morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-10-03
From: Jones Run

To: Pinefield Gap
Miles today: 11.8

Today's hike was from Jones Run back to Pinefield Gap...11.8 miles. Larry only hiked yesterday, but another hiker, Kevin, joined us today. Jim's knee bothered him today so he took the day off. So there were 13 of us. The deer are so tame here and they are abundant. Our hike was easy today. We passed by our campstore around 11:30. Near the end of the hike I got to lead and had fun doing my dog-trot downhill. We were finished by 3:00 and the shower felt great again. Jim fixed special french toast for breakfast this morning. It is thick-sliced french bread. He makes a slit in it and fills it with jelly before dipping in egg and cooking. Yummy! For dinner he had grilled turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed squash, stuffing and salad. For dessert there was a lemon bundt cake. All of this cooked outside. He is amazing. The least I could do was help wash dishes! Afterwards the 5 girls at the campground decided to go for a short looping trail.. Wouldn't you know it ended up being nearly 4 miles! I was glad to get back to camp. I only sat at the campfire for about 20 minutes. Around 8:00 I turned in. Tomorrow will be a longer hike.
Date: 2004-10-04
From: Jones Run

To: Jarman Gap
Miles today: 13.6

Jim fixed scrambled eggs with ham and fried potatoes for breakfast. We are eating way too well on this trip!! We got started later today after positioning the cars. Consequently, it was much later when we finished at 5:05. I think the total mileage was 13.6. Fortunately, it turned out to be a beautiful day. The fog had burned off during the night. It was sunny all day with blue skies and some beautiful views. I am really enjoying hiking with this group and getting to know the people. The ages range from 40 to early 70's with the majority close to my age. There were 14 of us hiking again today. The highlight for me was the top of Black Rock. We had great views and took group pictures. I did start to get tired by the end though. A shower revived me so I was ready for dinner...Chicken with stewed tomatoes, salad, rice with veggies and a great cinnamon cake. I might do some hiking in New York when I finish Virginia...around 23-24 October. We'll see. Tomorrow we will hike down to Rockfish Gap and move our basecamp to Matthew's Arm Campground. There will be fewer of us. Time for bed...
Date: 2004-10-05
From: Jarman Gap

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

I sleppt well last night. It got windy. I don't know the temperature, but it is pretty cold. Today's hike is from Jarman Gap to Rockfish Gap...8 miles. Thank goodness it will be a little shorter hike today. There was a little confusion about where cars were parked this morning. Everything worked out. While waiting for part of the group, I was able to get a cell signal. I talked to my hubby for 10 minutes. It was so good to hear his voice. The hike was very pretty with clear skies and cool temperatures. We had some nice views and arrived at Rockfish Gap about 2:30. Most of the group headed back home. Three of us drove up to Matthew's Arm campground to set up camp. I stopped at Loft Mountain to buy a sweatshirt and take a shower before driving to meet Joan at Matthew's Arm. We all arrived at nearly the same time. Tents were set up and then we drove to the Brookside Restaurant near Luray for dinner. It was good. I also filled up with gas for more slacking. We enjoyed talking over dinner and then returned to the campgtound for an early bedtime. There's a chance of frost tonite.
Date: 2004-10-06
From: Hogback

To: Thornton Gap
Miles today: 11.1

I couldn't tell when I got up if there had been a frost, but I know the temperature was in the 30's. I slept in my silk underwear and kept quite toasty in my Sub-Kilo bag. When we were all dressed, we drove 2 cars and left 1 at Panorama. Then I drove us back to the Brookside Restaurant for breakfast. I had an omelet. The second shuttle group arrived shortly after we did back at Panorama. Today there were 8 of us. Joan and Susan counted 24 deer on the way to the parking spot. I stopped on the road to photograph a young bear crossing the road. Our hike was nice today. It was perfect, cool, fall weather and the terrain was not difficult. The days are starting to run together...day after day of perfect fall hiking! When the 4 of us returned to our campsite, Kevin gave us our dinner - carrot cake! It was great. We also had a campfire tonite. The camground host gave us some extra wood. It was an enjoyable evening. Tomorrow will be the last group hike for this trip.
Date: 2004-10-07
From: Hogback

