morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-26
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

First of all, I slept surrounded by giant rabbits last night. When I went to bed there were three of them hanging out in front of my tent. And I don't drink so I'm pretty sure they were real. Unless my fever was higher than I thought...Rainbow and I booked it to Erwin. We'd talked back and forth and toyed with different plans. We weren't sure if we could make it or if we had enough food to stop early and go into town first thing in the morning. It was foggy and rainy so we decided we just wanted to be in town already and to get it over with. We saw a wild turkey and azaleas in bloom. We revised our "Hikers Go Marching" song and sang it for some friends we passed by on the trail. Gentle ups and downs combined with our terrible singing made the time fly by.We got picked up by Miss Janet, ate some delicious Mexican food, went to the store where I somehow walked out with the ingredients for a Cherry Dr. Pepper Float and NOT cold medicine, and now she's housing us for the night. I swear I love Miss J more and more every time I see her.I'm exhausted! Tomorrow I'm zeroing with some cold medicine, knitting, and finally calling home. I can't wait!
Date: 2015-04-27
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Cold medicine, check! Resupply, check! Lay in the grass and soak in the sun, the music, and the laughter all around me, check! Not a bad way to zero.A few too many folks rolled into the house for my liking last night. I like everyone, just not all at once, so I slept under Spider's tarp in the yard to get away a little. Looking forward to hitting the trail again.
Date: 2015-04-28
From: Erwin, TN

To: Beauty Spot
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

I dropped my package off at the post office and got back on the trail. It was a beautiful day with some pretty streams but I had a hard time enjoying it. Hiking when you're sick really does suck. Caught up to Stix, Giggles, Shits, Tink, and Wolf Pine up on Beauty Spot and stopped to watch the sun set. I wanted so badly to stay but it was cold and windy. Young Gun and Krispy did a slackpack and were waiting for Miss J to pick them up. It was too good of an offer to pass up so I did the walk of shame back to Miss J's. She grounded me from hiking! Scored a sweet spot on the couch and going to the doctor in the morning. I'm getting nowhere when I've got to stop every 20 minutes to cough or blow my nose.
Date: 2015-04-30
From: Beauty Spot

To: Greasy Creek Gap
Miles today: 14.4

Got a late start this morning and didn't get a ride back to the trail until noonish but still put in decent miles. It's hard to breathe on the uphill but I took it slow and it was pretty easy hiking anyway. It hailed for a few minutes and then rained off and on. By the time I got to where I was going I decided to detour to Greasy Creek Friendly. I'm really happy I did because 612 is here! He's been zeroing off and on so I could catch up and if I'd kept going like I'd planned we would have missed each other again. I love how things just work out like that out here. It's like living in a 2,000 mile long small town. Some of my favorite hikers are here. Now I'm warm, dry, watching a movie, and petting a cat. Life is good. My body needs to get on board.
Date: 2015-05-01
From: Greasy Creek Gap

To: Roan High Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: broken clouds

Got a late start again. It's hard to get motivated when it's freezing outside and you're inside a house with a wood burning stove. No views today because of the fog and rain. There is still snow/sleet? on the ground from last night so I'm happy with my decision to stay at the hostel. I'm not as happy about starting late today. I could've hiked past this mountain but instead I'm curled up in the attic of the shelter trying not to freeze to death. The elevation is 6194' making it the highest shelter on the A.T. and it freakin' shows. Brrr!
Date: 2015-05-02
From: Roan High Knob Shelter 

To: US 19E
Miles today: 16.3

Got up earlyish and hiked out of the cold as quickly as possible. There was beautiful light shining in through the trees and mist this morning. Got some great pictures. It warmed up and the hiking was amazing. Through balds most of the day with too many views to count. This is why we hike. Left North Carolina for good and should hit 400 miles tomorrow! Hitched into Roan Mountain, TN for Bob's Dairy Land and the best burger I've ever eaten. Or I may have just been that hungry. Got a swanky room at Mountain Harbour Bed and Breakfast just to splurge. There is a bowl of Snickers and a swan-shaped hot tub faucet. I may never leave.
Date: 2015-05-03
From: US 19E

