morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-08-08
From: Manassas Gap, VA 55, VA 725

To: Ashby Gap, US 50
Miles today: 11.7

Weather - Clear and real hotI guess it was around 8:00 a.m. when Steve "Coach" dropped Azaria and me off at US 50. Frond was feeling too bad to hike today. We stopped at Manassas Gap Shelter for a short break. I had heard they had built a new shelter but this was not so. Looked like it had been repainted and had some new benches outside. The snakeskin inside the shelter didn't give me a good feeling.There was no place for Steve to meet us today. Stopped by a spring to eat lunch. Saw a lot of butterflies today. I think I have seen a butterfly every day since I left Springer Mountain, GA. Saw an older guy hiking south who was from England. Got to Ashby Gap around 3:30 p.m. and Steve and Frond were waiting for us. They had driven up to Bear Den Hostel earlier and had some good stories to share about their day. Frond saw how busy Steve's day is when he drops us off, also looks like he's feeling a little better. On the drive back to Bear Den Hostel, where we are staying tonight, we saw some big beautiful homes. A lot of work had been done on the Bear Den Hostel since I stayed there last. It is the nicest and most unique hostel I have stayed in so far. I took a short hike down to Bear Den Cliffs where I could look down and see the Shenandoah River winding through the valley.For supper we drove down to the Horseshoe Curve Restaurant. My friend Shoe had told me that the food was good here and he was right. I got a hot roast beef sandwich with fries and gravy. It was more than I could eat with a pile of fries with gravy left over. Azaria must have been hungry because she asked me if I was though and when I said "yes" she chowed down on the rest of my fries. Frond, Steve and I were surprised because she always eats healthier than us. Outside the restaurant we even saw a Royles Royce.Back at the Bear Den Hostel, we just relaxed in the lounge area and Frond even played a little on a guitar and piano. Not at the same time. The hiker bunk area had been fixed up really nice and there was a map of the A.T. with auto license plates from all 14 states beside it. There are two young guys from GA on a section hike south staying here tonight also.
Date: 2006-08-09
From: Ashby Gap, US 50

To: Bear Den Rock to Hostel
Miles today: 13.5

Weather - Clear and warmBear Den Hostel has a large dining area and it felt good sitting inside eating breakfast. Frond still had a slight fever and wasn't going to hike today. He and Steve took Azaria and me back to Ashby Gap where we started hiking north again. The spiders had been busy stringing their webs across the trail. It seemed like every few minutes we were running into a web. Azaria and I took turns leading to break the webs. We saw a sign that read, "Hiker Notice Warning" for the Roller Coaster. The Roller Coaster is a rocky section of the trail with about 7 mountains, 500 to 700 ft. high, that goes all the way to the Blackburn Trail Center.We stopped at some big rocks to eat lunch and were watching a large spider, about 2 1/2" long, on its cone shaped web when the two southbound guys from GA showed up. We were glad to see them because we knew they had been knocking down the spider webs on the trail in front of us. There weren't any overlooks along the way so when we got to the cliffs we knew the short blue blaze trail would take us to Bear Den Hostel.We cooked supper at the hostel tonight. Frond booked Azaria and his tickets on buses and trains to Baxter State Park in Maine. But he was having problems finding a ride from Harper's Ferry to Gettysburg, PA. That is when Steve offered to give them a ride to Gettysburg, giving some more trail magic.
Date: 2006-08-10
From: Bear Den Rock

