morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-23
From: Tye River

To: Reeds Gap/Devils Babckbone
Miles today: 10.6

Weather: Sunny and Hot, no rain.Today's Hike: Tye River to Reeds Gap - 10.6 milesWhen Georgia's Girls stayed at the Dutch Haus B&B in Montebello, one of the owners told them about a new brewery that had just opened up not far from Reeds Gap. The seeds of desire for cold beer and food were planted and soon thereafter there was a fieldtrip in the works. The eight of us (Prarie Dog, Angry Beaver, Georgia's Girls, Early Bear, & ourselves) hiked our butts off that morning and made our way down into the gap and to the brewery. When we arrived we were a bit intimidated by how nice the brewery looked from the outside, and here we were smelly and wearing nine days of unwashed grunge. As Muster walked up to the door the owner of the restaurant, Steve, came running over to meet us excited to see that thru-hikers were discovering his new place. I was stunned and relieved.We were quickly seated and overwhelmed by the beer and food choices. Our server was amazing at helping us pick a beer that we should like, and she was spot on every time. There is definitely a beer for everyone here. If beer isn't your thing, they have a full liquor bar that serves up cool refreshing margarita's and fabulous sangria's! The food choices were amazing also, and there were plenty of vegetarian options, which has been a rarity on the trail. For lunch I had a veggie burger that was incredible! Steve came by to check on us about halfway through lunch, and stayed to chat with us awhile about our northward journey. After a few beers later we had an offer to camp in the field across from the restaurant and we were chillin' outside listening to the Dubsetters, an awesome reggae band.Around 4:00pm we walk over to set up camp, then headed back over around 6:00pm for dinner. Dinner started off with a veggie plate and veggie nacho appetizer, courtesy of the management team. For dinner, I had a Portobello Philly; also amazing! For dessert I had warm, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream. The cookies practically melted in my mouth ¢ have I said amazing yet?!!?
Date: 2009-05-24
From: Reeds Gap

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

Day 84Weather:Overcast and humid. No rain. Today's Hike:Reeds Gap to Paul C. Wolfe Shelter - 14.1 milesLot's of people at the shelter tonight. Muster and I are tenting near the Georgia Girls and Early Bear. Angry Beaver, Prairiedog are in the shelter along with a few dozen others. Looking forward to Waynesboro tomorrow.
Date: 2009-05-26
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: moderate rain

Weather:Rain throughout the day.Today¢s Hike: Waynesboro, VA ¢ 0.0 milesWhen prepping for the AT it is inevitable that you will come across materials and forum conversations stating that Virginia is flat. As a result, you should be able to hike 20 miles/day easy. Approximately 540 miles of the AT traverses through Virginia, of which I have hiked 460 miles. At this point I can confidently state that saying "Virginia is flat" is as accurate as saying Martha Stewart is a model American Woman, George Bush is a great President, or O.J. Simpson is innocent, all of which of which is complete bologna. You don't hike 20 miles/day in Virginia because it's flat. You hike 20 miles/day because your previously typical lazy American self has climbed up and down 800 miles of rough, mountain terrain and is now in shape; allowing you to hike faster and farther then you could when you started. Virginia has had some of the steepest ascents and descents since I've started my Northbound hike. Make no mistake, Virginia is not flat!
Date: 2009-05-27
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Camping
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: moderate rain

Weather:Cloudy & foggy till late afternoon.Partly cloudy and windy throughout the evening.Today's Hike:Rockfish Gap to Camping (869.0) - 16.5 milesWhen we woke up this morning in our cozy hotel room neither one of us were rushing to get back on the trail. I had a headache, and Muster hadn't slept well. She briefly suggested that we could stay another day if I thought I was getting sick. I told her I didn't need any encouragement. Two hours later we were packed and ready. We made a detour to the post office, and then headed for the trail. By 10:30am we had taken our first steps into Shenandoah National Park (SNP). For the next 104 miles we will be parallel to the Skyline Drive. Similar to the Smokies, SNP has a lot of backcountry regulations; however, we are not required to sleep in shelters. Therefore we're happy. The park also has waysides where we can by food like hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and cokes, which we're really excited about.Tonight we're camping with Georgia's Girls about 16.5 miles into the park. The sky looks like rain, We're hoping it passes over
Date: 2009-05-28
From: Camping

