morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-05
From: Angels rest

To: Pickle branch shelter
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: light rain

Today was pretty easy day, not much to say about it. awe woke up late. Slept in and didn't leave till after noon. We then took a shuttle up the trail a bit because we would like to make Harper's ferry on time. After we got dropped off it was a mile uphill. Then another half mile up to the shelter. We tent camped a bit before the shelter though. We ate dinner and that was nice and then went to bed. Not much else to say.
Date: 2016-07-06
From: Pickle branch shelter

To: Catawba Shelter
Miles today: 14.0

Today started out on really great terms. I mixed some coffee with my cocoa so I had a good amount of energy. The first mile or so wasn't too bad and even when we started going up it was pretty mild. Once we got to the ridge we had this nice over look. The hike actually got a bit tougher because of all the rock scrambling. We didn't expect it to have so many hills with so many big boulders, in a way it was kind of fun tho. When we got to the top, which was called Dragons Tooth, we took a nice break. We then descended into lost spectacles gap. That was probably the slowest part of the day, we had to be super careful because we going down big rocks. Some of the rocks were so big that the conservatory put a steel ladder thing. Once we got passed that we moved fairly quickly, at a nice pace. We then started to descend even more down to a road. This part was a lot easier though, once we got to the bottom and got to the road we ate lunch. After that, we walked another mile then stopped to get water. We then started a fairly sizable hill. We weren't expecting it to be so big and it kind of through us off track. Once we got to the top of that mountain we followed the ridge for a long time but it seemed like it just kept going up. By this time we were fairly tired and just wanted to get to camp. We finally got down to this parking lot and that meant we had 3 miles left to go. I ate some black raspberries and they were really good. The next 3 miles weren't so bad, but they seemed hard just because we were tired. We then got to the shelter finally around 7:00. A full day of hiking we had. Will probably be quite similar tomorrow.
Date: 2016-07-07
From: Catawba Shelter

To: Hay rock
Miles today: 14.0

Today was a very good day, we started out by waking up a little late but that's okay. We ate breakfast got packed, and left by almost 9:30. We then made our way to the famous McAfee knob, which was 1.9 miles away. The up was a lot smoother than we thought, which was really nice. Not to mention how beautiful the scenery around us was. When we finally got to the knob it was so worth it. Such a beautiful landscape with a huge view. It was so so amazing. After that we headed down to Campbell shelter where we got water. That was about a mile and a half from McAfee knob. We then proceeded on to Hay Rock. The rest of the hike was mostly pleasant. On our way up to tinker cliffs tho, it started pouring rain and it got steeper than we thought. That part was a bit rough but we got to sit under a rock and eat lunch. Then we stopped at Lamberts Shelter to get some more water. This was about 5.4 miles from Hay Rock. The rest of the hike was pretty nice, mostly flat with a little up. We took a short break at an outlook to rest our bodies. 2.9 miles left. After about an hour and a half we made it. Tired but content, we plopped down in a spot, put up our tent, ate, washed up, and got to bed. Tomorrow is a short day into Daleville, and I get to see my mom.
Date: 2016-07-08
From: Hay rock

To: Howard Johnson Express
Miles today: 4.0

Today was a good day, we slept in and were able to take our time getting ready. Since we only had 4 miles to go. It was more uphill than we thought, which was a bit frustrating but we got some great views. We then had a great amount of downhill into town. The hike was a lot quicker than I thought it would be. We got into town around noon ish and checked into the hotel, then I took a shower while Sherpa got the supply box. I then watched tv, and after he got back we went to McDonald's. We had to walk about 2 miles total but that's okay. Once we got back from there, we watched tv and chilled until my mom got here. Both me and Sherpa were very excited to see my mom. We helped her get stuff out of the car, and then I went swimming and did laundry. It wasn't long after that, that I went to sleep. It was a great nights sleep in a great bed.
Date: 2016-07-09
From: Howard Johnson Express

