morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-04-23
From: Rendezvous Motel, Pearisburg VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: overcast clouds

A late start but a pretty good day. Woke up at the motel at my usual 6:15 am. I don't even try to fight it these days. I got up and went outside and talked to Hannah so I wouldn't disturb the others while they slept. When they woke up we went to breakfast where I ordered the biggest thing on the menu, 2 eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, grits, and then I ordered 3 pancakes. My appetite is astounding. Picked up my package, which was awesome. Hannah replaced a few things for me like my pack liner and windscreen. She also sent me a small ipod which is really exciting as I have had really limited access to music for the past month. We hit the trail at a bout 1 pm after resupplying at the grocery store. There is always a big climb out of town because the towns are in valleys and your pack is at its heaviest since you just resupplied. This made the first few miles pretty tough. Nice big views when we hit the top of the ridge and really pretty hiking for most of the day. Hiked a bit listening to the ipod which was so nice. I have songs stuck in my head all the time and it seemed like Hannah put all of them on the ipod even though I never told her. Sometimes she amazes me. Pulled into the shelter about 8 pm. This one had a tree fall on it last year and doesn't have a roof. Nobody else is here but Mike, Hampton, and I, and it won't rain, so the lack of roof isn't a big deal. It was such a nice day, great weather, nice trail, and we escaped another town. Starting a big push tomorrow until my folks get here. I'm going to leave Mike and Hampton for a while. Big miles are coming.
Date: 2008-04-24
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: scattered clouds

A long day with huge and steep climbs. Got up at 6:45 am and hit the trail at 7:15 am. Made good time but just wasn't ready for the long steep climbs. They seemed never ending and just wore me out. I planned on doing 7 more miles, but never would've made it before dark. Nothing really exciting and I am exhausted. Nice views all day and pretty trail. Lots of rocks. In the shelter after a big dinner. I am too tired to write anymore. Hopefully tomorrow goes better.
Date: 2008-04-25
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Homeplace restaurant, Catawba, VA
Miles today: 28.7

Better than yesterday, but still not a great day. Yesterday needs a better entry so I will add a bit here. I left Mike and Hampton and started the day crossing a creek with no bridge. The bridge blew out in 2004 in a hurricane. I walked through the freezing water. Up and down all day just wore me out. Ate well all day, but went into bed feeling pretty bad. Didn't sleep very well, had a mild fever and woke up very congested. Got hiking about 7 am this morning and felt a little better. The hills seemed easier and the trail was pretty nice - it ran along a high rock ridge and had really nice views. About 10 miles in Hampton, who was in front of me, came running back up the trail yelling about a snake. 50 ft up the trail there was an angry rattlesnake about 5 ft long and as big as my wrist. We tried getting it to move from the trail by poking it with a long stick and tossing small rocks at it. Eventually it got mad and slithered toward us. It hid under my backpack which I had left sitting on the trail. I had to pick up my pack with an 8 ft stick so I didn't get bitten. The snake got mad and it bit my pack. I got my bag back, but it was my first rattlesnake encounter, my first big wildlife encounter on the trail and a day I won't soon forget. We hiked up the Dragon's Tooth, which is a large rock outcrop with some awesome views and got some good photos. We saw a big storm rolling up the valley toward us so we booked it down the trail the last 9 miles so we could get to the restaurant before it closed. After what seemed like 20 miles we go to the homeplace. It was pouring rain and we were soaked after the short hitch-hike. The homeplace is supposed to have the best food on the A.T. The food was great and it was all you can eat. I ate my fill but was really starting to feel sick. Mike and Hampton went to Virginia Tech to party with some other hikers but I decided to stay behind and get some rest. The people at the homeplace let me sleep in their gazebo. I got to talk to Hannah for a while and I'm going to sleep feeling mentally pretty good, but physically pretty bad.
Date: 2008-04-26
From: Homeplace restaurant, Catawba, VA

To: Howard Johnson Hotel, Daleville, VA
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: few clouds