To: Loft Mtn. Campground
Miles today: 10.9

Weather: Partly Cloudy with Isolated T-Storms.Today¢s Hike: Camping (869.0) to Loft Mtn. Campground - 10.9 milesHiking the AT teaches you many things. For most people, the lessons that you take away are personal, but I believe that there are a few universal lessons that all hikers take away. One of these lessons is appreciation and recognition of the importance of life¢s essentials and treats; one of these essentials is beverages. I call this beverage appreciation. Although this term could be applied to any consumable beverage, I have encountered three main beverages in which the term directly applies.Water - We are 75% water, we can not live without consuming water, and water plays an essential role in cooking meals that keep our bodies nourished. Everyday my hike centers around water. How often do I pass water? How much water do I need to carry (water weighs 2lbs./liter)? Where should I eat lunch (do I need to cook)? Where do I camp tonight (I really don't want to lug 6 lbs. of water 5 miles to a campsite)?In life¢s rat race water is plain, it needs "flavor". There are few people that savor the crisp, cool, refreshness of water. Out here when it hot, muggy and humid and there's a ten mile stretch without water causing you to ration life's purist form of energy you savor every sip and treat it as if it were gold.Coke - I can hear you now, "ugh! I love (diet) coke! I drink 2 liters a day!" To this I say sure, you think you love it, but I ask you, how mindful are you when you're drinking that coke? Are you watching T. V.? Are you taking a sip while staring at a computer? Are you having a conversation with your friends/family? Can you feel the slight fizzle of carbonation dancing on your tongue and feel your core temperature drop with every sip you take? Does your body fill with glee upon the mere site of a can of coke? Do you experience a moment of pure bliss upon taking that first sweet sip? I thought not. And unlike the outside world that can grab a coke when ever, AT thru-hikers get one about once every 10 days unless some wonderful Trail Angel has left a cooler along the trail jammed full of these 12oz. Cans of manufactured goodness. When I drink a coke I drink it mindfully.Cold Beer - Ok, I¢m not a beer drinker, but there is something about drinking an ice cold beer after a long hard hike. Your hot (no matter what the temperature is outside), your hydrated (from drinking real mountain spring water), but you still aren't fully relaxed. Your legs are cramping and your feet are twitching, then you round the corner and see that magic cooler that not only contains cokes, but the occasional six pack Or maybe your walking through SNP and pass a camp store that sells this wonderful, refreshing drink. How can you resist? You grab a can/bottle and pop the top. It says hello to you. You sit back a take a big savoring sip of this ice cold, slightly nutty tasting beverage and experience instant relaxation.
Date: 2009-05-29
From: Loft Mtn. Campground

To: Swift Mtn. Gap
Miles today: 17.4

Weather:Sunny and warm. Afternoon thunderstorms.Today's Hike:Loft Mtn. Campground to Swift Run Gap - 17.4 milesAt 8am we walked out of camp this morning and headed down to the camp store with Georgia's Girls for some real coffee and breakfast. After an hour and a half of chillin' in the morning sun we finally started heading down the trail.This afternoon we got caught hiking in a thunderstorm for the first time. Despite having my rain jacket on, I was drenched, and my shoes were temporally converted to mini swimming pools for the next 8 miles. By the time I got to camp and took my shoes off my feet were stark white and pruned.It should be a quiet night. We're tenting alone off the trail near Swift Run Gap. The wind is whipping but hopefully that means the storms we experienced earlier are pushing through
Date: 2009-05-30
From: Swift Mtn. Gap

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

Weather:Partly Cloudy and cool, high around 65 degrees. Late evening thunderstorm.Today's Hike:Swift Run Gap to Big Meadows Campground - 17.1 milesWe reached the 900 mile mark this morning! Tonight we're tenting with Georgia's Girls at Big Meadows Campground.
Date: 2009-05-31
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Birds Nest hut #3
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather:Sunny and cool. no rain.Today's Hike:Big Meadows Campground to Birds Nest #3 Hut - 14.0 milesToday was a day to lodge hop. Muster and I ate breakfast at Big Meadows Lodge then made our way to Skyland Lodge for lunch with the Georgia Girls. After stuffing ourselves once again and relaxing on the front lawn we made out way to Birds Nest Hut where we were greeted by a black bear at the campsite. I'm definitely not sleeping with my food tonight.
Date: 2009-06-01
From: Birds Nest Hut #3

