morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-11
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Pass Mtn. Hut

Today started out with good weather and there was breakfast to be had in 5.5 miles. I got to Skyland and the other 5 [4 section hikers and Chill Out] were not far behind. They seated us in a corner, out of the way. Can't have disheveled thru hikers in the way :] Breakfast was great and after eating off I went, full of energy. I got to Little Stony Man Cliffs and was awarded with a great view. The haze had finally lifted so you could actually see some of the Shenandoah Valley. The trail was well groomed and I made it to Thornton Gap around two. Thornton Gap is the park entrance that most of the people coming from D.C. use and there is a little gift shop and snack place there. I went in, got a drink and a snack and went and sat under the awning. Fifteen minutes later the fog moved in and it started pouring. I can't remember the last time I saw fog in the afternoon but this stuff was thick. I only had 1 and 3/4 miles to go to get to the next shelter so I just sat there and waited it out. Around 5:30 it let up enough to where I wouldn't get soaked on the way. Off I went! I got to the shelter pretty quickly, made dinner and settled in for the night. Chill Out was already there and two section hikers came in as the evening progressed. I still have not seen Spiderweb since I left Waynesboro. She was going to take an extra day there but she is a pretty quick hiker so I figured she would have caught me by now. I figure a lot of people behind me will catch up soon because I am going to go into D.C. for a couple of days to see my brother and his wife once I get to Harpers Ferry. It's raining and cool so I am off to bed. A long day planned for tomorrow.
Date: 2004-06-12
From: Pass Mtn. Hut

To: Terrapin Station Hostel
Miles today: 22.7

It was cool and rainy most of the night. I got up and was on the trail by six. I started wearing my rain/cold/wind jacket but after a couple miles it came off. Breakfast was waiting at the seven mile mark. The sun struggled with the clouds but it allowed for some good pictures when I got to Beahms Gap. At 9:00 I reached Elkwallow Gap where they have a small grill. I ordered a breakfast sandwhich and coffee. After I finished I moved on. It was still cool but at least it wasn't raining. I climbed up Hogback and was rewarded with some great scenery as I walked the ridgeline. I reached Gravel Spring Hut around noon, had lunch, and moved on. The goal was Terrapin Station Hostel which was a total of 22 miles for the day. When I got there Pappa Bear and Badger were there. It was good to see them again. We compared notes and it looks like we will be on the same hiking pattern until Harpers Ferry. After I cleaned up Dead Reckoning pulled in. He is doing a large section of the trail and I met him back on the Priest and Three Ridges area. Now or Never also showed up. I hadn't seen him for over a week. Now that I am out of the Shenandoahs I am going back to some more normal miles. Because of the shelter spacing in the park it was either get done by noon or one or do big miles. The big miles wreak havoc on the knees and mine are starting to feel it. I want to get back to the 14 to 16 a day. Anyway, it is good to be out of the rain for the night. My shoes may actually dry out a bit. They have been wet for three days now. Time for bed.
Date: 2004-06-13
From: Terrapin Station Hostel

To: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter
Weather: broken clouds

I got a late start today, which was good because it was a rainy morning. Mike, the owner of the hostel took us into town for a resupply run and I got enough stuff to get me to Harpers Ferry. By time I repacked and got on the trail it was 11:30. It was good going and the weather had cleared so it was made the short journey fun. I got to the shelter around 3:00 and decided to stay in the shelter because the weather is supposed to be nasty tonight and tomorrow. Section hiker Chuck was there. He is now known as Band-Aid, a name that I had the honor of giving him, because his feet were covered with band-aids the other day. My first naming! As the afternoon progressed No Worries, Minus One, Pooja, Aussie, and two other section hikers came in. There was also a church group and a Boy Scout group here. They were tenting but it made for a full area. While we were wasting the afternoon away Aussie pulled out his book. I looked at it and laughed. It was the same book I started the trail with. He had picked it up a couple of shelters ago. Here on the trail when you finish a book you give it to someone or leave it at a shelter for someone to pick up. So the book I started with has gone through at least 3 others that I know of. Around 7:00 Mt. Dew strolled in. I was shocked to see him because I thought he was a week or so ahead of me. I found out he had taken six days off which is why I caught up to him. He did 30 miles today so I doubt I will see him much after today. I am out of the Shenandoahs, the last National Park the AT passes through. The trail through the park was well taken care of and fun to hike on. There were a quite a few good views and the ability to eat your way through made it a hikers dream. Not to mention my bear sightings! Next goal, Harpers Ferry, WV!
Date: 2004-06-14
From: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: light rain

