morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-19
From: Harper's Creek Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Went up and over the last big, long, tough mountain until pretty far up the trail. In the whites maybe? Three Ridges Mountain. A 2100 ft climb right out of Harpers Creek. Did a pretty long day today but the fog and mist mercifully lifted after lunch. Oh how I had missed the sun!! The highlight of the day was Humpback Rocks. I feel like I could see forever from up there, but like McAfee's Knob, it is accessible by nearby road and therefore very crowded. Oh well. And it was only .25 off the trail. Had lunch with Diesel and Coldsnap today, nice older couple from Massachusetts. I'm jealous of all their dehydrated homemade meals! Later in the day Orion passed me, like he always does. This Paul C. Wolfe Shelter is nice and spacious, has 2 levels and windows, but I had to get my tent out and set it up to dry, and air it out. Been wet too long. I'm camped between 2 sections of creek, so condensation could be an issue in the morning but whatever. Hung my foodbag on the first bearpole at a shelter yet. It's kind of like a chandelier and you hook your food bag on a metal stick and hook it up to the chandelier. Pretty cool, met a nice guy named Champa and remet Get Weird. It's been since early Georgia. Tomorrow I get into Waynesboro a day early (somehow) but I've heard all rooms are taken due to a university graduation. I'll figure something out. I also saw dotcom again tonight. She said she and Queen were enjoying my daily jokes in the shelter logs and commenting on them even though I can't read them.
Date: 2016-05-20
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Stanimal's 328 Hostel
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Short miles today out to Skyline Drive and then down to the Gourmet Popcorn Stand for hotdogs and a bag of caramel corn. I spoke to 2 customers there and asked if they were headed into Waynesboro and they were, so I asked if I could get a ride to a hostel. They obliged. I hopped in the bed of the truck which felt like it hit 300 miles an hour. Adam, who runs this hostel, thru-hiked the AT in '04, and a part of the PCT in '10. Very cool guy. Full house with 15 people tonight. I got the last bed! Here we have Twosocks, Coldsnap, Diesel, Luckydog, spiderman, Seabiscuit (from Belgium), Caboose and her dad Sweeper, Foodbag, Barkey, and Rue. We all went to Ming Garden Chinese Buffet and now I'm rewatching Casino Royale and getting sleepy with a full belly. I get to see my wife tomorrow!
Date: 2016-05-21
From: Stanimal's 328 Hostel

To: Days Inn Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero days, I think, are inherently less interesting to read or write about than normal days. But they are filled with limitless, hedonistic joy for me! Food, drinks, desserts, sleep, showers, vedging out ¢ non-stop butt-numbing laziness. And I regret none of it! My wonderful, amazing wife picked me up at Stanimals, briefly met the hikers there, and then we went to eat lunch at Greenleaf in downtown Waynesboro. Very good. Then we checked in at the Days Inn and picked up Socrosse and Orion from the Colony Motel and went to Bold Rock Cidery, where we had a flight each. It had a bottling area and the building was nice. Then we went to Devils Backbone Brewery, which was amazing. Great beer, good food, amazing ¢campus.¢ It had a firepit and Adirondack chairs all around, outside bar and some fields and great landscaping. The interior of the place has many taxidermied animals. We had a good time there. Great day!
Date: 2016-05-22
From: Days Inn Waynesboro

To: Days Inn Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Another wonderful zero! Continental breakfast, then we drove up into Shenandoah National Park for about 30 minutes before we realized the visitor center was at least another 30 minutes. So we instead went to Loft Mountain wayside, Jamie got her National Park Stamp in her passport, and her postcard, and I got my patch and some time out of the car. I had gotten very car sick. Skyline drive is super curvy and I think I saw Portuguese on the AT from the road at one point. In the wayside we ran into Ahab (now Megafaune?) and Tweety (now Numbs) and 2 other hikers. Then we went and saw Captain America: Civil War, which was awesome. Then we went to Blue Mountain Brewery for drinks and food. Great times!
Date: 2016-05-23
From: Days Inn Waynesboro