To: Keys Gap, WV 9
Miles today: 14.1

Weather - Cloudy, rain and coolerWhen we got up this morning, Azaria wasn't feeling good. I think she caught a cold from Frond. Frond is feeling a lot better today and is going to hike. When Frond, Azaria and I hiked out from Bear Den Hostel, it was raining. This was good because it was cooler. After crossing VA 7 as I was climbing the next mountain, I ran into a guy with his two dogs. One of them I called "Skunk Dog" because this dog had picked up a dead skunk and now it smelled like a skunk. He wasn't looking forward to telling his wife that they were going to have to ride in a car with this dog back to New Hampshire.A couple more miles down the trail we came to the sign for the Virginia and West Virginia border. It is hard to believe that I am leaving my home state. Here are some of my reflections about hiking through Virginia: I made some good hiking friends. The western part of the state coming through the Grayson Highlands and Mount Rodgers areas are some of the most beautiful sections on the trail. I finally got to see some bears. The views from McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs were some of the most spectacular I have seen. The worst thunderstorm I hiked in was in Virginia. Eating twice at Homeplace Restaurant was a treat. I got some really great trail magic from my friend Shoe, my daughter Kelley, my granddaughter Shanna and my brother Steve.A short distance down the trail in West Virginia we came to Crescent Rock Vista. We took the blue blaze trail to Blackburn Trail Center. Steve was waiting there with lunch. One of the caretakers there, Hopeful, gave us a tour of the center. Azaria was feeling worse so she was going to stay with Steve. About a mile down the A.T., Frond and I saw two fawns on the side of the trail. We wondered where their mother was but saw her about 1/4 mile further down the trail.A little further up the trail we came to the "1000 mile" sign on the trail. It is hard to believe I have hiked 1000 miles. As we crossed WV 9 at Keys Gap, Azaria and Steve were waiting for us. We drove to Harper's Ferry where we got a room at the Comfort Inn, then went into downtown Harper's Ferry to go to the outfitters and walk around this historic town.
Date: 2006-08-11
From: Keys Gap, WV 9

To: Harper's Ferry, AT Concervancy Office
Miles today: 5.8

Weather - Clear and warmWe were up at 4:45 a.m. and ate breakfast in the room. Azaria was feeling worse and stayed back at the motel room while Steve took Frond and me back to Keys Gap at 6:15 a.m. The only thing we saw on the trail was a slow moving box turtle. We knew it was really early when we heard a rooster crowing. We were hiking fast because we knew we did not have that far to go. We were crossing the bridge over the Shenandoah River by 8:30 a.m. When we took the side trail to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) Office, we met Steve and Azaria. At the ATC Office we climbed in Steve's SUV and went back and got a shower because we were all going to be traveling today. Checked out of the motel and went back to the ATC Office to register and get our pictures taken. At about 11:00 a.m., left Harper's Ferry to drive Frond and Azaria to Gettysburg, PA, where a family friend is going to pick them up later in the afternoon. At Gettysburg National Cemetary we walked through the Visitors Center. About 3:30 p.m., we said goodbye to Frond and Azaria. I have really enjoyed hiking the last 500 miles with them. Frond is extremely knowledgeable about nature and, although I love nature, I have learned to be more observant by watching him. He hikes fast with a bounce that makes it look so easy. Azaria is a good cook and I have learned a lot about eating foods that are better for me. She is cheerful almost all the time. She and Frond's interest are the same and they are a perfect match. I will miss them and wish them the best of luck in the future. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, I saw Frond and Azaria holding hands as they walked to the Visitors Center. They always held hands when they walked down the road. This was a perfect way to remember them.The drive back home to Portsmouth, VA, was a good ride. Steve and I were able to catch up a lot. This was the longest he and I have been apart from each other since we were born. Got home about 10:30 p.m. I have to plan the second half of the hike and pack my mail drop boxes. I will be home for a few weeks then flip up to Maine and start hiking south. I will be back soon!
Date: 2006-09-09
From: Home in Virginia

To: Travel Day to Maine
Miles today: 0.0

Weather - NiceAfter coming home on 8/11, the first few days were a culture shock. It was like being in a different world with all the people, traffic, TV, etc. The quiet and peace of the woods were gone but the tired muscles and sore feet every day were getting a rest. It has been wonderful to be home with Nadine, family and friends. Everyone is amazed at how much weight I have lost - 30 lbs. - and how healthy I look. I feel great.I have planned my hike coming from Mt. Katahdin and hiking south and have packed my mail drop boxes. It is time to hike again.Today Nadine and I are flying to Manchester, New Hampshire, and renting a car to drive to Maine. The flights were on time and we left the Manchester Airport around 3:00 p.m. When we got to Maine, which didn't take that long, we went over to Route 1 and drove up the coast to Nubble Light. The Lighthouse is on an island just a couple hundred yards from the shoreline. It is a really rocky coastline and very beautiful.We stopped at a restaurant and got a lobster roll for lunch. It is a hot dog bun stuffed with lobster meat, very different and good, but still not as good as the blue crab meat we get back home in Virginia.Our next stop was at the Portland Light. Another beautiful lighthouse on this rocky coast. A thunderstorm was coming, we got our pictures and got back to the car just as the bottom dropped out of the sky.It was around 7:30 p.m. when we got to Freeport, Maine and the L.L. Bean Store. Freeport is a neat little town. Only spent a little over an hour before driving 8 miles to Brunswick to our motel.
Date: 2006-09-10
From: Brunswick, Maine

