morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-23
From: Rockfish Gap -- Waynesboro, VA

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

DuBoise (local town booster) gave us a free ride in his pickup back to Rockfish Gap, and we began our walk through Shenandoah National Park -- the 'Shennies'. Asher has come up with a plan where we hike fairly hard but hit town often (45-miles, town, 30 miles, town, 30 miles town) so we will traverse the 105 miles of the Park in seven days. I remember hiking about 105 miles of the Long Trail in Vermont in 3 days when I was in my 20's, a sad reminder of the ravages of advanced age. The weather forecast is for 5 days of rain showers.Today was mostly a green-tunnel blur for me. The elevations are a little lower here and so the trees are about half-leaved out, which obscures any views, and the Shennies have quite flat ridge tops so often the trail is far from the ridge edges where views might be had. So I don't remember much about the hike itself today.Pulled into Blackrock Hut (in the Park, shelters are called huts; and shelters are covered picnic areas) at 3 pm. Spending 5 hours sitting at a hut seems a little unproductive, but as it turns out, it is a good vantage point for exploring the local flora and fauna, and for observing the folks that pass through or stop for the night. And we had a great group this evening:Two couples in their late 20's out for a long weekend, who were cheerful and enjoying every little thing about their adventure;Seven firefighters from Virginia Beach who were out for some rough-housing male bonding;Lucky and Gadget and Gadget's wife, who were experienced long distance hikers.There were many simultaneous animated conversations around the campfire as if this were a back-country cocktail party.I was especially happy to spend time with Lucky who is the first triple-crowner (completed the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail -- about 9000 miles total) that I have met. He is a thin and spare man about my age, retired from the asphalt business in Michigan, and it seemed that every move that he made was precise and practiced.
Date: 2010-04-24
From: Blackrock Shelter

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

Today was a similar variant of yesterday, a walking meditation through the green tunnel ending up early at the hut to watch the people arrive. First in was Midnight, a Ridge Runner whose job is to keep an eye on the hiker's world, to fix problems and help out when needed. He has worked the Shenendoah's for five years, and is an REI employee back in Baltimore in the off season. Next in was Mouse (?), a medical lab worker from the Baltimore suburbs who is doing a short section hike; he is a pleasant fellow, who ended his evening by reading the Bible at the hut picnic table. A youth group of about 20 kids arrived next and pitched their tents behind the hut; they kept to themselves for the rest of the evening. The seven fire-fighters from the previous night then arrived; and last to arrive were the Picnic Sisters -- two young French women who are thru-hiking at a fast rate. I enjoyed listening to their conversation as they switched often between english and french, but was a little disappointed that they could offer no tips as to French-inspired hiking cuisine.
Date: 2010-04-25
From: Pinefield Shelter

To: Swift Run Gap -- Elkton, VA
Miles today: 11.6

A cloudy day today with some showers. I hiked quickly on the mostly flat smooth trail and reached Swift Run Gap before noon. Although the trails are wonderful in this Park, I do have to object to the signposts. They all are square concrete posts about 4 ft high, with trail directions embossed on aluminum bands wrapped near the top with text only about one-quarter of an inch in size. I need to stoop and squint to read the text, and must walk around to all four sides to be sure that I am missing nothing. This is so tedious that I usually don't bother to stop; hence the signposts are failures in their principal purpose of providing information.I catch a ride down to Elkton, VA with three falconers (one with a French accent) and meet Tom at the Country View Inn, an 1930's vintage motel a few miles outside of town. In the room, first things first, I take a shower to wash off the accumulated dirt. As I dry off I notice a black spot on my tummy...upon closer examination I realize it is a one-quarter inch long black tick munching on me. I get out my Swiss Army knife tweezers and have a tug-of-war with him till he reluctantly lets go. I deposit him in the wastebasket. Now I have a new preoccupation for my daily wanderings -- tick avoidance (Last year Tom got Lyme disease from a tick and had to end his hike).The proprieter of the motel, a very hospitable man, sits in front of the motel office with his dog (Shadow) and cat and watches the world go by. He intersperses this with trips to town to conduct business (he owns multiple properties, including a house that Patsy Cline once lived in) and give rides to friends; and he brings Tom and I and another hiker (Two Can) into town where in two hours we visit McDonalds, Subway, and Dairy Queen. Back at the motel we sit on the lawn and drink beer as the sun sets. I met Two Can briefly on the first day of our hike; he is accompanied by his handsome German Shephard. Two Can attended The Citadel on a football scholarship and has signed a contract to attend Army officer training school, and plans to get a PhD in history after he completes his service. Two Can provided me with an update on the saga of the two lost dogs: the Husky who left with the Lithuanian hiker was next day handed over to two lady day hikers who were going to bring him to the animal shelter. The tan shy dog followed Two Can for awhile and allowed him to read his tag. Two Can called the owner who instructed Two Can to leave the dog tied to a post at a specified road crossing. But before the owner arrived, two other hikers untied the dog, and he wandered off again...
Date: 2010-04-26
From: Swift Run Gap -- Elkton, VA

