morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-03
From: Quality Inn

To: Quality Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Goldie CatStart: Quality Inn (Rm 136)Finish: Quality InnMiles: Zero DayWeather: Hot! 90¢s and humidBreakfast: 4 bowls cereal, 2 bagels, English Muffin, OJ, Cranberry JuiceLunch: Large pepperoni lovers pizzaDinner: Leftover pizza, PB & bread, Dried ApplesTrail Conditions: N/AAnimals: Dog named ¢Mountain goat¢. People: Millipede, Sarafin, Stick, Superstition, Paparazzi, Little Engine, Lamby, Goofy, Inchworm, Swedish, Sardine, Utah Mike, UnderhillMan alive¢¦I slept like a champ last night. I got up around 0900 and completely exploited the Continental Breakfast. I bombed bowl after bowl of cereal and pounded some bagels. I then went back to my room, iced my foot and listened to country music.I strolled on down to the library to check my e-mail and send out an update to the fan club back home. I was bummed to find out that our family cat Goldie had to be put to sleep this morning. I had talked with my folks last night and they advised that his kidneys were failing and had been suffering badly for the past week. They had taken him to the Vet, were he got IV¢s, and other good medical treatment, but to no avail. Rather than see him suffer anymore, Dad took him down to the Vet. Goldie was the coolest cat ever. He was 26 pounds of furry love. He had been in the family since I was 6. Kitty would lay on his back with all his paws in the air and his fat spread out in an enormous blob on the floor. At night he would sit on my chest and rub his head against the whiskers on my chin. He was just one cool cat. It really sucks not being able to see old man kitty before he went, but I have plenty of great memories and that counts for a lot.I hit up the laundry mat with Millipede and while the clothes were being washed we raided the Pizza Hut and I wolfed down a large pepperoni lovers pizza. I dried up the clothes and walked on back to the room and cleaned and prepped my gear. I finally got around to purchasing a Tiki Torch. I had been talking about getting one since Damascus but the time finally became right.Tomorrow I hit the SNP. I hope to whiz through the park in about 5 days and push hard to Harpers Ferry. We¢ll see, we¢ll see.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-07-04
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: haze

Enter the ShenandoahStart: Rockfish Gap @ 1025 Finish: Blackrock Hut @ 1832Miles: 20Weather: Hot & Humid. Heavy rain in late morning & early eveningBreakfast: 4 Bagels & Cream Cheese, 3 bowls Wheaties, Cranberry JuiceLunch: Beef Jerky, SnickersDinner: Philly Cheesesteak, FudgeroundTrail Conditions: Muddy, some rocky spots. Terrain was fairly easyAnimals: Lots of deer, frog, dog, lizardPeople: Sleepy the Arab, Little Engine, Snatchy & Monk, Knuckles & Underhill, Millipede, Sardine, Chafe, Paparazzi, Skidmark & Peanut, Grizzly DaveAll the talk at the continental breakfast bar this morning was of the whopping thunderstorm last night that crashed and boomed for several hours and caused power outages in much of Waynesboro. To bad I slept through the whole thing. I definitely had one of my best sleeps yet.I grubbed out at the continental eating tons of bagels and other assorted cereal entrees. I chatted w/ a bunch of other thru¢s at the Inn, some of which were pushing out and others who were zeroing. There is a large group of hikers holed up at Rusty¢s for the 4th today. I caught a free shuttle, from a local, back to the gap and moved into the SNP. I filled out my backcountry permit for five days in the park.It was very hot & humid this morning. We got a heavy down pour in the early afternoon for several hours. The rain was very refreshing and really cooled me down, however it also got all my stuff wet. I parked it at Beagle Gap when the rain stopped and rung about 8 ounces of water out of each sock. The trail crosses Skyline Drive (SLD) a ton of times and I got some very condescending stares, as I rested at the overlooks, from Yuppie tourists driving by in their SUV¢s. To bad those fools are too lazy to walk and miss the views that really count.I ran into Sardine along the way and we hiked the last three miles into the shelter together. Sardine got out of the Marines in January and was fun to talk with. Enroute to the shelter another large thunderstorm started to roll in. We picked up the pace and missed the rain by