morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-25
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Washington D. C.
Miles today: 0.0

Wonderful Day!!!!! Started it off great. Heather let us borrow some nice clothes. We went to Floris United Methodist Church. It was a really good service. How people even take going to church for granted. I wish that I could go every Sunday, but thankful that this zero day ended up being today. After the service we got to go to our dream place.....Olive Garden. We have been talking about it forever! Then, Mike took Diesel, Oopu, and I to Washington D.C. It is so weird going to such a big city. All the places we've gone to before were so small in comparison to D.C. We took the metro accepting the fact that we might get rained on. It was so crowded! There were tons of Harley Davidson Bikers there. We got to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Wahsington Monument, The FDR monument, Jefferson Memorial, the Korean War monument, the White House and Capitol. It rained on us off and on. It was the coolest thing today. As we were walking past the crowded Vietnam Wall we realized that it was Memorial Day weekend. There was this band there singing. We walked past the Korean War memorial when the band starts to sing patriotic songs. Seeing all the statue soldiers, it made me feel so proud. So proud of my country, so proud that I am able to be here in the capitol right now. Wow! Well, we got back to the house and had pizza. Got entertained by another show from the girls and just hung out. THe guys went to see the Matrix again, for the second time. They are in love with it, talking about it all the time. The girls, including Heather watched a movie. It has been a really really good day. Who knows what all can happen and who all you meet when you hike the Appalachian Trail. Heading to bed cause we have a sort of big hiking day tomorrow. Good Night!
Date: 2003-05-26
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Campsite
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We ended up leaving a little later than we expected this morning. We were tired because we stayed up a little too late last night. We said goodbye to the Ring family. It was really cool meeting them and playing with their children. We got back to Bears Den Hostel close to 11. It was overcast and drizzling when we got there but soon cleared up. After 3 miles we stopped to eat. I again was carsick so I kept on going, not really wanting to eat. Crossed the Virginia / West Virginia Border. Wow! Another state completed. Then there was this overview. I stopped there for a break. There were climbers and people repelling all around me. The sun came out and I took a short nap. I hiked slowly, trying to soak up all that I could of this beautiful day. I saw several deer. Slick Rock said that we were entering an area that is overpopulated with deer - so I'll probably be seeing more. We made it to the shelter and I again met Pile Up. I haven't seen him in about 2 months. Met some other people there that had more of a southern accent than I do. Soon after the shelter we reached our 1000 mile. We took pictures, then headed on. This is the first day in over a week that we are hiking past 4:00. We hiked 15 miles then started looking for a campsite. We found one in a brushy area, where the cobwebs were thick and the inch worms fell from the trees. We got all set up and I quickly fell asleep. I was pooped.
Date: 2003-05-27
From: Campsite

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: broken clouds

Sweet Home AlabamaI woke up this morning, counting all the inch worms that were on my tent. We got an early start, leaving close to 7. It was nice this morning. The trail was still muddy and our boots remained wet. Speck and I hiked together. As we were heading out of the woods - into Harper's Ferry, I realized that this would be the last time I'd be in the woods for a week. We are taking a 5 day vacation starting this afternoon. I would've mentioned this earlier but I'm suprising my younger sister. Mrs. Capes met us along the trail. We were greated by a loud Shenandoah river. I couldn't believe that we were actually in Harper's Ferry...the psychologial midpoint of the AT. Even though the actual midpoint is about 77 miles north. We went to the ATC and signed the registers, got pictures made and looked through the photo album. Seeing old friendly faces of people we hiked with at one time and also seeing faces that we haven't seen yet. It was a nice place. Mrs. Capes drove me to Pittsburgh where I had a 3 1/2 hour wait for my plane. I have never flown alone before so this is new for me. My flight was really nice. It was neat getting a different view of the land, the mountains and the sky. At times we were above the clouds which was way cool. We flew into the sunset - a colorful sky. I flew into Atlanta, then into Dothan, AL, where my aunt and sister picked me up. I arrived back in Troy after 11. Oh what a day. I hiked 5 miles, drove several hundred miles, flew probably close to a 1000 miles. Kind of overwhelming for one day. Well, I sure did suprise my sister. My older sister wrapped me in this big box and left me at the front door. My younger sister opened me up and I popped out. You should've seen the look on her face. It feels good being back at home....a little weird though.
Date: 2003-05-28
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Vacation
Miles today: 0.0