To: Compton Gap
Miles today: 11.0

Today was another lovely day for hiking. Each day we see the leaves change their colors a little more. We had breakfast at the Brookside Restaurant again. It is a convenient place for us. We met the rest of the group at Hogback and arranged the parking so that those who were leaving could get to highways easily for their drives home. Today's hike seemed a bit more difficult. But maybe it was because we have been hiking a lot in the last 6 days. We had our lunch on North Marshall. There were nice views. I was able to talk with my husband for a few minutes since I had a cell signal. I have really enjoyed hiking with this AMC group. I hope to join them on more hikes in the future. After saying our goodbyes, Joan and I decided to drive to Big Meadows for a shower and dinner at the lodge. It was really a beautiful lodge. I had a delicious chicken dinner and blackberry cobbler. We turned in as soon as we got back to Matthew's Arm.
Date: 2004-10-08
From: Compton Gap and Skyland

To: Chester Gap and Thornton Gap
Miles today: 15.1

Today we had a long day of hiing. We ate on the way to position our cars. We left Joan's car at Chester Gap and mine at Compton Gap. We were hiking this first hike northbound from Compton Gap. We left at 9:00. It was an easy downhill hike. I finished in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Joan showed up about 10 minutes later. We picked up hamburgers at Burger King on our way back to my car. Since campgrounds were filling up with weekenders, we decided to stay at Matthew's Arm for a few more days. Joan has been so nice. She is helping me finish the extra miles I have left in the Shenandoah National Park. After leaving my car at Thornton Gap, she drove me to Skyland so I could hike another 9.5 miles. It was a lot of fun with a lot of downhill again. I was able to do the mileage plus .2 round trip to Mary's Rock in 3 hours and 15 minutes. I flew! Back at Matthew's Arm we had dinner and made plans for our hiking schedule for the coming days. Needless to say, I am turning in early!
Date: 2004-10-09
From: Skyland

To: Lewis Mountain 
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I decided to try to get a large chunk of mileage finished today. Joan is going to take the day off since she has already hiked this section. Whenever there was a downhill or fairly even trail, I jogged. My jogging is actually a slow 'dog trot'. It did make the miles go by quickly. I was finished in 6.5 hours. My legs are really tired though. There were many more cars and hikers out today since it is the weekend. The changing colors of the leaves is more noticeable each day. The weather continues to be gorgeous. I finished at 3:30 and drove to Big Meadows. There, I took a shower and did 2 loads of laundry. I treated myself to dinner at the lodge. I didn't have to wait since I was there at 5:30. I had the same chicken dinner and blackberry cobbler. I will have to bring my hubby here sometime. When I got back to matthew's Arm campground, Joan had only been there for about an hour. She had a nice day in Luray looking through antique shops. I am tired...
Date: 2004-10-10
From: Lewis Mountain and Dripping Rocks

To: Swift Run Gap and Three Ridges
Miles today: 12.6

Today was another tiring day. I feel like I might be catching a cold. I hope not. We left the campground and had our final breakfast at the Brookside Restaurant. I hiked southbound from Lewis Mountain campground to Swift Run Gap. I didn't see as many hikers today but there was a lot of traffic. The first 8.3 miles took 3 hours. Then I drove an hour to meet Joan at Rockfish Gap. We were able to get a campsite at Sherando Lake Campground for the next 2 nights. It is a National Forest Service campground and is very nice. Joan has a Golden Age Passport, so we pay half price! We hiked an easy, but rocky, 4.3 mile section in order to shorten tomorrow's hike. It is the hike we have been postponing that goes down to the Tye River. It will be good to get it over with! We drove to Burger King in Waynesboro for dinner. Then it was time to get some sleep.
Date: 2004-10-11
From: Three Ridges

To: Tye River
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: broken clouds

