bam--whose legacy preceded them--were also there. They're absolutely crazy. It's hilarous.Seriously though, Wrath has some legitimate mental issues.
Date: 2009-06-02
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: mist

So somehow I didn't even finish yesterday's entry. Go figure. It's sad when so much happens in a day that I can't write it all down despite the necessity of sharing it.Yesterday I awoke early and dry (hooray!). I got started at 8:00, before Wrath or Bam Bam woke up, and got moving. The hike felt a little long due to the lack of any points of interest along the way, but I pressed on. The day began with the high-water trail (the other option was hiking THROUGH a lake) and then returned to the woods.I saw wheels and some others from Riff Raff who were "getting over their hangovers" (to be understood as "drinking at 10 AM"), but kept going until I made it to the next shelter. I took a lunch break which included a half-hour nap. From there I hiked to the next road--where I ran out of water and met Recom and Moonlight again--and then the shelter was only 3 miles further. The last few miles actually went pretty well (didn't drag too much) and I got to my final shelter at 4:00. I felt guilty about not using the extra daylight, but it made for more evenly-spread miles over the two days.At the shelter I met Privy Squatter, Peacepipe, Karjon and Katz. Wrath and Bam Bam joined us too. After dinner I got caught up in the whole socializing aspect end ended up staying up till nearly midnight.Regardless, I woke up once it started getting light and managed to be on the trail by 7:00! The morning went quickly, but time slowed considerably once afternoon hit. We crossed the inaptly named 'Dismal Creek' 20+ times and the Wapiti Shelter couldn't come soon enough. I took a second lunch/nap(1st) break.It was though leaving the shelter--long uphill--and it was compounded by my stomach being unhappy. I had to run off the side of the trail for a woodsky as a result and came back with terrible chafage from using my TP (you just can't win can you?). The last three miles were hell.I was almost crying even after I took some Ibuprofen. At least I made it here. I do feel a little better now, but not a whole lot.
Date: 2009-06-03
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg/Home
Miles today: 9.9

I am home this weekend for my sister's (Amanda's) graduation and graduation party. Linsly picked me up in Pearisburg, VA around 1:00 and drove me around town to get my bounce box and let me shower at a hostel before we drove home. We got here safely, despite the perpetual thunderstorms.I apologize for the lack of complete entries lately. I've been entering my start/stop locations and the mileage as placeholders so that I can more easily add in the text of what has actually been happening during each day. While I'm hiking, it's more difficult to fill everything out fully since most libraries limit internet usage to 30 minutes or 1 hour. I did not particularly enjoy timed essays in high school, so I try to avoid situations which remind me of that and take my time filling in what I can. Thanks for your patience!
Date: 2009-06-08
From: Pearisburg/Home

To: Rice Fields Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I'm back on the trail again! It was great to be home for a long weekend with the family and some friends, but it's time to get moving again. Dad and I left home around 7:30 this morning and made it back to Pearisburg about 3:30. We stopped at a Sharp Shopper in Virginia--for more food--and a few outfitters along the way--none carried my size of insoles though--but otherwise I slept through the sections when I wasn't driving.I'm feeling a bit anxious to be leaving civilization and the comfort of home, but I know I'll be alright once I get hiking again. Actually, I'm excited to meet up with some old friends again out here, too!
Date: 2009-06-13
From: Stealth Site on Tinker Ridge

To: Daleville
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: broken clouds

I got up reasonably early after a great night camped out on Tinker Ridge. My tent gave me a great view of town and all of the lights at night, which was a nice change from feeling entirely secluded. The hike into town was pretty easy and I reached US 220 before 10:00.I knew Fiddle, Savage, and Rocky had hiked in the night before, so I stopped in at Howard Johnson's to visit. I was originally planning to resupply and keep moving, but the allure of relaxing with friends and fact that the breakfast buffet and pool were included in the low price lured me in for the day. It didn't take me long to do my chores, so most of the day was spent resting and recovering while catching up with everyone. Oh yeah, a lot of eating too. I feel ready to tackle the next section now.
Date: 2009-06-20
From: Humpback Mountain