To: Travel Day to Millinocket, Maine
Miles today: 0.0

Weather - Clear and in the 70's.Nadine and I felt like we didn't get to look around the L.L. Bean Store as much as we would have liked, so we drove back to Freeport. Got our picture taken with the huge hiking boot outside the L.L. Bean Store. Talked to one of the workers at the store who also works at Mt. Katahdin. He suggested we drive up Route 1, have lunch at Moody's Diner and then drive up to Acadia National Park. Since we both love the National Parks, that is what we did.At Acadia National Park, we drove the loop trail and stopped at Shady Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Point and went to the top of Cadillac Mountain. Each point was very scenic. Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the island and in the park. From here we could look down on Bar Harbor, ME and we saw a cruise ship anchored there. We drove through the town of Bar Harbor. It was a neat little town and we would like to go there again.It was almost 8:00 p.m. before we got to the motel in Millinocket, ME. It has been a long, tiring day of traveling but the sights we saw were well worth it.
Date: 2006-09-22
From: ATC Office, Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Harper's Ferry Hostel
Miles today: 2.2

Weather - Clear and coolMy brother Steve picked me up from home on his way to work and dropped me off at the train station in Newport News, VA. I am going back to Harper's Ferry, WV to start hiking north again. Since the train station wasn't open and my train leaves at 9:10 a.m., I walked about 1/4 mile to a small diner to get breakfast, then back to the station. The train left on time and in Washington DC, I changed trains to Harper's Ferry, WV arriving at 5:00 p.m.Walked up to the Hilltop House Hotel and they had no rooms left so I decided to hike to the hostel in Maryland, a couple of miles away. As I started to go down the blue blaze trail to the A.T., I saw two deer in the road, a buck and a doe. They took off down the hill and in less than ten minutes I saw them again on the A.T. Stopped and got a couple pictures of Jefferson Rock.It was about 6:30 p.m. as I crossed the foot bridge over the Potomac River into Maryland. It was starting to get dark when I found the blue blaze trail to the hostel. There is only one other hiker here, a southbound thru-hiker named Young Gun.
Date: 2006-09-23
From: Harper's Ferry Hostel

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Weather - Rain in a.m., clear and warm in p.m.When my alarm went off at 5:45 a.m., I could hear it raining really hard outside so I rolled over and went back to sleep. The rain had stopped around 9:00 a.m. and Young Gun and I walked up to the local diner for breakfast. It was 11:30 a.m. when I left the hostel. The walk down the C&O Canal Towpath was different but pleasant. I could hear the roar of the whitewater from the Potomac River on one side and the crickets in the C&O Canal on the other side. Once in a while a train would come down the tracks than ran parallel to the trail. It started to rain again when I was about half way up a 1000 ft. climb. Saw some deer when I got to the top of the mountain. The trail is wide and easy.At Ed Garvey Shelter, I stopped for lunch and moved on. It started to clear up in the afternoon. When I got to the Crampton Gap Picnic Pavilion, I was running low on water and knew there was none at the next shelter. I asked a group of hawkers if they knew where I could get some water. They had some bottled water in a cooler and gave that to me. When I say hawkers I mean they are a club of people who have hawks. They had 6 hawks there and they were beautiful birds to watch. Along with the water, they also gave me supper including chicken, hot dog, potato salad, fresh veggies and a coke. There were three hikers already at the shelter. One, Rich, was in a hammock nearby, and Jim and Dutch were section hikers heading north also. A family was out for a day hike and stopped to talk. Beth and Bill had their 3 year old son with them. Beth had day-hiked a lot of the trail south and was very interested in the different equipment we were using. At 7:30 p.m. it was dark and time to go to bed.
Date: 2006-09-24
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