Another early start. I seem to be getting up as soon as it is light enough to see and I'm on the trail by six. I usually move my stuff away from the shelter to pack up so I don't bother the sleeping hikers. By 11:00 I reached Dick's Dome Shelter. There were a couple of hikers at the trail entrance to the shelter and they said they had some bad vibes about the people that were down there. I told them thanks and sat on a rock near there to have lunch. I have also reached cicada country. The cicadas that are out are known as Brood X. They live underground come out every 17 years. There are a lot of them and a mean a whole lot. All day long there is a constant noise from their "talking". They came and in May, live for six weeks, and die. I reached them in their final days because there are a bunch of dead cicadas all around. I was glad that I got to the area in time. The next time they come out will be in 2021. At the shelter tonight were Pappa Bear, Badger, Band-Aid, No Worries, and Minus One. A father and daughter team were also there and they provided us with entertainment. It was humorous to watch them get organized and set up. One time I looked over at Minus One and said,"It goes to show you how seasoned we have become". She laughed at that but it is true. We get to camp and there is no thought about how we get set up. It has become a natural part of our day. The weather held out today even though the reports called for bad weather. The humidity is incredible. I am soaked all day just from sweating and it saps the energy out of you and you are pretty beat at the end of the day.
Date: 2004-06-15
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Weather: scattered clouds

Today the trail reminded us of what it was. Lately we have been enjoying the good life. Nicely graded trail, no scrambling over rocks, easy to walk on. It all changed today. We entered what is called The Roller Coaster; a series of ups and downs just like a roller coaster. It was rocky and rough. It was hot and humid. And it brought us back to reality in a heartbeat! We were told not to try to do it all in one day if you didn't have to. I had decided to heed that advice and would only do about 10 today. I got to the hostel which is an excellent hostel. It seems to not get the notice that some of the others do but more hikers should plan to stay here. A good place to relax. Pappa Bear and Badger also decided to come here and we discussed what a rude awakening the roller coaster was! Tomorrow I am planning on getting close to Harpers Ferry and then roll into there early Thursday AM. I'll have to see how things go.
Date: 2004-06-16
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: light rain

Well, I got to Harpers Ferry a little earlier than planned. I was on the trail at 6:00 again. We had a real big storm last night and it still looked like it could rain some more. The trail was real muddy and in places the mud wanted to suck your boot off. I only had two more hills of the roller coaster which weren't too bad. When I finished them I had decided to push into Harpers Ferry today. My original thought was to only go 14 or so miles, find a campsite, and then go into Harpers Ferry in the AM. The terrain was good so I changed my mind. Two things happened on the way in today. First, I crossed into West Virgina! Virgina is done! All 500 and some odd miles of it. Secondly, I also crossed the 1000 mile mark. Not quite halfway yet but getting real close, 79 miles to the actual halfway point. Harpers Ferry is considered the psychological halfway point. It is also another hign attrition spot for those that drop off the trail. I got to Harpers Ferry around 3:00 and went to the ATC Headquarters, which located here. I signed the register and had my picture taken to add to the hiker book. I am the 338th thru hiker to sign in at the ATC this year. I ran into a hiker who just finished the trail. He did it in sections over an 11 year time span. He was celebrating so he invited a bunch of us to pizza. Thanks for everything Pace Car and congratulations on finishing! I also ran into Stretch whom I hadn't seen since Partnership shelter. Bear Trax was also there. It was Damascus when I last saw him. He is getting off the trail here. I also saw a couple of thru hikers from last year here, Last Minute and Viking. I first ran into them about 4 days ago. I am going to take a few days off here and go into Washington D.C. I will give an update on my trip to DC on Sunday sometime. I plan on being on the trail late Sunday, for a few miles and then back to the journey on Monday the 21st.
Date: 2004-06-20
From: Washington D.C

To: Washington D.C
Miles today: 0.0

First off, Happy Birthday Cody!.. I am still munching on M&M's after all these years. (A story that goes back to when she and I were in college together) I hope you have a great day! It is Sunday morning and I am sitting on my brother's porch at six AM typing this. It is very pleasant out, not like the humid weather I am used to in the DC area. I still get up at the crack of dawn, even when I am not on the trail. I repacked the pack today because I will be heading back to Harpers Ferry this morning. It has been a relaxing couple of days. I arrived around 10:00 on Friday morning. It was alittle bit of culture shock. After being on the trail I was not used to all the people and all the traffic. Both my brother and his wife were working so I spent the day resupplying and hanging out around the house. That evening we went to eat and then watched a movie. Saturday morning I was out of the house at six. I was going downtown to do a little sightseeing. Somewhere, over the years, since I lived in this area last I lost all my pictures of the monuments and stuff so I wanted to get a few pics taken. I took the Metro Rail system into town and got off at he Smithsonian. I was not going to spend time in the museums this time so I walked up to the Capitol Mall area. I visited the Washington Monument, the new World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial. After that I got back on the Metro and went out to Arlington National Cemetary where I visited my fathers gravesite. I got back to the house around one or so and my brother and I went out and ran errands for awhile. That evening he barbequed and we all sat around talking and having fun. Like I said, a relaxing and enjoyable couple of days. When I get back to Harpers Ferry I am going to hike a few miles to the hostel or first shelter. Not sure which yet. I want today to part of my R&R so I don't want to put many miles on. Tomorrow will be soon enough to begin the second leg of the journey. I also received a couple of emails, one from Dingle and one from Spiderweb. Dingle and Skirt are in the Shenandoahs so with me being off for a couple days will allow them to get closer.. come on you two! .. It was Damascus since I last saw them. The one from Spiderweb was one confirming she was off the trail. She was talking about it on our way to Waynesboro so it did not come as a surprise to me. It was fun hiking with you, Spiderweb! Take care and I will get pictures to you soon enough. Next updates will be from the trail. Signing off for now.
Date: 2004-06-21
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: clear sky