To: Elkwallow
Miles today: 11.8

Weather:Sunny, no rain.Today¢s Hike: Birds Nest #3 Hut to Elkwallow - 11.8 milesImagine you were hiking along, focused on the trail when suddenly at small fuzzy fur ball crosses your path. Given the size and color you think it's a raccoon so you inch closer to see if you can get a picture. Suddenly you see two more of these "racoons" dart up a nearby tree, and it hits you; the raccoon isn't a raccoon it's a bear cub. And it's not just one bear cub, it's three bear cubs. You feel a knot form in the pit of your stomach and your heart starts racing; the same way it does when you were a kid and you just got caught doing something bad. You take a quick glance around for mama bear, but she nowhere in your line of sight. The knot tightens and your heart starts beating faster as you slowly turn around and meet the eyes mama. She's 400+ pounds of muscle and is a leap away from your scrawny hiker self. You slowly back away and apologize profusely. Not until you're 100 yards away do you nervously turn around with the camera to snap a few memorable pictures. This was Muster 0.5 miles away from Elkwallow this afternoon.Not far behind her was me, also focused ok the trail and the food I would soon be inhaling at Elkwallow. We had hiked 11 miles, it was almost 2pm, and we hadn't stopped to eat lunch yet. I had just passed the spring which was 0.5 miles short of our afternoon destination. As I rounded the corner there was the day hiker that had passed me about a mile back. "There's a bear and three cubs. I don't see the cubs." I inched my way closer keeping my eyes peeled for her and the cubs. Before I knew it there I was 15 yards from mama, who never took hers eyes off me. I still didn't know where the cubs were and I didn't want to put myself between her and them. "There are the cubs, coming down the tree behind her." I told the hiker, "I wish my friend was here to see this." No sooner had I said those words did I hear Muster yell down from above. As we met up we swapped bear stories, and made our way to Elkwallow for a late lunch and cold beer.
Date: 2009-06-03
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: few clouds

Weather: Sunny and warm. Evening rain showers.Today¢s hike: Dicks Dome Shelter to Bears Den Hostel ¢ 18.5 milesI was up and on the trail by 7:30am Wednesday morning. Before leaving camp, Muster had stated that she would see me that evening at Bears Den Hostel. I told her my plan for the day and took off for my first real day on my own. I had 18.5 miles to hike, most of which was over the roller coaster. I was feeling the challenge. The first 8 miles were really easy, and then we reached mile nine. Here, I were greeted with a sign, "Hiker Notice: You are about to start the roller coaster, 13.5 miles of (needless) ascents and descents. We'll see you at the Blackburn Center; if you survive....." At which point I gave the sign the finger, put my head down and started barreling through constant ups and downs all freaking day long. After the second peak I plugged into my iPod and sailed through another 8 or 9 miles.I didn¢t see anyone all day. Given my history, I had assumed that I was the last one to make it to Bear¢s Den. I strolled up to the front door of the hostel at 4:58pm and stepped inside. To my surprise, I was the first one there. Holy shit! I couldn¢t believe it! I beat Muster to the hostel. I drank a sprite and hung around the living room for awhile. I thought surely they couldn¢t be that far behind me. After 45 minutes of waiting I finally decided to get into the shower and clean up. By the time I was done and dressed she still hadn¢t arrived. What was going on?I slipped on my crocs and headed back to the trail. Just as I was rounding the corner I could hear Muster talking to O.G. ¢ she was planning my rescue. Imagine her surprise to see me there, showered and refreshed. For the record ¢ I beat her by 1.5 hours Bears Den is amazing. I had been hearing about this place for awhile ¢ it was said to be a ¢must stay¢ along the trial. I agree. It's run by the PATC (Potomac Appalachian Trail Club) who know what thru-hikers look forward to at a hostel stay. What exactly is the standard? A bed with linens, (we usually get a wooden bunk platform and nothing else), a shower, laundry, internet, a whole pizza, a pint of Ben & Jerries ice cream, and a soda for $25/person all housed in a spectacular stone building. Amazing! I ate all my pizza AND my ice cream. Yum!
Date: 2009-06-04
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Blackburn Center
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

