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

To: Pinefield Hut Shelter
Miles today: 24.1
Weather: broken clouds

happy birthday windup!! We surprised her with matching personalizedwife beaters and a birthday girl ribbon. Her mom sent her a birthdayprincess crown - we donned all our exciting attire and set off forskyline drive where we met maura and flynn. They took most of our gearoff of our hands and fed us lots of yummy fruit. They also broughtrork, an amazingly overweight english bulldog. We hit the trail with24 miles to go! It was a gorgeous day and we got lots of funny looksbecause of our shirts. My feet were killing me at the end of the dayand i was petered out but my whole attitude changed when i got to the shelter and saw the FEAST that awaited me. I think the girls cleared out an entire whole foods to feed not only windup but the ENTIRE shelter! Steaks, salmon burgers, asparagus, steamers (clams), brocoli, cakes, fruit, cheese tray,guacamole, etc etc. Yep. Thats a meal i had on the trail at a shelter.Insanity. There were some familiar faces at the shelter as well as some new ones (Hi David! Good luck planning your thru-hike!) and we chattedway past hiker midnight. I fell asleep with a happy and full belly
Date: 2009-05-24
From: Pinefield Hut Shelter

To: Bearfence Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

despite a wonderful meal and good time last night i woke up feelinghomesick. I packed up and hiked solo for a while. I saw some greatviews and everything was super green. I met up with wags at lunch timeand we decided to hike together. We kept passing and were passed bycup of joe and paulman who i really like a lot. She's hilarious andhes a friendly and helpful guy. A lot of couples on the trail do theirown thing which is cool, but it makes them act fairly antisocial. Iappreciate hanging out with a couple who are willing to balancesocializing with a more personal experience. Anyway, we hit mile 900today which was an amazing feeling. When we got to the shelter it waspacked. We set up our tents and were offered help by multiple menfolk.Now i appreciate chivalry. I do. But i have hiked over 900 miles thisyear alone. No, mr. Weekender im not a teenager (ill be 26 next month)and no, i dont need your help hanging my food bag and you dont need topoint out a tent site for me. To a select group of men who are over 40and have self esteem issues: if you want younger folks to like andlook up to you here's a suggestion - dont be know it alls! Ill ask foryour help and advice when i need it. Let me learn on my own if i dont!Good grief. Hike your own hike folks!!
Date: 2009-05-25
From: Bearfence Mountain Shelter

To: Rock Springs Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

i woke up super early this morning and was on the trail by 630. I hada nice hike - i love hiking early in the morning! I flushed a turkeyroosting in a tree and kept my eyes and ears peeled for a bear. I meta super nice section hiker who lives in charlotte nc - red barron. Igot to the big meadows campground before 10 where i showered and didlaundry. Then i met up with my wonderful inlaws who drove up to seeme! We had a delicious lunch (i had a cheeseburger combo, footlonghotdog combo, and a famous blackberry milkshake!). It was great to seesome family and im so glad they took the time to visit. I also metnomad98 and jojosmiley (president of Aldha) who asked me how the trail has changed me so far. I think id say im definitely more laid back and accepting of the fact that things work themselves out - i dont have to be in control of everything or most things for that fact. It's a question I'll have to ponder some more while I'm hiking (Boss - there's a good example about what I think about while I'm out here!).I past where julie lived in the park last year and had great memories of kerrie anne, grey, and my trip to visitthe park last year! We re enjoyin the shelter tonite because it isonce again raining out! Yikes!
Date: 2009-05-26
From: Rock Springs Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: moderate rain

ah rain, you are no stranger to me. Down on the roof you poured allnight. Drippin through the holes you leaked. Soaked my clothes youdid. What a wiley competitor. Too bad i win.yeah so maybe we took a 3 hour break at skyland lodge where wehad bothbreakfast and lunch (they kept the kitchen open just so we could orderbreakfast!!). We watched it rain. It was glorious. Then we had to goback out into it. We hiked more or less as a group for the last 10 orso miles. It was cold and rainy when we got to the shelter, but folksmoved over to make room! Double vision and jukebox were there and itwas lots of fun to share some southern banter!oh! I forgot the most exciting part! This morning when i went to peeat the shelter i saw.....a bear!! Out of excitement i yelled "a bear!"so before anyone else could see, it ran off. Ill know better nexttime...
Date: 2009-05-27
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

