morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-20
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Pinnacles Picnic area
Miles today: 0.0

   Breakfast is served at 7:30 at the dinning room in the Big Meadows Lodge. Which is a nice place with a fantastic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A good breakfast is always appreciated.   We actually heard a mouse in our room a couple of times during the night. Gimp and i were worried about it getting in our food bags...so we got up and hung the bags from the bath room shower stall... just like sleeping a shelter. At least we could go back to sleep.   Good trail. Walked with Grady in the afternoon, as our hiking paces seem to match very nicely. He was about 200' feet behind when he excitedly called for me to come back and see something. After gettomg back to him, he pointed to the ground and a rattle snake slowly crawling off the trail!!!! I didn;t see the snake when i walked by a few seconds earlier, and glad that i didn;t step on him.   Got water from the picnic grounds and headed down the trail to cook and set up camp for the nite.
Date: 2007-07-21
From: Pinnacles Picnic area

To: Hog Back Peak No 2
Miles today: 17.1

Shenandoah has good hiking trail.   Even saw a volunteer out with a weed eater trimming back the the brush and weeds on both side of the trail. Nice keeping the brush off your legs when you walk by.   BEAR!! Had one more chance to see a bear in the wild. Looked up ahead to see where the trail was heading and saw a black blob in the trail. Realized in a second what it was. He stood there looking at me for a couple of moments and hope the picture that i took of him turns out. That must have been his cue to run off back into the woods. He wasn;t very big one or maybe a large cub.   Looking for the evening camp site , along the edge of a steep mountain side. The park service has an offical site for hang gliders launching there.   Would hvae been great to see one take off. I can;t imagine voluntarily jumping off the side of that mountain.   Found a flat, smooth spot for the nite and settled in.
Date: 2007-07-22
From: Hog Back Peak No 2

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

   Up early, excited about going into Front Royal and having a day off and in town. Only one up until the long down to highway 522. Walked with Gimp most of the day, as our hiking speeds seem to match particularly well this day.   I decided to hike a short section on the Skyline Drive one more time before it ends. Picked a section to hike on that the road went thru a short tunnel. Good choice and one more vista from the road that you don;t get from the trail.   Got to the highway and hitched a ride into town, only took about 10 minutes and a bright red pickup truck stopped for us.   We jumped in the back with our stuff and were off.   At least we didn;t stink up the inside of the cab. Got dropped off only a few blocks from the motel.   Stayed at the Quality Inn, seemed to be hiker friendly and has a free shuttle back to the trail. Ate with Gimp for supper and finished with a double scoop hot fudge sunday from Baskin Robbins just across the street.
Date: 2007-07-24
From: Front Royal

To: Dick's Dome
Miles today: 15.1

   Today will be different from the past three weeks. Those were spent hiking with Gimp or Gimp and Knot Head, or staying in the same camp ground. Knot head is not due back from her time off the trail until at least tomorrow and possibily later. Gimp is staying in Front Royal to wait for her. So I am heading out by my self.   Shuttle to the trail was by the janitor of the motel in his old trusty pickup truck.   Left right on the appointed time of 8:30.   Typical AT trail.... up and down and up and down. Lots of sweet red raspberries all along the trail and around just around every turn. Gets so you only look for the sweetest looking ones. Should have picked some for the cereal tomorrow morning and put them in the zip lock...but they don;t seem to last that long...disappearing as they are picked.   Stayed in an unusual shelter that was geodotic dome, but only big enough to sleep 4. Had company with a section hiker and and week hiker. Called Barb and we had good reception even down in the bottom of the hollow.
Date: 2007-07-25
From: Dick's Dome

To: Sam Moore
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Going to be off the trail pretty soon....like on August 1, it is kind of bitter-sweet though. Never realized quite what i was getting into. It is harder physically than i had expected. But the good things and good people seem to make up for that hardness. There is some type of trail magnet that just seems to lure you on to the trail.   Lots and lots of ripe red raspberries all along the trail. Spent lots of time picking and eating.   Started the famous "roller coaster" enjoyed and laughed at the warning sign posted at the start.            HIKER NOTICE            WARNING   You are about to enter the roller coaster   built and maintained by the "trail boss"   and his merry band of volunteers.   Have a great ride and we hope to see you   at the other end.....if you survive!!!   Well i didn;t make it...at least in one day. Stopped at the shelter half way through...just to save some fun for tomorrow.
Date: 2007-07-26
From: Sam Moore