To: Rock Spring Shelter
Miles today: 20.5

Today, under cool, cloudy skies I motored bast Big Meadows, perhaps the largest tourist complex in the Park, but this early in the season quite silent. Then onward to Rock Spring Hut which sits in a small green hollow high on the west side of the Shenandoah ridge, with a beautiful view of the valley below. Next to the shelter and closer to the drop-off is Rock Spring Cabin, which can be rented for about $100/night. There are perhaps six cabins like this in the Park, all situated with fabulous views. First to join us is Potato Wedge, a somewhat out-of-shape hiker out for a week. He talks a monologue for the entire evening, among other things telling me about a secret US military program which has set off several nuclear explosions in deep shafts designed to alter the earth's orbit so as to affect daylight savings time or global warming or something like that...Then Appleseed, Branch, Frisbee, and Road Runner arrive. These are fast, lean thru-hikers, averaging 20 to 30 miles per day. Frisbee, in particular, is fast, averaging close to 30 miles per day and travelling light (12 lb pack--he has no spare clothes--he sleeps naked in his bag and puts on his one set of clothes each morning whether wet or dry). He plans to do the entire AT in 90 days. He says the record is about 45 days. He is nowhere as impressed with his accomplishment as we are. All four of these hikers plan to do the '4-State Challenge": that is, to set foot in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennslyvania all in one day, a total of 44 miles.I realize that Tom and I are in the fortunate position to meet many of this season's elite thru-hikers. One or two pass by us each day. It is interesting to hear their stories and to learn what motivates them.At dusk the skies open and it pours rain for about 30 minutes. We are happy to be snug and warm in this shelter.
Date: 2010-04-27
From: Rock Spring Shelter

To: Thornton Gap
Miles today: 14.1

Today Tom and I race the first few miles to see if we can keep up with the youngsters. We do, till we all stop at Skyland, the second major tourist area in the Park. I have coffee at the lodge restaurant with the kids while Tom runs on at a crazy pace--he manages to average almost 4 miles per hour for the day, but I think this pace will eventually wear him down. Even Tom doesn't know why he compulsively hikes so recklessly fast.At the Gap we quickly get a ride into Luray with Bill, a land surveyor. This is the second surveyor that has given us a ride; guess it is because they work in the woods and trust other woodsmen. As we ride into town, Bill casually pinches his hair behind his ear and lifts out a small tick. "They come in large, medium, small and tiny" he says, "and this is a small one, but if you stumble upon a nest of tiny ones then you really are in trouble." At that moment I silently resolve to never take a shit in these woods again.Luray is a pretty, hilly, quiet country town, where, once again, we walk miles to meet our needs. Right across the street though is the town's classiest hotel/restaurant, the Minslyn Inn, where we have burgers in the basement pub. In the lot next door is parked a GOD.net bus, but we ignore it -- apparently this is not one of our immediate hiker needs.
Date: 2010-04-28
From: Thornton Gap