man i wake up kinda nervous for these bigger mile days. It reminds meof what i felt right before an event when i was on the swim team - imcapable of going the distance but nervous about the cost. Sometimesyou just gotta dive in. And with a little help from a wayside 7.5miles in, 3 hotdogs and a grilled cheese later i was ready to face theday. It stopped raining but was overcast which i can handle. I alsosaw another, big bear about 15 yards off the trail but before windupcaught up it ran off...i didnt even yell this time! The end of the daybrought AMAZING terrain and then we waved goodbye to shenandoah, theland of no thru hiker recognition. Yep, no one seemed to know aboutus. My ego was a little crushed. At one point a day hiker asked how iwas doing so i responded "great! I hiked here from georgia!" after theusual questions i got "so when are you gonna be in maine - 3 weeks?"WHAT? Three weeks?!? Good grief nevermind. Forget it. Get someglasses, son. Im a badass. If you cant see that get on with yourself. Its just the goonies at the shelter tonite. A great deck, no more rain, done withshenandoah, almost done with virginia, gettin close to the midpoint, arobert parish, oh and i already shaved my legs. Whooopie!
Date: 2009-05-28
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: broken clouds

i woke up every 30 minutes between 3 and 630 this morning. Yes i wasvery excited about town today. I packed in record time and eagerlyawaited the rest of the goonies. Then we set off at a steady clip onlyto be slowed by a bear cub (only saint saw it) a box turtle, and asnapping turtle - i picked the last two critters up for closerinspections. We got a hitch with the first car that past and imdefinitely enjoying the hotel! Woohoo!
Date: 2009-05-29
From: Front Royal

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up super early this morning, ignoring the fact that I was in a comfortable king size bed, and packed up. After yesterday's combo-eating and watching of THS (E! True Hollywood Story) Rapper Wives, I felt compeled to live it up just once more in my very own, glorious hotel room, so I sat in bed watching CMT until 10:59am (noticing a pattern?). Wags joined me. After check out, we ran across to Dunkin Donuts where I ordered enough food to make you gag, and then my phone rang. It was Grey! She was on her way to meet me for a weekend hike, and was passing through Front Royal. She showed up with her friend Tug and they gave us girls a ride back to the trail (Hermes and Saint decided to spend one more day in Front Royal, so the girls are temporarily splitting from the boys). We passed the National Zoological Park which apparently is home to various wild critters. I was half expecting to come face to face with a liger. It definitely had a Jurassic Park feel to it. Anyway, we heard a weed-wacker up in the distance and met Windbreaker, a class of 2000 thru-hiker, who we talked to for a while. We checked out the Jim & Molly Denton shelter which was awesome and glanced nervously at the sky. Hmm, leaving town after spending the past 24 hours doing laundry, showering, and drying all my gear by spreading it out in my hotel room? Definitely going to rain. Definitely. Yeah, I wasn't expecting the storm though. That was an INSANE storm...the lightning was striking here, it was striking there, it was striking EVERYWHERE! We ducked into a shelter just in time for the rain to let up. I ran behind the shelter to take care of some business, but something caught my eye - what in the world? At first I thought it was a hose, but then I realized where I was. Nope, can't be a hose. Shiny. Black. With a twist. HOLY SMOKES! Snake sex. Yep, I walked in on some black rat snakes copulating. Took some video footage and one racey photo (Stretch and Tinman, I officially win the scavenger hunt).We showed up at the shelter just in time to enjoy some dinner and hang out with Grey, Tug, Paulman, Cup of Joe, Jeremiah Johnson, Jukebox and Double Vision. Right now it's just us girls in the shelter, and we're loving it. Wags is trying to run us out of here, though, with some bodily function issues....we are all now firm believers in Windups "no spotted meat" philosophy.
Date: 2009-05-30
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: few clouds