To: Campsite
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: few clouds

Did 16.7 miles, didn't start until 11am after the best breakfast ever, and still had a lazy day. I'm not better but I am better than I was. No steep uphills to test out my breathing but it's definitely getting better. I saw a tortoise, chipmunks, and a dead mouse. I also saw a dirty diaper next to a water source. Gross. Took a side trail to an awesome waterfall and soaked my feet in a river. I was a little worried about a few drops of rain in the evening so I started booking it to a shelter. A few miles before I ran into Rainbow, Young Gun, and Ambitious. The rain never started so I set up my tent with them instead of continuing on to the shelter. It was nice to hike alone again but also nice to end the day with laughter and my hiker family. Another beautiful day in the woods.
Date: 2015-05-04
From: Campsite

To: Side Trail to Hampton
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

I had no energy today. I took my time and stopped for everything. I saw an old barn. I saw Laurel Falls and soaked my feet in the river. I saw the crap out of a Subway sandwich. Now I'm at the Braemar Castle Hostel and there's nobody here! I will be the only one snoring tonight and I didn't have to wait in line for a shower. I talked to my husband for an hour. I got to pet a cat all evening. Mentally this is as up as I've been in quite a while. I've been feeling guilty about hiking from hostel to hostel since Erwin but my body needs it. Hiking sick is the worst! I've got some plans in the works to catch up with some folks by Damascus so the next few days should be rough. I can't wait to see what this body can do!
Date: 2015-05-05
From: Side Trail to Hampton

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I forgot to mention yesterday that I had another fan girl moment. I was stopped for a break and saw Jester fly by. It took a second for me to recognize him. He's the man behind Embrace the Brutality and Wizards of the PCT. These two documentaries are what helped me not go stir crazy while I was waiting for my start date on the A.T. to hurry up and get here. Check them out if you haven't seen them already.I've been living in the woods so long now that I have a routine. I do everything in a certain order and that's what I'm used to. I don't know how to be civilized! I'm glad I was in the hostel by myself last night. I forgot to brush my teeth and I totally didn't flush the toilet. So back to the woods I went!I did a little more than 15 miles if you include the side trail to Hampton. I'm glad I ended up at the hostel because it meant I got to see Axis and Mundi (the twins) again. If I'd already been back on the Trail I would've missed them because they were camped on the side trail. I thought they were long gone but they both got Norovirus coming out of Hot Springs and took some time off. We exchanged numbers so we can hang out in towns if we're there at the same time.It was an easy first half of the day. Nothing too steep. I don't mind long uphills but it's the steep ones that still take forever. Went swimming in Watauga Lake. It was a little cold but an absolutely amazing break from the heat. Nice views from the Watauga Dam. Evergreen and I both commented that it looked fake, like a painting. The sun was hitting the trees in just the right way. Right place. Right time.The second half of the day was a lot harder. Maybe I was tired from swimming? It seemed to drag on forever. Now I'm fed and in my sleeping bag ready to find out how many miles I can squeeze in tomorrow.
Date: 2015-05-06
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

Today was soooo long! Okay it wasn't. But it was my first day over 17 miles and I did 22.7! The profile was easy on the eyes so I went for it and I'm so glad I did. Absolutely everything is sore and I don't care. I'm proud of myself. Today felt like Texas. It was hot. There were bugs. I walked through a pasture full of cows. It was very nostalgic. I ran into Chipmonk who I haven't seen since Gatlinburg. We should both be in Damascus tomorrow which is pretty exciting. Virginia here we come! Leapfrogged with Young Gun, (female) Fancy Pants, Fuego, and Mushroom all day. I passed up an opportunity to get picked up by Miss Janet. As comforting as she is, her presence feels like you're home where ever you are, I already had my heart set on beating my mileage record. I didn't want to use the prospect of town as an excuse not to finish what I'd started. Although part of me wished I had. I was daydreaming and got clotheslined in the face by a thorny branch. I was bleeding and hot and yelled out loud to nobody, "Where's a lake when you need one?" It instantly started raining. Close enough! It rained just long enough to cool me off and wash the blood away. Ate dinner with Rainbow at the shelter and finally caught up to Right Click. All in all, it's still better than sitting in an office all day.
Date: 2015-05-07
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.4