I forgot to mention yesterday that I saw a garter snake. It was only 18-20" long but I still jumped over it. Last night about 10:00 one of the campground hosts woke me up. He was just checking to see if we had paid. After that I didn't sleep quite as well. I have been taking night and day cold pills. So far they have worked well. Positioning the car at Tye River took an hour. The hike was not as difficult as I had feared. The hardest part was the steep, rocky downhill. It hurt my toes. My legs felt better today. We hiked at a nice pace and I refrained from 'dog-trotting'. We had a wonderful view of the Priest from Hanging Rock. We had lunch there. Joan pointed out a pretty white violet. Who knows why it was blooming now? Most of the flowers that are left are asters. I also loved the suspension bridge across the Tye River at the end of the hike. We are finally finished with Tye River! Tomorrow we will hike from Dripping Rocks to Rockfish Gap and then head north to Front Royal. We stopped at a Wendy's for dinner before returning to Sherando Campground. Ready for bed...
Date: 2004-10-12
From: Dripping Rocks

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I slept poorly last night so today's hike seemed more difficult. It was a gorgeous day although the forecast is for rain later in the week. The leaves along the trail cover rocks in many places. That causes problems sometimes. We saw 2 southbound thru-hikers today: Cobweb and Flip Flop. I do admire people who can hike the whole trail at 1 time. I just know that is not the way for me to finish the trail. We stopped at the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter for a snack. It had such a peaceful setting with a stream right below it. There were not many overlooks today. We finished hiking about 3:30 and drove north to Front Royal. This will be my first motel night since I have been hiking this time...a bed at last. We have been trying to decide the best way to hike tomorrow and have decided to end up at this motel again! Time to sleep.
Date: 2004-10-13
From: Ashby Gap US 50

To: Manassas Gap VA 55
Miles today: 12.3

Sleeping in a real bed was great. We hiked south from Ashby Gap to Manassas Gap. It looked cloudy all day but we only felt a few raindrops on the trail. We hiked quickly. I finished about 1:30. I had thought about doing another 8 miles on to Chester Gap. I am glad I stopped. 12.3 miles is enough. Also, the rains began in earnest. So I went to the library for an hour and then we both did laundry. The trail today was comparatively easy. It will be the same tomorrow if we can miss the rain. Today's hike went through a managed hunting area. It is bow season. I am thankful we made it through safely. We only saw one couple on the trail. I saw 3 skittish deer. The only flowers around are asters. Tomorrow we will move our base camp to Harper's Ferry. We will be down to the last 30 miles for my hiking this fall. I will have completed every mile from Springer Mountain, Georgia to across the bridge at Bear Mountain, New York.
Date: 2004-10-14
From: Chester Gap and VA 605

To: Manassas Gap and Ashby Gap
Miles today: 15.5

Today's hike was divided into 2 parts. In the morning we hiked south to north from Chester Gap to Manassas Gap. The forecasted rain did not arrive and the sun was shining by noon. The first 8 miles were very pleasant. We saw a real diversity of terrain. It was a good introduction for someone wanting to experience the Appalachian Trail. There were several other people out hiking today. The afternoon hike will be more memorable. We hiked north to south from VA 605 to Ashby Gap. Because it had rained during the night, the trail was wet and the rocks were slippery. At one point one foot slipped into a crevass while the rest of me kept going forward. The reult was me landing on hands and knees. There was no serious injury, just a jammed left pinkie. The most memorable part of the hike involved a spider. I was walking along and minding my own business when I felt something biting me on my right calf. I though it was a mosquito and tried to swat it off with my hiking pole. It wouldn't budge. So I stopped to see what it was. There - attached to my leg - was a huge hairy brown spider! I wish I had been able to record my scream. I am sure I could have sold it to a sound company to use in horror movies! The spider was the size of a half dollar. I was able to knock it off and then just stood there stunned. Joan came along and wondered what had happened. There were a couple of marks on my leg but I don't think it ever broke the skin. For a picture of this spider's 'twin' go to Footslogger's July 6, 2003 Trail Journal's entry. This episode ruined the rest of the day's hike for me. I felt physically drained. I decided I needed another motel night! So after we finished hiking, we drove to Harper's Ferry. We are based at the Hilltop House Hotel for our 2 remaining days of hiking.
Date: 2004-10-15
From: Blackburn Trail Center