We had a nice and lazy morning today and finally got going a little past 9. Grey, Tug, Wags and I hiked together for most of the day. The weather was gorgeous and hopefully dried out a lot of my gear from yesterday's deluge. We past through Sky Meadows State Park which was gorgeous and flat and very open. Grey was in the middle of a story when I let a scream out....I think I scared her a little. Actually, my scream was prompted by a sign that said "Harper's Ferry 32.6 miles." How very exciting! About mid-day we past a sign welcoming us to the infamous Roller Coaster - 10 ascents and decents in 13.5 miles. It's been hyped up for a while, and Gangsta had 3 rules of thru-hiking: 1. Hike your own hike. 2. Don't listen to anything anyone has to say, especially non-thru-hikers (that sounds kinda mean, but if you don't respond to folks with that attitude, but keep it as a mental one then it doesn't hurt anybody's feelings). 3. Nobody likes a know-it-all. I invoked rule #2 and was glad I did. For my visitors, the roller coaster was challenging, but they also had a 16 mile day if you include all the blue-blazed trails we walked. I think if we had only done about 8 miles they would have thought nothing about the roller coaster. It was really not a big deal for us thru-hikers.We got to camp and got dinner going. The shelter is full of just girls again, so we're rocking it out! I was super-proud of Grey and Tug for rocking a 16 mile day.
Date: 2009-05-31
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: scattered clouds

It rained for about 3 hours last night, and it was an intense rain. I was very glad to be in the shelter! Grey and Tug hiked almost 4 miles with us this morning back to their car, and we said bye at Snicker's Gap where Grey gave me a yummy snickers bar! Wags, Windup and I all headed up the last part of rollercoaster and past Crecent Rocks, a popular overlook. When we got to the West Virginia state line (ahhhh!!!!) we met three day hikers from D.C. - Donna, Phyllis and Katherine - who we talked to for a while. They were very funny and encouraging ladies who complimented us on how good and healthy we look! None of us girls have lost any weight (not that we really needed to), but I've been wondering how hiking 1000 miles can have no affect on my body except pain and stiffness. I was very excited to hear from a total stranger how good I'm looking! Haha. Windup almost died today. Ok, from my viewpoint it was close, but in reality it wasn't at all. She was hiking a little ahead of Wags and I, and I heard her yell something out, and then I saw a huge snag (dead tree) fall. I couldn't see what was going on, and I thought the tree had landed right on top of her. I ran past Wags towards where the tree had fallen, thinking I was going to have to figure out a way to get the tree off of her, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Windup's green shirt as she walked back towards us. THANK GOD! We left the boys a note telling them about the incident because we knew they'd be passing by later in the day.We also past the 1000 mile mark today. There wasn't a marker, but we made a sign and posed next to a sassafras tree. Very thrilling and awe-inspiring! I got to the Blackburn trail center where I was going to just fill up with water and hike another 3 miles. I got lazy and decided to stay the night. Brian and Laura Joe are the caretakers this year, and said I could sleep on the screened in porch and that they'd feed me dinner. How could I say no? I told Wags and Windup I'd catch up to them in the morning, and they headed out. I was reading War&Peace when I heard somebody else walk up - the boys! We hung out on the porch, and were fed rice and beans, corn on the cob, watermelon, and lemonade! Then I busted out the black&milds Grey gave me, and we celebrated our 1000 mile mark in lawn chairs in the front yard.Tomorrow we're going to get to Harper's Ferry, and I'm so excited I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight!
Date: 2009-06-01
From: Blackburn Trail Center