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up early this morning, ate breakfast, packed up and hit the trail before 6:30. It was really nice to pack up quickly without having to worry about taking down a tent or waking other people. I pushed hard to get the miles done quickly; I wanted to get here into town before the post office closed at 11:00. At first this was tough due to the rockiness of the trail, but after I passed the trail to the humpback rocks I found myself moving along quite happily across clear trails. I reached the shelter (about 5.5 miles along) at 8:30 and paused solely to get a snack and more water. I felt kind of bad for not talking more with the guys who stayed there last night, but I was still worried that I wouldn't be able to find a ride in time even if I could reach Rockfish Gap.Luckily for me, weekends tend to bring out day hikers--and some of them also happen to be very generous. I met a group of hikers about 1/4 mile shy of Rockfish Gap--two middle-aged women (twins) and their children--who, after talking for a little while, offered to give me a ride into Waynesboro if I was still waiting in 45 minutes. I thanked them for the offer, but explained that my time constraint wouldn't really allow me to wait. One of the women checked her watch--it was 10:15--and promptly gave me her keys. It was certainly a leap of faith on her part to give her keys to a complete stranger, but in that instant I became the happiest hiker in Waynesboro. All they asked was that I return within an hour.I made it to the post office with plenty of time to spare and even met some old friends who had hitch-hiked into town. I gave Fishsticks (who I just met at the PO) a ride to the Kroger where another couple was waiting to leave. They were literally just about to start trying to hitch back to the trail when I pulled up. I figured that I could help them out since I had the temporary means of doing so and was planning to head back just then anyway.We got back to the trail at Rockfish Gap a little after my 1-hour timeframe, but the day hikers didn't seem to mind (they were happy I didn't just take I-81 home...) and they gave me a ride back to the YMCA for a shower.I'll be staying at a hostel run by the local Lutheran Church tonight and possibly have a chance to update more of these entries there or back here at the library. I should be back on the trail and in Shenendoah National Park tomorrow. Only another 150-something miles to Harper's Ferry!
Date: 2009-06-25
From: Pass Mountain Shelter

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 31.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I finally pulled off my first 30 mile day! I left at 7:45 and ended at 9:00 that night---I didn't even need to use a headlamp at all. It was a long day, but the trail was nice and it wasn't too much of a stretch to hike for 11 hours at a fast pace.About 10 miles in, while I was deep in thought and striding along, I was stopped suddenly by a deep growling. I looked up and saw a mother bear less than five feet off of the trail. Just two or three feet away from it were two cubs in a tree. Needless to say, I backed away quickly. I ended up waiting for ten minutes for the cubs to come down and move on farther away from the trail before I could safely move forward without upsetting the mother. A hiker who came through five minutes later didn't even see them at all.
Date: 2009-06-29
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

My first zero day in a normally functioning trail town! I just dropped in to update quickly before I catch the bus to Wal*Mart and might have the chance to stop back in later to fill out more details.At the moment I plan to hang out here for the rest of the day and then hike all of Maryland (42 miles) tomorrow. I should be at Boiling Springs on Wednesday or Thursday, which means I'll be over halfway done!
Date: 2009-07-01
From: Buena Vista Rd.

To: Rocky Mtn. Shelters
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up late and packed up slowly, giving myself as much extra time as I could to recover from the previous day's ridiculousness. Interestingly, I saw more people while I was packing than I saw the entire previous day, which was a welcome change as I only saw two thru-hikers (and a handful of tourists) during the entire 44 mile stretch!!I set out without any real expectations mileage-wise and hiked at what felt like a very leisurely pace (it was probably still 2.5 mph on the level terrain...), taking longer breaks than usual at the frequent shelters. I found out that, while my legs felt reasonably happy, my feet were still a little tired and the length of time I worn my pack had chafed by hips, shoulders, and lower back significantly. I adjusted my pack a little bit and applied baby powder (it helps a LOT with chafing) but things were still sore. At least I avoided the prickly heat.This first day of Pennsylvania, like Maryland, was incredibly flat and the trail was well maintained. It was almost a shock after all of the talk about rocks and my own memories of the sections of the trail in PA which I've hiked before. On top of that the trees were all pine and the edges of the trail were lined with mosses and flowers. It reminded me of the Smokies in that it also looked like the fairy-tale forest. Perhaps it was just the mental note that I was home, but everything just became so beautiful to me suddenly and I found that the sense of awe that I had for the first month and a half returned once more in full force.
Date: 2009-07-02
From: Rocky Mtn. Shelters