Well, for the summary of the trail...A thousand miles hiked, several millions steps made....a trail that holds so many stories, laughs, tears, struggles, pain, and beauty. I was asked if the trail had been what I've expected. Honestly, I came on the trail not knowing what to expect. I knew that it would be hard, a challenge, and a gift. That is what it has been so far. So many people along the trail ask about all the "bad things" that happen to us like rain, thunderstorms, sicknesses, snow. I wonder why people don't ask about all the "good things"? This one hiker named Ben once told me this. He said, "When you get done with this trail, you'll only be able to count the bad things on one hand, but you won't be able to count all of the good things because there are so many." I agree with that. Yes, I've walked through rain, thunderstorms, snow, been misreable, and terribly cold. The great thing about that is those things come and go. The things that remain are the beauty, the views, the actual trail, and the people. God has opened my eyes to how big the world is. How we live in so much beauty and most of the times we fail to realize that. I enjoy living in the woods, away from schedules and routines. To be able to hike every day. To get the chance to meet some amazing people and have so many wonderful moments. We are only half way done with our hike. These last three months have flown by. Our group is still together and ready to get back out there. As for me, I'm really excited about what lies ahead. I have heard both good and bad things about the next 1000 plus miles. I don't know what all they hold for me but I'm ready for it.
Date: 2003-05-30
From: Vacation

To: Vacation
Miles today: 0.0

The vacation is soon coming to an end. It's been quite a 4 days. The one word I have for it is overwhelmed. Starting from the plane ride, traveling over 1000 miles in about 3 hours; just about the same amount of mileage we have hiked in 3 months. To see just about everyone there on cell phones, talking about schedules. Watching the fast pace of life. The things peole think are so important here seem soo trivial to me. On the trail, we worry about where our next water source will be; where we we will find a flat place to camp; or hoping we can find shelter during the rain or thunderstorms. I saw more people in the airports than I have in the last several weeks. Going to graduation was one of the best decisions I made. Getting to see my little sister graduate, seeing old classmates and teachers. Glad I got to spend this big day with her and my family. It's so hard being home. So little time and so much stuff. I'm ready to get back out there in the woods. I can feel the speed of the world already. I thought that when I came home, I would watch movies all day. Funny thing is, is that I have no desire to sit in front of the tv. Realizing that is not what I want to do when I'm here. Iwant to spend time outside, at the piano, with my family.It was good being here because it made me realize how much I miss the trail. The simplicity, the beauty. Answering questions and looking at pictures I've taken, excites me more about going back, knowing that it is the woods where I belong now. Do be in prayer for our group for the remainder of the hike. Speck and Slick Rock's grandmother passed away the other day. Good thing it worked out that we were off the trail. Hopefully the rain will slack off a little for us. Well, enjoying a good Braves game right now.
Date: 2003-06-01
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: broken clouds

Got dropped off in Harper's Ferry--said our good-byes once more. We at first planned to go 10 miles but were drawn in to the museum. So, we looked at some of the buildings, watching soldiers with their big muskets, women in their big dresses, re-enacting the times during the Civil War. We walked about 3 miles along a tow path by the Potomac River. It was great! Beautiful day, walking along the river watching the kayakers.Once we got off the towpath, we got some trail magic by this hiking group. I had a popsicle and a glass of cold water. We are now in Maryland. We had one of the best views overlooking Harper's Ferry, the busy train, and the Potomac River. This guy and his 2 little boys enjoyed the view with us. We made it to Ed Garvey Shelter, which was very nice. Went about .5 miles down to get water. Great night--wishing I could be tenting. It does feel good being back out here. The smells, the people, the peace.
Date: 2003-06-02
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Annapolis Rock
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: clear sky