Weather - Cloudy, little rain and warm.Up early and on the trail by 7:45 a.m. At about 8:30 a.m., I caught up to Rich and he and I hiked together for the rest of the day. The trail was easy hiking. We stopped at Dahlgren Back Pack Campground for lunch. Feels good to sit at a picnic table to eat. Stopped at the Washington Monument for a break. It is the first Washington Monument and it was built in 1827 out of stone and looks like a bottle. It even has a winding stairway that goes to the top. We crossed over Interstate 70 on a foot bridge and I got some truckers to blow their horns. At the end of the foot bridge, we took a short trail to US 40 and hiked a short distance to the Dogpatch Tavern, a local biker bar. I got a draft beer (really two), a cheeseburger and fries for supper. It was only 4:00 p.m., an early supper. Rich enjoyed his so much he got another meal to take back to the shelter. It was only about one mile from the tavern to the shelter. Dutch was already there. We were so late getting there he thought we had gone on to the next shelter.
Date: 2006-09-25
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Devils Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 13.1

Weather - Clear, cool in morning and warm in afternoon.Got up in the dark and on the trail at 7:20 a.m. but Rich and Dutch had already left. Took the 1/4 mile blue blaze trail to Annapolis Rocks for the view. The trail was good until I got to a rock garden that slowed me up. I stopped at Ensign Cowall Shelter for lunch with Rich. Wasn't feeling good and was chilled. Took some Ibuprofen and went to fill up my water bottles from the spring. After a 2 hour break I was feeling better and decided to move on to the next shelter 5 miles away. It was hard to leave such a nice shelter with a good spring. I crossed over a couple fields. In one of them there was a couple of cows really close to the trail, watching me with great interest.As I crossed Buzzard Knob, I counted 9 shotgun shells on the trail which made me a little nervous. Rich and Dutch were glad to see me when I got there. They thought I would stay at Ensign Cowall Shelter. Dutch and I are going into Waynesboro, PA tomorrow to re-supply and Rich is moving on. As soon as it got dark at 7:00 p.m. it got chilly and time to climb in the sleeping bag.
Date: 2006-09-26
From: Devils Racecourse Shelter

To: PA 16 to Waynesboro, PA
Miles today: 7.5

Weather - Clear, cool in the morning and warm in afternoonDutch and I were on the trail by 7:30 a.m. and Rich was right behind us. It was a rocky trail but got better when we got close to Pen-Mar Park where we stopped for a short break. A really nice park.When we crossed the railroad tracks just below the park, we were crossing the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. I was disappointed that there was no sign indicating this. Another state down - Maryland. Maryland was a fairly easy state to hike except for the rock gardens the last couple of days. The mountains weren't that hard to climb.At PA 16, we tried thumbing a ride for about 20 minutes before a SUV stopped to give us a ride. Cliff, the driver, had hiked some of the trail. While we were trying to catch a ride, we saw Rich go by. Cliff dropped us off at the Best Western Motel and told us he would come back and pick us up in the morning. Now that is true trail magic!We walked to a Mexican Diner for lunch, a couple blocks to do laundry and about 3 blocks to an Italian Restaurant for supper. Cliff said he would stop at a grocery store tomorrow so we could re-supply.
Date: 2006-09-27
From: PA 16 from Waynesboro, PA