To: Days Inn Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Today was a preparation and relaxation day. We arranged for Jamie's pickup on Sunday. We're using Stanimal since his hostel was great and he's a good guy. Jamie cut my hair with a 2 guard, and we got our food and gear all sorted and situated. A little Cracker Barrel for breakfast, Wendy's for lunch and Silk Road asian fusion for dinner. Then I ate all the fudge and oreos I could manage. Naps, Shark Tank on TV and bed early. Very success!
Date: 2016-05-24
From: Days Inn Waynesboro

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

Ate continental breakfast at the motel, checked out at 11, drove to the Visitor Center near Rockfish Gap. Perfect sunny weather! We saw tractor seats and communication towers up on a mountain. Elevation wasn't too bad today. We had an easy pace and Jamie had to make some adjustments to her pack. We met Sphagvmum PI, and we are at the shelter with Stone, Last Call, Polar Bear, Ounce and Gram, (Ounce packed in oreos and beer!) and a group of 4 section hikers who seem to be crammed into a 3-person tent.The pole holding food bags out of bears' reach is loaded down. Met Poptart this morning at the popcorn stand on our way out. It was a great day. When my wife is with me, I feel whole. There is no longing. I have all I need. That is what I am usually missing. We had a great time at the shelter talking to people, this week will be great, despite our sloped tent site tonight.
Date: 2016-05-25
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning we cameled up at the spring on the way out, because there was a 12 mile section without water. I did end up pouring out half a liter, since I was carrying about 4 lbs of water, which I'm not used to. Early on, we passed a very sizzly powerline, and saw a bunny hopping in the trail. We heard what sounded like a bear cub crying, sort of like a toddler briefly wailing. We hiked a little faster. Later a deer right by the trail darted away and startled us. Today felt like a very long, constant uphill. The heat makes it tough. There was only one view today at an overlook, but Jamie and I motivated each other by singing Salt N Pepa ¢Push It.¢ It was a very tough day for Jamie today. 13 tough miles on her 2nd day is no joke. We each had a tiny tick on us. They are hard to see. Proud of Jamie, she got a blister on her foot. Ended up eating dinner at the shelter with Zero and Caveman, section hikers from PA. Met Patriot and TwoChains also. Now we'll try to sleep on rocks while Whipporwills endlessly call back and forth.Notes from Jamie: this was one of my toughest backpacking days ever! Hot, with very steep elevation change and I made the mistake of wearing something other than Darn Tough Socks, which is how I got a blister. Not enough scenic views this day to feel like the work was paying off.
Date: 2016-05-26
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today, we got up and left camp around 8:45. We reached Blackrock Summit, where Jamie walked right by a rattlesnake. I spotted its movement after she passed it. It was slithering away. Blackrock Summit was really cool. Many big boulders. We climbed up it (not too far) and got amazing 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. We hiked more and saw a black snake and a tiny snake. Saw a lot of bear poop on the trail, and 2 Chains passed and told us that a bear had wandered through the Blackrock camp site 15 minutes after we left. We saw a deer right by trail and Jamie got some decent photos of it. We resupplied at the camp store. There was a water fountain there which would spray 5 feet away. Seems like a lot of people get a surprise shower from it! Nice prank spot. We hiked .5 mi off the trail to the Loft Mountain Wayside, where we ate. Really good food. Jamie had a cheeseburger and fries, I had a salad and fries and guac. We both had blackberry milkshakes. A nice lady got us a bonus shake. She hiked most of the trail in 2010. She was wearing a happy baby.After lunch, we were hiking and a bug flew down my throat and I vomited a little. We saw part of the forest that was affected by the recent forest fire. There were charred logs and it smelled like a campfire. We finally made it to the shelter, where we debated tenting or not. Outside the shelter there was an ant civil war being waged. We also saw a handful of mice. After dinner Jamie was standing by the picnic table when I spotted a snake about a foot away from her. It was a young copperhead. Everyone was watching with headlamps and it went to a corner of the shelter where mice traversed and waited. It eventually saw one and bit it, but the mouse ran away. Then everyone started coughing. We thought it was a joke or something, but then we started coughing too. (Jamie comment: For a moment I wondered if copperhead snakes had some toxic gas-emitting power I was not aware of) A section hiker had accidentally puffed their bearspray into the air. The snake slithered off, and we set up the tent in the dark.Notes from Jamie: The views early in the morning at Blackrock Summit were amazing and just what I needed to get me excited about more hiking. Just beautiful. I can really appreciate the green mountains of the east coast more after spending a few years living in the brown desert of Phoenix. I'd like to revisit Blackrock summit sometime for sunset. This was a really snaky day, and I can't believe all my close calls! Seriously amazed Justin spotted the copperhead a foot from me when it was almost dark. He saved me! (I think the snake was more interested in the tasty shelter mice, but still glad Justin warned me to step back!) This was the day I truly understood why some people are wary of shelters. In a tent you have more protection from critters who might like to snuggle up to you.
Date: 2016-05-27
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Got a late start today. Hot! A lot of climbing. I got lightheaded and ran out of water. Jamie shared hers. Luckily we had a shorter day. Nice tent spot at Hightop Hut. Here with Zero and Caveman, Sunshine, Crooked Foot, Jeopardy, and Honeybuns. We passed the 900 mile mark! Had lunch with Zero and Caveman, talked about books with them. They sang Civil War Era Shanties, which is cool. No snakes or bears today. Not the most eventful day but we kept each other company. No milkshake motivation.
Date: 2016-05-28
From: Hightop Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: few clouds