To: Brownville Gap campsite
Miles today: 20.8

Yeah, I definitely had a hard time sleeping last night. The moon shone in my face and kept me awake, but I didn't mind. The front porch was awesome for sleeping. I woke up early and headed out to meet Wags by 8:30 at the shelter they stayed at. We were super excited and enjoyed a great hike down to Harper's Ferry. We crossed the Shenandoah river and headed up to the ATC (Appalachian Trail Center). After poking around and checking the ATC out, we got our pictures taken and registered as official thru-hikers with them. I'm #171! I also looked up Crystal's picture from her hike in '03 and was very excited to find it!Cricket's birthday is this Friday, and her parents came up to celebrate a little early. They brought watermelon and cupcakes and shared them with all the thru-hikers. Yum!! Then I headed to the post office. I felt AMAZINGLY special when I got there: 5 care packages and 2 cards! Super mucho thanks to my mom, Boss, Grey, Kerrie Anne, and TR and Anna for sending me goodies. I didn't have to resupply because of all the yummy food they sent me! It was very emotional for me to read all the words of encouragement and love from folks. My dad and Baka (grandmother) sent me cards, but I suspect they're for my birthday so I haven't opened them yet. Us girls hitched a ride with a lady named April who brought us to the KOA campground where we took much-needed showers and did laundry. It was my first trip to a KOA, and Wags described it perfectly: "KOA's are like the Gatlinburg's of campgrounds." Nothing more to say bout that....Then we eventually got another hitch to The Outfitter. We were in a hurry because it closed at 6 and it was 5:40. The ladies who own/run The Outfitter were amazing, and it's probably my favorite outfitter on the trail so far. I bought a hipbelt pocket for my pack (thanks Boss!!) to keep my camera and phone in. The plan was to hike out of Harper's Ferry, but it was 7pm by the time we were ready to leave. Hell, let's just do a night hike, I suggested. So we did. We hiked until about 11, and were aiming for a campsite close to Brownville Gap. We weren't sure of our location but pitched our tents and past out. It was a day of high emotions. I was overwhelmed with excitement on the hike into Harper's Ferry, but didn't realize I'd feel bummed too. I'm not exactly sure what I was bummed about, but I'm guessing I realized how big this adventure is and how much I miss home, and that I still have half of this amazing adventure in front of me. I'm not wanting to wish my life or any of this great hike away. This is a journey of self-discovery and is a more selfish time of my life, but that doesn't mean it comes at no cost. I've got a brand new husband, puppies, a home, and family and friends back home who I miss a lot. Their love and support is what allows me to hopefully accomplish this dream, and it's hard to be away from that.
Date: 2009-06-02
From: Brownville Gap campsite

To: Annapolis Rocks Campsite
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

So I'm usually the first one out of my tent in the morning because I'm usually the first one who has to go to the bathroom. I scrambled out of my tent this morning, and was really excited to see the dirt road we were aiming for last night. "Girls! We camped RIGHT NEXT to the gap! The road's like there." Yeah, we had unknowingly found what we were looking for. We got a quick start on the day because we had a lunch date! Wag's parents were meeting us at noon about 9 miles north. We past by Gathland State Park, a cool historical area and headed further north. When we got close to the road, Wags spotted Momma and Poppa Wags hidden behind a tree. It was great to finally meet them after hearing so much about them! They brought us to Boonsboro and took us to lunch and ice cream, and brought us to a grocery store. I was very grateful for all the trail magic! They dropped us back off, and we're going to see them again in a few days when we get to Pine Grove Furnace.We past the Washington Monument and crossed over I-70 where we got some beeps. I was leading, and when I got to the turn off for the shelter I stopped to wait on the girls. Windup was right behind me, but Wags was a little behind. When she walked up, she looked like somebody had run over her dog. "Wags, you ok??" That sentence was the start of an impromptu heart-to-heart in the middle of the trail. I think it's so funny how hard some of us girls try to hold tears back because we don't want anyone to see us as vulnerable. I 100% understood how Wags was feeling. When you have a visitor on the trail, they're concrete evidence of your life back home. You can't ignore or push away feelings as much. And the sticker of it is, you're out here voluntarily. And even if you're having a ball and wouldn't change your decision to be out here for the world, it's not all sunshine and daffodils.After we wiped our faces clean, we hiked the last few miles to the campsite where the boys were. I set up my tent and got ready for bed. These last few days were both physically and emotionally exhausting. I read my book for a while, talked to James for 30 minutes (woah!), and was almost asleep when I noticed flashing lights. No, not lights. Lightning. That storm was very intimidating, but I survived and stayed dry.
Date: 2009-06-03
From: Annapolis Rocks Campsite

To: Deer Lick Shelter
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: light rain