To: Curry Creek
Miles today: 8.9

This morning we got to a late start because we had to organize everything in our packs. Not to mention it was really hard to leave luxury. But we left town and hiked up, we started with up and did a good amount in the sun. It was quite difficult for me because my pack was heavier than it had ever been. But Sherpa offered to lighten the load a bit which was nice. The day today was honestly kinda hard, we got up to this shelter at about 5 miles and I kinda just wanted to stop there. But Sherpa pushed me to go further, I'm really glad he did. We then made it to Curry creek which was super nice. We had water supply and a nice tenting spot. We got to have a fire tonight too, which was awesome. We left the fly off the tent tonight so we get to sleep under the stars.
Date: 2016-07-10
To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

Today started out with lots and lots of up. The trail really got straight to the point, literally. Once we got to mostly the top it wasn't too bad. We stopped at Wilson Creek shelter around 2.5 miles for a short break. Then we stopped at an outlook for long at about the 6 mile mark. It was a pretty nice outlook. This guy rode up in his motorcycle, asked if we were hikers and gave us pop and candy. After about another 2 miles of hiking we hit another overlook where a guy gave us water, ice, and a dessert. Like a Mountain House dessert, where we add water to it. He was like a trail angel, and he was fun to talk to as well. We also met Mudfoot and Moose, which was super fun. They are two girls out for 10 days! After that we went another 2.5 miles and we reached our destination. The shelter, it was pretty nice and we found a tent site almost right away. I set up camp, Sherpa got water, then after a bit we cooked dinner and dessert. We washed up, filled out water jugs, sat by the fire, then off to bed! A great day today.
Date: 2016-07-11
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Stanimals Hostel
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: broken clouds

Today it was hard to wake up, we decided to get up at six and that was hard for me. Once we were up though, it was smooth sailing. We woke up, drank coffee and cocoa, ate breakfast, packed up and were on our way. The climb up from the shelter wasn't fun, but it was very short. The rest of the day was pretty good, the terrain started out pretty steep and rough. It stayed that way for a good distance but then got a little easier further on. We got to end with a big downhill after we had followed the ridge. Once we go down to the bridge there was this big swimming hole. We took off our shoes and jumped in. Okay we didn't really jump, it took me like a good 30 minutes to get close to my shoulders. But it was still nice. Then I sat on this rock in the sun to dry off and it was very relaxing. After that I changed, and chilled out for a bit. Around 1:45 Adam, the owner of stanimals shuttle and hostel came and picked us up. We weren't planning on staying at the hostel but Adam worked out a "work for stay" deal with us. That night we got our supply box and we had way too much food so we had to sort through it all out a lot in the hike box. Which wasn't too bad, but also kind of a bummer. That night I slept in a real bed, and I slept great. It felt amazing.
Date: 2016-07-12
From: Stanimals Hostel

To: Turk Gap
Miles today: 12.1

Today was a fairly good day, we started with some rolling, so some up and some down. Which was nice and the path was mostly soft besides every once in a while we would get a stretch of rocks. We only had one or two big hills and they weren't actually that big. After one of the first ones I saw a bear. A small bear, I was super excited and it made my day. For lunch, we stopped at Calf mountain shelter, and got water at the spring which was awesome. On the way back from lunch I saw an owl, which made my day even more. On the way to Turk gap me and Sherpa had lots of really good conversation. So it was a nice hike, when we got into camp it started raining, then storming. So we waited in the tent and ate dinner at like 8 when the storm had calmed down. I slept really great this night.
Date: 2016-07-13
From: Turk Gap

To: Loft mountain campground
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: few clouds

This morning but started out a little rough, we woke up to the rain which was not fun. Plus we found out that one of the hooks on our tent broke last night. Sherpa was a little upset but the woods made him happy, same with me. We started out with a pretty big hill but once we got up there it was absolutely beautiful. Besides that one hill the rest of the trail was nice flat and mostly down. Until black rock shelter. The hike up to black rock shelter was really hard. We didn't have much energy and we both were really drained. But once we got to the shelter, we stocked up our bellies with food, and water. We had another up after that, but there was a nice 3 miles stretch that was all flat and down. That helped us regain hope about the trail and making it to the campground. There was a good amount of up in the last mile to the campground but it went okay. I was praying the entire time that it wouldn't rain on us, and it ended waiting until we were sheltered. Thank you God (: we then set up camp and ate, went down and showered and did laundry and went to bed. It was a great day
Date: 2016-07-14
From: Loft mountain campground