Got going around 9:00. The sun was out, going to be a nice day. We hiked past a lot of Civil War monuments. Took a break at Gathland State Park and Crampton Gap--where there was a battle. Several miles after that we stopped at Dahlgren Back Pack Campground. They had free showers, which were nice. Swift Sandals and his dad hiked some with us. Then, Oopu and I went to the Washington Monument--not the one in Washington, D.C. It was built in his memory and used as a signal base type thing for the Civil War. It's so cool thinking that over 200 years ago people fought in the woods we walk through. People lived, died, bled, and became heros.We crossed over I70 where we received waves and honks. The climb afterwards reminded me of the climb up the Priest. Made it to the Annapolis Rocks camping area. I stopped and watched the sunset, which was really nice! Felt good to take off my boots. Pretty worn out. Had Ramen for supper and hung the bear bag...with Cire's help. Felt so good to get back in my little tent.
Date: 2003-06-03
From: Annapolis Rocks

To: Devil's Race Course
Miles today: 11.1

DO DAYS LIKE TODAY EVER END?Woke up really sore this morning--especially my back and shoulders. I enjoyed just lying there until it started to sprinkle. I jumped out of my tent and packed everything as fast as I could so everything could stay dry. Hiked mostly by myself. The rain let up and had a good morning. We had parts of the trail that were all rocks. Made it to the shelter just in the nick of time. The bottom fell out. Stayed there for awhile, lay down, and rested. Then dressed in my rain gear and headed north. Had 4.5 miles until the next shelter. Instead of rocks, the trail turned into a river. Endless puddles covered the trail. Then came the first challenge of the day. A rushing river. I carefully stepped from rock to rock until my foot slipped. One foot went under water, and my knee hit the rock. The good thing was my foot didn't get wet. All was good until I came to a second river. This one higher and faster. Again trying to step on rocks even though several inches of water covered the rocks. Well, one of the rocks I stepped on was not sturdy and I ended up in the water--all the way to my thighs. Wet, cold...not too happy. Well, now my feet were wet. Then, after crossing the road, I got off the trail. Did get back on it and had a big climb. Not liking this at all. The trail turned into a pond. Finally got to the trail to the shelter. It was a long .3 of downhill. When I finally reached it, it was just about full. Swift Sandles and his dad and 2 southbounders already there. This was a dumpy shelter. All the other shelters in Maryland were nice. This one leaked and was small. We jerry rigged books by poles to cover some leaks, duck taped several others. The next question was...how are we all going to fit? Well, we should have stayed at the last nice, empty shelter. We packed in like sardines. All lying on our sides, pouring down rain still. The thing I say about today is...you live, you learn.
Date: 2003-06-04
From: Devil Race Course Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Lay in my sleeping bag as long as I could. It rained buckets last night. No one slept well. Ended up coughing all night long. The rain stopped and it turned into a nice, cool day. We had a good rocky climb down. Still walked through a lot of ponds that were actually on the trail. Then reached Pen-Mar Park that had this huge pavilion. We rested there and decided to get pizza--there was a pizza place 1.5 miles down the road. Bill Mills, the guy working there, took Speck so she could get the food. We each had 4 slices--it hit the spot. We stayed there several hours. It got much colder. We crossed the Mason-Dixon line and then entered Pennsylvania, our 7th state. It warmed up, and I had an awesome hike. I was in the best mood, singing to myself and enjoying the cool weather. We reached Deer Lick Shelter around 4:00. Because of our bad luck last night, we decided to stay here. There were 2 small shelters--5 people in each--much more room than last night. A thunderstorm came and more rain fell.
Date: 2003-06-05
From: Deer Lick Shelter

