morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-07
From: Pass Mountain Shelter

To: Tom Floyd Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It poured last night but I was completely dry my tent. The good thing about the rain was that it kept the bugs away for couple hours this morning. It was quite the change. It seemed like with a flick of a switch the bugs are out now. It was misty and foggy when I hit the trail at 7:15 and it soon warmed up into the high 70's. I was flying down the trail when I ran into Top Fuel and Green Fire. They were going to the wayside a few miles ahead. I wasn't planning on stopping since I had all the food and drink I need it. However, I went anyway.The wayside was great. I grabbed a freshly baked cinnamon roll and a couple of string cheeses. It sounds like an odd combination but it's what struck me in the morning. It was a good treat after a quick 7 miles. After I enjoyed the quick break and snacks I got back on the trail because I still at many more miles to do.The miles were flying by today and the terrain was a piece of cake. I'm looking forward to leaving Shenandoah so that could be why I'm excited. Either way, the hike was enjoyable.I was really enjoying it when at about 4:45pm I left the park for good¢¦ Finally! I completed Shenandoah in five days. I'm pretty happy with that! I pushed hard to get through sometimes. It's a great feeling to know that four of the five days were 20+ milers. I don't do it that often so it makes it even nicer.I got to the shelter and it's just a few of us: me, Giuseppe, Roadside, Hotpants, and Buster (just met him today). The shelter actually had cell phone service. I didn't have it at any point throughout the day so I was pretty surprised but happy. I was able to give Nikki a call even. It's pretty cool how we're both getting more excited as I get closer and closer to Connecticut. Even the map on the door is showing much more progress. I just keep moving up the East Coast. Soon I'll hit that thousand mile mark. Heading to a hostel in the morning. I could surely use a shower and some laundry! I'm also going to send back a few items that I no longer need. Might as well lighten my pack couple pounds. Should be another great day.
Date: 2015-05-08
From: Tom Floyd Shelter

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: light rain

Today was a short day but a good day. I was able to get up a little bit later than I normally do because I was only doing about 3 miles today. The destination was Mountain Cabbin Hostel... Yes, that is how it's spelled. Mountain Cabbin was not actually hostel, it was more of a bed-and-breakfast. It was for a thru hikers budget but it had all the accommodations of home. The cabin was set on an old plantation dating back pre-Civil War. Some of the buildings on the property are in the process of renovation. Where we are staying is actually the old slave quarters. It has since been turned into a bed-and-breakfast with six bed. It's an absolutely beautiful place. They restored it immaculately and I can't wait to see with the other buildings are going to look like in a few years when they're completed. As soon as I arrived I was greeted by proprietor, Lisa. The first thing I needed from her was a direction as to where exactly the showers. I felt pretty grubby and that is the first thing on the list. So after a quick shower and change of clothes she shuttled me and Giuseppe into town. I went right to McDonald's and loaded up on the calories indeed my much-needed laundry.With laundry complete I took a walk across town and headed to the post office. I need to send a few things back which would continue to lighten my backpack. It was pretty cool as I walk to the post office. The old buildings in the town full of history. We don't always get a chance to see that so it was pretty nice.With a couple of my chores done, the last one was to resupply. So I took walk back through town and headed over to Martin's Supermarket. Martin's is literally Stop & Shop. I resupplied for five days but I'm trying to vary my food a bit. It's not that I'm getting sick of the food, it's I'm trying to keep my pack weight down. I think I did a pretty good job. When I got back and broke all my food down and separated into the individual days, it was a little bit lighter than I had been. I was pretty happy with that. Lisa shuttle me and Giuseppe back to the hostel as soon as we were done. The last thing on the agenda was to fill our stomachs with some more greasy food. So I made a phone call to Domino's and in a short bit of time they brought us some pizzas. I ate that pizza quicker than I ever thought I would. It was fantastic! That's about it for the moment. Unfortunately I have to leave this amazing place in the morning. The good part is I've got French toast sending me on my way in a few hours!
Date: 2015-05-09
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: few clouds