I woke up early this morning after deciding I needed a solo hike and got out of camp. I came across Jeremiah Johnson who had camped a few miles north of us and we had a nice chat. I kept stumbling along the very rocky portion of northern Maryland. Yeah, I can't lie. I was cussing the rocks. I'm not looking forward to Pennsylvania's rocks. I've managed to get a little better at going over rocks, but they still make me angry and hurt. I got a little pick me up when I saw 2 owls: an eastern screech and either a barred or great-horned. The miles went by fairly easily today, rocks aside, and I stopped at the Pen Mar State Park to take a break. I was really excited to see Paulman and Cup of Joe hanging out, too. We chatted for a while, and then I took a deep breath and realized I couldn't put it off any longer. It was time to cross the Mason-Dixon line. As Wags said, I put on my personal-growth pants and hiked.We crossed the 6th state off our to-do lists today: Maryland. That means I'm now in Pennsylvania, the land of infamous rocks. I created a scale to give you an idea of how rocky each day in Pennsylvania is:1 - no rocks2 - 1 rock3 - 2 rocks4 - 3 rocks5 - more rocks than I can count but they don't hamper my movement6 - lots of rocks but don't hamper too much7 - watch them ankles!8 - rocks galore, hamper movement9 - rocks everywhere, no ground in sight10 - Wall of ChinaToday in PA I encountered small sections of 5 & 6 but mostly 1s and 2s.I've been fairly philosophical today (for me, that is) and I've been pondering what people say about thru-hiking. Some folks say to take every opportunity to have fun and enjoy yourself, go on side-adventures, say yes whenever anyone offers you anything, etc. etc. Other folks say be very introspective and ponder life and nature, etc. etc. Thru-hikes aren't one size fits all, and I think the best thru-hike is one that is taylored to each individual's personality. In the "real" world, there are folks who are always on the go, folks who always sit around, and every other personality in-between. I couldn't help by thinking about Caesar Milan who constantly uses the word "balance" when refering to giving a dog a happy, healthy life. Here are some famous quotes that I thought of today:"Don't take life too seriously, no one gets out alive.""A goal without a plan is just a dream.""Everything in moderation, nothing in excess.""Take it one day at a time.""Dream as big as if you'll live forever. Live everyday as if it's your last.""Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.""God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Date: 2009-06-04
From: Deer Lick Shelter

To: Caledonia State Park
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up to the rain and cold this morning. I slept in hoping the rain would stop, but of course it didn't. We only had 13 to do today, and the hike went very quickly. It was probably a quicker hike than I would have liked because I was antsy to get out of the rain and cold. The weather coupled with my bad attitude made today my second-worst day on the trail, behind day 2. "What's the point? It rains all the friggin time. Katahdin is just an arbitrary endpoint, 1000+ miles is a huge accomplishment in itself." Those were thoughts that ran through my head. I never actually thought about quitting, but I definitely had a terrible attitude.I met up with Wags and Windup (the boys decided to push on) and we got a campsite in the state park. Our only reprieve from the rain was the showerhouse/bathroom. Yep, we set up our tents and hung out in the bathroom all evening. Amazingly enough, chillin in a public bathroom, cooking my dinner and chatting with the girls is just what I needed. I felt better.Tomorrow, Wag's parents are coming to the state park to get most of our gear so we can slack pack 20 miles to Pine Grove Furnace, then Wags and I are taking the weekend off, James, my sister and Dad are coming to visit, we're going to check out Gettysburg (yay!!). We definitely need a break, and I think it'll help get my emotions and attitude back to where they need to be. Sometimes I have to treat my thru-hike like a job....
Date: 2009-06-05
From: Caledonia State Park

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: moderate rain

Wag's parents brought us a delicious breakfast, took our smelly, wet gear off of our hands, and waved goodbye as we headed back into the rain. "Let's just get this over with, STAT," we decided. We completed the almost 20 miles in 6 hours 25 minutes (that includes a 1000 foot climb in 3 miles, two 10 minute breaks, and a photo opp at the halfway point). We were flying! And it was raining. And I didn't care anymore. I woke up with a new determination, and I think the hike today was proof that I can accomplish this goal, and that I'd better. We got to the last shelter of the day (mile 1088.5) and knew we had about half a mile to the 2009 mid-way point, so we hiked what we thought was half a mile, found an AWESOME mud puddle, and danced and splashed and celebrated the halfway point (the video might be up on Wag's trail journal). Wag's parents and James met us at the general store at the state park and whisked us away for our Robert Parish!