Got out slow this morning after packing up and talking to Hannah and my parents for a while. Had a pretty easy start and felt better after feeling pretty bad last night. Still felt congested but felt good hiking. Made Mcafee Knob, the biggest climb of the day, with no trouble. The view was great and I got the classic AT picture of me on the knob. Later in the day I got hit by a huge thunder storm. It poured so hard I couldn't see 5 feet in front of me. There was thunder and lightning and driving rain and quarter inch hail. A tree about 35 ft away from me was struck by lightning and the trail turned into a river. It was pretty sketchy. The sun came back out and I made it into town about 4 pm. I decided to stay and rest and try to get healthy. I spent the rest of the day in a hotel relaxing and eating. It was pretty expensive but worth it to get healthy. Felling ok, a little run down and congested but mentally good.
Date: 2008-04-27
From: Howard Johnson Hotel, Daleville, VA

To: Cave Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 24.9

Slept in a bit and packed up around 8:30 am. Ate the continental breakfast at the hotel with some other hikers. I got hooked up with alcohol for my stove which was awesome because there was nowhere to buy it and the outfitter was closed. It is little things like that that make your day out here. The people are great. Resupplied at the grocery and hit the trail about 9:45 am. the hiking was nice, easy rolling climbs and not too many rocks. The trail ran along the Blue Ridge Pkwy for a while so it was pretty flat. The leaves are finally coming out and it really is starting look like spring. it was 75 degrees and super humid when I started but the clouds rolled in by noon and it threatened to rain all day. The creeks were all swollen and flooding from yesterday's storms. It was tough crossing some of the streams because the normal stepping stones were submerged. The shelter I am in tonight doesn't have a water source so I had to carry in a gallon of water from the previous shelter 7 miles back. When I approached the shelter to fill my bottles I came across a sight I never expected and won't soon forget. As I descended the hill I came upon two 40+ year old people having sex on the picnic table. I made a bunch of noise and they got dressed before I got to them. They sat there awkwardly and eventually made really uncomfortable small talk but I had a hard time not laughing at them. Another good story from the trail. In a shelter for the evening and there is a storm rolling in. Feeling good, still a bit sick but I had a good hike. Hopefully the weather clears tomorrow but oh well, can't fight the weather.
Date: 2008-04-28
From: Cave Mt. Shelter

To: Matt's Creek Shelter
Miles today: 29.6
Weather: moderate rain

If I let the weather stop me from doing what I want I would never do anything. It poured rain almost all day. The kind of rain that makes you so wet your bones get soggy. Woke up after a great night¢s sleep. The rain had been constant all night and the drumming on the tin roof made for good sleeping. But the rain made it tough to get motivated in the morning. It¢s hard climbing out of a warm sleeping bag and a dry shelter into a cold downpour. I was awake at 6:30 am but didn¢t hit the trail until almost 9, just hoping that the rain would, by some miracle, stop. It didn¢t. It rained until 4 pm. It was cold, 55 degrees, and all of the rocks on the trail (they were plentiful) were really slippery. Went under The Guillotine , which is a big boulder that hangs above the trail. It was kind of cool. I bid farewell to Mike and Hampton for a while. They stayed at the shelter behind me to meet Hampton¢s girlfriend, who came for his birthday tomorrow. It¢s tough leaving them, I really enjoyed hiking with them, but I have to move on to meet my parents and Hannah, which is a really sunny spot on my horizon. Plus I will see them in a week or so when they catch back up. Got to the shelter about 7:30 pm to find it empty, but someone had left a bunch of soda and a bag of apples. The soda did me no good as I don¢t drink it, but the apples were awesome. Fresh fruit is one thing that I really crave out here because I can¢t get it when I want it. I dream of apples and oranges when I hike, so I was super excited. It is weird being alone in this shelter. This is the first time I¢ve had a shelter to myself. It¢s nice because I can sprawl out and not worry, but it¢s kinda spooky. The shelter is on a roaring creek that is really relaxing. All the streams and creeks are swollen from the rain and none have bridges, so that¢s been interesting. Feeling good after almost 30 miles. Not too sore. Mentally a little lonely after leaving my hiking partners of 2+ weeks, but really excited about seeing my parents in 5 days and Hannah in 7. I really enjoy being out here, even on days when it pours rain all day and there aren¢t any views and there aren¢t any funny stories. This really is living the dream.
Date: 2008-04-29
From: Matt's Creek Shelter