I really enjoyed the stay at Mountain Cabbin last night. It's a hidden gem for sure. It was a welcoming and comfortable stay. Some day I'm going to go back. The day started out with breakfast by Lisa. She sources local produce so it's great she supports the community. I had French toast, strawberries, OJ for breakfast. I could have sat there all day but I did have to hike, after all. After saying goodbye, Giuseppe and I were headed down the trail. It was a bit warm but the sun wasn't beating down like it's been. Plus, the bugs didn't come out. Maybe they're taking the day off because it's the weekend. Whatever the case, it's great that they're not annoying the crap out of me.The terrain wasn't bad and it had just a few climbs. There are quite a few day hikers taking advantage of the beautiful weather too. There are also multiple people looking for wild mushrooms. I don't know what to tell you, but there's no way I'm eating mushrooms I find in the woods. Anyway, I hiked with Giuseppe the entire day and our miles were flying by. Hiking with another person helps big time. Plus, he's interesting and extremely knowledgeable about the trail. This is his third thru. We stopped at the first shelter we came across: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter. It was a pretty cool shelter. It had Adirondack chairs, a deck, and even a solar shower. I turn the water on and it was definitely a shower, but not so much solar. It was still a good spot to stop for a snack. But as soon as we were done we continued on another 5 miles to have a quick lunch. After that quick lunch was another 5 miles to get to Dick's Dome Shelter where we were planning to stop for the night. It would have only been a 15 mile day and it would've been early so we decided to press on. Eight miles later we made it to the Rod Hollow Shelter for the night. It's pretty quiet other than two section hikers that are tenting and two thru through hikers that are tenting.Doing those extra miles today is really gonna help out tomorrow's hike. Tomorrow we encounter the roller coaster¢¦ It is a 13 mile section of intense ups and downs with minimal breaks. I guess we'll see how that is. On a good note tomorrow I will be breaking 1000 miles. Can't wait!
Date: 2015-05-10
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 17.9

Today was amazing. I hit a milestone. 1,000 miles! I hit the trail at 7 AM and walked through more spiderwebs than I ever had before. I guess that's what happens when I'm the first one on the trail. I'm was making good time and I got to the Sam Moore Shelter, 7 miles in, for a quick snack. When I stopped there were two section hikers, Water Dog and Skye, who stayed for the night. I got to hang out with them for over an hour. They had a bunch of thru hiker questions and it was pretty of cool to be on the side of answering them. I remember asking all those questions before I attempted this. They were kind enough to make me scrambled eggs too!The shelter was at mile 999.9. Really. It was pretty cool to think that two minutes after I leave the shelter I would cross the 1,000 mile mark though. The only thing is the trail has been rerouted over the years and the 1,000 mile mark sign is actually a few miles away. So although I actually hit the 1,000 mile mark, the sign wasn't until a few miles away. As I continued on I came across many day hikers on this beautiful, warm day. It was pretty cool a couple of times. I was saying how I just hit the 1,000 mile mark a short time ago and people were amazed. They were excited and excited for me. Hearing their positive comments and accepting their well wishes felt great. When I broke the 1,000 mile mark and was telling people, I was, and am, proud of my accomplishment. It feels really good to know I persevered through the miles to get to this point. There were good days and bad days but this makes it all worth it. Seriously, I am still in amazement...cloud nine. I was feeling really good but I knew I still had a few more miles to go. I tried to get through them quickly but my progress was slow. I took a little longer than normal but I made it to the Blackburn AT Center where I'm staying the night. It's amazing here. It's a huge house, really, but caretakers live here and provide a bunch of services for long-distance hikers. It has an amazing screened in wraparound porch, solar shower, tent pads, a bunk house and more. When I arrived, Sandi, the caretaker, greeted me and even gave me a soda. Score! On top of that she even made dinner too. It was extremely kind and completely unnecessary¢¦ But i enjoyed every last bite of it!This has truly been an amazing day. Tomorrow I heading to Harpers Ferry and find out what number thru hiker I am. Looking forward to another busy day. Woo hoo!
Date: 2015-05-11
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Knoxville, MD
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Hot one today. Was happy that the train wasn't bad but it felt like the miles a little slow. It happens sometimes. I was really excited to get to the ATC to see what number northbound through hiker I was. Maybe that's why it felt long. Anyway, the ATC was the first stop on the hottest. I went in, had my picture taken and waited to find out what number I was. I am really happy to know that I am hiker number 106. After finding the number I needed to go to the post office to pick up the package. Nikki sent me a shirt I needed and Heg sent me some tasty treats. After leaving the ATC in the post office I started walking through the wonderful old town of Harpers Ferry. The town is amazingly beautiful and historic. The architecture from the buildings to waterways was really neat to see. I would have loved trip toward the town in Museum of the trail awaits. I did stop for a burger on the way out of town though. I continued walking out of town and have successfully finished West Virginia. Welcome to Maryland! I crossed off another state in just a short amount of time. It's pretty cool to complete a state. After leaving Harpers Ferry the trail parallels and crosses the Shenandoah River. It followed a railroad-grade flat footpath to Knoxville, Maryland where I started on my way to the international hostel.The hostel I'm staying at is really nice. It has a huge living room and kitchen, the bunk room is nice clean, and the staff are very friendly. A big plus is they have free food in the fridge. Score! I took advantage of that and the caretaker even made us dinner. We had pasta, salad, and mac & cheese. It was a good choice to stop here. Is over but I was able to talk to Nikki and update my trail journal. Overall, it was a great day.
Date: 2015-05-12
From: Knoxville, MD

To: Annapolis Rocks Campsite
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: few clouds