To: Hightop hut
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning started great, we woke up and got packed then headed down to the wayside. It was closed when we got there but by the time I was done eating it was open and we got to buy orange juice. Plus I got a cool postcard. We then started our day with a small but good amount of up. It was alright but kind of tiring. We had a lot of shade at first, but later on we started to be in the sun more and more. We rested at Ivy creek outlook and then decided to keep going. We then ate lunch at a gap but I cannot remember which one. Once we finally got to Smith Roach gap it was only a mile left to go. Almost all up, but only a mile. We got to the shelter and kinda collapsed on the bench. I then got water, and set up the tent. After some talking we finally ate, washed up and went to bed.
Date: 2016-07-15
From: Hightop hut

To: bearfence
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

This morning started out pretty alright, I was tired and chili but I had oatmeal and cocoa and I was good. I also ate a tortilla, with Nutella and that helped a lot. The little bit out of the shelter was nice and flat and after that trail we had hill. But the hill wasn't very steep and it was only a half mile. Then we went down quite a bit, then up quite a bit. We stopped for lunch after 6 miles. Then stopped for a break at nine miles. Once we got to the shelter we just sat and relaxed for a while, we decided to stay on the second floor of the shelter tonight. We wanna be on the trail early tomorrow, and not having a tent to take down makes that easier. We got to have a fire tonight, and we made mashed potatoes for dinner. We also ate meat and cheese and crackers which I like a lot. I pretty much packed my pack and just put it in the bear box so I will be almost ready in the morning. I was very tired and wanted to go to bed around 6:30 but then I would be up too early. So I waited until about 8. Finally I got in bed and now I'm gonna go to sleep.
Date: 2016-07-16
From: bearfence

To: Big meadows campground
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: few clouds

This morning we woke up at midnight to about six people coming into the shelter. They obviously had no intention of being quiet. Besides that, they kept shining their headlamps in our eyes. After that it got pretty hard to sleep and I didn't wake up too happy. We got on the trail around 6:40, which is a record. We just wanted to get out, plus we were both already up. I had a cliff bar and so did Sherpa, then we were off. We started out with a descent hill but it wasn't too tiring. Then we stopped at this parking to make coffee and cocoa around 7:30. There were these little black gnats everywhere and some of them even bit. So we moved around a little bit, I even kinda felt the need to dance so I shuffled around some. After that we hiked another like 5 ish miles to the wayside. I got some fudge, rocky road and turtle and boy did that hit the spot. Then Sherpa got a ride down to the ranger station and got a spot. Then he set up the tent, we then hung out for a bit and then hiked back to the tent. Then we hiked to Lewis Mountain falls which were okay, not as cool as I thought. But it was still pretty, we hiked up to the wayside and just when someone offered us a ride it started pouring. We got dropped off at the Rangers station, and I sprinted and got our packs. Then we did laundry and showered and that was alright, but water seeped through the floor and soaked our packs. We then put our packs back and went to the lodge to chill. After that we made campfire and popcorn and went to bed. A good night I say!
Date: 2016-07-17
From: Big meadows campground

To: pass mountain hut
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning, it was a bit of a struggle to wake up, but once we got up it was alright. It was kinda chili but later in the day got pretty hot. I got to have cereal this morning which was really nice. We started out our hike with a really nice and path and pretty easy route. We took a small break, at a shelter and we got to use the privy. We then hiked a while and stopped for a snack break at this overlook at around six and a half miles. We then continued on, and took a break around another three miles or so. The path started to get a bit rocky and for a good half hour my knee really really hurt. I took ibuprofen but that didn't help much. Once we took a sit down rest it felt better though. We got to this picnic area about eleven miles in and sat down and ate a really early dinner. That was when we decided to go to the second shelter, another 8 miles. We felt pretty good, we stopped at Birds Nest shelter for a few minutes then made our way to this shelter. We rolled in around 7:30. It was a long day and we were tired. We can take a short day tomorrow though. This was our biggest day yet.
Date: 2016-07-18
From: pass mountain hut