Weather: RainToday¢s Hike: Bear Den Hostel to Blackburn Center ¢ 8.1 milesWhen I woke up the next morning the rain was still coming down, so, we (Muster, Prariedog, Angry Beaver, Early Bear) all decided to hike a short 8.1 miles to the Blackburn Center, another PATC free hostel. At noon we stepped out into the rain to complete the last few miles of the roller coaster, stop by the Horseshoe for lunch, then hike onto the Blackburn Center.The Blackburn Center is the very vision of Benton McKays original dream of the AT. A free hostel where hikers come into every night for a free hot dinner and friendly conversation. Tonight¢s dinner was pasta, salad, brownies, and wine (to be drank directly from the bottle). It was wonderful! We were grateful to have shelter from the rain and a dry play form bunk to sleep on. Tomorrow we will hike into Harpers Ferry, home of the ATC and the unoffical halfway point. Total badass.
Date: 2009-06-05
From: Blackburn Center 

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: moderate rain

Weather: RainingToday's Hike: Blackburn Center to Harper's Ferry, WV - 12.4 milesToday is a town day; Muster and I are going into Harpers Ferry to resupply & pick up some mail drops. I have a love/hate relationship with town days. I love town days because it means that1. I get to take a hot shower (hopefully several),2. I get to eat real food (defined as any food that we do not have to    carry, cook, and/or clean up afterwards),3. We get to wash our clothes (even though the stench never seems to   go away),4. I get to talk to family & friends, &5. I get to sleep on clean sheets on a real bed (most of the time).I hate town days because1. There is little time for rest since you spend most of your time doing    "town chores",2. I resupply which means my pack is going to be really, really heavy   when I put it back on,3. Taking time away from the trail always breaks my hiking rhythm    making it hard to find my groove again, &4. It's expensive.Both Muster and I are taking Saturday completely off, but all our friends are flooding into Harpers this weekend and they won't be getting back on the trail until Monday. So, we're going to try to find a way to stay another night (our hotel is way to expensive) so we can all hike out together on Monday.
Date: 2009-06-06
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Weather: Sunny, no rain.Today¢s Hike: Harpers Ferry, WV ¢ 0.0 milesLast night (Friday) Grommet called us to let us know the her and the rest of the Packadivas would be hiking into Harpers Ferry Saturday night. They'd been dying to catch up with us and wanted to hang out and try to hike out together. We'd missed them heaps over the last month so we decided to take a 2nd zero day (Sunday) so that we could try to get on track together for a little while.The morning was filled with doing chores. I went and did our laundry and resupplied at the neighboring Super Walmart. Meanwhile, Muster was taking care of stuff at the Post Office. We were done by 10am and had the rest of the day to relax. The Packadivas got into town around 5pm and we met up for dinner along with Storm's mom and Grommet's dad and brothers. After dinner we headed to a pub on the other side of town that required us to ring a bell to enter. Weird. We made it back to the hotel sometime around 1am.
Date: 2009-06-07
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

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

Weather: Sunny and warm. No rain.Today¢s Hike: Harpers Ferry ¢ 0.0 milesStorm's mom officially became a trail angel when she gave hikers free haircuts. My hair hadn't been cut since December and was looking pretty ratty so a trim was nice. Grommet cut off all her dreads and was given a mohawk, and Egg was given a mohawk as well. Rocket cut off most her hair and now looks like she belongs in a 1980's Oliva Newton John video. We spent the rest of the day with the Diva's and prepared ourselves to hike out of town first thing on Monday morning.
Date: 2009-06-08
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: broken clouds