Refused to get out of my tent this morning so Rainbow literally crawled into my tent and made me wake up. That's real friendship, folks! Not that she motivated me with tickles, but that she entered the sanctuary that is my home uninvited and lived to tell the tale. Crossed into Virginia which was pretty exciting. An easy day into Damascus this morning with plenty of time to eat, shower, do laundry, and eat again. In my tent at the Woodchuck Hostel and planning a zero tomorrow to work out some stuff. My water bladder sprung a leak inside my tent while I was out and about in town today and I've recently discovered the joys of chafing. Plus, tomorrow is a knitting day!
Date: 2015-05-08
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Walked around town getting chores done. Got a new Platypus bag to filter water after my 4th Sawyer bag on this trip busted. The last one leaked water all over the inside of my tent while I was in town last night. Boooo! Picked up some body glide to battle my new chafing issue. Resupplied. Took a break to swim under the bridge. Did more chores. Spent a long time on the phone. I hate talking on the phone but I had to get some things figured out. I was exhausted but couldn't sleep so I texted my husband all night long. Sometimes zeros don't feel like zeros. Headed out in the morning.
Date: 2015-05-09
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: broken clouds

After my phone finished charging in the morning I went and dropped my bounce box off at the post office. I was so busy the day before that I didn't even have a chance to open it. No knitting for me. Sad day! I left my friends in town and headed out. It was a hot day with a lot of steep uphills. I had to stop a lot. I stopped once and Jester suggested I dunk my head under some water pouring out from a small culvert. You don't have to tell this girl twice. I stuck my face in the water and soaked my buff in it and wore it around my neck to cool off. Happy to see Right Click and his daughter at the shelter in the evening. After dinner some people were talking. Telling stories is a common thing out here. You have to make your own fun. But I didn't care for the stories tonight. It felt like they were just making fun of people who weren't there to defend themselves. I retired to my tent hoping that at that very moment there was a shelter somewhere else full of people who were talking shit about them in the same way. Maybe I was just cranky because of the heat?
Date: 2015-05-10
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter 
Miles today: 17.6

Happy Mother's Day! I had reception for weeks and then nothing. I didn't get to call my moms or even talk to my own kid but I was able to get a text out so I had my kid call my mom for me. Close enough! I'll try again tomorrow. While this was the first Mother's Day that I didn't get a card or breakfast in bed, I did get tons of flowers. I wish I knew all the names. I passed by a big group of Lady Slippers with the early morning light shining through the pines and got some good pics I think. I passed the 500 mile mark. I saw rabbits and deer. I saw wild ponies and petted one of the babies. I saw Kodak climb a tree after getting chased by a pony. Today was hot and the hiking was hard but incredibly rewarding. Today was absolutely amazing but as I'm about to go to sleep my heart feels heavy without my family to share all of this with.
Date: 2015-05-11
From: Wise Shelter 

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: light rain

We survived the 2015 Ponypocalypse. No hikers were harmed. I slept through the commotion but I hear I owe Kiki a life debt for scaring the ponies away from my tent in the morning. Boy ponies are jerkfaces apparently.Another hot day but I took my time. More cows than ponies today. Small waterfall this afternoon. Didn't swim but splashed my face and arms to cool off. Raced the rain and made it to the shelter just in time. Didn't feel like setting up my tent in the rain so I'm in the shelter. I'm not a fan of mice and my tiny sleeping pad on wooden floors but I'm in good company so I don't mind for one night.
Date: 2015-05-12
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Lindamood Schoolhouse
Miles today: 18.3