Today was both great and a bit sad. Broke down camp with Jamie, which spoiled me. We work well together and split tasks. Met Spoony at camp and Mogli, who is actually, formerly Whistler from the smokies. After hiking awhile, we caught up to Spoony, who was getting bad back chafing. Jamie gave her some ointment and we gave her some Leukotape and applied it for her. It's nice to help people, even in little ways. Got to Swift Run Gap and Caveman and Zero caught up. We hung out with them a bit longer and then Jamie's ride showed up. Very hard to see her go, the 2 guys said to look them up when I get to Wingap, PA. Within the hour I saw a black bear run away off the trail. Jamie had wanted to see one the entire time she was out here. I got to the Lewis campground store and resupplied, got a pint of ice cream, and packed a local beer to the hut, mmm skyline lager. I'm the only thru-hiker here tonight, but lots of nice folks. Mess from NH, Matt from Raleigh, Shepherd with his deaf dog Sheep, and Snuffy. Shepherd was telling me about an older challenge on the AT. The Leisure Suit Challenge. You go to a thrift store, buy a cheap suit and wear it for 24 hours. Haha! Maybe. Mess recommended a book called Denali's Howl. A deer came out of the woods and Shepherd wanted to see how close he could get at a sprint. He got 3 paces, slipped in the mud and rolled. Haha! Glorious failure!
Date: 2016-05-29
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Byrds Nest #3
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was a good day. A long day as well. I got up around 6:30 and hiked out of camp. Did about 22.5 miles today. Felt pretty good. I wonder how I'm changing out here. It's hard to tell since I can't carry myself back into society, but I do wonder who I'll be by the end, or if it will still just be me. Still thinking about Jamie. Had a great time and made some good memories. It's hard to be nostalgic about things when you were solo. Today I met a semi-retired hiker named Hammer. We had a similar pace so we walked on together. You can get to know someone pretty easily out here if you're hiking. It frees the mind and lowers the defenses. He used to run his own real estate company, sold it, went to culinary school and became a chef and restaurant analyst. He helps restaurants cut costs and make menus more profitable. We hiked into Big Meadows wayside and had brunch. I had a blackberry cobbler, which was otherworldly. Finished there and hiked the rest of our day. I was a very rocky section. People who say Shenandoah is easy are lying, by the way. Got rained on a little and got cold. We joked about being the only 2 hikers in the shelter and sure enough it's true. Section hikers were hammocking behind and had a fire going. Ed and Mike and a few others. Nice guys. Hammer and I ate everything, got wet clothes off and crashed. Great day. Nice to have company. Beautiful day of trail. Life is good!
Date: 2016-05-30
From: Byrds Nest #3

