morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-08-30
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Harper's Ferry, WV - Comfort Inn
Miles today: 23.0

This morning the skies were a light gray and the air so thick you needed a machete to chop your way through. Lately the air has been so humid that everything we own is damp and sticky. We have decided that we would rather have hot and dry air any day over humidity. Shortly after we left the Pine Knob Shelter this morning, we crossed over I-70 on an elaborate footbridge. Then we climbed Bartman Hill to Washington Monument State Park. There we toured a monument honoring President George Washington. This was the first of many historical landmarks we encountered today.At Fox Gap, we began seeing many markers noting the battlefields of the Civil War. Later we descended into Crampton Gap/Gathland State Park and came across what was the bloodiest battlefield of the Civil War. In the battle of Antietam it claimed to have taken the lives of over 23,000 men. We took a few pictures and took a moment to grasp the importance of where we were standing. It was an awesome feeling! We could only imagine what it must have felt like to be here over 150 years ago...Towards the end of today¢s hike, the AT led us onto the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) canal towpath. We walked on this gravel road for quite some time before reaching the Bryon Memorial Footbridge that took us over the Potomac and into Harper¢s Ferry, West Virginia. Nine states down and five to go!!!When we arrived in town, it was 5:30 p.m. which meant the Appalachian Trail Conservancy was closed. So, we took our time touring the downtown area. There were plenty of museums and markers explaining the importance of this town and its strategic location and production of armory for our early nation¢s forces.Tomorrow, we are picking up our rental car so that we can drive to Toccoa, GA to see my friends, Stephen and Jamie, get married. But first we will return to the ATC to sign their register and for them to take our photos for the thru-hiker archives. We will not be journaling during our time off and are already looking forward to getting back on the trail next Monday. Hope everyone has a great Labor Day. While we're home we will upload pictures and get our journal to date. Until then, peace!
Date: 2005-09-05
From: Harper's Ferry, WV - Comfort Inn

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: broken clouds

Our Labor Day break was awesome! It was so nice seeing our family, friends, and being a part of Stephen and Jamie's beautiful wedding. While we were home, we couldn't help but watch the news. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people and rescue workers of New Orleans.The drive back from Toccoa, GA to Harper's Ferry, WV today was as smooth as the drive down. There was not as much traffic as we had expected on Labor Day - presumably from the recent spike in gas prices...Sure glad we're hiking this season as opposed to driving!We arrived in Charles Town, WV at 5 p.m. and had a quick and easy hitch back to the trail thanks to the nice Lott family. They picked us up without the first bit of hesitation and were glad to help us out. Once we were back on the trail, we made our way over the Shenandoah River and up to the David Lesser Memorial Shelter. We arrived in the dark since we didn¢t start until 5:45 p.m., but were pleased to see Super T and Big. Big is the section hiker we met back in PA. After our quick dinner and reunion, we climbed into our sleeping bags. We¢re exhausted from the 548 mile drive and looking forward to getting a good nights rest! Ahhhhhh, glad to be back!
Date: 2005-09-06
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 21.0

After a well needed nights rest, we set out this morning knowing that today would be our last day in WV! 10 states down and 4 to go! We crossed into VA just before lunch and took a picture to commemorate the moment. Halfway through our day, we stopped at the Bear¢s Den Hostel for lunch. There we met up with Super T where we agreed that this was one of the coolest hostels on the trail. It was super clean and well built. We bought two Tombstone pizza¢s and lots of sodas for lunch. They were delicious. Trust me ¢ we were so tempted to stay, but we had already provisioned ourselves with enough food to get us to Front Royal, VA so we had to press on. Maybe next time...Once we left the hostel, we were greeted with Virginia¢s notorious 10 mile section known as the Roller Coaster. At the end of it we had no doubts where its name originated!!! While the seven climbs and descents weren¢t too difficult, their cumulative effect took a toll on our energy levels¢¦We are now at the David Lesser Shelter. It¢s dark and everyone is about asleep. I am jealous so I am signing off.Oh, I forgot to mention that I jumped a HUGE Buck today and many wild turkeys. Seems like the Deer and the latter are coming out to enjoy the nature again¢¦
Date: 2005-09-07
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 18.9