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I felt better when I woke up this morning, but still got a fairly slow start due to sleeping longer than usual. I didn't really mind all that much, though, as sleeping is always a good reason to be late in my mind. The terrain was conducive to easy, quick hiking once more and I managed to get my 23 miles done in about 6 hours of hiking and took some leisurely breaks at the shelters to hang out and talk to the other thru-hikers I saw. The crowd really seems to have thinned out, as they said it would, and it disappoints me that I meet and get to know fewer people as I go along.Lately it's really struck me just how much my pace and deadline have kept me from socializing as much as I want to and prevented me from finding a real group with whom I can travel comfortably. I have hiked with Old Hobo for the last two days now, but I don't really expect to see him much more and it seems that the crowd I began with has fallen quite a distance behind me. Perhaps I'll find someone soon who is hiking at a comparable rate---I might even slow down some once I reach the White Mountains and Maine if I can afford it.Late in night I met my friend Tyler Nice at the campground (he came at 11) and we cooked up some brats and ate some locally made potato chips. It was good to see him again and hang out, even if it was late.
Date: 2009-07-03
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

This was the first day of a week's worth of "slackpacking," or hiking without a full backpack. Tyler and I took our time packing up and threw our packs in the back of his truck, taking only water and snack food for the day. We hiked at a reasonable pace and soon found ourselves at our destination of Boiling Springs, where Tyler's Uncle gave us a ride back to the truck. The trail was nice once again and even passed though several fields, where we found hordes of blackberries (which we stopped and ate for half an hour). It was a new experience to have someone who hiked at the same pace as myself for a full day.Tyler brought me home and I slept in my own bed! It was good to finally see my family again and talk to them about everything that was going on.
Date: 2009-07-04
From: Boiling Springs

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 25.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Got a late start on the slackpack--didn't start hiking in Boiling Springs until 12:30--and still wanted to get home in time for fireworks. I had a long distance to go before I reached the parked vehicle, so I moved quickly. I met Sunday and John there and they mentioned racing me to Duncannon, but I wasn't sure if they were serious or not. Seven miles later, as I crossed the PA Turnpike, I heard a call of "RIFF RAFF" from behind me and saw that Sunday was, indeed, still hot on my heels. He tauntingly called out that I was moving too slow and, judging by the time, I certainly was. So I tightened up my daypack and started running. Surprisingly enough, it felt good. I ran for 15 minutes and covered over two miles before I went back to walking and looked for a spot to stop for a snack.After that point I didn't see Sunday or John again, but I did hear from them that they got a ride into Philadelphia to watch the fireworks. I moved as fast as I could the rest of the day, but still only made it to the truck around 8:45--too late to get home in time for the start of fireworks. I tried anyway and was able to watch the last ten minutes or so of the Ephrata fireworks in addition to scattered fireworks everywhere along the highway on my way back.
Date: 2009-07-05
From: Duncannon

To: PA 325, Clark's Valley
Miles today: 18.3

Linsly, my eldest sister, hiked with me for this slackpack. We got another late start, but she kept up well for the majority of the day. The original plan was to meet up at a side-trail and hike with Amanda, my middle sister, my mother and our dog to hike the last two miles in the evening; but things went a bit awry. The late start, coupled with a long (~45 minute) break to fill a nalgene with blackberries set Linsly and I behind schedule and had us worrying that we were making them wait or worry about us. My mother and sister, however, weren't even hiking yet since they couldn't locate the side-trail. After driving for and hour and a half of trying to find it, they gave up and started hiking on the Appalachian Trail itself. The wrong way. On top of that, the road was in a valley which prevented cell phone service. Long story short, Linsly and I were confused and worried, our dad and the people whose phone we were using recommended calling the state police. A big scene was made and then Mom and Amanda managed to get back to the car safely despite being in the dark. Dad made breakfast to make up for it.
Date: 2009-07-06
From: PA 325, Clark's Valley