To: gravel springs hut
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today we woke up a bit late, but on purpose, we got to sleep in until about 8. We had a good breakfast, I   felt alright but like most days it was hard to get up. It was a hill right out of the shelter but it wasn't too big so we didn't mind. We got to meet these two girls, pig and cairn, but they were gone by the time we were up. It was 7.3 to the wayside and we knew we were going to eat lunch there but we should've had a snack. We totally dragged towards the end because we were hungry. The wayside was nice, I got to charge my phone. We resupplied and got breakfast for the morning. I had a grilled cheese and a cinnamon roll and propel. Sherpa had a cheeseburger and the rest the same. We met this guy named Paul and talked to him for a while, he asked a lot of questions and we had a good talk. Right when we were a bout to leave a huge storm came through and we went under this shelter thing. We didn't end up leaving till around four, because that's when the storm ended. We had ice cream to refuel, blackberry ice cream and it was delicious. We then went another 6.5 miles and that wasn't so bad. We got to the shelter around 6:45, had some snacks and I had ramen. Then we saw three bears walking across a tree branch. After that we went to bed.
Date: 2016-07-19
From: gravel springs hut

To: mountain home cabin
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today we woke up around six, this morning was probably one of the hardest to get out of bed. I just wanted to keep sleeping. I had an oat meal raisin cliff bar and that tasted really good. We then were on or way. The first 3.5 miles were pretty easy and we blew through them. Then we went another 3 ish miles and had a snack then, I had a chocolate chip cliff bar and that tasted very yummy. We went another 3 ish miles and ate lunch at Tom Floyd shelter. I went to go get water and got lost and ended up back tracking on the trail. Wasn't very happy about that. But then I ate some ramen noodles and felt better. We then had a little over 3 more to go. That last stretch was almost all down besides one small up. We blew through that pretty quickly. We got to the hostel and got a nice shower then went into town. We resupplied and got Chinese food, and I was very very happy. Excited to sleep in a bed.
Date: 2016-07-20
From: mountain home cabin

To: manassas gap shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning started out amazing, I slept great and slept in till 8. Then I woke up to French toast and fruit!!! I was happy! It didn't take long to pack and stuff but we definitely took our time eating and relaxing. We wanted to take and easy day today. We got on the trail around 10 which was still pretty good. Although we started with a hill and it was very hot. We then stopped for lunch at this one shelter that was really nice. It had a pavilion and a shower. We wanted to stay there, but we needed to keep going. We had a mild hill after but it was in the sun so we were sweating buckets. We then ended with a bigger hill but it had some breaks so it was alright. We got to the shelter around 4:30 and sat down then picked a tent spot. Ate dinner, made a fire and off to bed
Date: 2016-07-21
From: manassas gap shelter

To: Rod hollow shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning it was very hard for me to wake up and get out of bed. I was pretty tired even tho it was only seven. Once I actually got out of bed it wasn't so bad, and I had a nice breakfast. I had Nutella and tortillas and a Nutrigrain bar. I also packed my pack pretty quickly so I got to relax more. We left our campsite around 9. We started with a good amount of hill but once we got up that it wasn't too bad. We had a good amount of flat and down after that. We stopped at a parking lot and it was kinda the only option. It was noisy and not very comfortable but we made due. It was still food and that was good. On the way there we went through a meadow with lots of ripe berries. We gobbled those up very quickly! It was such a good treat! After lunch we had a couple more hills but that was alright. We got into camp around 4 and took a nap until about 6. We then washed up and ate and we were in bed by 7:30. Not excited about the roller coaster tomorrow.
Date: 2015-01-06
To: Deep Thought
Miles today: 0.0