This morning we awoke to more cool and dry temps. Sure made getting out of our sleeping bags less appealing¢¦But once we were on the trail, we warmed right up!After our first initial descent, we crossed through Ashby Gap. Soon after our ascent out of the gap, we hiked through the most lush, green meadows we¢ve seen in awhile. We took several breaks just to absorb the beauty. Later in to today¢s hike, we walked under I-66 where we immediately climbed up an ¢unknown¢ mountain and came upon an apple tree at its summit. I swung my trekking pole feverishly in an attempt to knock down a few treats. After Samoa and I had our fill, we walked away with at least a peck of apples for a later snack. Now we are at the Jim and Molly Denton Shelter. This shelter is much like the Ed Garvey Shelter and David Lesser Memorial Shelters in that they both have two stories and are equipped with cooking pavilions. However, this shelter differs since it has a shower. While it¢s FREEZING cold, Samoa and I are both squeaky clean and feeling quite refreshed. Tonight we are expecting Don King¢s arrival since he was unable to start with us last Monday. He was in DC over the break and missed the train back to Harper¢s Ferry ¢ we look forward to our reunion with him. The JHP should be in full account by tomorrow morning. Adios!
Date: 2005-09-08
From: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

When we woke up this morning we decided that hiking 8.1 miles to Tom Floyd Wayside (Shelter) seemed appropriate. So, Samoa and I set off to do just that. The hike from Jim and Molly Denton Shelter to Chester¢s Gap was super easy. It was mostly downhill and the last two miles led us along the National Zoological Park boundary. It is within these boundaries that lie home to many rare and endangered animals from all over the world. Samoa and I never saw any of the species but did, however, notice many distinct smells.As soon as we got to US 522/Chesters Gap, we got the quickest hitch ever by a nice man who didn¢t disclose his name. He took us into Front Royal, VA and dropped us off at the Food Lion. Here we re-supplied for six days in order to get us to Waynesboro, VA. We¢re going to take our time through the Shenandoah¢s to enjoy the beauty it beholds. After our re-supply, we hitched up to Jalisco¢s Mexican Restaurant. Here Samoa and I died and went to heaven. We haven¢t had Mexican food since we left for the trail. Our stomachs thanked us tremendously. The chips, queso, food, and margarita's were excellent!During our feast, I called Ms. Robin Sue Purcell who is the Mother of Tinkerbell, a 2004 SOBO hiker. We (Samoa, Tink, Robin Sue, and me) have been e-mailing before and during this trip, and decided to meet up near the Shenandoah¢s. Tonight worked out for all of us to meet in Front Royal and we are looking forward to finally meeting a friend that has helped us out dearly with our planning.After dinner tonight, Robin Sue is taking us back to Chester¢s Gap where we plan to hike the 2.9 miles to Tom Floyd Wayside (Shelter) for the night. Tomorrow we will enter the Shenandoah¢s ¢ can¢t wait!!!(I entered these journal entries myself at the Front Royal, VA Public Library)
Date: 2005-09-09
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

Last night we decided to stay in Front Royal after our dinner we had with Robin Purcell. She treated us to a steak supper and insisted we get whatever we wanted- and we did. We ate until near death- but it was so good! We also enjoyed a great conversation and it was a pleasure getting to know her more personally. Once we finished eating, Robin took us to the Center City Motel where we crashed for the night. Thanks again Robin - we had a wonderful evening.This morning we got another easy hitch back to Chester¢s Gap where we began our southern trek though the Shenandoah¢s. We had to get a permit at Possum¢s Rest, The Northern boundary, to hike through the 100+ mile section.It¢s great to be back in bigger mountains. We topped 3,000 feet today on Marshall Mountain and we could see Brener. We could see Skyline Drive, too, and how it twists through the Shenandoah¢s much like the AT.Tonight we¢re at Gravel Springs Hut and I¢ve got a MONSTER fire going. Should be a great first night in the Shenandoah¢s.
Date: 2005-09-10
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Mary's Rock- Stealth Site
Miles today: 16.2