This morning was breezy and cool from the rain last night but it was somehow also hot and humid at the same time. Got a luke warm root beer in a trail magic cooler but it didn't lift my spirits like I thought it would. I love hiking by myself but I miss my friends I left behind in Damascus. I miss my husband and son and cat. Was disappointed to find out that they don't deliver pizza to Partnership Shelter until after 4pm. So I ate my sad tuna sandwich lunch for the millionth time while I tried to figure out the logistics of getting to the airport. I've decided to go home while everyone else is at Trail Days. I haven't mentioned it yet because my son doesn't know. I was hoping to make it to Bland, VA and to the airport from there. Now it looks like that isn't going to happen because of my zero in Damascus. So instead of killing myself to get there in time, I'm just gonna hang out in Atkins and figure everything out from there. After my extended lunch and decision to give up my hopes for Bland, I took my time the rest of the afternoon. It was nice not to rush for once. Then I got to Chatfield Shelter and was supposed to be relieved to be done for the day but wasn't. I can't explain it but I didn't feel comfortable. I felt uneasy. It wasn't the people or the shelter itself but a combination of all of it. It was hot, there was trash, everyone was super quiet, and there was nowhere good to tent. I sat down to decide what to do, got swarmed by biting gnats, and found out I'd accidentally lost my last pack of cigarettes. I grabbed my pack and decided to go straight to Atkins. Made it as far as the schoolhouse when I ran into the group that's taken me in as a stray since Damascus. Drank an ice cold Dr. Pepper from the school trail magic and was given a few cigarettes to get me through tomorrow. Now I'm charging my phone in a pavilion and sleeping on a picnic table with crickets chirping and lightning bugs flittering in the distance. What a world of difference just a couple of miles can make.
Date: 2015-05-13
From: Lindamood Schoolhouse

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 2.7
Weather: clear sky

Woke up completely confused. It was cold after a week of being warm and I was completely inside my sleeping bag. I thought I was in a shelter because I could feel I was laying on a wooden surface but didn't remember hiking to a shelter. When I finally woke up enough to open my bag to investigate, I saw four other hikers sleeping on picnic tables around me. I smiled to myself at the realization that I'd reached a new level of hiker trash. It didn't feel strange that I'd hiked until I couldn't hike anymore and made my bed at the nearest place I found that was suitable. We tried to be respectful and had our stuff packed and were out shortly after the sun was up. I even picked up some trash that wasn't ours and threw it away so we left the place in better shape than we'd found it. Hiked in my fleece for the first time in a while and went straight for breakfast in town. Ate a deliciously bacon filled breakfast with Blackout and Duck, then said goodbye to new friends as they hiked on. When I paid for my breakfast I asked the waitress to add the bill of the hiker who gave me cigarettes last night to mine and left. Haha, I hope they didn't charge us both! Checked into the Relax Inn, did laundry, took a shower, and sat down to figure out a ride to the airport. As soon as I picked up my phone, Rainbow called and asked if I still needed a ride. Her battery was low and she still had to call and ask her folks if it was okay. I hope that it is. I didn't think I would see her again after Damascus and now I'm looking forward to seeing her before I go home. Started to get bored and then found out that Psych, Jester, and Harry Potter were staying here too. We went to dinner together and Psych and I demolished our 16 oz burgers. I got bacon and a side of curly fries with mine. Not only did nobody talk me out of it but Jester filmed part of the fiasco. With any luck it won't make the final cut. Trust me when I say that it wasn't pretty. A one pound burger is something you eat after a 20-mile day, not a 2.7. I laid on a bench afterwards and told them to go on without me. We had solid plans to turn the bench into a memorial with a plaque that reads, "In Memory of Cyndi Loppers: March 2015 - May 2015". Jester and Harry's ride finally arrived so I found the energy to remove myself from the bench, and said goodbye to more people off to Trail Days. I was feeling left out when my husband called and hearing his voice reminded me that home is where I need to be. I forgot to tell him to stock the fridge with bacon.
Date: 2015-05-14
From: Atkins, VA