I heard an older man on the TV the other day say that the first 50 years of your life is for learning and the second 50 is for living. I have learned a lot in the first 50 years. A lot of what I have learned is what not to do. I don't intend to make the same mistakes again. I started the process of a through hike about the time I turned 50. I am now 52. In the last two years I have met the woman of my dreams, quit the family business that I couldn't take anymore,sold my house,bought a new one and started traing for a 2185 journey of a lifetime. On February 9th that journey begins. An Appalachian Trail thru hike.      I dont't know if I will live to be 100 yrs. old or not,but I do know that what ever time I have left I will live it like it is my last. There will be no more I might,I wish, I should have,could have or would have. Instead they will be replaced by I will,I can,I am and I have. There comes a point when you get busy living or get busy dying. I choose living. With the help of my beloved Carole I intend to fulfill this dream.      Well, enough psych bable. I have laid out my gear and deciding what to take. It is in the single digits here in PA. I am going to test out my 10 deg. bag and sleepig pad out. I will put on me sleeping clothes and crawl in it for a while. Should be a good test. I will let you know how it turns out.
Date: 2015-01-11
To: New Voice mail
Miles today: 0.0

My new voicemail message: Hi, this is Frank. Unless this is Carole, Tammy, one of my children or a close friend, do not leave a message. Don't call back, don't text me, PM me or try to contact me in any way. I will not respond. I am going to be busy for the next 6 months hiking 2189 miles on the Appalachian Trail. The last thing I need to hear is your winey voice telling me about your problems. I will not be able to fix everyone's problems anymore. It's time to put on your big girl/boy pants and deal with your crap yourself. If you can't deal with something I suggest calling Dr. Laura. If you have my Number in your contacts, please delete me. I don't want to hear from you anyway. If you do get the urge to call me and you are on the do not call list, try calling 1-800-328-7448. Thank for your cooperation. Have a nice day.
Date: 2015-01-15
To: Last Supper
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I was able to get the whole family together for one last supper before I leave on my hike. I am fortunate to have three beautiful daughters, a great son-in-law ,two beautiful grandchildren and the love of my life, Carole. I told my kids my motivation for this hike is so that they have to introduce me as their crazy dad Who hiked from Georgia to Maine,2189 mile.
Date: 2015-01-29
To: Goodbye
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Someone asked me what was the heaviest thing I would be carrying? I replied " My heart". Carole and I said our goodbyes and I headed for Florida. it Will be hard not seeing her and my kids for a while but they are all very supportive. My gear arrived at the Hiker Hostel via UPS. Will get to Kissemmee today and then some relaxation before I start on Feb. 9
Date: 2015-02-09
From: Springer

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 8.1

Started at exactly 11 AM.That was one small step for man, the start of one long ass bike for LTD. Received my first trail magic when I got back to the parking light coming back down from Springer Mountain. Someone left an orange for me. Thank you. I ended up giving it to Justin who I met at the shelter.Rainy start but cleared up in the afternoon. First experience in shelter wasn't bad. Only one other person and his dog were there.I listen to my iPod when I walk. when I hear certain songs they make the walk faster. One in particular is the Nickelback song what are you waiting for. This song a special meaning to me for certain reasons. But for the purpose of this hike one verse really stands out.You gotta go and reach for the topBelieve in every dream that you gotYou're only living once so tell meWhat are you, what are you waiting for?You know you gotta give it your allAnd don't you be afraid if you fallYou're only living once so tell meWhat are you, what are you waiting for?
Date: 2015-02-10
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 12.7

Was a long night. Couldn't sleep very well. My sleeping system works really well. It got down to around 30. I was warm enough but couldn't sleep because of all the noise. Got picked up by the Hiker Hostile. Going to stay there tonight and head for Neels gap in the morning.Finally got a view from Ramrock mountain. I love listening to my iPod when I walk. The Bob Seger song came on Roll Me Away. It reminded me of forest Gump when he was running through the mountains. Some people have already called me Forest Frank. I've decided to send a lot of stuff that I really don't need to carry right now. Like I stove some extra clothing and a few odds and ends. If I need them later I will get them mailed to me or pick up something on the way.