morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-14
From: Dicks Dome Shelter

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

The roller coaster kicked our ass today as it was a hot and humid day and we hiked 10 miles of the roller coaster after lunch. The three of us dragged our ourselves up to the Bears Den Rocks where there is a blue blaze trail to Bears Den Hostel. All three of us were amazed at the beautiful stone house and the grounds that surround the hostel. When we arrived we were welcomed by Hopeful and given the low down on the hostel setup. To my great surprise Sky Walker was a the hostel and it was great to see him again as I thought he had already left for Spain and his hike of the El Camino Trail. Sky Walker asked the three of us if we wanted to go to McDonald's' for something to eat so we all piled into his Cadillac and we were on our way. It's amazing how one hour you can be climbing a 400 foot peak in 100% humidity and a hour later you can be seating in a Caddy on your way to town. Anyhoo we got to McDonald's and gorged ourselves on burgers and fries. It's funny how much I enjoyed a burger and fries at McDonalds where as in real life I rarely eat at McDonald's but anything goes on the trail. I love being able to eat anything I want and not feel the least bit guilty about all the fat and calories. It's going to be really hard to break my two Snicker bar a day habit when I finish the trail. Back at Bears Den Hostel we said goodbye to Skywalker and enjoyed a quiet night.
Date: 2010-06-15
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Random Campsite Near Mile 1010
Miles today: 16.3

I was up earlier than expected as some other hikers got up at 5 am so they could do a 20 mile day into Harpers Ferry. We eventually left the hostel around 8ish after breakfast and coffee. The hike today was fairly easy after we finished the last 3.5 miles of the roller coaster. I am still hiking with Safari and Rabid so the three of us walked together today. We decided to go to the Blackburn AT Center for water as there weren't many other options available today. The Blackburn AT Center is home to the PATC caretaker and when we arrived for lunch nobody was home. The three of us enjoyed lunch on the screened in porch and before lunch was over the caretaker arrived and offered us cold sodas. Awesome just what we wanted on another hot day. Full of food and soda we hiked on debating if we should push into Harpers Ferry tonight or lay up a few miles short and take a nero day tomorrow. We finally decided when we reached Keys Gap that we should walk the .3 miles to Torlone's Pizza and stop for a early dinner and then hike a few more miles and find a campsite. It was an interesting .3 mile road walk beside a busy highway to the pizza shop and we were pleasantly surprised to find it was a bar that served pizza. Stuffed full of pizza and beer we were back on the trail. We hiked a few miles until we found a descent campsite and called it a night. The three of us enjoyed a relaxing evening drinking the beers we had packed in from the pizza stop. It's really hard to explain how much fun we are having on the trail. Most of our jokes are inside hiker jokes which are probably not funny to people not on the trail. The most exciting part of today was passing the 1000 mile mark. Tomorrow I will be out of Virgina. I can't believe I am almost 1/2 way.
Date: 2010-06-16
From: Random Campsite Near Mile 1010

To: Harpers Ferry 
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: light rain

I awoke to rain and laid in my tent debating if I should start to pack up or wait out the train. Shortly Safari and Rabid also woke up and Rabid checked the radar on her IPhone and said it looked like a nasty storm was headed our way and that perhaps we should wait it out a bit. No longer than 15 minutes passed and it started to rain really hard and then a lightning bolt struck very close to us. So close that I didn't hear any separation between the thunder and lightning, it was a pretty scary experience. The storm passed and the rain stopped to we decided to pack up and head for Harpers Ferry. All three of us were pretty let down because there was no sign at the state line crossing between Virgina and West Virgina. After being in Virgina for 500+ miles it would have been nice to celebrate completing Virgina at the state line. Ah well, we ended up guessing where the state line crossing was and celebrated our accomplishment. Shortly after the state line crossing we crossed the Shenandoah river and were at the ATC headquarters in Harpers Ferry. It felt amazing to be standing on the porch at the ATC having our pictures taken and added to the 2010 photo album. Eventually we decided to head downtown for breakfast and then went over to the outfitter. I was a little disappointed that I still couldn't find a hiking skirt. What does a girl have to do to find a skirt to hike in? We managed to hitch a ride back up to the ATC and then we made our way to the bottle shop for some beverages to celebrate hiking 1000 miles and went to a hotel for the night.
Date: 2010-06-17
From: Harpers Ferry 