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today it is cloudy with a cold wind blowing. We get a ride to the trail from Sara, a customer at the local outdoor store, who happens to overhear that we need a ride. It is so cool that people are so willing to be helpful!I arrive at the hut at 3:30 pm; Tom has been here since 2:30 pm. It is so cold that we start a fire right away; otherwise we would have to crawl into our sleeping bags.Potato Wedge arrives. He begins his routine of continuous jokes and banter. It is frustrating to me that Tom and I hike twice as fast as Potato, but he keeps up with us because we quit at 3 pm and he hikes till 7 pm. I get in such a bad mood that I have to walk off by myself for awhile to get composed. Let it go I tell myself, examine the reality but don't personalize it. It works! For some reason, it is easier to let things go in the woods than it is in the city.
Date: 2010-04-29
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Chester Gap -- Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

Slightly warmer today. On the trail I pass by Elkwallow, the last major tourist spot. I still haven't seen a bear -- they usually congregate around the tourist areas -- and I am dispondant. Almost all the hikers but I have seen a bear.Oh well, I have lunch at the last windy airy in the Park and head on down towards the low elevations at the north boundary of the Park. At 11 am I say goodby to the Shennies, a gentle wild playground. Near town, down to 1000 ft elevation now, the whole character of the woods has changed. With rolling woods, dense undergrowth, lots of insects and birds, swamps, and nearby city noises, I sense that the AT will be tamer for the rest of this hike.I meet Tom at the motel. Front Royal, VA is a small town, but still seems more urban than the other towns we have visited. The pace is quicker and there is more traffic. We are only 60 miles from the east coast megalopolis (DC-Baltimore-NYC). I feel the urge to start hiking faster.
Date: 2010-04-30
From: Chester Gap -- Front Royal, VA

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

A hot day today, walking through dense low woods full of organic smells, and the sounds of distant engines. This woods is a domesticated place. There are no distant views, but nearby we spot roads, pastures, and houses. Had lunch at Manassas Gap Shelter where there were four day hikers looking at birds and flowers. They pointed our a scarlet tanager, which is the most vibrant colored bird I have ever seen in the wild. Nearby trees are dogwood and redbud. This is a beautiful shelter (it has wind chimes!), but the log book says there are copperhead snakes living in the rafters.
Date: 2010-05-01
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was another hot, humid day. We hiked about 10 miles to Ashby Hollow where we took a dirt road one-quarter mile to Dave Stewart's house -- Dave is a work colleague that I have known for 25 years or so. Dave graciously offered any assistance he could provide, and he fed us a wonderful lunch of barbequed steelhead trout with all sorts of side dishes and the most wonderful cookies I have tasted, baked by Dave's wife Hope. Tom chain-chugged 4 cans of Coke. After a relaxing respite it was agreed that Dave would bring my pack to the Bear's Den Hostel so I could slack pack the remaining 6 miles there, which includes the beginning of a famous section of the trail known as the 'Roller Coaster'. I arrived at the Bear's Den and Dave then drove us all to 2B's barbeque, where I ate the best pulled pork sandwich that I ever had. Then back to the Bear's Den where we talked for a couple of hours before Dave said farewell. The Bear's den is a lovely old brick mansion now operated as a trail center and hostel by the Appalachian Trail Conference. It is run by Hopeful and her husband, who have thru-hiked themselves and understand the mindset and needs of hikers.
Date: 2010-05-02
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: few clouds

Dave again provided support so I could slackpack to Harper's Ferry; Tom decided to take a rest day. Today seemed the hottest and most humid of all, and so I struggled over the remaining part of the Roller Coaster even though I only had a light pack. I met only a few hikers, one of which was Marine One, a 73-year-old ex-Marine who thru-hiked 10 years ago and now is hiking sections. I dragged into Harper's Ferry at about 3 pm, too tired to do anything but find our hostel, take a long shower, and take a nap.
Date: 2010-05-03
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