Another good day. It started off with blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes and sausage patties for breakfast. I did not hesitate to get my fill. It helped fuel me for the start of the day. I left the hostel and took the 1 mile road walk to get to the trailhead. When I started hiking it was hot and there was no breeze. Once I gain some elevation the breeze came through and stayed for the remainder of the day. It made the 80° feel much cooler.The trail itself was mild with climbs but was really rocky and many of the sections. It wasn't every step but it sure felt like it. Despite that, I made good time. I really like where trail went through today. It's goes near Civil War battle grounds. Or ruins of old barns, there were monuments to war officers, and monuments to George Washington. The George Washington monument you can actually climb in. It has fantastic views of the valley below. What I really found interesting was from the vantage point you could see into Antietam Battlefield. What amazing areas I have walked through or have seen.The day ends at Annapolis Rocks campsite. When sitting at the rocks there is an amazing view of the valley below. Giuseppe and I ate dinner up there and caught the sun go down too. It was a nice way to spend the day.
Date: 2015-05-13
From: Annapolis Rocks Campsite

To: Deer Lick Shelter
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: clear sky

Giuseppe and I hit the trail and hiked together the entire day. We had wonderfully cool and breezy weather. It was quite the change and we welcomed it!We were only an hour or two into the hike when we saw something cool. Bears! I went through the Smokies and Shenandoah and didn't see a single one. Yet, I am in Maryland and I see two. We were just walking down the trail and we definitely did not see mama bear. She was maybe 20 yards to our left when all of a sudden we heard something loud and saw the tail end of a bear running away. At a safe distance, she stood on her back legs and leaned against a tree just staring at the both of us. While she was doing that I noticed a cub on the other side of the trail, maybe 40 yards away. Giuseppe and I were walking away slowly yet trying to capture the moment with our phones. Neither of our pictures came out clear¢¦ I think our hands were shaking. As we were backing away the mama bear came over to the trail, stopped and stared at us. Then she continued on to see her cub. She didn't growl or bluff charge but it still made our hearts race. We couldn't stop talking about this for the remainder of the day. It was a pretty neat experience.We continuedq on our hike and the footpath was really rocky. We are in Pennsylvania though. It's tough on the knees specifically when descending. There weren't many large climbs but we had two or three small climbs that made us sweat.We stopped for lunch at a beautiful, log cabin designed shelter called Raven Rock Shelter. While eating lunch at Giuseppe noticed we had to go further along the trail than we originally thought. We needed to get to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania but the guide was confusing. It showed Waynesboro 2.9 miles closer than it really was. It was okay though. We made really good time all day. On her way to the road to hitch into town we hit some trail magic. A cooler of soda was left by a former through hiker named Blink. It was a nice surprise. As we continued walking and actually got to the road we hit more trail magic. Soda! This time by a hiker named Angry Bird. Thank you!Now at the road Giuseppe went out to try to get a hitch into Walmart. In less than 10 minutes, a truck stopped and gave both of us a lift. We hit up Walmart and did our full resupply. After breaking all of my food down and separating it for each day, Giuseppe went to Subway and I went to Sheetz. With my order being processed, a hiker named Samurai Blue came to me and asked if I was through hiking. He asked if I needed a ride and I took him up on this. He also picked up Giuseppe at Subway. It couldn't have worked out any better.Overall a great day. I know I have lots of 20+ days coming up. I need to make sure I eat, rest, and stay healthy. I'll be pushing hard these next few weeks to get to Connecticut.
Date: 2015-05-14
From: Deer Lick Shelter

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: clear sky

Another nice weather day. It was cool with a light breeze. It was perfect to hike in. The trees blocked the sun from beating down on me.When I left the trail I was making really good time. I stopped at Chimney Rocks Overlook, .1 miles off trail. If I was hiking with another person we may not have stopped. It's important to stop and smell the roses. But after the view I continued on and the trail became very rocky. It slowed my pace and I needed to be careful not to trip. About 10 miles in I didn't feel so good. I wasn't sure if I needed sugar or water but I was getting shaky. I stopped for a minute and a couple of granola bars and drank a bunch of water. I think I should've listened to my body and eaten earlier. I was just trying to make a couple more miles to the Caledonia State Park where I was planning to eat lunch and charge my phone. I need to listen to my body next time. After a break and some lunch at the park, I felt better. I was a little tired though. I shouldn't have let my body crash. It made the last 10 miles a little bit more difficult. The good part is I hiked with Giuseppe and he set a pace that I was able to follow.Tomorrow could be a big day. I may need to get up really early too. Let's hope for good weather and easy terrain!
Date: 2015-05-15
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: James Fry Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