about 30 minutes.I hiked with my tiki torch today. It made an okay walking stick, however, is a great source of light as I journal in the dark. There are 9 of us in the shelter tonight. I got a lot of props for the idea of carrying a torch, the thru¢s think it is hilarious. There is a real asshole thru-hiker here named ****. Back in Pearisburg he assaulted the attendant at the Rendezvous Motel. He is just plain annoying to be around and the sad thing is the guy is in his 60¢s. I will be making it a point to get ahead of him.I am going to bed now amidst the snores of tired hikers. Time to put out the torch and re-light the glory tomorrow night. Happy 4th of July everyone.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-07-06
From: Hightop Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: few clouds

ThunderheadStart: Hightop Hut @ 0830Finish: Rock Spring Hut @ 2205Miles: 23.9Weather: Sunny and hot, 90¢sBreakfast: Chocolate CIBLunch: Velveeta Shells & Cheese, Oreos, Klondike Bar, SnickersDinner: Club Sandwich, Nachos, 2 Coors LightsTrail Conditions: Several rocky climbs, long flat stretchesAnimals: Deer, Birds, Squirrel, Hawk, DogPeople: Tourists, Campers, Chafe, Irish Couple, DanielIt was a nice cool and bug free night which made for great sleeping. I got a fairly early start and was psyched all day for a dinner at the Tap Room at Big Meadows Wayside. Chafe, myself, and Gather were all planning to meet there for food and beers.Unlike yesterday I wanted to make sure I ate adequately given the length of my hike. The terrain was not too hard, with several rolling hills. I covered the first 11 miles to Lewis Mountain Campground in no time flat and stopped to air out my gear in the hot sun and cook a good lunch. I met up with Chafe and we chatted a bit. We talked with a camper in the park who was a nice enough guy. He saw the sorry state of our socks and returned later from his tent with several clean new pairs of socks to take. We graciously declined the offer. Trail Through the ShenandoahWith lunch out of the way there was only one place to go¢¦.the Tap Room! The second third of the day also passed quickly. I met up with Chafe who was already two beers deep and chatting with some locals. I ordered up a deli sandwich and bottled Coors, my beer of preference.There was a young couple from Ireland sitting next to us at the bar. We chatted with them for quite some time. They were really nice and we enjoyed hearing about Ireland as they did about the AT.Daniel, one of the bar tenders and his family are from South Africa. He was once quite wealthy, operating a successful cattle farm, however, a bad business deal left him filing for bankruptcy and losing a family farm of four generations ¢ while the other half of the deal walked away smelling like a rose. In an effort to get a new start his family came to America (arrived 1-1/2 years ago) and they plan on opening up a small B & B or motel venture in the near future. As for now he and his wife are managing at the Wayside getting the jist of hotel management. He had great stories to tell. After our food and beers were consumed it was time to cap off the day with a 3-1/2 mile inebriated night hike. To celebrate the occasion I fired up the tiki torch and guided myself through the inky darkness with its light. It worked great and really startled the folks at the shelter when we rolled in at 10:00pm. Definitely a good day on the trail.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-07-08
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Tom Floyd Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: scattered clouds

FlowersStart: Pass Mountain Hut @ 0823Finish: Tom Floyd Shelter @ 1853Miles: 23.6Weather: Hot & Sunny w/ breeze, high 80¢sBreakfast: Vanilla CIB, Chocolate Chip Poptarts, Frosted CheeriosLunch: Philly Cheesesteak, Oreos, Snickers, Honey Roasted PeanutsDinner: Mountain House Beef Stew, Peanut ButterTrail Conditions: Rocky at spots, several good climbsAnimals: Deer, Squirrel, Birds, HawksPeople: Firebird, Crazy Horse, Cory, Tavis, Crazy Family, section-hikersA long days hike on a short night of sleep. This fat kid from the crazy family was sleeping next to me and during the course of the night rolled over onto my sleeping pad at least 6 times, and when he wasn¢t doing that he kept kicking me in the head with his feet. I had a few words for that group in the morning.It was a hot morning today. I ran into Freebird early on