I am going to combine the 7 miles I did out of Harpers Ferry on Sunday with todays 16.6. My brother and I took a back country ride to Harpers Ferry. We actually crossed the Potomac on a ferry boat. It was kinda cool. I have not seen one of those for a long time. He dropped me off at the ATC around 11:00 and I thanked him for all he has done. I went into the ATC and saw CatDog. I met her husband and she said they were going to meet Hawk for lunch at 1:00. I said I would meet them there. When I got there Hawk and Quest were there. They thought I was way ahead. I explained what I had done over the last couple of days. During conversation I found out two other had quit and they took me by surprise. Scholar dropped off .. I know someone from Scholar's family reads my journal. Please have her email me so I can get her email address. I also found out that Lumber dropped also but I already have his email. After lunch I made the hike to the shelter. It was a great day weatherwise! No rain, no humidity, and the temperature was perfect. Wish we could have a few more like it. It didn't take long and on the way I ran into Krispy Kritter and Luna. They were heading south because they had to wait till Monday for a maildrop and they didn't want to waste a day. It was good to see him again and we discussed plans for the upcoming days. He will be a little ahead but I won't be far behind. Monday morning I actually made a hot breakfast and off I went. It was another good hiking day and the weather was cooperating for a second day in a row. I went through Crampton and Fox Gap, both of which were areas of battle during the Civil War. White Rock Cliffs provided some picture taking oppurtunities. Today is the first day of summer. It is said that today is "naked hiker day", to celebrate the beginning of summer. I saw no naked hikers nor was I one of them. When I left Harpers Ferry I crossed into Maryland and tomorrow, if I feel like pushing it, I will cross into Pennsylvania. 6 states will be down with 8 to go.
Date: 2004-06-22
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelter
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: light rain

The weather was nice while it lasted. The humidity returned today and we got our afternoon rain. I missed a couple of viewpoints today because the valleys were fogged in during the morning. I got to Ensign Cowell Shelter for a break and Pooja was just getting ready to head out. She said Krispy Kritter, Luna, and Salt Lick had left an hour ago. Around noon I entered the last five mile stretch of Maryland and most of that was a rock and boulder walk. Those areas slow me down a lot because it is too easy to get an ankle twister in that type of terrain. I reached the Pen-Mar State Park around two. Krispy, Luna, and Salt Lick were there relaxing. I am just far enough behind them where I will catch them during the afternoon but they push on farther than I do later on. I ate lunch there and talked to the park attendant for awhile. Pen-Mar has an interesting history. In the late 1800's the railroad company built an amusement park there. The railroad is right by the park and they used it to bring people from Baltimore and DC, etc. to the park. The park was cooler than the cities and the railroads got revenue out of it. This lasted until 1943 when the amusements were taken down. The automobile had made the train runs obselete. The park is still more elaborate than most and it was a nice place to rest for awhile. After I left the park I crossed into PA ... 230 miles worth of PA to go. I got to the shelter and did the usual setup activities. Ramen with tuna fish for dinner tonight. Gotta love it!
Date: 2004-06-23
From: Deer Lick Shelter

To: Milesburn Cabin
Miles today: 20.8

The day started with a slight rain but it gradually cleared up. The terrain has been good lately. Good for making some miles. I don't hit the infamous PA rocks for awhile yet. Around noon I reached the Caledonia State Park where I ran into Southern Man and Now or Never. They were heading out but I figured I would see them again tomorrow. Krispy, Luna, Old Man, and Salt Lick were already at the park. We sat around for and enjoyed the sun. After awhile everyone but Luna and I took off. I was only planning on going another two miles today so I was in no hurry. A hiker showed up heading south and he told us of some awesome trail magic five miles past the next shelter. Luna was planning on heading that far anyway but I was still wavering. She took off and I left a little while later. When I got to the planned destination I decided to go for the trail magic. I am glad I did! Trail magic appeared in the form of Blue Ridge Mountain Sports -- Matt and Aaron. This was the same company that cooked the breakfast the day before I hit Waynesboro. Same company, different store. Krispy, Luna, and Old Man were there. We had fruit, hotdogs, hamburgers, and soda. They also had some gear. I got a new pair of socks and some trail dinners. It was a great evening! Thanks again Aaron and Matt and Blue Ridge Mountain Sports for sharing.
Date: 2004-06-24
From: Milesburn Cabin