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

¢Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.¢ - HammerIt has been excellent hiking with Hammer. We opened up to each other, exchange ideas, tell stories, ask each other questions, and it never feels one-sided. Great hiking company.Saw another bear today. My third one! Apparently there is a big one around the edge of the shelter tonight. Hmmm. Oh and Just had some major thunder. Haven't had to brave an all out thunderstorm in my tent yet. Hope it holds up!Food update: feet are better after getting new Hokas. I wonder if the insoles need replacing now as well. My toe socks are definitely too small, which I think can cramp my toes after awhile. 900 miles in + still learning.Just a random shout-out to Scurvy + Space Goat. Don't know if you guys got back on trail or not, but I hope you're well. And Hi-Ho, buddy, I'll see you in PA before long. Can't wait to hang out at your place, catch up + take a load off.Today I passed two guys hiking southbound wearing plastic viking hats. They were the "Hiking Vikings". Ha!Had lunch at Elk Willow Wayside today. Unfortunately no fried chicken, but I had a good cheeseburger + fries + a blackberry milkshake. Man, I know I talk about food a lot, but cut me a break people...some days that's my primary motivation! Met another older hiker named Journeyman.Arrived at the shelter, had dinner + met strider + Skebo (both ex-Army), + met a farmer thru hiker named Slider, from 2004. He said not too much has changed. Backpacking gear + you didn't see cell phones back then (he saw one the entire time).Talked with Spoony at dinner. She worked on a permaculture farm in Israel. Skeebo was psychological warfare in the Army. he once fooled enemy combatants into thinking the military base was larger than it really was. How did he do this? Speakers + sounds of trucks + drills + just general fake base noise.   Brilliant.And now it's pouring. Fingers crossed folks. I can't wait to get a shower but I don't want it tonight in my tent.PS - A mouse pooped in my croc. :-(
Date: 2016-05-31
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Quality Inn
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was an awesome day. Heck, the entire last week and a half has been amazing. Today Hammer, Spoony & I hiked together and had a good time. Saw a very unscarable deer, left Shenandoah Park & even got a hitch into Front Royal, well as soon as Hammer & I hid in the woods, Spoony, who is a young lady, got a hitch & asked if her friends could ride too. Haha. The nice man's son thru-hiked a few years ago, oh and before that we got trail magic sodas in a cooler thanks to "Corky".The three of us were dropped off at Thanwa Thai, which is attached to the Quality Inn, and their food was amazing. They homebrew a ginger lemon iced tea that is out of control. Spoony hitched out & I hiked on, Hammer went to Scottish Inn to meet his wife for their anniversary, & I resupplied at food lion and got chicken from KFC. Chicken, chocolate covered creme filled donuts + beer. Life is good.
Date: 2016-06-01
From: Quality Inn

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: mist

It had to have only been seconds between the time when I woke up this morning + the time i grabbed + started scarfing down chocolate-covered cream filled doughnuts. Priorities, people. Today's hiking was mostly uneventful. Up, down, lots of green, lots of rocks + birds + suicidal millipedes creeping across the trail, lots of poison ivy +_ very hot. If I were a superhero (villain?), I'd probably be wetman, or sweatman.Got shuttled back to the trail by the banjo player of the bluegrass band, Shenandoah Spirits, I met Appleseed + Peach Pit, who were hiking south with their dog. On the trail I met Bunny + Hank from California, very nice people. Ran into Shoe again. He took 6 days off so he was struggling to get back into the groove. And at the shelter I met Polland(?) from PA + Echo, a nice lady from Cary! Nothing too exciting today, but I'm packing cream cheese in + eating it with tortillas, we'll see how long that lasts.Had a nice, warm day, but I'm getting electrolytes from mio fit + have been feeling much better. Hmm..what else? Hey, big gulps eh? Alright see you later! Oh! This shelter is a geodesic dome, but only sleeps four. They are about a third of the way through building a new shelter just up the hill. Tomorrow I begin (and maybe complete) the ¢rollercoaster.¢ 13.5 miles of ascents and descents, should be properly exhausting. Let's do it! Come on! Meet me out here and lets go! Don't you like it when I break the 4th wall? I break it like the kool-aid man. Okay I'm done being delirious. Goodnight!
Date: 2016-06-02
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: overcast clouds