To: Cow Camp Gap Shelter
Miles today: 27.8
Weather: broken clouds

It is cold! 42 degrees in the shelter with a fierce wind outside. Woke up early but had a hard time getting motivated to move. Sat in my sleeping bag from 6:15 am to 7:15 am. It¢s tough some days getting moving, everyday is pretty much the same routine: get up and walk north. The monotony is tough on the motivation. That is why I am so excited to have my parents coming. A change of pace an someone to talk to who won¢t be behind me on the trail and out of my life in 5 minutes. These next 4 days are going to be ripe with anticipation. I finally got moving and made it onto the trail by 7:45 am. The sun was put and it was beautiful, but there was a very light rain falling. That¢s about the perfect slogan for the AT ¢It even rains when the sun is shining¢ or ¢even the flat parts are uphill¢. But, oh well, it was nice walking. Rolled my ankle really hard in the first mile and thought I may have broken it. Every rock and root seems to conspire against me. It¢s still sore, but I think it¢s fine. All the rain made for some awesome waterfalls along the trail which was a nice surprise. Crossed the James River via a cool footbridge and went under some train tracks with a train rolling past overhead. It was pretty neat ¢ got my Kerouac dreams flowing. A few nice views and a couple big 1800+ ft. climbs. Didn¢t see many people, maybe 4 all day. Freezing wind all day up high, but nice temperature, maybe 65 degrees. But that ended about an hour before I hit the shelter when the wind kicked up and the temperature dropped. The shelter was a half mile off the trail, adding to an already long day, but worth it to escape the wind. I have the place to myself again and cooked and ate in my sleeping bag to stay warm. Had a double dinner tonight and am feeling good. The trail is getting less crowded as I get further ahead of the main pack of hikers. Saw some orange salamanders, a two towed grey lizard, a 6 ft. black snake, and lots of deer today. Pretty good wildlife day. Got to the shelter at 6 pm so I had plenty of time to write. Feeling a little tired and a little lonely, but really excited for my parents to get here.
Date: 2008-04-30
From: Cow Camp Gap Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 30.8
Weather: broken clouds

I am going to smack the next person who tells me Central Virginia is flat. I have heard it from a dozen people and it simply isn¢t true. The 300 ft. climb I just did will attest to that. A long day with lots of climbing but some really nice views. Spy Rock offered some nice views of the blue ridge. This is really pretty country. It was freezing when I woke up ¢ my watch said 31.1 degrees, which means it got even colder than that because the sun was partially up. There was even some ice up high. The cold made it really tough to get moving. My motivation has been faltering these past few days. Didn¢t get moving until 8:30 after sleeping til 7:30 and lying in my bag for an hour. I was on the trail by 9 am and it warmed quickly into a nice day ¢ 65 degrees and sunny. I made 30 miles by 8 pm even with the late start and a big climb. Ate some Mac and Cheese and climbed into my bag quickly as it got cold when the sun went down. I am still really hungry, even after a box of mac and cheese. I have been hungry all day and have eaten a lot. I guess the miles are catching up with me. I am excited to get to Waynesboro tomorrow for food and a package, then into Shenandoah. Feeling good for doing 30 miles, feet are sore but knees and muscles seem fine. I am in the shelter with 2 high school seniors. I haven¢t seen another thru-hiker in almost 3 days. I am really excited to see my folks and get into Shenandoah. It¢s going to be a good next few days.
Date: 2008-05-01
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Calf Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 27.8