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: few clouds

   Woke up with the birds. Wonder if this will be a permanent thing that carries over into regular civilian life.   Three more roller coaster hills till the Bears Den Hostel. Decided to stop ahd check out the hostel. It is a beautiful old place and impeccably maintained. Huge stone mansion. The temporay hostel manager was very, very nice, had a pint of fresh blue berries. Great with some cereal,sugar and milk. Used their internet/computer terminal to check up on the world.    Back to the last 2 of the roller coasters and on to the Blackburn Trail Center. Long very steep down hill to the center. Another neat AT facility. Originally a Washington DC doctor's summer get-away-place. The hostel managers were former thru hikers Hopeful and Redwing. Super nice people and great supper.   Also staying the hostel was a volunteer worker. He was retired Methodist Minister from West Virginina. His jog at the moment was splitting and stacking fire wood fro the center this winter. And had fun trading trail stories..all around the table.   Hopeful wanted to know how i was going to answer the question "how did you like the trail?" in less than minute. Especially for someone who really wasn't interested in hiking. Have to think about that one for awhile.
Date: 2007-07-27
From: Blackburn Trail Center

To: Harpers Ferry!!!
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

   Slept on the screened porch last nite. There was nice cool breeze coming thru the corner and that was the spot i rolled out my pad and sleeping bag. Lot cooler than in the bunk house, by far. Shortly after going to sleep a vehicle drove up and flash lights were shinning in my face. Two cops were asking questions about who i was and were i had come from and etc. Not really pointed questions, but still had me wondering what was going on. They seemed satisfied and left shortly..never did say what it was all about. They never talked to the hostel manager and they weren;t sure what was going on either.   Not much for elevation change but Virginia wouldn;t let go, for a nice easy down hill cruise into Harpers Ferry. All kinds of rocks. Big, little, round, sharp, flat, you name it and they were there. Just a preview of Penn???   Feeling pretty good about making it to my destination!! When i could hear the highway ahead, had to let out a couple of celebration type yells and whoops.!! Good thing no one was around.    Stopped at the ATC center at about 1:30 and had my picture taken as a section hikers...as i guess that is what i truly am. Might be a whole big section, but still only part.   Decided to stay at the Harpers Ferry Hilltop House Hotel, as they have hikers rates. Cool old place and super neat location. Room wasn;t ready yet so went to get a late lunch.
Date: 2007-07-28
From: Pen Mar County Park

To: Free State Hostel Md 17
Miles today: 9.8

   This is my chance to try south bound hiking! I have 4 days before i have to be back in Harpers Ferry to meet my wife, who is coming coming on the Amtrak on Aug 1. So have arranged a shuttle north to Pa for this morning, to then hike south across the entire state of Maryland. It is only 40 miles so not a big deal, but one more state off the list.   But first ate a huge buffet breakfast at the old hotel. The hotel is at a gorgeous spot and the view of the Shendoah and Potomac Rivers is great.    My shuttle driver was right on time and arrived at Penmar Park on the Pa-Ma line for my south bound.   NO surprize! But stepping over the rocks and climbing the hills doesn't   feel any different southboud than it does northbound. Sections of rocks that were hard walking and section of nice smooth trail. Maybe this is what everybody talks about in Pa and i don;t think it would be to bad.   Decided to stay at the "Free State Hostel". Brand new hostel set up last winter by a former thru hiker.
Date: 2007-07-29
From: Free State Hostel Md 17

To: Dahlgrens Backpackers Campground
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: moderate rain