Tom got an early start while I lingered in Harper's Ferry so that I could visit the home office of the Appalachian Trail Conference. The town is chock-a-block with historic sites, is located at the confluence of the Shenendoah and Potomac Rivers, and is very hilly. It also is the symbolic half-way point on the AT, although there are several other spots that also claim this distinction.After a great breakfast at the Country Cafe, I was at the ATC office when it opened at 9 am. I got my picture taken for the hiker book, talked with the volunteer receptionist, and paid my dues and joined the ATC. I looked through this year's hiker book and found that 29 thru-hikers have signed in so far; we have met about 15 of them.Today was cloudy with a cool breeze and hiking was much easier. I reached the shelter at 4 pm. This location has a new shelter and an old shelter; we stayed at the new shelter which is spacious and even has varnished floors. No mice allowed here I should think.
Date: 2010-05-04
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Devil's Racecourse
Miles today: 20.6

The trail through Maryland and the first part of Pennsylvania is quite moderate, so Tom and I decided to start doing 20 miles per day. Even going this far we had time to drop into a town to get burgers and resupply.At the shelter were a kid and an elder. The elder was 79-year-old Captain Max, a veteran of both the Marines and the Army, he is section hiking the trail even though he has had heart problems.The kid was a 21-year-old wearing worn-out sneakers with holes in the toes, and carrying a heavy pack which included a hatchet and machete. He built a monster pyre of a campfire while explaining that he had spent years being shuttled around relative's houses and now considered the trail his home. He had some interesting ideas about camping, including rubbing excess fish oil from his sardine can all over his body and hair. He also had some interesting ideas about life, which were muddled and hard to follow. He was a good example of the 'lost soul' hiker -- those who are hiking the trail in hope of finding answers to life's questions. Both Tom and Captain Max felt that the best answer for this kid would be to join the army.
Date: 2010-05-05
From: Devil's Racecourse

To: Rocky Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: clear sky

Another long day in relatively cool weather. We saw only two other hikers, Spring Chicken and Tic-Tac, who are quite fast thru-hikers. They told me that the rocky section that we had just passed through had a huge rattlesnake at one place, which I didn't even see. The snake was dead though.
Date: 2010-05-06
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter

To: Pine Grove Furnace Hostel
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: broken clouds

We hiked a long day to Pine Grove Furnace Park, hoping to buy goodies at the Park Store, but found it closed. Too bad, because this store is known for it's Ice-Cream Challange -- if you can eat a half-gallon of ice cream, you get it for free.We also hoped to stay at the Pine Grove Furnace Hostel, but found that it was not officially open because it was in the process of changing ownership from the American Youth Hostel Association to the Appalachian Trail Converence. But the AYH supervisor, a young woman named Twanna, agreed to let us spend the night if we helped with packing things up. The hostel is wonderful old 4-story mansion, and Tom and I were assigned to move heavy objects out of the basement. We found the Picnic Sisters also were there and giving a hand. We had a great dinner of roast chicken and salad and Tom and I spent the night on pads on the floor in a huge old room on the second floor.
Date: 2010-05-07
From: Pine Grove Furnace Hostel

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We did a relatively short day today to accomodate Tom's exit strategy -- he is scheduled to fly home in a few days, since his planned trip is at it's end. We decided his last night on the trail should be at a shelter, so we stopped here, and again had the shelter to ourselves. We saw no other hikers today.
Date: 2010-05-08
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Doyle Hotel -- Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 29.6
Weather: scattered clouds

For some reason Tom and I race-hiked the four miles from the shelter into Boiling Springs, PA -- we did it in about one hour. It drizzled on us, so we arrived in town quite wet. We found a cafe and dried out while we had breakfast. During breakfast a woman at the adjoining table introduced herself; she is Mountain Woman, about our age, and a section hiker and member of the local hiking club. She was a Trail Angel and agreed to give Tom a ride to the Harrisburg Airport. Tom is going to rent a car there and visit relatives in Pittsburg, then he and I will meet again in Duncannon on Monday, before he flies out on Tuesday.Off Tom went, and I began hiking. The trail was through easy rolling farmland through a lowland that seperated (I think) the highlands of the Blue Ridge from the highlands of the Alleghenies. The hiking was so easy that I began to think about going all the way into Duncannon in one day. Things were going great until I was about 6 miles from town, when the famous Pennslyvania rocks began to show up and the trail became very rocky, and then very steep. Then my ankle started to hurt. I pushed on, and reached the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon at 8 pm. In the hotel bar I found Full-Pint, Kharma, and Spring Chicken. We drank beer, talked hiking talk, played Scrabble and card games until quite late.I had planned to take a zero day here, and now I will have to for sure, because my right ankle is hurting badly.
Date: 2010-05-09
From: Doyle Hotel -- Duncannon, PA