To: 2.4 miles past Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The sun came out this morning. The trail was still under water at points. Oopu and I hiked together the rest of the day. We came up to this raging river. I laughed when I first saw it thinking...oh yea! Another river to walk through. But, no, there was a footbridge that was almost completely under water. That river ran into another river--covering the trail--meaning that our feet were once again going to get wet. Oh, but wait, our feet are already wet. We made the best out of it, taking pictures and acting like we were surfing.Then we came up on this baseball diamond. I became the announcer..."and Oopu steps up to the plate. 3 balls, 2 strikes, bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, bases loaded and down by 3. Here comes the pitch. (I notice he sure is using a skinny bat--looks sort of like a hiking pole.) The pitch...he makes contact. It's a gapper. Oopu, also known as the speed demon, rounds first. (I notice again that he is hunched over--sort of like he is carrying something on his back.) Then second. (Then I become the 3rd base coach.) The coach giving him the go. It's gonna be a close one, folks. The crowd waits--following stride by stride. Then here comes the throw and...he's safe. He's safe! He didn't even slide. That's a beauty, folks. And the crowd goes wild!!"Once we finished, we were both cying out laughing, breathless. Realizing that the only fan we had was a man up the hill. Probably wanted to see what all the ruckus was about. As I was leaving, I looked back at the empty baseball diamond, thinking to myself that in that couple of minutes that field was our field of dreams.Well, we had a big climb but had a nice breeze. Went out to Chimney Rocks, which had a good view--different in the fact it was all trees and this little lake. No houses, no rocks...nice. The hike was so nice. Beautiful along the trail.We made it to Caledonia St Park. Missed the concession stands by 2 days--they don't open until 6/7/03. Really neat park. The bad thing is they won't let you camp in these parks. I can understand why, but they are so nice.Glad we found a place that wasn't under water. The black flies came back. Can never win. Either we have all rain and no bugs or bugs and sun. I think I'd take the bugs and sun anyday. Great hike. I loved it!
Date: 2003-06-06
From: 2.4 mi past Quarry Gap Shelter

To: 1.8 mi past Midpoint Marker
Miles today: 16.7

MIDPOINT AND LOTS OF ICE CREAMGot going about 8:00 this morning. Sun again came out. That makes it 4 days of sun, 1 day of rain, and 1 cloudy day. I'm liking these statistics. Oopu and I again hiked together today. We stopped at this cabin to get water. 4 guys and their dogs were there. As we pumped water, one of the dogs would get upstream and play in the water--causing the dirt to stir up and dirty our water. The dogs had so much energy. We saw lots of chipmunks all throughout the day. Neat how the trail would change at different areas. At times we'd walk along a wide trail with shrubs, other times walk through a forest of spruce trees, and other times go down an old country road. The miles went by really fast. We'd do 3 mph. So weird how we can put our bodies in automatic hiking mode--just go and not realize how fast we're hiking.After lunch I began to feel more pain in my left foot. It has been giving me problems for about 3 days now. It felt like my shoelaces were tied too tight so I stopped at a creek and stretched it out--not tying my laces at all. Hoping it would get better.We reached the "actual" midpoint of the AT. Can't believe it. That put us at Pine Grove Furnace Campstore--home of the Half Gallon Club. See, hikers reach the halfway point and also get to try to eat a half gallon of ice cream as fast as they can. All of us but Diesel attempted the challenge. I went with vanilla, Speck with chocolate peanut butter cups, Oopu with vanilla, Slick Rock with banana split, and Cire would eat by the pints having different flavors. Oopu, Slick Rock, and Cire dropped out. My last 3 bites took me FOREVER! By this time my tummy was not feeling too well. But, I did it in 1 hour and 11 minutes. I ate a half gallon of ice cream. I would say that I'm crazy! I did win a wooden spoon saying that I was now a member of the Half Gallon Club. Believe me, I will NEVER, EVER eat one-half gallon of ice cream in one sitting again. Speck also finished hers in 2 hours and 20 minutes. More power to the girls! I iced my now swollen foot. Ouchie!!Enjoyed hiking through the park. Had a nice big lake. We again tented tonight. Still feeling a little bloated right now. Going to sleep really good tonight.
Date: 2003-06-07
From: 1.8 mi past Midpoint Marker