To: Rocky Mountain Shelters
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Clear and coolerCliff Norris, our trail angel, was back at the motel to pick us up at 7:00 a.m. He took us to the grocery store so Dutch and I could re-supply. He even got the employees in the store to help us find all the items we were looking for, he knew everyone that worked there. Cliff then took us back to the trailhead to drop us off. He wouldn't take any money for gas but did take all our change when we told him he was doing us a favor because it was heavy to carry. He is a true trail angel and a great guy.It was a little cool and the trail was fairly easy so the hiking was good. There were several nice places that had two shelters at the same location. Tumbling Run Shelters even had them labeled as non-snoring and snoring.Someone from up above was looking out for Dutch, he walked pass a rattlesnake on the trail that was less than 9 inches from him. He was one lucky hiker. When he turned around to see what it was I saw, he was amazed that he wasn't bitten. It never did rattle even as I worked my way around it getting as close as 5 feet from it.We didn't get to Rocky Mountain Shelters until sometime after 3:00 p.m. It was about 0.3 miles down to the shelters. Then the adventure started - looking for water 0.2 miles below the shelter. It was about an hour before we got back to the shelter with water. Had to cook supper quick before it got dark.
Date: 2006-09-28
From: Rocky Mountain Shelters

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Overcast, cool and rain in afternoonDutch and I were up early and on the trail by about 7:30 a.m. It was a pleasant hike to Caledonia State Park. It was a beautiful park and we stopped for a pack break, snack and water re-supply.Stopped at Quarry Gap Shelters for lunch and met a nice young married couple thru-hiking southbound. This shelter has a wonderful caretaker who keeps it super clean. He even had hanging plants around the shelter.The sky was getting dark and looking like rain when we got to Birch Run Shelter. This is one of the nicest shelters I have seen. The picnic table is completely sheltered, it has bunk beds and the floor of the shelter was even varnished. As we were cooking and eating supper, it started to thunder and the rain started to come down, but we were nice and dry. It was getting cooler so it didn't take long to eat, clean up and climb in our sleeping bags to get warm. The bunks are really nice. It is just Dutch and me staying here tonight. It continued to rain as we went to sleep.
Date: 2006-09-29
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Ironmasters Mansion Hostel
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Clear and coolerIt was 48o F. when Dutch and I woke up this morning. With only 9.9 miles to go today, we could take our time a little. On the trail a little after 9:00 a.m. and the hiking was easy.Stopped for lunch at Toms Run Shelters. While we were eating, a couple came up - her name was Slim and his was Boggie. They were maybe a little younger than me and seasoned hikers. Then a woman and two guys came in. They were Silver Foot (woman), Smokie and The Goat. They said they had a message from Shoe for a guy named Whimsey and were surprised that it was me. They had met Shoe at a restaurant and he wanted me to call him on his cell phone when I got a chance. The trail is a small world. As we were getting ready to leave, a guy with his son and daughter-in-law came hiking in. He looked at me and said, "I know you, we met in Virginia." I recognized him - he was Ranger. I had met him on the trail back near Catawba, VA. He wanted me to get my Gee Haw Whimsey Diddle Stick out and show it to everyone. Dutch was just amazed how all this was happening to me all at once. There is no explanation for trail magic.It was an even easier hike into Pine Grove Furnace State Park and we were at the Ironmasters Mansion by 2:00 p.m., but they didn't open until 5:00 p.m. Dutch and I were sitting outside the Pine Grove General Store, that wasn't open, when Maggie (Silver Foot) came walking up. She had hiked to her car and drove back to the Mansion. Dutch wanted to go to a store so all three of us climbed in her car and went in search of one. We found a phone and directions to a store at the Visitors Center. I called Shoe and found out that he and his wife, Betty, were real close by visiting family in PA. They are coming to see me at the Mansion tonight. Back in the car and down the mountain we found the small store. All three of us got sandwiches for supper, some drinks and a few other items, then back up to the Mansion. We ate our supper at the picnic table at the General Store, which had opened up for the weekend. We didn't think it was going to be open until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. Silver Foot is a trip and just a lot of fun to be around. She is from Kentucky and gets together and hikes with these two guys, Smokie and The Goat, who are from Michigan. When Dutch found that out, he was delighted because that is where he lives.Shoe and Betty dropped by around 5:30 p.m. and got to meet Dutch. They took some of my food and gear and we are going to meet them in two days at the same motel they are staying at right by the trail. Dutch did my laundry so I could visit with Shoe and Betty, he is a thoughtful guy. Had a great time with everyone at the Mansion tonight. I should mention that the leaves are starting to turn yellows, oranges and reds. It is a beautiful time to be in the woods!