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: few clouds

I don't know why I can't sleep in even when I'm in a comfy bed in a hotel room. I was up early but at least I was able to use the time to update my journal. As I was working on my journal Red Stick appeared in the lobby of the hotel and I was great to see him again. I eventually went to the continental breakfast in the hotel which was full of hikers. I talked with Chicken Feathers who told me that he was considering ending his hike at Harpers Ferry instead of Pine Grove as he wasn't feeling well. Bummer. I hope he feels better soon. We finally got back on the trail around 9 and enjoyed the hike out of Harpers Ferry and the hike along the C&O Canal. The terrain in Marlyand is pretty easy so we enjoyed a leisurely hike for most of the day. We decided to end our hike today at the Dahlgren Backpack Campground which has hot showers and running water for hikers. After a little debate we decided to go to the Old South Mountain Inn for dinner. The Inn was pretty upscale but they let us in and we enjoyed a very nice dinner which included filet mignon and garlic mashed potatoes. Fantastic, fine dining on the the trail. What a day.
Date: 2010-06-18
From: Dahlgren Backpack Campground

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

I got a bit of a late start on the trail today and felt a bit tired throughout the day. We started the day off with a short hike up to the Washington Monument which was cool to see. After hanging out and enjoying the history of the monument we hiked up to Annapolis Rocks for lunch. It was a great spot to stop for lunch as it has an amazing view. After Annapolis Rocks the trail became rocky for a few miles and we were given a preview of what PA is going to be like. Thankfully the rock gave way and we hiked down to the road that leads to Smithburg MD. We decided to hitch into town for dinner and some resupply. A quick hitch found us in Smithburg at a shopping plaza with a Food Lion, Rite Aid and a Chinese Food restaurant. Chinese food was chosen for dinner and we enjoyed some good food and huge portions. Even with my hiker appetite I couldn't finish my dinner. Quick resupply and we went back out to the road to hitch back to the trail. It took us longer than expected to get a ride but we managed to make it back to the trail. Thankfully there was a shelter .2 from the road so we didn't have far to walk before we could camp for the night.
Date: 2010-06-19
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Antietam Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

I got a great night sleep despite all the noise from the traffic last night. Maryland was pretty nice to us for the first few miles today then we had a nasty rocky downhill to negotiate. A little goodbye present from Maryland. We arrived at the Pen Mar County Park for lunch and enjoyed a nice 2 hr break. A wedding was taking place at one of the picnic pavilions in the park and it was fun to sit and people watch for a bit. It was very hard to leave the park and start hiking again as all three of us were stuffed from lunch. Eventually we got back on the trail and we arrived at the MD / PA state line and we celebrated finishing another state. Goodbye Maryland! You were a great state to hike through and we have nicknamed you Merryland. After we crossed into PA w had a climb which was quite painful since lunch was sitting like a rock in my stomach and causing me lots of discomfort. Mental note don't eat tons of town food and then go hiking. I walked in discomfort for another hour before my body digested the food and my stomach ache disappeared. The rest of the hike in the afternoon was flat and relaxing. We took a break at Deer Lick Shelter where we met Siren who is hiking with his pet Iguana. Very strange but it was pretty cool and unexpected. We hiked on to the next shelter where we setup camp for the night. I found out tonight that Safari is going to take a nero and zero day later this week to visit with his girlfriend and Rabid is having some blister issues so I am not sure how much longer the three of us will be hiking together. Bummer.. Ah well I will enjoy their company as long as it lasts.
Date: 2010-06-20
From: Antietam Shelter