Weather:Hot, high around 83 degrees.Today¢s Hike: Harpers Ferry to Ed Garvey Shelter ¢ 7.0 milesThe Diva's aren't hiking out until Tuesday morning, so in an effort to hike with them for a bit we divided our hike out of Harpers Ferry between 2-days. Today, Muster and I hiked 7 miles to Ed Garvey shelter. The hike out of Harpers Ferry was amazing. The AT brings you through the town¢s historic district. Around 9:20am we stopped at Jefferson's Rock (named after Thomas Jefferson) for a 20 minute nap then crossed over the Potamac River into Maryland. After walking another mile we celebrated our entrance into our 6th state with a 3 hour nap by the river. After a late lunch we finally forced ourselves to our feet and walked the rest of the 5 miles to the shelter.
Date: 2009-06-09
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Rocky Run Shleter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: few clouds

Weather:Hot. Afternoon hailstorm.Today¢s Hike: Ed Garvey Shelter to Rocky Run Shelter ¢ 9.1 milesToday we hiked to Rocky Run Shelter where we were sheltered from an afternoon thunder/hail storm. This shelter was beautiful! It was so new that it wasn't even in any of the guidebooks. The wood still smelled like new and the floors where shiny and varnished. It was so nice we actually slept in the shelter, but were unfortunately reminded why we don't sleep in shelters; almost everyone snored and one guy was screaming in his sleep. Aggravating. The Divas showed up around 7:30 pm for a nice reunion. I¢m looking forward to hiking with them for the next few days.
Date: 2009-06-10
From: Rocky Run Shleter

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

Weather:Overcast and humid. High around 78 degrees. Evening thunderstorm.Today's Hike:Rocky Run Shelter to Ensign Cowall Shelter- 15.7 milesToday is the day that wouldn't end. Need we say more? The hike itself was fairly easy but none of us got much sleep last night making the day way more difficult then it needed to be.We hiked to the Washington Monument State Park by early afternoon and took a long lunch break at the monument in hopes of regaining some energy. Around mid-afternoon we received some trail magic (sodas and fresh fruit) from 357 Magnum (thru-hiker in 2007) and his friends. I saved my apple for a pre-dinner snack and it was the best apple ever! After walking over miles of rocks we finally made it to the shelter where we were given another can of orange soda - yummy.It's thunder storming outside right now, and I¢m turning in early. Hope it's dry tomorrow!
Date: 2009-06-11
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelters
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: mist

Weather:Overcast and breezy.Today¢s Hike: Ensign Cowall Shelter to Deer Lick Shelter 14.5 milesToday was a day of trail magic. After hiking about a mile this morning we met up with 357 Magnum and some of his crew who were giving out coffee and donuts. Awesome! In another 4 miles we crossed a cooler with sodas, fresh fruit, and twizzlers. Are you kidding me? This is freaking amazing! Five miles after that we hiked into Pen Mar County Park (.2 miles from the PA border) and there was 357 Magnum and his crew with refreshments, snacks, and a car ride into town. So, The Divas and Muster went into town to resupply and grab lunch and I stayed at the park with everyone packs. So relaxing! When they returned we chowed down on a pizza lunch then headed to the Mason Dixon Line. In 0.2 miles we were celebrating our entrance into the north (and our 7th state) with an ice cold Keystone beer which was a little less fantastic but still satisfying.We're tenting with the Divas again tonight, and hoping that this evenings rain storm passes quickly.BTW, Muster cut a hole in the tent this morning. Better her then me.... Nuff said.
Date: 2009-06-12
From: Deer Lick Shelters

To: Camping
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Weather:Sunny and beautiful Today's Hike:Deer Lick Shelters to Camping - 14.0 milesOur first full day in PA has been a beautiful one. The weather was amazing and the forest is beautiful. Although PA is known for being extremely rocky, the first third of the trail is not suppose to be to bad and today proved to be a testament to the rumors.We made it to Caledonia State Park early evening where we met back up with the GA Girls. So for the first time in over a month ourselves, the Packadivas, and the GA Girls were reunited (and it felt so good). To celebrate we ordered pizza for dinner and hiked out of the park to a campsite late that evening.The Georgia Girls surprised the Divas (and us by default) by singing Shady Grove around the campfire. To much fun. Tomorrow will be a long 19-mile day, but hopefully the weather and the trail terrain remain nice.