About five miles into today¢s hike, we crossed Elkwallow Gap and we experienced our first Wayside. The NOBO¢s told us about these little stores in the Shenandoah¢s and now we're finally here. We went in and ordered an Egg McMuffin and a blackberry milkshake. They were both DELICIOUS! These waysides are a nice treat to a thru-hiker¢¦The views during this morning¢s hike were dismal; heavy haze hid them. But once we reached Thornton Gap, Bill, Super T's Dad's childhood friend, cleared everything up. He took us into the town of Luray and treated us to a delicious meal at Uncle Buck's. The JHP had a blast and really enjoyed our conversation with Bill. He even brought a picture album from 1964 of when he and Dennis Mannion hiked the White Mountains. Man, times have changed¢¦ After our dinner, he took us back to Thornton Gap. There Samoa and I decided to hike the 2 miles up to Mary¢s Rock. We¢re here now and have a surreal spot overlooking mountains, mountains, and more mountains. The sun is setting as I write this -it¢s truly remarkable. I must say that this is one of the coolest spots Samoa and I have camped at in a while.
Date: 2005-09-11
From: Mary's Rock- Stealth Site

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: few clouds

The sunrise this morning from St. Mary¢s rock was as awesome as last night¢s sunset. It was hard to will ourselves to leave our sweet stealth spot!After we began today¢s trek, we enjoyed more gorgeous Shenandoah views. Samoa and I were in a deep conversation when a doe jumped out of the woods six feet in front of us and nearly scared us to death. The deer in Shenandoah¢s aren¢t hunted so they¢re as tame as house cats.Then at Hawksbill Gap we met two section hikers, Mike and Mia. We walked with them until we got to our camp spot tonight. The miles melted away during our conversation. Once at Big Meadow¢s Campground, we got a shower, washed clothes, and yogied three bundles of firewood. After we set up camp, I jogged the one mile down to the wayside for a few snacks, and a couple of brews. Fortunately, Skyline, a 2003 thru-hiker, offered me a ride back to the campground. Thanks!The air temperature is perfect and the skies are clear. The JHP is here in full and we are looking forward to an awesome night around a campfire and sleeping in an actual campground with flushing toilets!
Date: 2005-09-12
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: High Top Hut
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: clear sky

After a perfect night¢s sleep, we awoke to a beautiful sunrise over Big Meadows Campground. We took our time enjoying our warm coffee while we breathed in the cool morning¢s air. Today¢s hike was more of the same- beautiful views, numerous skyline drive crossings, and lots of deer sightings. The Bucks are out- we saw a six point and an eight point. One spike we saw still had velvet on its antlers. We also met a section hiker, Jim Ridge, doing a shake down trip for his NOBO thru-hike attempt. He was a nice guy and we wish him well!Super T and Don King got off the trail in Swift¢s Run Gap. They went into town for resupply and an overnights stay. We should see them again in a couple of days.Just before we reached tonight¢s shelter, High Top Hut, we stopped at an overlook. The views were the best yet. The air was transparent and the setting sun colored the horizon over a vast view of valleys and mountains. Once we got to the shelter, there were 7 section hikers here. We all ate our dinners around the camp fire and enjoyed each other¢s company. It¢s nice to have people at the shelters- just weird seeing this many on a Monday night! Oh well, off to bed!
Date: 2005-09-13
From: High Top Hut

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: clear sky

The weather for the past week has been nothing short of superb! All things considered - we've had great weather for most of our hike. I hope we're not jinxing ourselves¢¦As usual, we saw many playful deer today; however, we did encounter our first skunk - thank goodness we didn't get sprayed! For lunch we stopped at the Loft Mountain Wayside, our last one through the Shenandoah¢s. We¢re going to miss the convenience of these waysides. Afterwards, we stopped at Loft Mountain Campground Store for a slight resupply. Here we met a rafting guide from Ohio who was road-biking from North Carolina to DC. His journey sounds similar to ours except he¢s averaging 70+ miles per day. After our pleasant conversation, we wished him well and headed to Blackrock Hut.Once we reached the summit of Blackrock Mountain, we had another phenomenal view of the Shenandoah¢s. It¢s just Samoa and I tonight at the shelter - well, there is a deer in sight, too! We¢re about to dine on another delicious Cajun Lipton side with Starkist tuna. Iced oatmeal cookies will follow as dessert. Tomorrow we head to Waynesboro.
Date: 2005-09-14
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Waynesboro, VA- Quality Inn
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night the clouds rolled through the Shenandoah¢s and left us with a little morning surprise- humidity! Well, at least it wasn¢t raining!Today we left the SNP. Its Southern Boundary is at Jarman Gap, and not long after that we saw our first VA rattler. Unlike the two rattlesnakes we saw in PA, this guy rattled as loud and continuous as the sounds of a cicada. Thank goodness I used a LONG stick to persuade him off the trail. I¢ll be glad when these fellas go into hibernation!Towards the end of the day we climbed out of Beagle Gap and up Bear Den Mountain. Here we found a lot of radio and TV broadcast antennas and an interesting spot to take a break. There were approximately 6 metal tractor seats on posts sunken in concrete that provided a nice place to enjoy the view. Then we descended into Rockfish Gap where the AT led us out of the woods and onto Skyline Drive. We followed Skyline over I-64 and US 250 where it then turned into the Blue Ridge Parkway.A list of trail Angels was posted on the Information Center not far from this intersection. We placed a call to Greg Bruno who gladly picked us up and took us by the outfitter on the way to Waynesboro. After we got new tips for our trekking poles, aqua mira, and socks he took us to the Quality Inn. We¢re thankful to be clean as are our clothes.
Date: 2005-09-15
From: Waynesboro, VA- Quality Inn