and we hiked together briefly and ate blueberries that were growing. A bunch of us had all arranged to meet at Elk Wallow Wayside for lunch. The trail there was easy going and I made good time. I ordered up a chocolate milkshake and Philly Cheesesteak, it tasted great. However, the greasy cheesesteak gave me some serious gas and I literally tooted my way the last 15 miles of the day. 06 Flat TrailIt was a very hot day, however, a steady breeze and shade of the trail kept conditions nice for walking. The day¢s hike was really quite uneventful. I saw very few people or animals. There were some really spectacular views though and I made it a point to stop and smell the roses at the various rock outcroppings. I was in debate most of the day about where I wanted to stay for the night. It was a toss up between the Terrapin Station Hostel and Tom Floyd Shelter. I opted for the shelter, as I have spent a lot of money this week on chow in the park. I don¢t like passing up hostels, but I did. I¢ll be at Bears Den later this week so it¢s all good. 02 View near end of Shenandoah ParkThere are only two other SOBO section-hikers here tonight. They are my age and real nice kids. We cooked up dinner, rolled some cigarettes, and shot the bull for a long time. It was good company after a long day of hiking.It is real late right now and the tiki torch is burning strong, but alas, I am tired and must call it a night. Tomorrow I am hitching into Front Royal to re-supply for my final push to Harpers. I am excited for a nice fresh deli sandwich. I am sure to have good dreams tonight.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-07-09
From: Tom Floyd Shelter

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The Tiki Torch of JusticeStart: Tom Floyd Shelter @ 0933Finish: Dicks Dome Shelter @ 0854Miles: 18Weather: Sunny and Hot! low 90'sBreakfast: Chocolate Poptarts, Peanut ButterLunch: 2 Deli Sandwiches, Mac & Cheese, Potatoes Au Gratin, Raspberry Tea SnappleDinner: Chicken Quesidillas (puked them up afterwards, so really no din din)Trail Conditions: Several long & gradual climbs. Easy walking for most partAnimals: Squirrel, Birds, Hawk, Crawfish, RabbitPeople: Cory, Tavis, Diane, Russ, Gather, Dayhiker, Texas, Jarhead, Moose, HawkfeatherI had a great nights sleep last night and didn¢t bat an eye until 0804 this morning. Right from the get-go I could tell it would be a hot one, but no worries. Cory, Tavis and I shot the bull, took some funny pictures with our gear on and went our ways.I covered the three miles to US 522 lickity-split and found myself hoping for a hitch into Front Royal. After about 10 minutes a lady named Diane pulled over, picked me up, and dropped me off at Martin¢s grocery store in town. Thanks Diane! After some mindless wondering in the store I found all the food I needed and opted to take advantage of their expansive deli. After a good sandwich (and got one for the trail) I headed out. While packing up outside a guy named Russ walked up to me and offered a ride back to the trailhead. Sweet. Thanks Russ!Despite the insane heat and humidity I still managed to hike at a near 3mph pace. I pounded my deli sandwich at the Jim & Molly Denton Shelter. That place is awesome. They had a cold shower set up, super comfy patio chair and a fly swatter! I believe a fly swatter will be the next randomly odd, yet purposeful object I will carry with me. I also saw an entry from Officer Taco in the register. It was cool to see as this was a stretch where he did a 40 plus day. A.T. MarkerIn route to Manassas Gap Shelter I passed the remains of a stone wall built at a time pre-dating the French and Indian War. Fascinating to think about. I wanted to stay at Manassas, however, the two copperheads that had taken up residence there were an effective deterrent, so it was off to Dick¢s Dome. I would have to classify this shelter as ghetto, but it does have a great water source and a radio. I cooked up a nice quesdillia dinner while the other four people I am with smoked marijuana and opium from a home made bong crafted out of a beer can. It¢s amazing how creative druggies can be these days. Regrettably, whatever stomach bug I had several days back still had not gone away. Shortly after eating I got terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea. I then proceeded to projectile vomit my dinner in the privy and on myself. It sucked. After playing janitor and resting a bit the rebellion in my GI tract subsided. I will be pushing water all night in an attempt to rehydrate. As of now I have no appetite. Hopefully I can stomach breakfast in the morning. Regardless, I will be at Bears Den Hostel tommorrow night.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-07-10