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: broken clouds

Early start to the day and also a 1000 foot climb. I am feeling a bit better today so the climb wasn't that hard. On the way up the climb we met two new hikers who are starting a flip flop hike, Snoopy and Rocket. We wished them luck and hiked on. Safari and I reached the top of the climb before Rabid so we stopped to take a break and let Rabid catch up. When Rabid caught up to us she told us that her feet were really sore today so we shouldn't wait for her as she wasn't sure how far she could hike today. Sadly we said our goodbyes and told her we would see her at the state park for lunch. The terrain this morning was fairly gentle with a bit of mixed in rock climbing so we found ourselves earlier than expected at the state park. The state park had a pool and snack bar so we enjoyed another town lunch and yet again didn't eat anything out of our food bags. It's funny that I left Harpers Ferry with 3 days of food and we are on our 5th day of hiking since leaving and I still don't need to resupply. After a two hour lunch we left the park with Rabid who had caught up but was still having some feet issues due to blisters. It ended up being a long afternoon as we had 10 miles to hike but thankfully the terrain was fairly easy. Tomorrow we will finally reach the official 1/2 way point and Pine Grove State Park where it is tradition for thru hikers to attempt the 1/2 gallon challenge. The challenge is for thru hikers to eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream in one sitting. Tomorrow is also the summer solstice which means it's hike naked day. I have considered both AT traditions and have decided not to take part in either. Boring I know but everyone has to hike their own hike.
Date: 2010-06-21
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: James Fry Shelter
Miles today: 17.1

It was an exciting day as we passed the AT midpoint at mile 1089.55 just before reaching the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The terrain was easy this morning so the 6.5 miles to the midpoint went by fairly quickly. We had a small celebration at the midpoint sign which was a bit anticlimactic since we have been celebrating the 1/2 way point since Harpers Ferry. We arrived at Pine Grove Furnace State Park general store which is where the hikers attempt the 1/2 gallon challenge but we all decided not to take part as we all figured it would make us sick. Well we where there we watched a few other hikers attempt the challenge and only one person was successful. The hike in the afternoon was easy and along the way we found some trail magic from some former thru hikers. Amazing, frozen juice packs and little debbies in the middle of the woods. We called it a night early and all three of us are headed into Boiling Springs tomorrow for a nero day, resupply and laundry.
Date: 2010-06-22
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We were up early for the 12 mile hike into Boiling Springs. The terrain was a bit harder than I had envisioned and the bugs were annoying this morning. We managed to hike the 12 miles by noon and on the way into town we met Achilles the Red. All four of us walked over to the ATC office for some info and then we decided to go to Anile's for lunch. After lunch we decided to walk out of town up to the Allenbury Resort Inn where we were planning to stay for the night. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon hanging out and drinking a few beers. Safari and I decided to walk back into town for dinner at the tavern and we enjoyed a nice dinner. Back to the inn for the night.
Date: 2010-06-24
From: Boiling Springs

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: scattered clouds

We finally decided to hike on today after enjoying another breakfast buffet at the Allenbury. I swear I have gained some weight since leaving Waynesboro due to all the restaurant and town stops. I really need to buckle down and stay out of town for a bit in order to save some cash. Rabid and I decided to only hike 14 miles today and another 10 miles tomorrow into Duncannon for two reasons. First so Safari can catch up and Rabid has some blisters that she is trying to heal. I am looking forward to hanging out at the Doyle tomorrow and another short day of hiking. We found out that So Far's Dad is planning to be at the campground tomorrow and is going to cook dinner and breakfast for hikers. Hopefully Rabid and I can take part.
Date: 2010-06-25
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