Pretty good with fairly big miles coming pretty easy. Alarm went off at 5:30 am but I shut it off and slept a bit longer. Got out of my bag at 6 am and was on the trail by 6:15 am. It was a nice sunrise over the blue ridge and the trail was nice and rolling. It was really rocky in spots and I even had to do some hand over hand climbing. The morning started cold, 38 degrees, but the day warmed up quick. i was slow for the first 10 miles and felt really tired from so many long days in a row. Arrived in Waynesboro at about 2 pm after walking about a mile trying to get a hitch. The town wasn't really hiker friendly and all the things I needed were pretty far apart. Got my package from Hannah at the post office. The brownies she sent really made my day. Also got a new headlamp battery, some more spices, and some baby wipes for trail showers. She has been a blessing so far and really made this trip enjoyable. I am excited to see her in 3 days. Ate lunch at BK. had 4 whopper jr., a large fry, and a shake. then I went to Save-A-Lot for a small resupply and on to the library to charge my phone and use the internet. It is great seeing so many people have signed my guestbook on trailjournals.com. Thank you all for the support and encouragement, it really means a lot to me. Talked to my folks and tried to finalize the plans for meeting them the day after tomorrow. I am really excited. Made it back to the trail after walking another mile to get a ride. Started Shenandoah National Park. It is really pretty and the hiking is fairly easy. The wild flowers are really starting to bloom as well as some of the trees and a lot of the trees have leaves now. it is relaly like I am racing spring north and spring is winning. Warm day and looking like a warm night. My legs feel pretty good considering I did 28 miles of trail plus another 3 in town and another .3 to the shelter. My feet are another story. I just cut out an ingrown toenail which hurts like hell and my shoes are finally in need of retirement as they have hurt my feet in new and strange places. All this on top of just being tired from 870+ miles of pounding in 39 days. But such is life on the trail. No real worries so I complain about my feet. In with 3 other thru-hikers for the night. Feeling super excited for some visitors in the next few days.
Date: 2008-05-04
From: Hawksbill Gap

To: Quality Inn, Front Royale VA
Miles today: 41.5
Weather: clear sky

Done with Shenandoah. Got up early, around 6 am, and went back to the car to get organized. As bad as I felt about it, I decided to slack-pack for the day and let my folks take all of my gear in the van so I could do the 40 miles more easily. Hiking without a pack was weird for a while but it was pretty nice. The weather was good and the trail was pretty easy. My parents met me for lunch and dinner along the way and hiked with me for a few miles. I saw a mother bear with two cubs on the trail. She stood there while the cubs climbed a tree. It was pretty cool and I got a few pictures before she got mad and I left. I had to hike about an hour after dark, over some rocks, which was tough. Night hiking after such a long day is really hard and I was really happy to see my dad waiting at the road crossing. I ate some McDonalds and got a well-deserved and much needed shower after 8 days and over 200 miles. It's nice to be in a real bed for a night and I am really excited that Hannah is coming tomorrow.
Date: 2008-05-05
From: Quality Inn, Front Royale VA

To: Manassas gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: broken clouds

Slept in a bit and was pretty slow to get organized. Ate the continental breakfast at the hotel and my dad did my laundry, which was great because it was pretty dirty and smelly. packed up for the night and hit the trail to hike a few miles before Hannah got here. My parents hiked without packs for about 10 miles and we met Hannah at the road crossing. She left Michigan at 3 am and got here at about noon. It was a pain meeting up with her as she was at a different road crossing and cell phone service was poor. But when we met up it was well worth it. it was so nice seeing her and she brought me chicken wings. We moved a car ahead to where we were ending our hike tomorrow and gave another hiker a ride to town and then hiked 3 miles into a shelter. Ate well and had a good night's sleep. The shelter had a warning about poisonous snakes in the area, but we didn't see any.
Date: 2008-05-06
From: Manassas gap Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Long day for my folks and Hannah and I know they must be tired because I am pretty tired myself. The day started well with my parents deciding to walk the two miles back to the car rather than the 8 miles or so forward. So Hannah and I went parted with them and walked north through some really pretty meadows with some huge tulip poplar trees. It was nice hiking even though there weren't any great scenic vistas. It was hot all day with really bright sun and I got sunburned before lunch. We met my folks at the car for lunch and got ready for them to hike into the shelter again for the night. They had already moved the other car up fourteen miles and we were planning on hiking four miles into Rod Hollow Shelter and doing the rest tomorrow. The hike was really easy with no big climbs and we were at the shelter by 3 pm. The shelter wasn't that impressive and had a bumble bee nest in it so we just ate a quick snack and decided to move on to the next shelter. The next shelter was on a section of trail known as the roller coaster which consists of repeated 600 to 800 ft. climbs for about 20 miles. The climbs are steep and the repetition wears on you. I didn't think the 7 miles we did was too hard, but it was tiring. My parents and Hannah, not having 1000 miles on their legs in the last month and a half, were super tired. It was a longer and harder 7 miles than anticipated and after a big dinner we are all ready for bed.
Date: 2008-05-07
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Quality Inn, Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 22.9