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: clear sky

We spent the better part of the day in Waynesboro resupplying, going to the P.O., and visiting the library. Once we finished our town chores, we called up Mr. Krog, another trail angel, to take us back to Rockfish Gap. Thanks! The five miles in to the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter were mostly flat but covered with spider webs. We just finished supper and are going to call it an early night since tomorrow brings some pretty big climbs.
Date: 2005-09-16
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Harper's Creek Shelter
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: clear sky

Our day started out with a 6 mile climb up to Humpback Mountain. Once we reached the summit, we took a moment to enjoy the partly cloudy view. There is a NW system bringing with it a cold front and it¢s supposedly going to push out any remnants that hurricane Ophelia may have blown our way. We¢ll see who wins¢¦After Humpback Mountain, we slabbed, hiker term for skirting, the side of several mountains and crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway twice before we reached Maupin Field Shelter.Originally, we had planned to stay at Maupin but we go there so early that we decided to push on to the next shelter. Before we left, we filled our Platypus¢ and spoke with 5 section hikers from Georgia. They were really interesting and nice people.On our way to Harper¢s Creek Shelter, we crossed 3 Ridges Mountain. The views were incredible even with semi-clear skies. The descent was really rocky and the dirt was very loose. Samoa busted it once- she¢s fine just a sore knee and bruised pride.Now we¢re at Harper¢s Creek Shelter and just finished dinner. Derrick and Rick are her, too. They are a father and son team just out for the weekend. I overheard Derrick (the son) mention that we might throw away the uneaten portion of his Mountain Housemeal. Immediately I sprang into starving thru-hiker mode and let him know I would dispose of it for him. He agreed and we all had a laugh at my lack of shame.Maybe we¢ll see Don King and Super T tomorrow? Haven¢t seen them since Swift Run Gap in the Shenandoah¢s. They are probably just a day behind.???
Date: 2005-09-17
From: Harper's Creek Shelter

To: North Fork of Piney River
Miles today: 16.2

We¢re still waiting on that cold front to show up! We have faith that fall is right around the corner. It was warm and humid last night but we still managed to sleep from 9:30 PM to 6 AM. With temperatures and terrain, working up a good sweat was no problem today. Once we reached VA56, we began to climb Priest Mountain. The starting elevation was 997 and we summited the 4063 foot mountain 4.3 miles later. Our climb was breathtaking! We took a long break atop the Priest on a vista overlooking cascading mountains. Just after the Fish Hatchery Road and AT intersection, we met Landcruiser. She attempted a SOBO thru hike this year but took a nasty fall and had to come off the trail for 2 months. We wish her well and hope she is able to finish her AT adventure. Instead of sheltering at the Seely Woodworth Shelter, we opted to hike a couple of miles further to the North Fork of Piney River. Here we found some great stealth spots and a nice water source. One interesting thing to note- there is a whopper of a White Pine growing out of a huge boulder. You can see its complex root system displayed on the rock. One more fascinating site we¢ve observed on our trip.
Date: 2005-09-18
From: North Fork of Piney River