It was an easy hike into Duncannon today. We only had 12 miles to hike so we took our time and enjoyed the miles. Once in Duncannon we decided to go into the Doyle for lunch and a few beers. We enjoyed a awesome lunch at the Doyle and then we decided to hitch to the grocery store instead of waiting for the shuttle. It was a pretty easy hitch to the grocery store and I had to laugh when I was walking down the aisle at the store and two different people said to me "weren't you the one hitching on the side of the road" I replied yes I was and thought to myself thanks for noticing and not picking us up. Rabid and I spent a while at the grocery store trying to find something different to eat instead of the ordinary hiker diet. I finally decided to make a few changes to my diet but by doing so my food bag feels like it weighs a ton. Rabid and I manged to hitch back into town and we decided to hike out to the campground to stay for the night. Walking through the campground was a riot and it reminded me of the show trailer park boys... it was pretty scary. Rabid and I setup camp and then we met up with So Far and his father John. John cooked us a delicious dinner complete with apple pie. Thanks John for the trail magic. Back to the tents for the night but I am not sure how much sleep we will get due to the set of railroad tracks that are right behind us.
Date: 2010-06-26
From: Duncannon

To: Spring & Campsite
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: broken clouds

Rabid and I started the day with breakfast made by So Far's dad in the campground. I met two new thru hikers today Compass and Kumquat. Thanks again to John for the trail magic. We started the hike today with a fairly big climb out of Duncannon but once on top of the mountain the trail followed the ridge. The ridge was a bit rocky but it was a nice hike. We found some trail magic at PA225 which was fantastic since it had a gallon of ice cold water and I was pretty low on water. Safari caught back up to us at Peters Mountain Shelter and the three of us hiked the remaining miles together. Tonight we are camped near a spring with a campsite. Water is becoming a bit scarce on the trail.
Date: 2010-06-27
From: Spring & Campsite

To: Lickdale
Miles today: 17.8

We awoke to thunder this morning so all three of us decided to wait out the storm. It rained for about 45 minutes then passed. Last night we decided to head into Lickdale tonight so we could do laundry and get a shower. The hike today started with a 800 foot climb up to the Stony Mountain Horse Shoe Trail then the trail was pretty much flat and easy the rest of the day. We managed to cover the miles my mid afternoon and found a ride to Lickdale as soon as we came off the trail. A nice couple with a pickup truck was out walking their dog and said they could give us a ride to town. They dropped us off at the Lickdale campground which was perfect since it had an ice cream store. We enjoyed some ice cream while we sat and chatted with the couple who gave us a ride. We decided to stay at the Best Western for the night and before long we had our laundry done and showers taken care of. Rabid and I went for dinner at Wendy's where I decided to order everything on the super value menu since I was pretty hungry. When I placed my order I think I shocked the girl working the cash register plus the guy who placed his order before me since he asked why I would order everything on the super value menu. I explained to him that I was thru hiking the trail and we burn between 4000 - 6000 calories per day so I had the pleasure of being able to eat anything I wanted. After dinner we went back to the room to watch a movie.
Date: 2010-06-29
From: Lickdale

To: Hertlein Campsite
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We decided to go hiking today, no more loafing around the hotel. After a quick breakfast we left the hotel and headed out to the road to hitch back to the trail. Rabid noticed a guy in pickup truck at the gas station so she asked him if he could give us a ride, he agreed and we were soon back on the trail. The day started with a 1000 foot climb and then we pretty much ridge walked to the 501 shelter. A few miles of the trail across the ridge was covered in poison ivy so it will be a miracle if I don't have any in a few days. We stopped for a quick lunch at William Penn Shelter and then pushed on to the 501 shelter. Just before the 501 shelter I managed to pull the bottom of my trekking pole out and thought I had broken it. I carried the two sections of my pole to the shelter where I attempted to put it back together but I managed to screw it up, stupid move. Rabid & Safari thought I could temporarily fix my pole with duct tape and sure enough it worked. We left the 501 shelter mid afternoon and hike on to the Hertlein campsite. We had earlier discussed only stopping for dinner at the campsite and then hiking on a few more miles but after some thought we decided to call it a day. Off to Port Clinton tomorrow and hopefully a trip to Cabelas in Hamburg.
Date: 2010-06-30
From: Hertlein Campsite