      A whole bunch of rain,lightning and thunder last nite. Enough to wake me up even in the hostel. The power flash on and off as well. But sure was nice to be inside and dry.   Left to start the day's hike in the rain. This is actually the first time i started the day hiking in the rain, walked in the rain a lot of times but never actually started out in the rain. Quite fitting that on one of the last days on the trail to start in the rain.   Since it was Sunday, heard church bells ringing down below.   Lots of day hikers out, especially since the sun has come out. Probably the most i have seen on any section so far. Set up camp at Dahlgran backpacker camp ground, ate super and took shower. Came back to my site and who is camping right next to mine...Gimp. What a surprize!!!! I thought they were headed out to do their flip flop up to Maine. But Gimp was headed out alone for a couple of days while Knot Heads feet rest up. Enjoyed the evening visiting.
Date: 2007-07-30
From: Dahlgrens Backpackers Campground

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: broken clouds

Headed south today on my last full hiking day. Not nearly as many people out today as yesterday. Gathland State Park has a monument dedicated to the war correspondents of the Civil War and is the only one of its kind in the states. The structure was built in the 1890's and is very ornate.       The temps were very hot again and was happy to see the soda machine in the park. The idea of a wet and ice cold drink was very appealing!!   But ended up frustrated that the machine would only accept dollar bills. An older couple was nearby and must have felt sorry for me as they couldn;t make change either but graciously offerd to buy a soda for me. Thanks to a another trail magic happeing.   Got directions from Mismatch hiking north on how to blue blaze to the hostel off of the C&O canal. The offical directions involve some road walking and probable lack of shade, which didn;t seem very appealing in the heat.   Big down into the Potomac River Valley. The markings for the blue blaze into the hostel were not real good. But happened to look off to the side of the long, flat C&O canal trail and noticed the markings. Nice place and really friendly. It is open to anyone traveling and not just hikers only.   A couple of intersting characters staying. It is run by Hosteling International.   Ate at a nearby restaurant down the road a short distance. Hiker hunger is still in force, and they did a good job of filling it.   Only a short hour hike or less, left from here to actually being in Harpers Ferry, which will complete the loop. And that is for tomorrow.
Date: 2007-07-31
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Harpery Ferry National Park
Miles today: 0.3

Today is just a short walk into town. Will be off the trail tomorrow and wondering what the future will be bring. The saying on the trail that it is a life changing experience. Wonder if that will be the case for me???   Wish the best of luck to all those out there who are finishing. It was great to meet and get to know you. Thanks to my family and especially my wife Barb, for all their help and support.   Not sure if i will be back to finish the rest of the trail some time in the future or not. I guess i will leave that for the future to tell.
Date: 2007-08-31
From: Harpery Ferry National Park

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

   Life has returned to normal after the past almost 4 weeks at home. It has been a lot of fun talking to people and friends about the trip. Some are genuinely intersted in the trail and is fun to see there reaction. I do have an urge to get back on the trail, and hope to satisfy that by doing a few miles for at least a couple of days on the Ice Age Trail here in Wisconsin before it gets close to the winter season.   I noticed recently that the statistics for my hike are not correct, in fact they are way off. My daily average is no where near as high as that listed. It is due to some errors on our part when entering the daily mileage/destination. At the start of the trip several days of hiking were combined into one entry, just to make it easy for us.   Good luck to all those out there still hiking!!!!
Date: 2007-09-01
To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

      The first half of winter has passed quite quickly it seems.   I have not had any serious bouts of cabin fever and this is one of the more snowy years. The Yaktraks pro work well and have given a feeling that you are not taking your life in your hands if you venture out on the sidewalks.   Even though i only finished half the AT last year, i don't seem to be getting the overwhelming urge to get out and finish this year. Have been reading some of the trail journals of those starting or getting ready to start their thru hikes, i am not envious of them.   I am a little envious of their ambition, energy and ambition but not the trip itself. Just not ready to make the apparent huge commiment of time and energy to the endeaver.      The Ice Age Trail here in Wisconsin is beckoning, however. I do have the urge to finish hiking the miles that i have not already completed in the past years. Only 350 or so miles remaing...not anywhere the big undertaking of the AT. The fall is the best time of year and my favorite ....to walk on the crunching leaves and the smell of the cool fall temps are in the air. Think i just talked myself in to heading out and i get to enjoy the good life here and home and with my wife and family.
Date: 2007-03-02
To: INTRODUCTION
Miles today: 0.0