To: PA34
Miles today: 0.0

The rain greeted me this morning. Got all my stuff packed inside my tent to prevent it from getting wet. We only had about 7 miles until we were going to be picked up. The trails were worse today. Nothing but water, water everywhere! We had to cross yet another raging creek that was probably at one time a nice little stream. I slipped and fell in--everything below my waist wet, frozen cold. After that I didn't mind hiking through the large amounts of water on the trail. We reached PA 34 and walked .2 miles to a general store where we changed into dry clothes and had some BBQ pork sandwiches. Mr. Capes and Mr. Sterling came and picked us up. We made 2 trips to the Stardust Motel. Took showers and left for Gettysburg. The 2 guys are Civil War passionists. We had an auto tour on tape. It was a pretty amazing day. Standing on Little Round Top, trying to picture nothing but fields of fighting people, brothers fighting against one another. Then I saw on one plaque something that just touched my heart. At one of the reunion/anniversaries, a Confederate and Union soldier shaking hands. Ahh...no words but only a smile on my face. Ate a good dinner with Mr. Sterling and Mr. Capes entertaining us with jokes. Really good to hang around these 2 guys. Now, trying to dry everying out. Hopefully, the rain will go away.
Date: 2003-06-08
From: PA 34

To: Backpackers Campsite
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Had some really good bagels this morning. Got back on the trail around 12:00. It was a cool day - no sun or rain. Grandpa Sterling and Mr. Capes walked up the trail with us, taking pictures. It was so nice spending time with those two. They always make me laugh. We ran into Texas Jack several times. Had a fun, interesting section of the trail. It ran into this rock that was above my waist. Had to literally climb up it. We basically had a jungle gym of rocks to climb up and down. I enjoyed them - they gave variety to the trail. Got to hike through pastures again. Had a good smell of chicken manure. I really enjoyed the hike. We camped at the Backpacker Campsite. It was good to get to the campsite early - to relax and let our tents air out. The campsite was right next to a railroad. Everytime a train would come by in the night, it'd scare the mess out of me. It was extremely loud. Good day. We reached 1100 miles.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: Backpackers Campsite

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Marathon DayGot up early to get a good start on our marathon day of 26 miles. It rained some last night but the sun greeted me this morning. The day started off great! Went through Boiling Springs, PA. A beautiful place. The trail went by this lake. Gazebos, benches, and ducks here and there. The trail went through pastures, over interstates, and down roads. It was very muddy and wet. We even got to walk through a pasture where the trail had cow manure and mud mixed. That was interesting, and gross! The way I took today was one mile at a time. If i thought of the whole 26 miles I wouldn't have enjoyed the hike. We had some climbs that resulted in beautiful views. We finished the 26 miles in 13 hours, including breaks. The road led into Duncannon, PA, a really small town that I would probably never visit unless I was on the trail. All the buildings touching one another, friends and neighbors sitting on porches talking with each other, a young baseball team enjoying ice cream at 3Bs Ice Cream after a victory. A nice little place. We walked the mile to the campground in our sandles, wet pruny, mushy feet. The campgroup I assume was for fishers....meaning RVs. It was really muddy and not the best place. We got a spot right next to the bathroom. I gave up taking a quick shower because the campsite was located right next to this river, which drew me in. I found a picnic table that over looked the river. It's amazing how a place like this can be so beautiful. THe interstate ran across the river. Watched all the cars rush by. Then I looked at the river that smoothly flowed by. Wondering what life was like back before cars & computers. Well,I left my "special peaceful place" and showered. We again ended up sleeping right next to railroad tracks...alright, two nights in a row! I was so tired I fell asleep right away.
Date: 2003-06-10
From: Duncannon

To: Harrisburg
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up earlier than I had to this morning so I could spend some time by the river. I went back to my picnic table. It looked like it was going to be another nice day. If we didn't hike the 26 yesterday, we would've had 11 miles to hike today. So because of that, we'll be taking 2 zero days. We packed up our stuff, headed to the post office, then went to the United Methodist Church. We chilled there, went through our boxes and checked email. It was so nice of the church to open their doors for hikers. A really nice place to relax. They even had a library there. A woman there told us about the burgers at the pub in town. We took her up on it and it was very good! I suggest the pub burger! After the meal we topped it off with ice cream and slushies.Tiffany, one of my good friends from Harrisburg, came and picked us up. We all fit and headed to her house. Did our shopping, cooked out and watched Hear No Evil, See No Evil. Good to see Tiffany and her family!