To: Doyle Hotel -- Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Spent today putting ice on my hurt ankle, in my third-floor room in this historic (but run-down) hotel. Spring Chicken also spent the night, but now is gone, and it seems that I am the only person here. It hurts to walk. I am depressed. Today was quite cold and the town is quiet since it is Sunday. I found a trashy novel in the hiker box at the Doyle, so I am reading it to pass the time. Towards evening, I hobbled about one-half mile through town to the 3B's ice cream shop. I ordered a hot-fudge sundae, and since there is no seating, ate it while trying to stay warm by standing in the parking lot in the one small bit of sunshine I could find. Quite cold and tasty!
Date: 2010-05-10
From: Doyle Hotel -- Duncannon, PA

To: Harrisburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Stayed a second night in the Doyle. In the morning Tom showed up as planned in his rental car, and we drove to Harrisburg, where we checked into a motel, and so I will have a second zero day. It is 50-50 whether I will try to continue on or fly home. To pass the time, we drove to Hershey, PA, and visited the chocolate factory. Hershey dominates the town like Coors dominates Golden, CO. According to our tour-bus guide, Mr. Hershey was God-like in his benevolence and wisdom. He founded, and donated his fortune to a school for orphans. But, let him be judged by his chocolate, which is super-sweet, and has corn syrup as a principal component.Back in Harrisburg I continued to ice my ankle, which I can now walk on for 100 yards without feeling any pain. Harrisburg is a pleasant town, the capitol of Pennsylvania, but unfortunately is saddled with a huge debt crisis, amounting to almost $10,000 for every person in the city.
Date: 2010-05-12
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: mist

This morning dawns cool and cloudy. My ankle hurts, so I wrap it in athletic tape and take a prescription anti-inflamation pill; I will try to walk through the pain. The trail is fairly smooth and even -- where are these Pennslyvania rocks that trail lore warns about? I walk past several old historic town sites through thick woods and across many streams. Rausch Gap Shelter is an oddball one. It is partially embedded in the hill, is made of old weathered logs, has an unusual tin table circling a tree in the courtyard, and directly in front of the shelter there is a brick retaining wall with a built-in pipe that delivers spring water into a metal trough.My companion in the shelter is Veg Tail from PA who has been a cook and mechanic, and now is going to school for a certificate in environmental science. His trail name derives from his vegetable-oil powered VW and his thick blond dreadlock ponytail. His dream is to open up his own ice-cream stand. His life is a work in progress, as is his trail name -- I later met several hikers who told me that they were introduced to him under slightly different versions of the name he told me.
Date: 2010-05-13
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is a little more sunny, and warm enough to stop occassionally to bask in the heat. The trail goes up and along a narrow ridge, where the PA rocks begin to make their appearance, and also miles of poison ivy along the trail. At first I carefully avoid touching any of the stuff (since I used to get terrible rashes when I was a kid), but soon give it up as an impossible task. I'll just have to learn to coexist. I am encouraged because although my ankle hurts it is not getting any worse.It's another long day of solo hiking, and I feel a little lonely. At the end of the day, I reach the 501 shelter, which is located a few hundred yards from a highway. I am almost out of food, so I contemplate hitching to town, but instead opt to call the local Italian restaurant which will deliver to the shelter. I order a huge deluxe meat pizza, a foot-long sub, some cookies and soda; together these will last me for a couple of days.I am alone at this large shelter until late at night when in my sleep I hear someone come in. I will have to wait till morning to see who it is.