Greetings from Atlanta....i am ken-57,(WHITEBEAR--after you see me you will know why)..married to patricia-NOT 57, (CUJO--a much longer story)..we are freshly retired, and never in a better position to do the AT...so we trotted off to our local REI stores--gave them lots of $--and we are here awaiting the first of april...we are lucky enough to have some trails near us....and more lucky to be close to stone mountain ...where we trot over to train quite often..it is wonderful to feel the pain of getting into better shape...such a good pain..we are ABSOLUTE rookies at this...although we have camped a bit..never anything like the AT...so we have been doing everything we can to learn...we have been lurking here and whiteblaze..ordered all the dvd's of the trail...living in a house where dehydrated aromas abound...hiking gear lying all over the house...UPS visits frequently delivering the newest hiking trinkets and NON-cotton apparel..probably like all of you (if anyone reads this) we, too, have seen the eyes widen...foreheads furrow..and mouths slowly produce phrases we ALL have heard..("you're going to do WHAT"...or "are you f----g crazy...")..and the question of all question..."WHY?"we have learned to simply smile...realizing we love most of these folks..and they are doing the best they can...for being where they are in their lives.. no need to even attempt to reply to most of those questions...kinda of like if you know us, why would you ever ask... pat...er CUJO and i are the LUCKIEST people on earth...blessed with great kids ...on their own and supporting themselves..we have built the last house we shall ever live in...and we are retired...that means every day is SATURDAY!!we know we are old folks....but dont count us out so quickly... you young legged swift thoroughbreds....because as some of you quick steppers pass us... and as you may feel sympathy for our wheezing and breath-gasping... you may have missed our eyes...as they soak in the sheer beauty of the trail...as they drink in the wondrousness of being alive in such a special place...we look forward to sharing the trail with all of you....we are all indeed lucky
Date: 2007-03-03
To: STOVEMAN
Miles today: 0.0

although retired...i have found a new line of work...if i am in dire need of money, i think i may be able to make ends meet as a stove manufacturor....i do not have a cat.....but i have more damn empty catfood cans of all sizes ....i do not drink pepsi (i DO live in atlanta!!)..but i have a bevy of pepsi cans littering my garage...i DO enjoy beer..which might explain the empty bud-miller-heinekin containers strewn on my workbenchyou see...i am a student of sgt rock...alcohol stove guru...a bookmark i have found valuable...i have cut/sawed/split/whittled/soldered/drilled more damn smelly aluminum cans than i care to remember...and i have selected the stoves lucky enough to feed us for 2170 miles...the cat stove...seems to burn hotter...and with a WHITEBEAR "air dampener" i can extend its burn time...our pals at home depot have supplied the aluminum flashing for our wind screens...it seems to be more sturdy than the cooking sheet alum pan screens...and at about the same weight...CUJO (with another of her zillion skills) has sewn a special pouch to house the windscreens...and they fit in the area that is insulated from my back and Osprey backpack perfectly...move over racheal ray
Date: 2007-03-04
To: RAMBLINGS
Miles today: 0.0

funny how the trail invades your life...i find myself thinking (in the middle of the day) of goofyass ways to decrease my pack weight...dreaming of better ways to hang our bear bag....just where and when we shall be able to send our winter fleece home...and mail drops..bounce boxes..i dont even wish to go there...it almost equals the decision to go with a water-filter or use chemicals...and tent vs shelter....it is here where i am thinking of the thruhiker community....i have bitten the bullet and decided to tent....NOT because of my love of a tent....but because of my love for you all...(and my fear of an ass whipping every night)...you see my young friends... as you "mature"...especially after you "mature" for 50 years...special things happen to your body...right after God decides to help regulate your body temp with hot flashes...he introduces (to men at least) the "songs of the night"...i had never before made the kind of noises as i slept as i do now (says Cujo)...and it is a real test of love for her...so i shall try to keep my snoring at a minimum...and at a distance... in life i think a wisdom comes from realizing one's strengths and weaknesses... remember...we are new at this...we are earnest as we ask you all questions...we want to learn...pat and i are lucky as we have each other for support...and if we can do anything for any of you...it will make us smilewe shall also provide comedic relief as you watch our stumbling as we learn trail life i am sure...so be prepared to laugh....and we shall laugh with you...it is what families do
Date: 2007-03-07
To: COME ON DOWN!!!
Miles today: 0.0