To: PA 72, Swatara Gap
Miles today: 17.0

A shorter, easier slackpack today. Started hiking with the sisters, dog, and Tommy Jensen at 3:15, they hiked with me for about half an hour before they decided to head back and go home for the evening. I hiked the remaining portion by 8:30 and drove home without any sort of problem. As I hiked I recalled hiking that particular section previously with the boy scout troop many moons ago. It was a strange, fleeting sense of deja vu.
Date: 2009-07-07
From: PA 72, Swatara Gap

To: PA 183, Rentschler Marker
Miles today: 20.7

Another beautiful slackpack. I met Tarzan and Miles along the way! This section was definitely rockier than before, but I didn't mind too much for some reason or another. I also hiked near the Rock Pile of Camp Swatara fame. The trail passes within 20 feet of the top of the rock field, with a short side-trail leading to the view over the valley. It's a very different perspective to look out over the area after having hiked as far as I have and seen all that I have.
Date: 2009-07-08
From: PA 183, Rentschler Marker

To: PA 61 (Port Clinton)
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Got started early (on the trail at 7:15) and put in my miles before 1:00. The hike was rough and rocky in many spots, but I know it gets worse. I passed Tarzan and Miles again today, which made me think that I might end up hiking with them for a while, once I get back to backpacking again. I stopped in at our local doctor to have them look at my feet and possibly have my ingrown toenail cut out. Instead the doctor gave me some antibiotics and told me to soak my feet whenever I get the chance. Hopefully it will heal up well. I was also somewhat concerned about the three smaller toes on each foot--they're almost always numb now--but he confirmed that it's just from constantly beating them against the ground all day. I also had the chance to see some friends from home in the evening! Being home has been great.
Date: 2009-07-09
From: PA 61 (Port Clinton)

To: Sharp Shopper
Miles today: 0.0

I took a zero day at home for the purpose of doing chores and potentially updating my trail journal fully. As you can see the latter has not been completed. I apologize that I've fallen so far behind, but the journal has become the victim of high mileage days which leave me less time to write things out or update. It's a different style of hiking, but I still enjoy myself immensely. We'll see if I stick to it as fully as I have recently. I'm leaving home tomorrow and heading back to the trail, though it will likely be afternoon before I finally get hiking again. I only have seven weeks left to hike before September, but I also have less than 1,000 miles left! I will have to average about 19 miles per day, but at this point that seems entirely reasonable to me. Onward!
Date: 2009-07-16
From: High Point Shelter

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: clear sky

The couple days proved to me that I cannot rely on eating garlic or taking excessive amounts B1 to keep the mosquitos away. As a result I found myself here at this gas station/convenience store buying some bug spray and ice cream--they were even kind enough to offer me this chance to have internet access. Sadly, this stop has ended my chance to not spend any money in New Jersey (though the border is fifty feet away...), but at least I can say I spent under $10 in the entire state.The last five days have all been over 20 miles and I'm only now starting to feel a bit sore. I've pulled off ~25 mile days every day that I wasn't in Delaware Water Gap, where I spent the night at a Hostel on Monday night, and can potentially make it out of New Jersey today if I can manage another without feeling too bad. Beyond that, it's only another hundred miles or so to Connecticut and I'll be in New England proper!Sadly, today seems like it may be the end of an extraordinarily long period of perfect weather. The last four weeks have been beautifully sunny with storms only at night or briefly during the heat of the day and comfortably cool, too! It must be kharma making up for having to endure multiple weeks of rain without a break during earlier parts of the trip. However, the sky is threatening to rain and the weather reports don't sound too much better. Oh well. You can't be dry forever.