got up this morning, everything as normal. I get out of my tent and start walking and noticed my ankle is really swollen and tight. It didn't seem like this when I went to bed. I'm thinking the constant lateral motion on the rocks has stressed my ankle. On top of that I've been doing 20 or more mile days I can see why it would be swollen. I have to still high and hope that it will loosen up and feel better. Not so much. I stopped about 5 miles into soak it in the stream. I then taped it up and kept hiking. It never felt great but I was able to still hike at a decent pace. I just had to baby on the rocks. Not much else I could do really. I hit a new milestone today. I have broken the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail! I am now closer to Maine then I am Georgia. I guess I can start counting down the miles instead of adding them up.After the halfway point it was about 7 miles to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. It's where the "half-gallon challenge" takes place. That is where hikers attempt to consume a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting. I saw a bunch of other hikers too but it didn't really appeal to me. Instead hide a couple bags of UTZ chips and a chip-wich (ice cream sandwich in between two cookies). It was fantastic! A couple hundred yards away from where the half-gallon challenge takes place, it's the Appalachian Trail Museum. It was pretty cool to walk around and see pieces of history. Artifacts included clothes and gear used on the very first thru-hike by a man named Earl Schaeffer.After leaving the museum I headed over towards the beach area. The park had free showers and I took advantage of that. It's been days since my last shower so the water felt amazing. I felt human again.After a much needed shower I still had 7 miles left to hike. Thankfully the terrain was easy but it was still a bit rocky. My ankle held up but I hope it feels better tomorrow. I may have to do a huge day. The terrain looks flat but 26 miles on a bad ankle is no good. Let's see what happens!
Date: 2015-05-16
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 26.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up very early. I wasn't sure how my ankle is going to feel. If it didn't feel good I need to make sure I had the most daylight for a slower pace. It was going to be a 26 mile day. Before getting out of my tent I taped my ankle for support. I figured it wouldn't be much better than yesterday. I was wrong, surprisingly. It felt great! It was still a bit swollen but it wasn't painful like yesterday. I really lucked out. The first 5 miles of the hike were pretty much rock-free. It was really nice. But eventually it came to a rock maze. It's literally referred to in the guide as Rock Maze. It was pretty cool going between all of the huge boulders. I just needed to make sure I went easy. I really didn't want to aggravate my ankle.About 6 miles into the hike Giuseppe showed up and we hiked together for the rest of the day. When we first started there were a couple miles of bumps but nothing crazy. Eventually we came to a cornfield even. We had a 14 mile section of flat terrain ahead of us. It was perfect! This 14 mile section was primarily rock free. It wandered through hundreds and hundreds of acres of farmland. Farms with multiple grain silos and enormous barns. It was amazing to be walking right through the fields where freshly tilled soil was to the left into the right of us. The trail eventually brought us to the town of Boiling Springs, PA. The ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) Mid-Atlantic office is right there so we stopped and hung out for a bit. We then left our packs and walked over to a local pizza place. We split a large Sicilian pizza for lunch. It was excellent and I saved two slices for dinner at the shelter.We left Boiling Springs around 1:30 PM. We still had a few miles to complete before the day was over. Those miles consisted of walking through small wood sections that separated fields, the fields themselves, or short road walks, including one over I-76.At about 6:45 PM we rolled into camp. It was a long day but felt really short since I hiked with Giuseppe. He makes really good time and we get along very well. On the agenda tomorrow is to head into Duncannon, PA. It's shower, laundry, resupply day. Nice!
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

I want this post to be a THANK YOU. At this point in the trek I am about 1,200 miles in but still have a long way to go. But without everyone, there's no way I'd be as happy and successful thus far. I am living the dream, my dream at least, and you should know I'm appreciative. READERS: For the people I have never met in person, I appreciate your interest in my journey and my journal. The comments you have left are motivating and I enjoy reading every one of them. FAMILY: Mom, Dad, Rick, Little-C, Big-T, TJ, & Rayna. I'm so fortunate to have such a loving and supporting family. This journey is tough on all of us but thank you for everything you've done for me. Not just for this trip, but for everything in life leading up to this trip and shaping me into the man I am today. Words cannot express my gratitude. NIkki: These days and nights have been hard being away...for the both of us. Without you being my biggest fan, I would not be here. You have sacrificed so many things to help me follow a dream. No words can show you how appreciative I am. This trip is making me a better person now and when I return. I miss you but I will be home soon. FRIENDS: I don't get to talk to you much right now but it's only temporary. Thanks for the amazing send-off and the support you have given me and Nikki. COWORKERS: You are my extended family. Your excitement for me to attempt this is unbelievable. It's always great to hear from you and I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks. HIKERS: Having the opportunity to meet you, hike with you, or just share a story, I want to say thank you. The trail is about the people, not the footpath. RANDOM PEOPLE: The people who help hikers out of the goodness of their hearts. From rides, to meals, to friendly conversation, you are appreciated more than you know. The trail would not be what it is without you. There are many more people I'd like to thank personally. I will see you when I return!