Just a note to all you folks not in the south....particularly Georgia....Great News....IT IS WARMING UP!!!!!!.... the high in atlanta today is the low 70's....and we all know springer aint in atlanta....but hikers starting today should begin in EXCELLENT weather....after a brisk morning.....if you listen carefully throughout the day, you can hear the layers getting peeled off....spring is almost here....60's and 70's for the next 10 days...dreams are beginning....y'all come on down....
Date: 2007-03-10
To: FOOTPRINTS
Miles today: 0.0

we read so many other's journals here, and are amazed at how much the trail means to so many...so many arranging so much of their time and lives to do thisarranging leaves from work...actually quitting jobs...watching the clock as students try to cram their trail between semesters....downsizing housing...hell, selling houses...we are in such admiration especially as we follow the journals of the ladies who are doing the trail alone..we feed off their planning, courage, strength, and determination... we shall look for the footprints of alleycat...melinda...juniper...rutabaga...good work...we finally got the income tax crap filed....arranged to have the yard work done for this season....and forwarded the mail to our daughter (she is crazy about that!!!)....getting all the monthly bills handled....insurance and vehicle tags paid in advance...and wondering all the while if we are forgetting anything....cujo is firing up the pocketmailer....our stone mtn training continues even with our son's visit as he escaped the ontario weather....he and his lady joined us yesterday as we hiked the loop.....i got an extra pair of boots...and luckily his shoe size is the same as mine.....so he volunteered to put another 6 break-in miles on them for me...great kidi am glad to see the weather less severe on our brothers and sisters already on the trail...they all are like celebrities to us now...the trees are budding everywhere down here...you can just feel the spring...while time goes both quickly and slowly...
Date: 2007-03-15
To: SIR SPRINGER
Miles today: 0.0

sir springer sighed....and wheezed a coughamidst the cold march windand whispered to the southern range"they've come back yet again" i see their touques.....i feel their stepsi know they're all aroundthey clomp and stomp so clumsilythey sleep upon my ground most faces new...all eyes unsurethey meet upon my faceto start a quest...to live a dreamto flee the city paceAs years gone past I¢ll launch them northStart all but finish fewTo step my trail¢¦to feel my world..To taste my mountain dewI¢ll scare them with a puff of windI¢ll wear them down with rainAnd when the few do muster onMy hills will cause them painI like these folk¢¦most come to learnand listen more than speakand cherish all the miles betweenMy brother katahdin¢s peak
Date: 2007-03-15
To: JUST WONDERING
Miles today: 0.0

soon i hope i shall be able to NOT click "preparation" before entering something here....#1 son (there is only one) is here thru saturday...departing for a drive back to gooderham ontario.....so we are thinking of moving UP our departure date...so that is good...it FORCES us to fine-tune mail drops...make decision on bounce box...and get our asses down to destin to dump everything on our #1 daughter (there is only one of them also)...we should do this quickly before she changes her mind of becoming our "interface to the world"....so a farewell kiss to canadians...a quick jaunt to destin...back to atlanta..and a final backpack shakedown (like we havent done 437 of them already)...i was wondering..why is water so damn heavy?do old legs ALWAYS hurt?why does sweat smell?cap, hat, or doo-rag?trowel or boot dig?trail food--meals or just fuel?why is cujo stronger than me?does breaking camp ALWAYS suck?why does cujo NEVER treat MY boots?has stone mtn become PRR? (pointless round and rounds)do people who don't control their dogs...not control their kids?should one start the trail with "shaved" chafing areas?why have i not even THOUGHT of how we shall get home from maine?is cujo cutting my hair scary?more than my cutting HER hair?why cant mice taste like chicken?so we are looking at the calendar....and wondering if we are wasting miles and tiring legs at stone mtn that we could be tiring on the trail...we are like a football team before the first game....we are tired of practicing....and ready(?) to do the real thing...maybe move departure up a week...we are lucky enough to have a GREAT friend to drive us up to springer...trail angel DANNY....