1000 miles! And I would walk 1000 miles and I would walk 1000 more, just to be the man who walked 2000 miles and 189 more.Started the roller coaster today. As you may have deduced, it's a lot of up and down. 7 peaks in 7 miles, roughly. 6 more miles left. Only 20 until Harpers Ferry. Sweeet! Today I marathoned the comedy podcast ¢My Brother My Brother and Me¢ and laughed up and down the mountains. Eat that, serious mountains. I laugh all over you!Tonight I'm chilling at the beautiful stone Bear's Den Hostel. Like a castle hidden in the woods, this place is gorgeous and offers a bunk, shower, laundry, pizza, soda, and pint of ice cream, and breakfast, for 30 bones. Not bad.Shoe and Echo are here, and a very nice young couple from Portland and Indianapolis. He works for Intel (trailname Brace) and she just got accepted as a medical resident at the University of Kentucky (trail name Curly). Very nice to meet them both. She was explaining the incredibly ludicrous process that is applying for residency, eek. Anyway this place is fantastic. Best hostel yet. I'll keep this one short so seeyaaa.
Date: 2016-06-03
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: drizzle

I made pancakes for the first time ever today. A 33 year old man, and just now with the pancakes. I'm really growing, folks. My breakfast game is going to be huge by the end of this.I have a crazy leg rash from hiking yesterday. Doesn't itch or burn but it's red. No idea. So while I'm learning new culinary highs, last night I reached a hygiene low. I had some food stuck between 2 teeth, and it was agonizingly painful for whatever reason. I had already ran out of floss in Waynesboro and I was desperate. I couldn't sleep at all, so I did the very very unthinkable. I went into the bathroom, grabbed a pieces of used floss out of the trashcan and proceeded to floss that one tooth. Yep, I sure did. I used trashfloss. A new hiker low. Standards are a funny thing.Finished out the roller coaster today, crossed into West Virginia and met my parents at Jefferson Rock. Was great to see them! Got to see a little of Harpers Ferry, but ended up heading to the hotel, grabbing dinner and getting lots of nice rest. Thanks Mom & Dad!
Date: 2016-06-04
From: Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry

To: Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Went to the ATC HQ today! I was so excited to get my official halfway picture taken. The people inside were very cool, informative and helpful. One of them thru-hiked many years ago. They put my picture in the book, I got a few postcards and we left and had lunch downtown at Bistro 1840. I believe Gordon Ramsay had tried to fix it up, but we were underwhelmed. But food is food and the company was good. We then went to Scoops for some ice cream. Walked around historic downtown a bit with Mom & Dad. Had a nice time at Whitehorse Tavern. So nice to have a break with family.
Date: 2016-06-05
From: Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry

To: Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

One more zero day. Epsomed my feet, cleaned them up, washed my pack, sleeping bag liner and pillow and clothes. Then Dad and I sprayed down my clothes and pack and tent with Permethrin. Let it set in the sun, then flipped it and sprayed it again. After another hour a huge storm rolled by and we got the stuff up with seconds to spare. The bottom dropped out. Had a nice rest day, and then Mom & Dad treated me to one last meal at Bistro Bison, which is a New Orleans style restaurant. Gumbo for the win!I don't know when I'll get visited again by friends or family, if at all. It's time to buckle down. I am proud of myself already, but I've got a very long way to go. I was looking at the elevation profile of Mt. Washington in the whites...woof. I'll worry about it then.
Date: 2016-06-06
From: Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: few clouds

My parents saw me off today by hiking a bit on the trail. Very sweet of them. Hopefully I'll see them again at Katahdin. Met a guy who thru-hiked 20 years ago named Mudelephant. He was bleeding and I asked him but he said it was stinging nettles that got him. I need to learn more flora. The terrain was easy today, but very rocky. I'm sure I'll regret complaining about it once I hit PA.At Gathland State Park I met Blue and Taylor, a brother/sister duo that was on their first day. They are flip-floppers, meaning they will go to Katahdin and then go South from Gathland State Park.Met another northbound thru-hiker named Sherpacrow. Nice dude, but too fast for me. We talked for a bit and I let him go on.Got to the campground around 6, not bad for getting a late start. Nice grassy area and a bear pole. Met Flipper and EZ-E here, as well as Taco, Cookie, Marcus, Bolt, and the Deusch, haha. Also Curly and Brace are here. I met them at Bears Den a few days ago. Nothing too crazy today folks.