To: Charleston, WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I couldn't sleep last night. I finally laid down on the hotel floor and got inside my sleeping bag liner and instantly fell asleep. Weird. I killed time with Psych all morning while we waited for our rides. He's been a pretty cool new friend. Then it was time to start my journey home. Rainbow's dad went out of his way after picking her up to come and get me, drove in the opposite direction they were heading, and dropped me off at a hotel by the airport so I could make my flight home tomorrow. I really can't thank both of them enough. So much love! I spent the rest of the evening lounging around the hotel and feeling out of place. In the words of Rainbow, the civilization struggle is real. I stood in front of an elevator for five minutes before realizing I hadn't pushed the button. And I'm not saying I ripped a monstrously loud fart in the lobby, but if I did, it didn't occur to me that it was socially unacceptable until after I'd made it to my room.
Date: 2015-05-15
From: Charleston, WV

To: Houston, TX
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I've been torn for weeks about going home instead of going to Trail Days. I was embarrassing excited about the Thru-hiker Prom since I didn't go to my high school one. I already miss my trail family but not nearly as much as I miss my real family. I've heard more than one person exclaim in the last 500 miles that the A.T. is the hardest thing they've done. For me, it's not. I've been through things that some people would consider unimaginable. The A.T. isn't easy but compared to them this is a cake walk. I've also heard the opposite, that this is just a 6 month vacation. Um, I don't know how you spend your vacations but mine don't usually involve weekly blood, sweat, and tears. I don't think this is hard or easy. After two months of hiking, I just think it sort of just IS. This is what we do. We wake up, hike, go to sleep, and do it all again. I spent tonight on the couch in simultaneous physical contact with my husband, son, and cat. I wore cotton clothes. I watched Beetlejuice and ate fried chicken I picked up in a car. I slept in my own bed. Going back to the trail on Monday will be the hardest thing I've ever done.
Date: 2015-05-16
From: Houston, TX

To: Houston, TX
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

So many days in a row with a shower. I feel too clean if that's possible. The smell of other people's deodorant and perfume is really strong. My husband got some clothes laundered while I was gone because the washer was broken. I had to take them off after five minutes of trying to figure out why they smelled awful. They didn't. It was just fabric softener. Other than weird smells, I was beyond happy to be home.
Date: 2015-05-17
From: Houston, TX

To: Houston, TX
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Sushi with some family and a few trail errands. New shoelaces for my new trail runners. I wish I had time to see everyone and do everything but I'm just not home long enough. Dinner with my best friend. I missed his infectious laughter! Went through my pack when I got home and dropped about 5 lbs of winter weight. I didn't weigh the pack but I could feel the difference when I put it on. Can't wait to take it on the trail!
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Houston, TX

To: Houston, TX
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

The airport was a disaster this morning. The kiosks weren't working so the line took forever. I would've missed my flight but it got delayed. I still didn't leave though because the delayed flight would've made me miss my connecting flight and they said there wasn't any other way to get me there for several days. So they booked a new flight from an airport that's further away for tomorrow. The good news was that I got to surprise my son a second time. He came home from school and was happy I was still home.
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Atkins, VA

To: Reed Creek
Miles today: 6.5

After a very stressful morning of airlines telling me I didn't have reservations when I did and telling me flights were full that weren't, I got on my original flight and headed back to my second home. Eddie from Four Pines Hostel picked me up from the airport in Roanoke in the Dragon Wagon and dropped me off in Atkins. I was wondering if I would see anyone I knew since people seem to be spread out after Trail Days. All I did was walk from the gas station, under the overpass, and found Krispy with Chief Two Sticks at some trail magic. I could see Krispy's hot pink shorty shorts from the gas station. I would've only done a couple miles since it was already getting dark but they talked me into my first night hike. The setting sun, rising moon, and brilliant stars were all beautiful. The smell of flowers and earth on the cool night breeze welcomed me back to the trail and I wouldn't have had it any other way.