Slept in kind of late and got moving back to the car by 9 am. My parents took their time and enjoyed a few overlooks but Hannah and I hiked on so I could do a bigger day and get to Harper¢s Ferry. Hannah and I ate lunch at the car and I moved on. The hiking seemed easier today even though the hills were just as big and steep. It was very hot, 80 plus degrees, and there was almost no water on the trail. I had to stop at a shelter and walk .5 miles down a steep hill to fill up my water because I had run out and was getting dehydrated. I met two section hikers, Jay-bird and Jigsaw, who were cool and talked to them during my water break. I left Virginia, which is great, as it is the longest state by far and comprises nearly 25% of the trail. I also passed the 1,000 mile mark today which seems crazy but is a big milestone. The last 9 miles from the shelter where I got water to Harper¢s Ferry was a nice easy downhill. It was really rocky but I made it down no problem. I crossed the Shenandoah River, which was beautiful in the softening evening light and headed into town. I met my parents at the Appalachian trail conservancy headquarters about 14 mile off the trail. They had a hotel room waiting and I couldn¢t sign in with the ATC because they were closed so I left for a shower and some food. After a very necessary shower we went to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I had all you can eat chicken fingers, which was a pretty sweet deal. After dinner, Hannah and I did laundry and joined my dad at the pool. Swimming felt so good. It¢s nice to have a bed to sleep in and a full stomach and clean hair. My parents are leaving tomorrow, which is kind of sad. It was a little stressful with them here because it made the simple life more complicated and I really wanted them to enjoy themselves, but it was so great hiking with them and I will miss them.
Date: 2008-05-08
From: Quality Inn, Harper's Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Great night¢s sleep, the best in a long time. Slept late, like 8 am, which was so nice. Got up and organized things with Hannah for longer trips and got some food ready. We are moving the car ahead and going to hitch back to the trail and hike to the car. Everyone ate the continental breakfast at the hotel and we headed back to the ATC so I could sign in. I got my picture taken for the book of thru-hikers. I am number 48 to make it to Harper¢s Ferry this year. After looking around a bit we walked to the outfitter downtown . Harper¢s Ferry is a really cool old historic town with tons of history and awesome old architecture. I got new shoes at the outfitter because my old ones were shot after 1,000 miles. I also got my trekking pole fixed because I broke the tip off a few days ago. The woman at the outfitter was great and helped me out a lot. After that I bid farewell to my parents, which was harder than I expected, and Hannah and I went for lunch before hitting the trail. We ate pulled pork sandwiches at a place in town and headed off into the rain. The trail was easy and we made it to the shelter really early. It was a well-deserved short day after a lot of long, hard miles. It¢s exciting to think that I am almost halfway done, but also overwhelming because it took so much to get here and it¢s only halfway. The next little bit looks less difficult though, which is encouraging. The shelter is very cool, a double decker with a balcony. One guy is here, he has the downstairs, we have the upstairs. And someone else is tented outside. It might storm, which would be nice being in the shelter. Feeling good after a short day, my feet are a little sore but that¢s nothing new. It¢s so nice having Hannah here, but I miss my parents nonetheless. I am really coming to appreciate them the way I should have years ago.