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today the weather was overcast most of the day. We did have a couple of patches of sun and rain at the end. We drove to the Blackburn Trail Center and hiked a long .2 miles uphill to get to the AT. It seems that most of the time the days on the trail are pretty routine. We walk all day going up hill and down hill. It really is important to eat a little bit every hour or two. We need the fuel to keep going. We stopped for a snack today at the Lesser Memorial shelter. It is really nice. It has a porch with an Adirondike chair attached to the shelter. There is also a separate covered picnic table area. This shelter even has a shower! I don't know if I could ever brave it though. The water comes from a piped spring and I didn't see a water heater! Guide books that describe how the trail will be never seem to get it right. This trail was very rocky at the end. Joan twisted her ankle. When we got to the US 340 bridge, it started to rain. It continued to rain for the remainder of the hike back to the hotel. Fortunately, we both had plastic ponchos that worked very well.   We drove back to my vehicle and decided to leave it there over night. I just needed to get clothes. We stopped for a Blimpies sub to take back to our room. Then we spent the evening relaxing.
Date: 2004-10-16
From: Snicker's Gap and VA 605

To: Blackburn Trail Center and Snicker's Gap
Miles today: 14.1

Today is the last day of my 2004 hiking. I was a bit concerned that Joan's ankle might bother her and keep us from doing the remaining 14.1 miles. She took some Vitamin I and wore hiking boots. She had no trouble. We parked at Snicker's Gap and hiked back to my vehicle at Blackburn Trail Center. We had cooler weather today. It was overcast and we had some sprinkles along the way. There was a group at the trail center. I assume they were doing some maintenance project. From there we drove back down to VA 605 (close to the site of the spider incident). Again, the trail guide's description of the hike was misleading. The rollercoaster, as it is called, was not as difficult as described. It crossed streams several times and had its rocky areas. But all in all, I enjoyed it. We passed by the turn off to the Bears Den Hostel and decided to stop there after we picked up the car. At Snicker's Gap, Joan provided Snickers candy bars to celebration my final completion of the trail in Virginia. Hooray! I am able to move up next summer to the Hudson River!
Date: 2004-03-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Nine days and counting! My to-do¢s are being checked off one-by-one, albeit slowly. I¢ve never felt the need to be so organized in my life ¢ phew! After the wordy post yesterday regarding why I am hiking the AT, I had a bit of a revelation. I realized that, even if every part of my life was Utopian, e.g. stress-free career, model relationships, surplus finances, I still would embark upon this sojourn. So the real reason has little to do with self-assessment, reprioritizing, recharging; I am hiking the AT for the challenge and the adventure. All the remaining values will be incredible benefits received. I look forward to the entire package.The magic has already begun. I anticipated this final month would be full of busy-ness; what I did not expect was the immense emotional ride I¢d be experiencing. The support and best wishes and gifts being bestowed upon me are overwhelming.   I¢ve been a resident of Rochester, MN for 28 years and am blessed with a multitude of awesome friends. Yet, I am numbed by the generosity and love being expressed by friends and acquaintances. Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone publicly for your support and promise of prayers. As you travel with me vicariously, I will do my best to stay positive, to expand the breadth and depth of my spirituality, to become a wiser individual, and ¢¦. to keep my journal up-to-date!!!! I love you all.
Date: 2004-03-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Woohoo! My taxes are done. Self-employment makes for a tedious and arduous task each year; but were I anything but self-employed I'd not be able to leave for six months. So, no complaints! Yesterday was the first day in a week or more when I haven't had to say goodbye to anyone. However, today I enjoyed another luncheon with good friends and fortunately grabbed my tissues as I headed out the door. "Faith, hope, love, but the greatest of these is love" .. such familiar words and today they hit home. There is nothing more soothing and wonderful than to be loved. I didn't realize I was! But the outpouring from this community is love manifested; I am so blessed. So, forget the housework, forget the paperwork, forget the details. I'm spending the next six days with my friends!My housesitters came this evening to take notes on the details of maintaining my home and business so I can escape. We mutually enjoyed an evening of raw food cuisine and will be moving some of their belongings in tomorrow. This is such a win-win scenario for all of us, as they are ready for a change of residence. They share my wholistic approach towards living and I trust them explicitly. As the onset of this adventure is almost upon me, I'm filled with timidity and excitement simultaneously. It was difficult over the cold winter months here in Minnesota to imagine being out-of-doors day and night. However, with the warming of the air, my hiking bug is surfacing (along with those pesky Asian beetles) and some of my doubts are subsiding. I believe with this writing, my entries now will be posted for all to read. I'm still searching my files for a photo to attach. Perhaps I'll simply wait until I get my hair buzzed next week - that pix should shock everyone! Great fun!