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: broken clouds

Dick's Dome ShelterStart: Dicks Dome Shelter @ 0830Finish: Bears Den Hostel @ 1713Miles: 18.9Weather: Hot & Humid Morning. Overcast w/ sprinkles in afternoonBreakfast: 3 Strawberry Nutrigrain BarsLunch: Bagel and some pepperoniDinner: Banana Bread, 2 tortillas w/ cheese & pepperoniTrail Conditions: Easy going 1st half of hike. Hit the Rollercoaster on the 2nd hlaf of the day, nice and hilly.Animals: Deer, Rabbit, Squirrel, BirdsPeople: Jarhead, Moose, Texas, Hawkfeather, Mapmaker, Section-hikers, Road bikersDespite felling sick I managed to get some good sleep. I had no real appetite this morning, but I forced myself to choke down several nutrigrain bars. I knew I needed the calories for the day's hike. On the way out of camp I chatted w/ Moose and let him know I was feeling crappy, as the other three I was with are a bunch of jerks and could care less.I deliberately hiked at a pace I considered slow but was still moving along at nearly 3mph. I felt dehydrated so I made sure to stop and push fluids frequently. After several 20 minute rest breaks I completed the first 9 miles of the day in just over 3-1/2 hours. I stopped for about an hour at Rod Hollow Shelter and nibbled on a bagel. Fortunately it stayed down. It's not all that badI wasn¢t expecting the Rollercoaster until tomorrow, but as luck would have it I happened to cross it today. It may be quite possibly be the stupidest section of trail I have hiked so far. It isn¢t too difficult, but the climbs are absolutely pointless and extremely rocky. There are no good views to be offered. It is just PUD after PUD. I am not sure how many times I have stubbed my toes today on all those rocks but I would be really rich if I got a dollar for each occasion. Bears Den HostelI rolled into Bears Den ahead of the bozo druggies that started before me. It is a really cool hostel in a great setting. Emily, the caretaker, gave me the tour and without hesitation I claimed a bunk, dropped my pack and hit the shower. I was absolutely filthy and I showered a good 20 minutes cleaning down three times. Next chore was my laundry. I almost called in a Hazmat Team for that task. My stuff was so nasty that the rinse water was still brown in color. I decided that I would wash them again. The second cycle got them looking good, however, my socks still stink.Tomorrow I set off for Harpers Ferry. I can¢t believe I am already half-way done with this journey. It has been truly incredible up to this point and I am very very blessed to be out here. I often forget the significance of this trip and how unique it is, since I have been hiking the experience for so long now. However, arriving at this point has been an amazing achievement. I meditated on that thought tonight and will ponder it more on tomorrow's hike. As I have taken the time to reflect on what I have done so far I cannot help but get emotional.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-07-11
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Harpers Ferry Hostel
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Me at the ATC Headquarters...Halfway Done! My Stuff at the ATC HeadquartersStart: Bears Den Hostel @ 0955Finish: Harpers Ferry (Hostel) @ 2003Miles: 20.5Weather: Sunny & Hot Very HumidBreakfast: French Toast Oatmeal, 2 Nutrigrain barsLunch: 2 Bagels w/ pepperoni & cheeseDinner: Chicken Alfredo, 2 Mountain Dews, Ben & Jerry¢s Cookie DoughTrail Conditions: Easy going. Very Rocky towards end of dayAnimals: Deer, Squirrel, Fox, Frog, BirdsPeople: Dayhikers, Blackburn workers, Poptart, Ray & Loretta, Gardner, Giftgiver, Miss Janet, SpiderI went to bed super late last night and slept like a rock on the comfy bed. I was in no rush to get up and going, but being lazy won¢t get me to Maine. I took my time once up and got a late start regardless. However, I know the terrain for the day was easy.I dusted of the last couple of climbs of the Rollercoaster and finally crossed into West Virginia! The trail was easy going and I made great time to the Blackburn Trail Center. I enjoyed an Orange Pop, courtesy of the caretakers, and my bagel lunch