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: clear sky

We were up early today so we could get to Port Clinton before the post office closed and also Cabelas. Not much to say about the hiking today besides that it was hot and the terrain was quite rocky. By the end of the 18 miles my feet were pretty sore. We made it into Port Clinton by 3 pm and our first stop was the post office. As we were leaving the post office Two Rings and So Far pulled up in Cabelas van so we jumped in for a ride to the store. Funny the trail contradictions, only an hour ago I was hiking across rocks and an hour later I am sitting in a huge Cabelas at an all you can eat buffet. We spent several hours in the Cabelas were I was tempted to buy new shoes but instead purchased some shoe goo in hopes my shoes can make it the rest of the way through PA. Back to Port Clinton to camp for the night.
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I guess its time to start the administrative part of this journey. I have been planning this for the past several years and the time has come to answer the challenge. I have been hiking sections in the Great Smoky Mountains and Northern Tennessee and have become totally addicted to the trail. Each year I have done about a 50 mile section of the AT during the time most thru-hikers past through Tennessee. Hiking as a section hiker just doesn't have the charm the mystique and the challange of a thru-hike. So it's time to review my gear and start selecting all the right stuff.
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Four Months and counting! I'm just starting to think its never too soon to start planning. I have decided on 12 mail drops between Georgia and Maine. Items such as instant StarBucks, Camel Back Elixer tablets, New socks, dehidrated food, plastic bagies, Motrin, foot powder, camp soap, batteries, maps etc. My wife will ship them out on scheduled dates. I hope she includes come cookies and suprises. The rest of the supplys I will pick up along the way when I get into towns.
Date: 2010-01-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I have change my start date to a few weeks earlier. I plan on starting on 7 March which will be the same time as my youngest sons Spring Break. Garrett will hike the first 30 miles from Springer Mountain to Neels Gap with me. This will also have me arriving at Newfound Gap in the Smokey's at the beginning of my wife's spring Break. I will then take a few days off to be with her. The earlier start date gives me more time to make it to Katahdin and still have some time if needed to recover from any injuries. So 62 days and counting. I feel like a kid who is waiting on Christmas.
Date: 2010-01-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, its official, I have given notice to my employer. I feel as a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I was very nervous to tell my boss. I new he would understand but the upper management is what I was worried about. And as I figured, he was excited for me to be living out a long time passion and dream. Some of the upper management wasn¢t as understanding. But then again they don¢t have any passions for living out an adventure like this. I felt bad for my Sales team because this will put some unexpected pressure on them. Frank is by far the best Boss I have ever had and the rest of the team, Mike and Ronda are the greatest people to work with.   I hope they follow along on my web site to see how I¢m doing and if they send cookies and stuff to my drop shipments that would be great. Ronda if you can figure a way to send me something from Outback then you certainly deserves the title of Super Woman. 38 days and counting!
Date: 2010-02-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

27 Days and counting. I spent the weekend mixing up my our trail mix which the trail community calls "Gorp". My mixture has Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Cashews, M&Ms, Dries fruit to include, Craisins, Blue berries, Cherries, and Pinapple. Last was a mixture of Chex cereal. I then Vacuum sealed in to a bag to keep them fresh. I put one bag into each of my mail drops. The mail drops are all filled and addressed. I put a tag on each box showing the date that my wife would have to mail them. The last thing I need to do is a dry run on packing my backpack to make sure I'm only taking what is needed. My goal pack weight is under 40lbs. The next entry will on just that subject.
Date: 2010-02-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today was the day to see just how much stuff I would be taking. Total pack weight with all winter gear and 4 days of food, 40Lbs. This is the beginning of seeing what in this pack truely needs to go and what needs to stay. My goal was to have it below 40Lbs including 2 liters of water. I still have 24 days and a wake up to bring the total down a few pounds.