To: Iron Master Hostel
Miles today: 12.2

I have done it! I crossed the halfway mark today. Happy feet are doing the happy dance! I guess it's time for a little reflection on the first half of the journey. On March 15th I stepped onto the approach trail, as green as green can be, full of anticipation for what lay ahead and some doubts in the back of my mind. The doubts were not about being able to finish. They were about whether I had the right gear, how long would it take to get in "trail shape",etc. Of all the thoughts not a one was ever about quitting. I knew I was going to go all the way unless something physical happened to me. That has not changed. A lot of people have dropped. A lot of them I got to know and like. I have never run into a situation before where the people you meet become an "instant" family. We all have a common goal out here..to hike the trail. There is no gender and there is no age out here. We are a small group that has decided to pursue a dream, no matter the distance anyone of us may go. We will always have that special bond and place in our hearts for those that we hiked with and got to know. I know I have not complained to much in the journal. Some may think that is unrealistic. Just because I didn't talk about it every day doesn't mean I never hated; Putting on wet shoes and socks,   Sloshing through snow and mud,   Feeling the energy drain out of you as you hit that one last uphill before ending the day, Having everything damp for endless days, Walking with a very sore foot from Gatlinburg to Damascus, Being assaulted by gnats and flies,   Eating trail food, Getting up in the morning and taking five minutes before your feet and knees could function properly. These things and more happened but my story was to tell of the day, the people, and the places, not complain about the things that were almost a daily occurance. I still have 1087 miles to go and a lot can happen. Am I glad I am doing it? .. I would not trade it for the world! There is still a whole lot to see and a lot of "Oh Wow" moments left. To those that I have met and have left the trail I commend you for what you did and thank you for giving me the chance to get to know you. To those that I have met and are still on the trail, whether ahead of me or behind me, hike on and hopefully we will catch up, either forwards or backwards. To the readers of my journal. I hope I have been able to give you a feel for my journey and I hope you have been able to "live" a little of the trail with me. I enjoy writing for you and I hope you enjoy reading. I thank you for all the emails and letters of support. It means a lot! If you are a reader please sign the guest book. I would truly like to know the people who follow me. A special thanks to my brother and his wife for taking the time to post my entries and pictures. Whew! Long winded there .. enough is enough. I will talk about the days hike when I write about tomorrows.
Date: 2004-06-25
From: Pine Grove Furnace

To: US 11/VA 683
Miles today: 27.4

First, let me cover yesterday. The big event of the day was getting to the halfway point, which was the hostel. Part of the celebration is known as the "half gallon chalenge"..eat a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting. There was no way I was going to eat a half gallon. I can barely put away a pint much less four pints! There were some that were up for the challenge;Salt Lick, Krispy, Old Man, Luna, Strange Love, and Lint. Now or Never, Southern Man and myself were the cheerleading section. Needless to say they all managed to finish their ice cream. I ended up staying at the hostel because I was able to do a "work for stay". I mowed their yard and got a free night. A lot of the hostels offer that if you get there at the right time and place. I left this morning around 5:30 AM. It seems I am getting out earlier and earlier these days. The walk was fun. I love it when we get to boulder climb and there were a couple of nice areas to do that in today. I also got a chance to do some field walking. The trail wound its way through some cornfields and if the saying holds true about "knee high by the 4th of July", then these crops are in excellent shape. I got to Boiling Springs around 1:30 and went to the ATC regional office. Salt Lick was there waiting for his ride. He is taking two days off and then getting back on. As the afternoon progressed Krispy, Lint, Southern Man, Now or Never, and Strange Love came in. We just hung around the ATC office trying to decide what to do. There really isn't anyplace in town to stay except a campsite 1/2 miles back and the next shelter which was 13 miles ahead. Some opted for the campsite but Krispy, Lint, and myself got a wild hair and decided to push to the next shelter. Normally we would never even think about it but this area is one with flat terrain and we can average about 3 miles an hour. Around 5:00 we took off. Along the trail I would stop every now and again and munch on black raspberries that were growing along the way. I even ran into an older gentleman that was collecting some to make jam with. We reached US 11 and decided to walk the 1/4 mile to the restaurant and get some dinner. While we were eating the storm that was building unloaded. We sat around till nine, waiting to see if it would let up but it didn't. We did not want to night hike in a storm so we bit the bullet and decided to split a room. Our adventure ended with us having pulled a 27.4 mile day. Long day but the long break in Boiling Springs didn't make it seem so bad.