Date: 2004-03-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tuesday already??!! Tomorrow I leave Rochester for Illinois where I'll be spending a couple nights with my dear friend, Ann, the transcriber of my journal. Friday it's a direct route to Atlanta to Jane and Dave's for a night of jazz on the town. Saturday is the day of facing the unknown, the day I put my foot on the AT for the first time. Two years ago I was climbing Mt. LeConte in the Smokies and passed a sign reading "Appalachian Trail, 4 miles". It was so tempting to detour to the AT. However, I did not, knowing I'd be back in two years, and wanting my first step on the mighty AT to be the first step of my thru-hike. Perhaps in a couple weeks I'll see a sign on the AT reading "Mt. LeConte, 4 miles"? The one facet of this hike which I have not doubted, albeit I've known it's going to be ultra-difficult, is my physical capability of climbing and descending these beautiful mountains. However, after reading in Wingfoot's handbook that 91 of the 2,174.1 miles is elevation change, or the equivalent of going from sea level to the top of Mt. Everest and back more than 16 times (once every 10 hiking days), I am starting to wonder if my middle-aged body will manage the challenge without falling apart!!! The hills of the Superior Hiking Trail are molehills in comparison. Oy vey.I shall find out four days from now.Preparations are coming together. I said my final goodbyes last night to all but one or two great friends. Today is going to be a marvelously fun day. First I'm indulging in a massage, followed by a chiropractic visit, a buzz haircut, a few errands, and back home to complete the packaging of my dried foods for my maildrops. By this evening I'll actually have my backpack packed, my first maildrop prepared, and my house spic and span. (Well, maybe not the latter!) I'm attempting to be very minimalistic, taking only the bare minimum for safety and sustenance. I decided instead of packing more and sending gear home, I'd pack less and have home send items to me if I learned I could carry more and very much desired a little more comfort. My first stop and maildrop will be Hiawassee, GA, 66.8 miles into the hike. If I've miscalculated some of my gear or food there's opportunity to get to Hiawassee after 51 miles. So my mindset as I begin will be: "I'm taking a 60-mile week-long hike to Hiawassee". When that is accomplished I will think about the next week-long hike. As the saying goes: "How does one eat an elephant?? One bite at a time!".
Date: 2004-04-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This is a very quick update from Manchester, TN. My friend Ann from IL is driving with me to Atlanta. I left my car at her house and rented a vehicle ... a bright firey red Jeep! Does that fit us or what???!! We drove six hours last evening to save the long drive today. In my usual last-minute fashion, I spent this morning in the hotel room making my final gear selections, packaging my first two maildrops, and trying not to second-guess my choices. When she visits MN next month she'll return my rejected stuff and my car. In the meantime we are having a blast on our spontaneous roadtrip. To give you an idea of the spontaneity we are enjoying, we didn't even bring a map, forgot to print out address and telephone number of the hotel where we made our reservation, have no idea how to get to Jane's in Atlanta (MapQuest is a Godsend!), and ran down to our last sniff of gas last night because we were visiting too hard. In that vein, let me add that five miles after I realized we were low on gas, there was an exit to a gas station .. it was the only thing there, too .. nothing but a gas station. But we weren't specific enough with our prayers. There was no bathroom! So here we are in TN. Just down the road from the hotel we found the post office and the library. In a short while we'll be hitting the road for Atlanta. The weather is gorgeous and I can't wait to take my first step on the AT tomorrow!I've just viewed my guestbook and am teary-eyed all over again. I am still so overwhelmed at the support I am receiving from all of you. This is truly amazing. Your words are giving me encouragement and assurance that this adventure is supposed to happen ... perhaps I'm not so crazy? My first stop is Blueberry Patch in Hiawassee (talked with Trail Chef this morning); the second is Franklin, NC. The journey begins. Peace, blessings and tons of love to all of you. Next entry will be from the AT!