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: few clouds

The temperature finally dropped below 60 degrees F last night. Consequently, we enjoyed another 10 hours of sleep; we can get used to that.This morning we woke up feeling spry and ready to take on the day. Our first amazing view was from Cold Mountain. The summit of this mountain is mowed and maintained so the views were incredible. As we were taking a breather form atop, Samoa and I both agreed that vistas such as these remind us why we¢re out here!As the day progressed, we made our way around Pedlar Lake, Lynchburg¢s water reservoir, and up to the Punchbowl Shelter. By the way, they¢ve relocated the AT around Pedlar Dam, and its change isn¢t noted on the maps and we¢re using ¢05 Wingfoot.We just finished our meals but I¢m still hungry. My appetite has become quite an issue. I just can¢t seem to ever get enough food! Tomorrow, we¢re heading into Glasgow for resupply so I think I¢ll eat everything I¢ve got.
Date: 2005-09-19
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Glasgow, VA- Ma & Pa Hotel
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: scattered clouds

As with all days that will end in town stops, we were anxious for departure this morning. We stink, I¢ve got poison ivy or chiggers (not sure which one) and we need food. So, getting to Glasgow was very important today. Unfortunately, the passing tourists at US501 didn¢t feel our urgency. It took us an hour to get a hitch while I stood there and itched. Oh, and the hike from Punch bowl Shelter to the road was fairly uneventful. We saw a blacksnake and a lot of clouds. I hate to sound frustrated, we just had one of those days. I¢ve hiked for over 1300 miles without getting poison ivy or chiggers; perhaps I shouldn't be complaining!On a lighter note, we just finished showering, resupplying, and our clothes are clean. I¢ve applied a hefty layer of hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion so my itches are easing. Samoa and I think I've got chiggers as the bumps are erratic and spread from my knees to my toes. I probably picked a few of these guys up while I was gathering firewood the other night. I¢ll be more careful from now on.We¢re staying on all you can eat buffet for $5.99/person; we¢re going to get our money¢s worth tonight! Hey, isn¢t this what hiking is all about?
Date: 2005-09-20
From: Glasgow, VA- Ma & Pa Hotel

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

One thing we don¢t get enough of but thoroughly enjoy is a hearty breakfast, and this morning we got one. We dined on pancakes, eggs over easy, grits, bacon, ham, biscuits, hash browns, and coffee. It was divine.After out hitch back to the trail, we crossed the James River foot bridge. This steel bridge was dedicated to William Foot who put countless hours of volunteer service into managing the AT. After the bridge, we started our day of CLIMBING. We started at 735 feet above sea level and ended the day at 3960. Not long before we reached the Thunder Hill Shelter, we came to an amazing overlook of the Blue Ridge Mountains and valley below. There was a display at the overlook with pictures of the view we could have gotten on a clear day. While the skies were partly cloudy, it was obvious to note that air pollution had its role in impeding the view.We¢re staying at Thunder Hill Shelter tonight, and we¢ve got a nice fire going. Hopefully since we¢re close to 4,000 feet, the overnight temperatures might dip down into the 50¢s. No one is here except us - the Jersey boys are ahead by a week while Super T and Don King are approximately a day behind.
Date: 2005-09-21
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

Soon after Thunder Hill Shelter this morning, we finally came across the Guillotine. This is a place where a large boulder is suspended between two rock walls and the AT goes underneath. It reminded us of a scene from Indiana Jones and the Raider of the Lost Ark!Then we summited Apple Orchard Mountain where we noticed a FAA Radar dome atop. This contraption looked like a huge soccer ball. Hey, as long as it keeps the planes on their right path it doesn¢t bother me.For lunch we stopped at Bryant Ridge Shelter. Most of the shelters we¢ve been seeing recently are pretty cookie cutter designed; however, this one was rather elaborate. It had a deck, two stories, and a slate roof. We wish this was the prototype for all shelters!Since it hasn¢t rained any this month, most of the streams, springs, and other water sources are scarce. But not to worry, I still managed to find a swimming hole at Jenning¢s Creek. Here we relaxed and cameled up since there is no water at our shelter again tonight.We¢re currently at the Cove Mountain Shelter. Through the trees you can catch a glimpse of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. The leaves are slowly starting to turn and we look forward to the fall foliage. Then the views will be even less obstructed.