on the nice screened in porch. It was a relaxing break and I am glad I stopped by there. West Virgina...At LastI started pushing on once more anxious to arrive at Harpers Ferry. I am glad to have crossed a State line, but I¢m not on good terms with West Virginia. The bugs were god awful and relentlessly buzzed round my head for about 15 miles. I was swatting at them so much my arms started getting tired. Then the rocks came and slowed my pace to what seemed like a crawl all the way into town. Oh well, all part of the challenge¢¦.but it really pissed me off. Shenandoah RiverAt long last the mighty Shenandoah came into view and I strolled across the traffic jammed highway bridge and into town. I stopped by the ATC headquarters, which were closed, but got a local to take my picture in front of the building. The town was very pretty and I took some pictures and strolled down Main Street. I then followed the historic, and now stagnant cesspool, C&O canal to Harpers Ferry Hostel.The hostel was an A-1 operation run by Ray & Loretta. Very clean, very spacious, and we had all the features a traveler could need. I ran into Poptart. We got to chatting and it turns out his ex-girlfriend lives in Holland. Crazy. While we ate dinner, Loretta¢s dad, Gardner, did a bunch of fun magic tricks for Poptart and myself. It was fun and unexpected evening entertainment.Then, Miss Janet and Spider showed up! I haven¢t seen Miss Janet since Erwin and Spider since Damascus. We shot the breeze for a long time and had a great time catching up on the times. I finally got to bed very late, but glad to be half-way done, and ready for a break back at home.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-07-12
From: Harpers Ferry Hostel

To: Amtrak Home
Miles today: 0.0

Harpers Ferry Hostel @ 0900Finish: Amtrak enroute to home @ 1850Miles: Zero DayWeather: Hot & Humid. Heavy rainstorm in afternoon & eveningBreakfast: Pancakes, Cereal, Orange JuiceLunch: Porkchops, Salad, CornDinner: 3 subsandwiches, Double Stuff Oreo¢sTrail Conditions: N/AAnimals: Typical fare of urban crittersPeople: Paul Rosa, ATC workers & volunteers, lots of hikersHad a great night last night but stayed up way too late. We had an early morning at the hostel and a wonderful pancake breakfast. After checking out Miss Janet drove Poptart and me down to the ATC headquarters. Thanks Miss J.I got my picture taken in front of the building and was registered as the 583rd NOBO thru-hiker this year. It was awesome to see the picture of Officer Taco and the Solemates so early on in the year. I spent several hours perusing old photographs of thru-hikers all the way back to the late 70¢s. It was really awesome to see, and realize I am part of such a special group.My train for home didn¢t leave until 6:30pm so I had planned on loitering at the headquarters until then. They had a great foot massager that did wonders for my sore paws. As I was vegging out in a metatarsal bliss, Paul the local trail angel, came by and invited me to his place for lunch. He cooked up some great pork chops and we shot the bull. OT had spent the night at his place and Paul found it cool that we were friends. After lunch we drove down to an old limestone quarry that he is responsible for keeping people out of. It was an awesome site and had a beautiful lake in what used to be the open mine. Paul had also purchased a new shotgun so we fired off a box of 12 guage rounds at one of the old abandoned limestone processing buildings. As I plunked off the last round it started raining, so we packed up and headed out. Paul dropped me off at the Walmart where I loaded up for the train ride home, and then brought me back to the ATC headquarters. Thanks for everything Paul!The ATC finally closed so I headed down to the train station to wait for the final 1-1/2 hours for my ride home. As I waited it started to rain again however, I was dry under the overhang. I got to talking with a businessman who was waiting for his wife. She commutes 1-1/2 hours each way to Washington D.C. for work. She works on Capitol Hill. That is 3 hours of commute time each day. Insane. Crazy thing is, there were hundreds that got of the commuter train that do that long haul every day. It seems so unhealthy to me to live that way. We had a good chat, and when his wife¢s train came in they headed home. The Amtrak arrived on schedule so I hopped aboard excited to be headed home for a few days.One Year Reflection